Alice Bates - Early Life

Early Life

Alice was born in February 1991 to Nick Bates and Elsa Feldmann. Nick and Elsa were due to get married but Elsa went into premature labour and Zoe Tate delivered the baby at Mill Cottage. Elsa struggled to adapt to life as a mother and so on Christmas Eve 1991, she left Nick, taking Alice with her but struggling to cope, she gave Alice to Nick, saying that Alice prevented her from having a social life.

In December 1993, a plane crashed in the village. Alice's dad Nick was out with his friend, Archie Brooks, and Alice's live-in childminder. That night, Nick and Archie got a babysitter, Ruth Jameson, who left Alice alone just before the plane came down. Archie was killed but Nick survived. Alice was feared dead but was pulled out of the rubble of what had been her home a few days later. Nick spent several weeks in hospital and Alice went to stay with Elsa, who tried to make the arrangement permanent, claiming that Nick and Archie were lovers and that they neglected Alice, putting her in danger. The court didn't agree and Nick was awarded custody and Elsa left the area.

In 1996, Nick, was sent to prison for accidentally shooting a poacher. Alice went to live with Nick's sister, Kathy, who desperately tried to contact Elsa but was shocked to discover she'd moved to Australia without telling anyone. Realising she was all Alice had left and just how selfish and uncaring Elsa was, Kathy took custody of Alice. However, later that year, Kathy and Alice started getting threats from the family of the man Nick had killed. Nick and Kathy's mother, Caroline, came to Emmerdale and wanted to take Alice to Scarborough. However, Kathy was determined to fulfill Nick's wish of having Alice with her.

Alice was upset when Kathy reconciled with Dave Glover as he had left them once before. He did leave them again but not through choice. He died after saving Kim Tate's infant son James Tate from a fire.

In May 1997, Nick's girlfriend, Karen, went to see Alice after school and took her back to the village. Alice was reluctant to go with her as she didn't know her. When Kathy found out, she was furious and ordered Karen to keep away from Alice. Karen kept coming to see Alice and told Kathy that when Nick was released, they and Alice would be moving to Boston. Kathy was annoyed at Karen for getting Nick's hopes up about being released, knowing there was very little chance he would get off. Kathy went to see Nick who confirmed that what Karen was saying was true and that even if he went to prison, he wanted Karen to take Alice. A couple of weeks later, Nick was sentenced to 10 years in prison and Karen left for Boston alone. Kathy, meanwhile, was left to tell Alice, then aged just six, that her dad wasn't coming home and it would just be the two of them from now on. Kathy, who had grown very close to Alice, was relieved that she could keep Alice, but was upset at the thought of her brother spending so long in prison.

In July 1997, Alice was looked after by 14 year old Emma Cairns. Emma took Alice to the playground, however while she was chatting to friends, Alice disappeared. The whole Village searched for her but to no avail. Meanwhile, Jack Sugden was returning from a weekend in Sheffield and stopped at a service station to call his wife, Sarah. Sarah told Jack of Alice's disappearance and by a stroke of luck, Jack saw Alice at the service station being led away by an unknown woman. Jack was able to save Alice and returned her to the village. In October 1997, Alice was knocked over by a dog. The owner of the dog, Doug Hamilton seemed quite taken with Kathy and asked her out to dinner as a way of compensation for frightening Alice. After a few dates, Kathy was shocked to find out that Doug was married. Doug then asked Kathy and Alice to come on holiday with him.c

In 1998, Elsa arrived in the village to try to take Alice but after realising she was settled, decided to leave her in Emmerdale.

In July 1999, Kathy's boyfriend, Biff Fowler, proposed to her. Alice got on extremely well with Biff and was excited about the wedding. However, on the day, Biff couldn't go through with it and jilted Kathy before leaving Emmerdale for good on his motor-bike. Kathy and Alice were left devastated by Biff's departure.