List of EastEnders characters (1990)

In January 1990, a mysterious old man (John Boswall) is seen lingering around Albert Square. He is initially reluctant to divulge his identity, but it is apparent that he knows some of the residents, in particular the Beale family. Café worker Rod Norman (Christopher McHallem) and his girlfriend Hazel take an interest in the man, whose name is later revealed to be Harry Osborne. They discover that he had travelled the world before his recent return to Walford. Hazel – spurred on by Harry's tales – leaves Rod to do some travelling of her own.

Harry is seen regularly over the following weeks, mysteriously enquiring about old faces on the Square and cryptically turning up at the christening of Steven Beale, much to everyone's bemusement. Rod learns that he was once the boyfriend of Lou Beale's (Anna Wing) sister, Doris. Lou died in 1988 but Harry is persuaded to pay her daughter, Pauline (Wendy Richard), a visit to find out about Doris. He knocks on her door but fearfully flees before she answers. It soon becomes clear that Harry's past isn't the only thing troubling him, he is also suffering from ill health and is seen clutching his chest in obvious pain. One cold, rainy afternoon, Harry sits in pain on a bench in Albert Square gardens, where he dies. His body is found by Willy, Ethel Skinner's (Gretchen Franklin) dog. Ethel recognises Harry and seems to know a lot about his history. She reveals that Harry grew up at number 29 Albert Square and when he was 15, he fell in love with Doris and vowed to marry her. However, when the Second World War broke out, he was conscripted into the army and sent to war. Doris promised to wait until Harry returned but he was later reported missing in action and presumed dead. Doris subsequently married Morris Miller. When Harry returned, he managed to find employment working on the docks, where he occasionally got his hands on scarce food items, which he smuggled out and shared with his neighbours. On one occasion, he gave some meat to a nine-year-old girl. However, the meat turned out to be unsanitary and it accidentally poisoned her. She died and Harry fled the country in shame, amidst accusations of murder. He spent over 40 years in self-imposed exile and it seemed that Harry had come back to his childhood home to die. Harry's death upsets Rod and he leaves Walford soon after to travel the world. Provided by Wikipedia