EastEnders Wiki

NOTE: Please do not add spoilers as this is a spoiler-free Wiki and it is intrusive to our readers who may not have seen the episodes released early on IPlayer or do not read spoilers. Repeated intentional offences of this rule could lead to a ban, Many thanks the EastEnders Wiki admin team.

READ MORE

EastEnders Wiki
EastEnders Wiki
EastEnders Wiki
16,291
pages
in: Episode, 1998 Episodes, Episodes directed by Tim Leandro

Episode 1561 (13 January 1998)

Sign in to edit

Summary[]

Irene faces up to Susan Rose, from the DSS when she tries to claim money. Nigel misreads Clare's feelings about her date, and Phil takes Conor on his first money-making mission.


Ricky goes to the café and Pat and Kathy ask him about Conor starting work, under the dubious pretext that Kathy needs to know that Phil's income is stable for Ben's sake! Bianca has been nagging Ricky about it again, and he says the quicker she makes up with Tiffany the better, as she's even more done nothing but nag since she had the argument with her. Tiffany goes to see Ricky, who tells her Bianca wants to see her and apologise. Later they get around to having a chat in the café, and argue again. However, they finally agree that Bianca should not pass judgement on Grant, after Tiffany points out that Ricky had affairs with Natalie and Sam while he was supposed to be with Bianca, so he's not exactly a saint either.

Sanjay persuades Michael that he's under the thumb of his ex-wife and he needs to go out on the pull. Sanjay offers his wealth of experience and coaches him! Michael isn't keen, but is finally persuaded and he will be dragged out this evening.

Clare and Sonia discuss Clare's exciting date tonight, and Clare asks whether she should offer to go Dutch tonight with Josh. Mick has decided to form a band after his conversations about how much he misses playing music. He gives the café number as the contact point, but forgets to add "after 7pm". Lenny offers his services as "manager" and points out that the ad will mean people calling all day as well, and Mick will have to sit in the café all day. Mick says Lenny will have to do it.

Irene has a visit from the DSS to check the validity of her claim for dole, so she throws Terry out and hides his clothes, saying that if he's living there he will be expected to support her. Cindy phones to ask Ian for another visit. He says no and calls his solicitor, who points this out and says he'd be well advised to allow her visits as previously agreed. Mark gets a visit from the social worker who tells him that Jessie's mother, Nicole, has now completed her detox programme and wants to see Jessie once a fortnight, as is her right. Mark says he doesn't think prison is a suitable environment for a small child, and the social worker says that it is essential for the pair of them to keep in contact if Jessie is to have a good relationship with her mother when she gets out.

Matthew gets a visit from his mother to harangue him about being on the stall instead of at school. She tells him she's just passing and she's here to check out a woman claiming dole. Terry happens to overhear and scurries off to warn Irene. Peggy sees the hostel building contractors having their lunch, and asks them where they got their chips. They point to Ian's chippy. She is furious and goes off calling Ian a two-faced hypocrite and immediately removes the sign refusing them access to the Vic. Ian goes in and complains to Grant, who points out his hypocrisy. Ian says it's different, because no-one would care if they couldn't get chips, but a pub is a social place. Grant says it's exactly the same.

Clare mentions her date tonight to Nigel. Nigel thought they agreed that she shouldn't go after all, but they come to an agreement that she'll come straight home from the cinema, and Nigel will meet her at the tube station. He says he'd prefer it if he met the boy first, and she doesn't even know who his parents are. George has twigged that there is something going on between Phil and Annie, and after asking them both and getting evasive answers, he asks Peggy if she knows what's going on. He suggests perhaps there is a relationship, and Peggy is annoyed about it and says no offence to Annie, but she had hoped Phil would get back with Kathy. Meanwhile, Conor and Phil do their rounds again, and before they start Phil tells Conor he will "do the talking". They go off and collect with no mishap. They hand over Annie's half in the café later, and she's happy, saying this looks like being a nice little earner. In the Vic later that evening, Nigel rushes in to tell Grant that Clare hasn't turned up at the tube station, and he's panicking. He says he doesn't even know the phone number of the boy's parents to call there. Grant suggests asking Julie, since she'd know how to contact the parents. Nigel calls her, and gets an aggressive man answering saying Julie is not available. Nigel asks Grant if he thinks he should call the police, but he goes home first to check, and finds Clare in her room crying.


Credits[]

Main cast[]

Guest cast[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.