Jumbo Mills, Uncle Albert staying in Nelson Mandela House, and Rodney and Mickey Pearce taking over Trotters Independent Traders, but John Sullivan felt that this was not the end of the road for the Trotters. After the decision had been made, Albert was meant to be in until the final episode, Sleepless in Peckham, but, owing to Buster Merryfield's death, the script had to be changed, and Uncle Albert died before the events of If They Could See Us Now. Reportedly, John Sullivan had intended for a younger Uncle Albert to make an appearance in the prequel series Rock and Chips in flashbacks taking place before his fallout with Grandad, but Sullivan died after writing the series' third episode, The Frog and the Pussycat. After Merryfield's death Merryfield died on 23 June 1999 from a brain tumour. During the 2001 Christmas special, If They Could See Us Now, Cassandra takes a phone call from Elsie Partridge's son who informs them that Albert has died. Del and Rodney, who had since become millionaires, regretted not having taken him with them, but were consoled by the revelation that the Ancient Mariner never actually held a passport and at the same time showing up at the wrong funeral to someone else called Albert. In the 2002 special, Strangers on the Shore, the two scatter Albert's ashes in the English Channel, before visiting the French village where Albert had been stationed for a time during the war only to find an entire town inhabited by bald men with white beards who all bore more than a passing resemblance to their late uncle (implied to all be children of his from his sexual proclivity at the time), they joked it should have been called "Trottersville". In the 2003 special, Sleepless in Peckham, it was revealed that Albert had invested his share of the Trotter fortune in a safer area prior to his death. Coupled with his choice of a simple lifestyle, this meant Albert had around £290,000 at the time of his death, which he left to his two great nephews to invest. This was enough to save them from being evicted from Nelson Mandela House, and allow them to one day become millionaires once more. Medals Although Albert talks about his Naval career, he wore his ribbons in every episode. 1939–1945 Star Atlantic Star Africa Star Pacific Star Italy Star Defence Medal War Medal