a milkwoman, Pauline (who, unbeknownst to Colin, is a male transvestite). Colin was once in a relationship with an Mrs. Edwina Harcourt, but it did not work out. In series six and seven, hints are dropped at a possible romance between Colin and Julie. In Series 6 opener "Back with a Bang", Julie shows sympathy towards Colin when he is dumped by his girlfriend. Colin also threatens to attack anyone who insults Julie. He also comments how pretty Julie is and offers to marry her when he discovers she is pregnant. Although she refuses, she names him as the baby's godfather (and gives her son the middle name Colin), and often goes on strike upon discovering Colin could be sacked. In later series, when Laura leaves, Colin twice acts as Helen's supportive willing-to-listen friend: once when she confides in him about her marriage, and another time when she confides she suspects Gordon is having an affair with Carole. Carole Parkinson Carole Parkinson is the receptionist of the centre. She is a loving mother to her three children, whom she keeps in the drawers and cupboards in the reception area, where she also lives. Despite having ambitions to be a writer and pianist, Carole's talents remain unrecognized by the wider world. The beginning of the series sees Carole's husband leave her to live in Spain with her best friend. After Carole loses her job in the third series, a tactful suggestion from Laura leads Brittas to reclassify Carole as manager of the staff creche. Brittas views Carole as hopeless and unattractive, on one occasion arranging the seating plan for an exclusive classical concert so that both she and Colin will be behind everyone else. Frequent references throughout the series are made to a fancy dress party hosted by Julie, at which Carole and Helen wore similar tiger costumes; this confusion resulted in the birth of Carole's twins in the Leisure Centre sauna. Although initially said to be a boy and a girl, later references suggest that the twins were girls named Jessica and Emily. Gordon is not informed that he is the twins' real father until the final episode. At the end of series five, Carole finally finds happiness with an Austrian man named Von Trapp, who is employed by the Social Services department to investigate the (true) report that she is keeping her children in drawers and cupboards. Carole's appearance