Anne Coutauraurd (36)

Anne is English. She met Marc (her husband) when she was 28. Four months earlier Anne's 10-year relationship with her childhood sweetheart, Sam, had ended. Sam had gone to Spain on a work placement and fallen in love with a Spanish girl called Carmen. Anne was heart-broken. She met Marc two months later. Marc was a good listener and a shoulder to cry on. Anne has been a secretary at Hand in Glove for four years. She is a kind and compassionate person with a lot of good friends. She's a very caring mother and spends a lot of time with her children. But her career is also important to her. Anne is very interested in learning about other cultures.

Marc Coutauraurd (42)

Marc is French. He first met Anne when he was visiting friends in Oxford. They fell in love, and after a 6-month whirlwind romance they decided to get married. Today, Marc teaches French at a secondary school in Oxford. He's also involved in local politics, and is an active member of the local 'Green' party. He eats organic food, grows vegetables and reads 'The Guardian' newspaper. He's rather bookish and can be enigmatic at times. He hadn't had any serious relationships before he met Anne. He couldn't believe his luck when she agreed to marry him.

Jean Coutauraurd (4)

Jean has 2 sisters, Chloe (6) and Laura (1). Jean was badly hurt in a car crash in June. Anne was driving at the time. Jean broke his leg in the accident.

Jean-Luc Blanc (44)

Jean-Luc is French. He is the new International Sales Manager for 'Hand in Glove'. He used to work for 'Sharp Toys' a competitor of 'Hand in Glove' where he gained a reputation as an ambitious and uncompromising businessman who makes sure he gets what he wants. Jean-Luc has decided to locate the first overseas branch of 'Hand in Glove' in Paris. Anne is his secretary and Jean-Luc Blanc wants her to join him in Paris while he sets up the office there. Anne has been taking French lessons twice a week to prepare for this.

George Rose (81)

George is English. He is the Managing Director of 'Hand in Glove'. He's a very traditional man who set up 'Hand in Glove' in the 1940's. His parents were the owners of a travelling circus which went bankrupt just before the Second World War. George became fascinated by animals during his childhood in the circus. He met some Hungarian gypsies during the war who put on shows with hand-made glove puppets. One of them, Magaly, became his wife. George is a lovely man who really values personal relationships. He enjoys meeting different types of people. He loves to talk about the past, but he is also a man who embraces change, and is full of energy and optimism for the future.

Magaly Rose (63)

Magaly is Hungarian. She's George's second wife. His first wife (Margaret) ran away with a clown from the family circus. Magaly was one of the gypsies that George met during the war. She showed him how to make glove puppets and together they started their own business: 'Hand in Glove'.

Tony Rose (27)

Tony is English. He is George's younger son from his second marriage. He is ambitious and works long hours at the company on the factory floor. He generally gets on well with Peter, but Tony would like George to retire, and this sometimes leads to arguments between them. Tony plays rugby, and often goes out drinking with his friends. He likes to 'play hard' and 'work hard'.

Peter Rose (35)

Peter is English. He is George's son from his first marriage. He is in charge of product development at Hand in Glove. He works on new glove puppet designs. An important part of his job is visiting schools in and around Oxford, to see which of the new designs are particularly successful with young children. Peter is not particularly ambitious or business-minded, and he enjoys time away from the office. He likes painting, and walking in the mountains. He's an old-fashioned romantic, despite the fact that he has never really had a serious long-term relationship.

Patricia Yates (36)

Patricia is Scottish. She's Anne's best friend. Patricia works as a nurse in the accident and emergency ward of the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford. She is a bit of an eccentric, and has had lots of male admirers in the past but no really long-term boyfriend. She lives alone with her 3 Siamese cats.