Chess on Eastenders!
It was a typical dull November day. An email arrived from a researcher at the BBC wondering whether Borehamwood Chess Club might know of anyone who would be willing to devise chess board set-ups for a soap opera? Yes - me! But, the cynic did not get his hopes up as odds on it was likely to be a spam email. Who asks for a copy of your passport photo and National Insurance number in a chatty follow-up email? To my surprise, it turned out that the request was genuine. The program was Eastenders, and Ted (Christopher Timothy) was to be playing chess with some teenage characters for a bit of inter-generational bonding. In my mind, Christopher Timothy is James Herriot in 'All Creatures Great and Small'. But that was over 25 years ago. Time flies. Ted has had his own shenanigans with a gun a few months ago. But now, his prowess at chess would presumably provide some light heart interludes between affairs, rows and heists. That is how the journey began. In case you are curiou