SOME of the plotlines in the BBC soap EastEnders seem pretty far-fetched.

But what are the chances of finding three families in the same street with the same names as the infamous clans of Albert Square?

Look no further than Holliers Crescent in Middle Barton, near Chipping Norton – which is home to the Fowlers, the Mitchells and the Beales.

On Friday the Mitchells and Beales of Middle Barton gathered around the TV to watch the soap’s first-ever live episode, marking the show’s 25th anniversary.

Dorothy Mitchell, who lives with her husband Roger in the Crescent, invited Nicky and Sue Beale from next door to watch the episode with them.

Unfortunately, Tim Fowler and his wife Annette, who live across the street, were not available to watch the programme on the night.

Mother-of-two Mrs Mitchell, 56, said the three families had lived in the street for as long as the show had been running.

She said: “It’s a real coincidence and I’m sure people in the village will have a bit of a laugh about it.

“My surname was Beale before I married Roger, and we even have an African Grey parrot called Archie, although we didn’t deliberately name him after the character Archie Mitchell.

“I think the storylines in EastEnders are good and it’s easy to relate to the characters.”

Sue Beale, 54, who lives with her husband Nicky, 52, son Daniel, 12, and daughter Charlotte, 17, said: “Dorothy was a Beale and I am married to her brother.

“My family has grown up with EastEnders and I am a big fan – I watch every episode and I wouldn’t miss it.

“Dirty Den and Angie were great characters and it was great to see Ricky and Bianca back.

“Some of the storylines are true-to-life but I don’t think our family is much like the Beales on the programme.”

Mr Fowler said he was not a massive fan of the soap, but added: “Some people say I look a bit like one of the Mitchell brothers.

“We have all lived here for about 25 years and the EastEnders connection is a quite a coincidence.”

The live episode was watched by 16.6 million viewers who wanted to find out who murdered Archie Mitchell.

The 30-minute drama featured 51 members of the cast, who had been rehearsing for three days.

In the finale, Stacey Slater, played by actress Lacey Turner, admitted she was Archie’s murderer, after witnessing the death of her husband Bradley Branning, just a day after their wedding. Chased by some policemen, he fell off a roof.

Ms Turner said she did not know she would be unmasked as the killer until 20 minutes before the live transmission.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk