County’s link with top TV soap

The line between television fantasy and reality was further blurred this week - when a “pretend” Salopian made it on to the set of East-Enders. Ben Bentley searches through the Star’s archives.

Also see: From Telford to the EastEnd

New girl Danielle Jones, played by Brummie actress Lauren Crace, arrived in Albert Square looking for a job on the market and purported to be from Telford.

With regular characters non-plussed at precisely where Telford actually was, she gave them a quick lesson in geography - and told them it was somewhere between Birmingham and Wales.

Ian Beale should know though, having escaped Walford 1988 and being spotted playing football in Whitchurch.

Beale, played by Adam Woodyatt, was one of a host of top names in the celebrity Albemarle All Stars team, which was pitting its skills against Whitchurch Alport at Yockings Park.

And soap GP Dr Legg, played by EastEnders actor Len Fenton, also fled Walford in July 1997 to open a fete at Coreley, near Clee Hill.

In 1986 memories of the “TV wedding of the year” came flooding back for EastEnders’ stars Michelle and Lofty when they were almost reunited in Oakengates, Telford.

The TV couple were the stars of a wedding spectacular held at the town hall, but Lofty - actor Tom Watts - did not bump into the girl who jilted him at the alter.

For Michelle - played by Susan Tulley - and he were at the town hall on separate days.

New EastEnders girl Danielle might be a pretend Salopian, but sometimes we even have real ones in the soap.

In December 2004 county youngster Pax Baldwin of Shawbirch joined the cast on Albert Square for a Christmas special.

Then aged 13 he was seen on our screens singing carols alongside the likes of Shane Ritchie as part of an EastEnders Christmas party. He knocked out three numbers as part of the knees-up.

Pax got to spend the day on the EastEnders set and work with some of his favourite characters.

After filming the episode he later told the Shropshire Star: “It was a really fun day and everyone was really nice to me.

“I had a dressing room and I even got to meet the dogs who are in EastEnders!” he added.

People clearly love the series and are desperate not to miss an instalment. An appeal appeared on our letters page in January last year from a female reader from Shawbirch.

It read: “Is there a Shropshire Star reader anywhere who has a copy of the EastEnders omnibus from Christmas Eve. I was meant to record it for somebody.

“I am happy to return or replace the video or DVD.”

See which other celebrities are linked to Shropshire

Ben Bentley