As the engineer responsible for the construction of the original set for EastEnders (Auditor criticises BBC over ambitious £86m plan to rebuild set of EastEnders, 13 December), I well remember my first meeting with Julia Smith, the co-creator of the show, and Keith Harris, the set designer, in the afternoon of Friday 13 April 1984.
By the following Monday I had thought out a programme to design and construct the set in around six months for about £250,000.
A contractor was appointed on 8 May and by 17 September the Daily Star reported that finishing touches were being added to the as yet unnamed pub.
This was achieved due to the efforts of an in-house design team of artists, engineers and scenery construction experts supported by a network of tried and tested contractors.
Although the project was described as “temporary” in the planning application to speed things up, structural steel and other conventional materials were used where needed to ensure that the set would last as long as needed.
Many additions were made to the set in subsequent years, using mostly durable materials – and indeed the community centre was designed as fully practical.
The original set covered only three sides of the square and the total cost of the project was reported as £1m. However, this does indicate what can be achieved by a committed multi-disciplinary in-house design team.
Eric Finlayson
London
• What’s wrong with EastEnders having a shabby set? Just add a few overflowing litter bins and it will be a realistic representation of the austerity country that we have today.
Ron Brewer
Old Buckenham, Norfolk
• I wouldn’t have thought it mattered if the Queen Vic looks old and shabby. It would add a bit of verisimilitude to EastEnders given this is the condition of many pubs in England which have escaped closure.
Michael Cunningham
Wolverhampton
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