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Reference > Erinsborough News > Eileen's Left At The Altar

For Ramsay Street resident Eileen Clarke (Myra De Groot) there have been many times over the past couple of years when she was so happy she could cry. And a few occasions when she did – like at her son Des’s (Paul Keane) wedding to Daphne (Elaine Smith) and on the arrival of her first grandchild, Jamie.

But there is one area in which Eileen considers she has not been lucky – and that is her love life.

Des was just a small boy when his father Malcolm (Noel Trevarthen) walked out on the family. Then came the arrival in Erinsborough of Sally Wells (Rowena Mohr) and the disclosure of a secret about Malcolm.

After Malcolm walked out, he had a brief fling with a young woman which resulted in the birth of a baby girl – Sally. When Sally turned 21, her mother decided she should tell her who her father was and also that she had a half brother.

The surprise return of Malcolm into her life was something Eileen initially did not want to know about. But before long they are getting along so well that romance begins to bloom as in the past.

And when Malcolm pops the question, Eileen is so over the moon she can think of nothing else except her wedding day. Eileen decides the marriage ceremony is going to be so special and she declares her intention to write the vows herself.

She becomes so overbearing in her insistence that everything is to be done her way, that Malcolm begins to have second thoughts. Right up until the day of the wedding, Eileen is blissfully unaware of any problems.

Before he is to leave for the church, Malcolm goes to see Des and confesses that he cannot go through with it.

Meanwhile, Eileen is dressed up in her wedding gown when Des arrives to break the news…

This article originally appeared in TV Week magazine, dated January 30th 1988, and was written by Patrice Fidgeon

Article submitted by Steve