A to Z of HMP Larkhall
E
Earlham, Catherine
An iconic interiors and professional home-making queen who was remanded to Larkhall for embezzling millions from her employees’ pension fund. After turning the wing on its head – even setting Phyl against Bev – she manipulated Darlene into killing her troublesome husband Frank during a visit. With Frank no longer able to give evidence against her in court, the case against her collapsed and she was free to run off to South America (s8ep10).
Earlham, Frank
Shortly after his wife Catherine was remanded to Larkhall, Frank was shocked to discover that she had been systematically poisoning him over a long period of time. In retaliation, he became the main prosecution witness against her, signing his own death warrant in the process (s8ep10).
Ecstasy
A drug that shot to fame in the early 90s as rave culture took off. Yvonne decided to give Hollamby a wedding anniversary present she’d never forget by spiking her drink with an ecstasy tab at her party in the Officer’s Club. Cue much hilarity (s2ep13).
Electoral Register
A listing of all those registered to vote within a particular area. After being spurned by Kris, Natalie became determined to find concrete proof of her relationship with Selena and so instructed Fenner to look them both up on the electoral register. Fenner went on to discover that both Kris and Selena were listed as living at the same address and faxed his findings to Frances (s6ep10).
Electronic Tagging
Non-violent inmates who are serving short sentences can apply for early release on an electronic tag. If their application is successful, the tag is affixed and then used to track their movements and force them to adhere to a curfew. Julie S was briefly released on tag, but decided to return to Larkhall and Julie J (s3ep3). Sheena was also released on tag, but after her ex-boyfriend Brendan decided to conceal a quantity of drugs in the house she was living in, she was arrested and returned to Larkhall (s7ep12).
Eliot, George
The author of Middlemarch and Silas Marner, just two of the books Nikki was spotted reading during her time on G-Wing. Eliot’s portrait also appeared on the postcards Helen sent to Nikki during Series 2.
Embolism
In medicine, an embolism occurs when an object migrates from one part of the body and causes the blockage of a blood vessel in another part of the body. Dr Nicholson planned to inflict a lethal air embolism on Hollamby by injecting her with a syringe full of air. Luckily for her, escapees Phyl and Bev witnessed this foul deed in progress and came to the rescue (s7ep9).
Engagement Ring
Presented to Crystal by Josh (s2ep9), and to Barbara by Henry (s5ep2). Fenner spent a huge slice of the cash he raked in from Virgina’s brothels on an ostentatiously large rock for Karen (s3ep16), while Dr Nicholson forked over a paltry sum for a cubic zirconium to give to Hollamby (s7ep3).
Enhanced
Under the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme, there are different levels of inmate privileges. On G-Wing, the enhanced regime incorporates the top landing (aka G3) of single occupancy cells with better furnishings. Inmates on enhanced are also allowed a large amount of personal spends, have greater freedom of movement and are eligible for extra visits... or as Nikki put it, “a few extra quid and a duvet”.
Escape
There have been numerous escape attempts by the inmates of G-Wing. Yvonne failed miserably when she tried to scarper through the toilet window of a pub (s2ep7), and again when she made an attempt to scale the prison walls (s4ep1). Her escaping days were finally over when she made a third bid for freedom through the old hanging cell. She was locked in by Fenner (s5ep16) and her decomposing body was discovered six weeks later (s6ep1).
Snowball was another prolific escapologist. She blew up the library during her first attempt, but was apprehended by Karen at the prison gates (s4ep16). For her second attempt, she took Karen hostage at gunpoint and forced her way out of the prison. She would have gotten away if she hadn’t shot Ritchie Atkins by mistake (s5ep3). Her final escape bid involved eating raw chicken to induce food poisoning, her intention being a transfer to the hospital where coincidentally, Ritchie was recovering from his gunshot wound. She was apprehended before she reached his bedside (s5ep4).
Shaz’s idea of emulating the efforts of the WWII POWs in The Great Escape by digging a tunnel under the potting-shed was a complete non-starter and very nearly got Buki killed when the earth walls collapsed around her (s4ep5).
During an outside visit, Natalie made her escape after spraying Kevin with a face full of mace. However, she was thwarted by a crowd of protestors who had been tipped off by Pat (s7ep12). To this day, the authorities believe that Natalie successfully escaped Larkhall in the back of a bin lorry (s8ep6). Only Pat, the Julies and the viewers know her true fate.
During another outside visit, Janine took advantage of Donny’s misguided decision to uncuff her for a spot of hanky panky and legged it. Donny eventually caught up with her at Paddington station and pretended to go along with her madcap plan for them to flee to Cornwall. At the first opportunity, he slapped the cuffs on and took her back to Larkhall (s8ep9).
To date, only Zandra (s1ep3), Nikki (s2ep13), Shell and Denny (s3ep7), Kris (s6ep11) and Phyl and Bev (s7ep9) have succeeded in their escape attempts. However, Nikki was smuggled back into Larkhall by Helen (s3ep1), Zandra handed herself in, and Shell and Denny were later recaptured – Denny in Spain (s4ep1) and Shell in Amsterdam (s5ep1). Kris decided to use her freedom to protest her innocence on top of the Wellington Arch (s6ep12), it is presumed that she was later brought down and sent back to prison. Bev was arrested by the Spanish police after a tussle with Russian gangsters (s7ep9) and Phyl was apprehended after selling a couple of dodgy diamonds (s7ep10).
Exorcism
The practise of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities which are supposed to have possessed a person or object. The practice is quite ancient and still part of the belief system of many religions, including Christianity and the Church of England. Chaplain Christy Mackay detected the presence of an evil spirit on G-Wing one Christmas Eve and persuaded Joy to allow her to perform an exorcism (s7ep13).