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It is an emotional day in Albert Square as the Mitchells say a final goodbye to their beloved Peggy. Jack struggles with Richard's presence in the Square.

Billy watches as the finishing touches are made to Peggy’s hearse outside the Funeral Parlour. The local Milkman passes on his float, places two bottles outside The Vic and salutes. Inside, Linda looks up at the photos of Peggy on the wall. Billy looks down at Peggy’s coffin in the Chapel of Rest; this is it. Patrick goes to Dot’s and she quotes Revelations 21:4 before drawing her living room curtains as a sign of respect; a tradition that hardly anyone acknowledges anymore.

A church bell chimes through the Square. Billy walks in front of the horse drawn hearse as the residents of the Square step outside to watch it pass. The Mitchell family enter the Square and join the procession. Outside the church Phil approaches Billy, Paul and Ben as they lift Peggy’s coffin onto their shoulders. Phil asks to help carry Peggy but Billy is reluctant; Phil’s in no fit state. Inside the church Peggy’s family and friends await her arrival. Throughout the day Pam receives calls form Les, in hospital, asking how things are going with the funeral. Pam reassures Les that everything is going well. Outside the church Pam spots an emotional Sam leaving the service with Richard.

Later, Phil comes out of the church an emotional wreck. The congregation stand around Peggy’s grave as her coffin is lowered into it. Pat Butcher’s grave is close by. Grant appears and watches from afar, unseen by the family and holding a single red rose. The guests travel to The Vic for Peggy’s wake.

Phil sits in his living room holding his father’s boxing gloves; the suitcase of family mementos open on the coffee table. Richard enters saying that Sam told him Phil is going to die. Sharon tells Richard to go into the kitchen and opens the living room curtains, flooding the room with light. Sharon reminds Phil that today is about Peggy, not Eric. Having collected her, Ben wheels Aunt Sal to No.55; a bunch of freesias for Peggy in her arms. Upstairs, Sharon spots Peggy’s perfume on the bedroom dresser and decides to wear it. Sharon welcomes Sal who informs her that Howard couldn’t make it. Sam relays that Grant couldn’t make it either. Against Sharon’s advice Sam wheels Sal into the living room to see Phil.

Margret comes looking for Sharon as Gavin is acting strangely. Sharon shows Margret the door; she has her own family to worry about today. Sal finds a newspaper cutting in the case Phil has been looking through. It reads ‘Man jailed for botched Post Office raid.’ Phil comments on the bent coppers that framed his father. Sharon enters and tells Phil to get changed; the hearse is on its way. They head outside and Phil pauses to see the floral arrangement on Peggy’s coffin that reads ‘Mum’. He notices that Sharon is wearing Peggy’s perfume and isn’t impressed. Inside the church Sal tells Sharon that Peggy had a secret that she has kept from Phil. As the coffin enters Phil struggles to carry it and Sharon pulls him to one side as Ben takes the weight. Phil fails to fight back the tears as the service begins.

Jack looks over at Sam with disgust as she allows Richard to eat crisps in the church. Phil steps up to give his eulogy but breaks under the pressure and walks out. Sharon goes after him and Sal asks her to tell him the secret; it’s time he knew the truth. Phil gets a taxi back to No.55 and places a bottle of scotch next to the case of family memories. Sharon tells Phil that it wasn’t bent coppers that sent Eric to prison. It was Peggy. Phil has always believed Peggy just stood by and watched Eric knock him about but this was her way of protecting him. Phil goes to the wake and finally makes his eulogy; his view of Peggy altered. He knows Peggy would want them to be celebrating. Linda cracks open a bottle of bubbly as someone starts playing on the piano. Sam approaches Sharon and makes a point about Grant not being there. Ian realises that Phil is missing. He has gone to visit Peggy’s grave which is now adorned with the floral tributes. Phil says goodbye to Peggy not noticing the rose left by Grant…

At the Beale’s Kathy can’t eat due to nerves. Ian recalls when Frank and Pat were going to run away together and what Peggy did when she found the note they left. Kathy receives a text from Buster saying ‘can’t stop thinking about you x’. Shirley finds Buster outside No.23b and can’t wait for today to be over. At Peggy’s wake Buster asks Ian where Kathy is; she has gone home. Buster goes to see her and Kathy throws her arms around him.

Available now

30 minutes

Audio described

Last on

Mon 4 Jul 2016 20:30

Clip

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • Elvis Presley

    Suspicious Minds

  • Bob Dylan

    Make You Feel My Love

  • Ray Davies Choral Collection With The Crouch End

    Days

  • Nick Cave And Shane MacGowan

    What A Wonderful World

Credits

Role Contributor
Phil Mitchell Steve McFadden
Sam Mitchell Danniella Westbrook
Sharon Mitchell Letitia Dean
Ronnie Mitchell Samantha Womack
Roxy Mitchell Rita Simons
Billy Mitchell Perry Fenwick
Honey Mitchell Emma Barton
Louise Mitchell Tilly Keeper
Ben Mitchell Harry Reid
Jay Brown Jamie Borthwick
Jack Branning Scott Maslen
Dot Brown June Brown
Martin Fowler James Bye
Stacey Fowler Lacey Turner
Sonia Fowler Natalie Cassidy
Kathy Sullivan Gillian Taylforth
Ian Beale Adam Woodyatt
Denise Fox Diane Parish
Kim Fox-Hubbard Tameka Empson
Patrick Trueman Rudolph Walker
Pam Coker Lin Blakley
Les Coker Roger Sloman
Paul Coker Jonny Labey
Linda Carter Kellie Bright
Lee Carter Danny-Boy Hatchard
Johnny Carter Ted Reilly
Shirley Carter Linda Henry
Andrew 'Buster' Briggs Karl Howman
Whitney Dean Shona McGarty
Ricky Mitchell Henri Charles
Aunt Sal Anna Karen
Margaret Midhurst Jan Harvey
Reverand Stevens Michael Keating
Executive Producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins
Director John Howlett
Writer Christopher Reason

Broadcasts