Big Ron made his first appearance 18 June 1985. He was portrayed by Ron Tarr.
Backstory
Big Ron was born in Walford in 1940 and has a niece called Tina.
Storylines
Big Ron was a market trader who ran 'Rons Hardware Stall' on Turpin Road. He was good friends with Pete Beale who ran the fruit and veg stall and was a popular member of the community. As well as working on the market Ron could regularly be seen drinking in the Vic, mingling with other locals, and once in 1990 took over a shift in the cafe whilst Ian and Cindy were busy with the birth of Steven Beale. In 1992, Ron helped Pete banish rapist James Willmott-Brown from the area.
In 1993, Ron had a heart attack and Richard Cole replaced his pitch. Cole's boss Joe Saunders told him to give Ron his stall back.
Ron won the lottery in 1997 and emigrated to Portugal, with nothing mentioned of Ron since he left. This storyline was introduced to cover the fact actor Ron Tarr had unexpectedly passed away in real life.
Big Ron's surname was never revealed.