EastEnders created the Beale and Fowler family, drawing on his own background. His mother, Ethel Holland, was one of four sisters raised in Walthamstow. Her eldest sister, Lou, had married a man named Albert Beale and had two children, named Peter and Pauline. These family members were the basis for Lou Beale, Pete Beale and Pauline Fowler. Holland also created Pauline's unemployed husband Arthur Fowler, their children Mark Fowler and Michelle Fowler, Pete's wife Kathy Beale and their son Ian Beale. Smith used her personal memories of East End residents she met when researching Victorian squares. Ethel Skinner was based on
Pauline Fowler setup of a woman named Lou Beale, with twin children Pete and Pauline, was recreated on-screen as the first family of "EastEnders", the Beales and Fowlers. Pauline's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appears in an abridged form in their book, "EastEnders: The Inside Story". From the beginning, Smith considered the role ideal for Wendy Richard, with whom she had worked on the 1960s BBC soap, "The Newcomers"; Holland and Smith decided to approach her about the role, even though their casting policy was not to use "stars"—Richard was already well known in the UK for playing