Billy Ray

Billy Ray
Rank	Firefighter
Station	Blackwall Fire Station
Spouse(s)	-
Relatives	Nanny Ray (nan) Nancy Ray (mother) Jo (half-sister)
Played by	John Alford
First appearance	Series 6, episode 1 (1993)
Last appearance	Series 10, Episode 16 (1998)

William 'Billy' Ray was a Firefighter at Blackwall Fire Station from 1993 to 1998. He was the Blue Watch mess manager for most of that time.

Biography

Billy Ray joined Blue Watch from Shadbrook at the start of series 6 as Kate Stevens' replacement. His father, a soldier, died when he was young and his mother abandoned him, so he was raised by his nan. Cheeky and talkative, Billy's wisecracking and cocky personality often landed him in trouble, with other watch members and his superiors. He was in turn teased about his small stature. He regularly spoke about his many girlfriends, and once purchased a hearse to use as a "passion wagon". Billy took over from Bayleaf as mess manager in series 6. He rarely got on with the pedantic Geoff Pearce, and occasionally with Kevin Medhurst, who did not appreciate Billy joking about his relationship with Sally Reid, though he also let Kevin stay with him while he was searching for a home. He (like most people) never got on with Pitbull either, whom Pitbull usually made horrible comments to, and Billy liked calling him a "Fat Mug".

On a shout to rescue a man crushed under a large block, Billy discovered it was an old school friend and was visibly upset when the man died, espeically when Nick Georgiadis appeared to take it in his stride. At a fire at the City Farm, Billy was given the job of rounding up the pigs and ended up falling around in the sty covered in mud, to the amusement of the watch. When several women were trapped in a Turkish bath Billy, as the smallest member of the watch, had to crawl through a laundry chute and undo the door's hinges from the inside while the women attempted to woo him. Billy was hospitalised after falling into a tank of acid during a warehouse fire but only sustained minor injuries.

Billy faced being sacked after lending some old uniforms to friends of his, who told him they were for a fancy dress party. Unbeknown to him, they were using them to masquerade as firefighters and sell over-priced smoke alarms, and DO Scase began hunting for the individual responsible. Billy suspected Pearce of informing on him and they almost came to blows over it. Billy managed to get the uniforms back and quietly returned them to the store room. Billy went out with Lauren, who he met while Blue Watch were conducting a safety inspection at the strip club she worked at. They later split up and Billy found her working as an escort. He tried to help her out, but only got a beating from her pimp for his trouble.

Against his nan's advice, Billy began searching for his real mum. He eventually found her, and they stayed in touch. He also learned that his father was not a war hero, but had been killed in a drunken brawl in a German bar. He now had an extended family, which included a half-sister, Jo. Jo ran away from home and Billy found her living with her drug dealer boyfriend Clive. Billy got into a fight with him and was arrested. Days later Clive was found dead and, with no alibi, Billy was charged with his murder. He was cleared when Jo confessed to the crime.

The strain of the murder case took its toll on Billy. He also reacted badly on a shout at a closed school, when he found an abandoned baby in the girls' toilets. Billy decided to take extended leave from the Brigade, and he went on holiday to Spain. Whilst there he sent the watch a postcard informing them that he probably wouldn't be returning to Blackwall and he was not heard from again.

Appearances

See also: Billy Ray/Appearances

Billy Ray appeared in 71 episodes of London's Burning.

• Series 6 (10 episodes)
• Series 7 (15 episodes)
• Series 8 (15 episodes)
• Series 9 (15 episodes)
• Series 10 (16 episodes)

Gallery

Billy and his Passion wagon