The sixth of an eight-part docusoap produced by Tyne Tees Television and narrated by former Northeast fireman and Big Brother contestant Jonny Regan that unveils the lives of a dozen characters living in the West End of Newcastle. In this episode a battle looms as The Happy Chip fights for its future. Will late-night clubbers be able to keep buying their poppers along with their pizzas for much longer? Aspiring singer Leanne and her flatmates hit the bottle as they prepare for a birthday...

The sixth of an eight-part docusoap produced by Tyne Tees Television and narrated by former Northeast fireman and Big Brother contestant Jonny Regan that unveils the lives of a dozen characters living in the West End of Newcastle. In this episode a battle looms as The Happy Chip fights for its future. Will late-night clubbers be able to keep buying their poppers along with their pizzas for much longer? Aspiring singer Leanne and her flatmates hit the bottle as they prepare for a birthday night out while 50-year local resident Albert leaves his beloved flat to start a new life with wife Margaret in a bungalow in the East End of Newcastle. Finally at the Hare Krishna temple Bhakti struggles to get a new altar ready for an upcoming festival. An opening montage around the West End of Newcastle and the city skyline featuring the Tyne Bridge in the distance. A road sign attached to a wall with the programme’s titles on it. Title: WestEnders A second montage providing details on the individuals who will feature in this episode. Title: WestEnders In the studio at Metro Radio FM Gabbi Jones and Clare Tucker present their radio show ‘Angel and Gabrielle.’ With music playing in the background, they talk a little about their job. Back at the flat they share with trainee-accountant and aspiring singer Leanne Cook glasses of Lambrini are poured as the three of them get ready for a night on the town to celebrate Gabbi’s 21st birthday. Joining them is friend and hairdresser Liam who has come to help and as they become more intoxicated a montage of them getting ready. All dressed up they take shots of Tikila after which the women each takes swigs from the bottle with Leanne already looking a little worse for wears. Inside his Greenfield Place flat of 32 years just off Westgate Hill Albert Gowland points out some of the mementos of his life and keep sakes from trips abroad around his living room including a boomerang which was given as a gift. Narrator Jonny Regan explains that following wife Margaret’s leg amputation they can no longer live in this flat and are moving out. As a volunteer from for the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) collect bags, suitcases as well as a pair of skis, Albert talks about the traumatic experience of sorting and disposing of his and his wife’s belongings to various charities. A Mini Cooper car parking in the driveway of Albert’s new bungalow in the East End of Newcastle. In the living room he points out how he has arranged those items and pictures he has kept. As Albert looks through photographs of his time at Greenfield Place the programme changes to him walking around the flat from a previous episode in slow-motion after which the image morphs into the flat today empty with cans on the floor ready for it to be decorated. Albert talks about visiting the flat when it was empty and not being able to visualise what it was like before. Another slow-motion sequence of Albert walking down Westgate Hill and he talks about how he will miss living in the West End, a place he called home for nearly 60 years. Hare Krishna devotee Barry arrives at the Krishna temple on Westgate Road with his son, Bhakti Rasa Dasa and his wife Kirtida Devi Dasi greet them both. As Barry and Bhakti prepare to unload it, Barry explains that he is making a special delivery of a Pancha Tattva, a model featuring Krishna deities that will form part of an annual Krishna festival at the temple. With the help of Bhakti the Pancha Tattva is taken inside and will remain covered until the start of the festival in four days. Inside the main temple Bhakti and carpenter Sridama work on building an altar on which the Pancha Tattva will sit. A Bhakti uses a hand-drill to put holes in a piece of wood he hears strange noises coming from outside. Smiling he explains how this is just a normal day living in the West End of Newcastle. As he continues his work Sridama talks about the buzz he feeling working on this altar while Bhakti explains which part of the festival he is most looking forward to. Taking the programme into the commercial break a preview of what is to come part two. Title: End of Part One Westenders In their local mosque on Elswick Road brothers Thariq and Sajit or Saj Mohammed at prayer. As Thariq fulfils a takeaway order inside The Happy Chip on Waterloo Road he owns alongside his brother, he talks about the importance of his Muslim faith and provides details on having to pray five times a day. In the shops basement where the naan breads are made Thariq at prayer. Back in the shop as he batters several items placing them into the fryer, he explains that all his meats are Halal and provides details on what this means. On a busy night with Thariq, Saj and a third man working to serve customers everything from fish and chips to condoms and Poppers, Saj talks about how he and his brother are trying to fight the local council from demolishing The Happy Chip to make way for a new development. He talks about the support they are getting from their customers, but it is costing them a lot of money. On the day of the Krishna festival Bhakti, his wife Kirtida and a second man drive into central Newcastle to sing and dance. As Bhakti fills the campervan he is driving with petrol at a local Esso station, he talks about being a drummer in a rock back in a former life and how he was drawn into the life of a Hare Krishna. After parking up the three make their way to their venue stopping a local man to dance with him briefly. On Northumberland Street the three perform with Kirtida playing a harmonium, Bhakti playing a Mridanga or Khol two-sided drum and the third man playing a chanting hand cymbal. Following Bhakti talking of an experience performing in Middlesbrough, back at the temple local devotes sing and dance as the new carving of the gods, the Pancha Tattva, is unveiled. Some people in the room sing and dance while others lay prostate on the floor in front of the alter. As they sing and dance happily, Bhakti talks about why his spiritual life is everything to him and about his celibate marriage to wife Kirtida. Back at The Happy Chip as Saj cuts up a pizza and scoops chips in the box alongside it, he talks about the takeaway being more than chip shop. Outside a customer says it is a place that sells everything to everyone. As he and brother Thariq work to serve customers on a busy night he talks about the takeaway having a family atmosphere and that he has pride in the work that he does. He points at one of his regular customers, Hajid who is from Africa but doesn’t want his face shown. As another customer dances, on the counter a rude charity box which makes everyone laugh when it is activated. In a taxi driving towards the Newcastle Quayside Leanne, Gabbi and Clare talk about Gabbi’s 21st birthday and how Leanne feels like her older sister at twenty-three. She begins to sing a [bad] rendition of the Whitney Houston hit ‘I Will Always Love You.’ Along the Quayside the three women try to cross a busy road and inside a local bar or club they enjoy more alcohol chatting about their night out with other friends including Liam the hairdresser from earlier. As the night continues the girls become separated with a very intoxicated Leanne standing at a bar singing a final musical tribute to Gabbi. Behind her several rather-drunk young men watch on with looks of confusion. Title: WestEnders Over a montage of clips details are provided on next week’s programme followed by views of the West End at sunset over the closing credits. Credit: Narrator Jonny Regan Camera Georgina Kiedrowski Sound Kerry Plummer Music McGregor Cook Online Editor Mark Duncan Dubbing Mixer John Cook Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Producer Sal Brecken Producer and Offline Editor Michael Steel Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Series Producer Derek Proud Title: © Tyne Tees Television 2003 End title: A Tyne Tees Television Production. Granada