Eastenders is 20:Part One

The nation's favourite soap celebrated 20 years this weekend with a storyline that saw Dirty Den bumped off for the second time. Because I have nothing better to do, I thought I would try and list alphabetically as many characters as I can. It is by no means a comprehensive list, as there are limited resources on the characters after about 4 or 5 years ago. But here goes A-D...

Aitken, Ruth - later to marry Mark Fowler.

Alexander, Della - Token lesbian. Mother Alice was also seen in the show.

Allen, Johnny - current chief gangster.

Andrews, Donna - Mother of baby Sean by Trevor Morgan, husband of Little Mo Slater.

Atkins, Wilfred - met Nana Moon on holiday, turned out to be a con man who disappeared on the day of their wedding.

Banks, Tom - terminally ill boyfriend of Sharon Watts who died saving Little Mo Morgan (now Mitchell) and baby Sean from a house fire. Mother Bridget also featured briefly, along with ex-wife Sadie and step-daughter Charlotte.

Barnes, Geoff had relationship with Michelle Fowler.

Bates, Nigel, late wife Debbie and step-daughter Clare - After Debbie was killed Nigel and Clare moved to Scotland.

Beale, Pete, Kathy and Ian - original characters. Pete was son of original matriarch Lou Beale and brother of Pauline Fowler and non-featured Kenny. Pete was first married to Pat Evans. Pete was killed in a car crash. Kathy Hills went on to marry Phil Mitchell and have a son Ben, she lives in South Africa. Pete and Kathy's son Ian married Cindy Williams and had children Steven (real father Simon Wicks), Peter and Lucy. He also married Melanie Healy and Laura Dunn, with whom he had another son, Bobby.

Becker, Polly - journalist and not so nice person who had a fling with bi-sexual Tony Hills.

Benson, Shirley - pointless character trying to make the Ferreira family more interesting. Left to visit son in New Zealand.

Bolton, Gary was natural father of Robbie Jackson, was featured briefly with other son Kevin.

Branning, Jim - father of Carol Jackson and April. He is grandfather to Bianca Butcher, Robbie and Billy Jackson and Sonia Fowler. Currently married to Dot Cotton.

Brosnan, Aiden - Apprentice footballer for Walford Town FC who stayed with the Fowlers.

Butcher, Frank - Arrived in the square with children Ricky, Diane and Janine. Also has daughter Clare who we don't see. Went onto marry Pat Harris (later Evans, formally Beale and Wicks), later married Peggy Mitchell. Grandchild Liam from Ricky's marriage to Bianca Jackson, plus Jacques, the illegitimate son of Diane. Ricky was also married to Samantha Mitchell, (now Hunter) and had an affair with Natalie Price and again when she was Natalie Evans.

Cairns, Sarah - Martin Fowler's stalker.

Carlton, Vanessa - wooed Barry Evans and conned him and his father out of a lot of money.

Carpenter, Tony, Hannah, Cassie and Kelvin - Kelvin was the last to leave when he headed to university.

Carter, maiden name of Irene - She was married to Kathy Beale's brother Ted Hills, and later to Terry Raymond, until her affair with lodger Troy Harvey. Her Aunt Maureen also featured briefly.

Cartwright, Lorna - Broke up Phil and Kathy Mitchell's marriage (that is Kathy Hills/Beale) after meeting Phil at AA meetings. Both fell off the wagon.

Chapman, Rose - married woman having an affair with Pete Beale and died in a car accident with him under suspicious circumstances.

Christie, Marcus - Lawyer to the Mitchell's, was persuaded by Den Watts to con Sam Hunter (nee Mitchell) out of the Queen Vic pub before doing a runner.

Clark, Barry - Market trader and lover of Colin Russell.

Clarke, Chris - boyfriend of Simon Raymond.

Clements, Tom - Old bloke who hung round the Vic and was friends with Dot Cotton (now Branning) and Ethel Skinner.

Cole, Richard - AKA Tricky Dicky. Market inspector that had a fling with a number of Walford Women.

Collins, Jane - had terminally ill husband who later died, now lives with Ian Beale.

Cotton, Charlie, Dot, Nick - Many years after Charlie's death, Dot married Jim Branning. Son Nick was always up to no good until pushed from a building by Mark Fowler and left wheelchair bound. Had a wife Zoe and a son Ashley who died after stealing Mark's motorbike, on which Nick had tampered with the brakes.

Cox, Reg - Was found murdered in his flat in the opening scene of the first episode.

Dalton, Jack - Gangster that was killed by Dennis Rickman.

Di Marco, Grandparents Bruno and Luisa, daughter in law Rosa, her sons Gianni and Beppe, daughters Nicky and Teresa and Beppe's son Joe. Also saw Beppe's ex-wife Sandra. Beppe had flings with Samantha Mitchell (now Hunter), Tiffany Mitchell and Lynne Slater. Gianni had flings with Jackie Owen and Annie Palmer. The latter ended after is was discovered that Gianni's father could have been Annie's dad George, who had an affair with Rosa whilst her late husband was in prison. Teresa had flings with Tony Hills and Matthew Rose, a potential fling with Lenny Wallace never really got off the ground. Teenager Nicky dated Martin Fowler and Jamie Mitchell, before pouncing on her tutor Rod Morris.

Duke, Yolande (now Trueman) was married to Victor who we saw briefly.

Duncan, Saskia - possessive ex-girlfriend of Steve Owen and was murdered by him. Matthew Rose went down for her murder.

Dunn, Laura - was nanny for Ian Beale and later married him. Had a son Bobby with him, but told Garry Hobbs it was his after Ian threw her out. Laura died after an accidental fall down the stairs, but Janine Evans (nee Butcher) went down for her murder.