Age
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 came back to Walford to die in 2000, she revealed to Dot that she had lied about her age for many years. She was actually 86, not 85 (the character was aged two years, in a dramatic technique known as SORAS). Ethel died on what she claimed was the night of her 86th birthday in September 2000, and although Dot knew very well her birthday was in February, she organised a party at Ethel's request to give her one last 'birthday' before she died. February 19 is also the day that EastEnders was first broadcast.
Read more about this topic: Ethel Skinner
Famous quotes containing the word age:
“There is no such thing as the old age of the wise.”
—Sophocles (497–406/5 B.C.)
“A great age of literature is perhaps always a great age of translations.”
—Ezra Pound (1885–1972)
“Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
As ‘twere retailed to all posterity,
Even to the general all-ending day.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)