The Family Pile

Nicole

Nicole is the heart and soul of the family - the problem is she doesn't want to be.

She was happy being the big sister and boss the younger ones around when there was still someone above her to make all the important decisions, but stepping up into her mum's shoes and becoming the family matriarch is a step too far. Nicole is resisting as loudly as she can.

She's fighting the inevitable. Nicole still sees herself as the wild kid she once was, necking the love doves at Cream. But absolutely no one else does. When she does try to revert to her youthful ways, it's frankly embarrassing.

Yvette

Yvette thinks all she has to offer is her looks, and she's secretly worried they won't last much longer.

Yvette always revelled in attention and it made her quite conceited. But then she got pregnant in her teens, on a school trip to France, and it might've wrecked everything. Fortunately, the family rallied around and Raymond ended up more as a friend than a child. These days he's more inclined to be the parent in their relationship, while Yvette clings on to that threatened childhood.

But now everything is in flux. Raymond is getting married and about to fly the coop, Mum and Dad aren't around any more to tell her how pretty he is, and she's terrified that if the family home goes then they will all start to drift and she'll be left all on her own.

Ursula

To her parents, Ursula was a sea of sanity in a wild and messy family. To her sisters, she was the weirdo.

Ursula has always been sensible and studious. She quickly became the only daughter who always made her parents proud, while the others caused endless trouble - and once you've got a reputation, you have to live up to it.

But there's no one to be proud of her any more. Not like Mum and Dad were. And it's slowly sinking in. Maybe, for the first time in her life, Ursula can finally just suit herself, with no one to disappoint. If she had any notion at all of what might suit her.

Gaynor

Gaynor is the baby of the family, and no one is going to usurp her - not her three nephews, and not her own daughter. If Gaynor wants attention, she makes sure she gets it.

As a late, surprise baby, she is much younger than her sisters, who all indulged her when she was little. Too much. Her only competition was her nephew, Raymond - while the rest of family dote on him, the charming airline pilot, Gaynor alone has her battles with him.

Even now that the family are united in grief, Gaynor still thinks she should get the most attention (after all, Reggie was her natural father, no matter how much of a dad he was to the other three). She wouldn't admit it - not even to herself - but she resents that she has to share her grief. So she will still find new dramas to drag the focus back to her.

Stuart

Stuart means well - up to point. He'll take on all the jobs no one else can face, but he only does it for Nicole. He still can't believe she ever fancied him and will do anything he can to make her happy. It's just a shame that means keeping her family on board. He hides it well, but they drive him up the wall. He could never stand his own family and resents that the price he's had to pay for Nicole is this extra bunch of lunatics.

In Stuart's world, 'family' would just mean him, Nicole and their boys, and he's quietly working to arrange things that way.

Austin

When Austin married Ursula, he married a whole family. Her parents approved - such a high flier - and always made him welcome. He found a home he'd never found elsewhere. So it's a shame he can't help sabotaging all his remaining links to it.

Blind to what Ursula wants, blind to how the others see him, and blind to what might be inappropriate, Austin at least knows he cares about the family - and thinks that ought to be enough. Regardless of what anybody else might think, Austin is here to stay.

Greg

What you see is what you get with Greg. He speaks his mind, a bit too freely, and before thinking how his words might land. But he absolutely sees himself as part of the family - not just Gaynor's other half - so he always does his best for them. An only child, he relishes being party of a much bigger clan.

Grief has arrived too early in his life, and he resents having his social life curtailed. But he's possibly the most emotionally literate of the bunch and never scared to show his own emotions when they surface. Greg's a young(ish) lad stepping up to adult responsibilities.

Connor

Connor is a young lad caught in a world of adult grief, when his own grief for his grandparents is gloriously simple. He just misses them. He wants to snap back to being carefree and happy but is constantly dragged into all the problems that the sale of the house involves.

Since his older brother, Ciaron, never bothers to show up, Connor has to deal with the adults on his own - and, since they're all crazy, that's a mammoth ask.

Poppy

Poppy's just a sweet little four year old. Isn't she? She can cause a surprising amount of trouble for someone so tiny.

Raymond (Series )

Despite what Gaynor might think, Raymond was the true baby of the family - and everybody doted on him. The remaining ones still do. Charming, handsome, successful - he's a source of pride for everyone, particularly his mother Yvette. His job has taken him away from the worst of the problems - literally, he's a pilot - but he's there to help when he can.

The only issue is his Auntie Gaynor, who still resents him stealing her thunder. Whenever they're together, they bicker like they did as kids. Will that ever stop?