Saint Ian

Stephen Kennedy (Ian Craig)

It occurs to me that this blog is in danger of becoming a list of whinges and I'd hate to give the impression that Ambridge is populated exclusively by annoying people who you would dearly love to slap. Yes it has more than its fair share of such people and they are more fun to write about, but there are also, kind, warm-hearted and generous souls in the village.

So let's pay tribute to Ian Craig, star chef at Grey Gables and an all-round nice guy. Not only does he hold down a stressful job with long hours, but in the recent past he found time to visit Jack and Peggy, taking them food and clearing up the latest mess made by Jack.

He was also the only person in Ambridge who didn't think that Leon was God's gift and saw him for what he was – a two- (or more likely, four- or five-) timing love-rat. Being a good friend, he told Helen of his suspicions and was rewarded with abuse and the cold shoulder.

True to form, Ian did not complain and, when it all went pear-shaped, who was there to take Helen out and cheer her up? You guessed it. This was done without even a hint of schadenfreude or a trace of "I told you so". I bet Ian even paid for the lunch.

Even when assaulted at work by a homophobic footballer, Ian didn't want a fuss made. Adam was all for getting the police in, but you could almost see Ian turning the other, metaphorical, cheek. Talking of Adam, he is almost permanently ensconced in the lambing shed nowadays and so Ian sees little of him. Nevertheless, Ian makes him soups and casseroles to keep him going. I'm surprised he hasn't opened a soup kitchen for waifs, strays and down-and-outs (and yes, Wayne, I do mean you) but it's probably only a matter of time.

Kind, loyal, a good friend – Ian has it all. And he can cook too. The man's a saint – and surely it cannot just be coincidence that the word "saint" is an anagram of "St. Ian"?.