Ethel Skinner (née Lewis), played by Gretchen Franklin, is an elderly resident of Walford. Ethel Skinner also features in a 1988 EastEnders special, entitled Civvy Street, set on Albert Square during the Second World War, where the character is played by Alison Bettles. Ethel is an EastEnders original character and in the early years she can often be found wandering the square with her adored pug Willy. She and Dot Cotton (June Brown) are lifelong friends and although they wind each other up, they are completely dependent on each other. In fact Ethel trusts Dot so much that she even asks her to help her die in 2000, after she is diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Ethel's original character outline states that she was born in 1920. However, during the series this was altered to 1916 and for many years her birthday fell on 19 February. When Ethel comes back to Walford to die in 2000, she reveals to Dot that she had lied about her age for many years.
Read more about this topic: List Of East Enders Characters (1985)
Famous quotes containing the words ethel and/or skinner:
“The very “in” had babies the same time Ethel [Kennedy] did, in the same hospital, with the same obstetrician ...”
—Barbara Howar (b. 1934)
“Mrs. Skinner told Jones that Mrs. N. was a very fascinating woman, and that Mr. W. was very fond of fascinating with her.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)