eddie arrives in walford in july 1990, as the new landlord of the queen victoria public house, which he buys from frank butcher (mike reid). he is a serious minded landlord, far different from his predecessors den watts (leslie grantham) and frank. not everyone takes to him, particularly when they discover his prior profession. eddie doesn't really have any real friends in albert square, but his father john (paddy joyce), often turns up in walford to keep his son company. whilst being landlord at the pub, eddie rents a room to his barmaid sharon watts (letitia dean). although he never approves of her relationship with the local thug, grant mitchell (ross kemp), and this often makes things awkward between the pair.