The ill-fated tale of Tom and Kirsty
A lot of water has flowed along the River Am since headstrong of Bridge Farm first got together with his college friend, . Their young love burned brightly and was tested to the point where they went separate ways. But the spark between them never went away and 15 years on from when then first got together they were engaged. It was to be the wedding of the year but, with the congregation waiting, Tom told Kirsty he couldn’t do it.
Heartbroken and humiliated, Kirsty vowed never to let Tom back into her life but, two years later, a one-off night of passion resulted in pregnancy. Tragically their son died before being born. The tale of Tom and Kirsty may have reached its end but they will remain forever linked by their shared past.
Eclipse of the heart
Their romance began in 1999 with our favourite pair of eco-warriors trashing Brian Aldridge’s GM crops, and they bonded while watching the solar eclipse in the Bridge Farm field where Tom’s older brother John died.
Their relationship was stormy - Kirsty fought for Tom’s attention which was frequently focused on his sausage-making business and not on her. They broke up a couple of times but the attraction was too strong and they reunited each time, with Tom vowing that he would take more time off work to be with her.
Endlessly patient, she tried out numerous sausage recipes, helped him with his sales promotions, and listened to him agonise over his sausage empire, despite being stood up fairly regularly as Tom the Sausage King continued to build his business.
That’s why it hurt all the more when Kirsty discovered that Tom had been two-timing her with supermarket buyer Tamsin (and was quietly satisfied when the ruthless Tamsin dumped him spectacularly).
By 2013 Kirsty had moved on to Damian but was still friends with Tom. When Kirsty and Damian split up, Tom suggested a reconciliation. Initially, Kirsty was wary – she knew was also in the picture but couldn’t be sure of how close she and Tom were – but come Autumn, Tom and Kirsty were back on. This time. and were delighted and exceptionally fond of their daughter-in-law to be.
Bad omens
As their wedding day creeped nearer, Tom confided in his older sister – and best friend of Kirsty - that he was feeling anxious about his and Kirsty’s impending nuptials. Helen and best man tried to soothe his pre-wedding jitters as Kirsty blithely prepared for the big day.
On 24 April 2014, preceded by a series of bad omens, Kirsty arrived at St Stephen’s church ready to walk up the aisle. In the vestry, panicked Tom told her he couldn’t marry her; it all felt wrong, he told her. Kirsty was inconsolable; she had loved Tom for 15 years and now doubted that he ever loved her. Had she wasted 15 years of her life? Her wail of anguish was heard by the congregation waiting patiently in the pews.
How could you Tom? How could you let it go on?Kirsty's wedding day
After that, the village rumour mill went into overdrive. While Kirsty took a friend on the planned honeymoon trip, Tom was left to deal with the aftermath in Ambridge. He went quiet, refusing to even discuss the situation with his family, and then high-tailed it to a pig unit in Canada.
When Helen confessed that Tom revealed his anxiety about the wedding to her, . Kirsty accused Helen of not being a real friend if she was prepared to let her be humiliated on her wedding day. Kirsty burned all her mementoes of her life with Tom and declared her intention to keep away from Ambridge.
Unable to stop Rob
And she did just that - until July 2015. Tom had also returned from Canada and the former couple kept their distance from one another. Meanwhile, Kirsty was immediately suspicious of the changes she saw in Helen, who was in the grip of the abusive . Both Kirsty and Tom had inklings that something wasn’t right but their rift prevented them from comparing notes.
When Helen stabbed Rob, Kirsty and Tom were thrown together in the aftermath. Drawn together to fight for Helen’s innocence, the college sweethearts gained a new perspective on their romantic past and reached a truce. Still much-loved by Pat and Tony, Kirsty provided huge support to the Archer family in the run up to Helen’s trial and, amongst listeners as well as those in Ambridge, earned .
In September 2016, with emotions high around Helen’s acquittal and release, Tom and Kirsty’s desire for one another rekindled and they spend the night together. Kirsty made it clear they shouldn’t let one night of escapist passion change anything and Tom hurriedly agreed. After all they’re just good friends, right?
Baby Wren
After the final performance of that year's village panto, . A shocked but thrilled Tom expressed he was keen to be involved but Kirsty didn’t want to rush into anything, preferring they took things one step at a time. Tom asked Kirsty to move in with him and then to marry him. Kirsty refused on both counts.
After feeling under the weather for a couple of days early on in 2017, Kirsty started experiencing pains. Roy took her to the hospital where Kirsty was told she was having a . Numb with shock, Kirsty dealt with the trauma in a matter-of-fact way while Tom couldn't hold back his emotion.
Five years on, Tom and Kirsty were finally able to share their grief for their son, Wren. In the intervening years Tom had married Natasha and Kirsty had married, and then swiftly split from, Philip Moss. The news of Natasha's pregnancy brought Tom and Kirsty together for the first time at the Remembrance Garden where their son's ashes are scattered.
Kirsty is clear she no longer has feelings for Tom but understandably found she felt jealous at the news that Tom and Natasha were expecting twins. She accepted she would find a way to manage her feelings.
Magnanimous Kirsty handed over two blankets that had been made for Wren to pregnant Natasha who feared Kirsty might regret giving them away. Kirsty assured her it was fine; it felt like a joyful thing to do. Natasha promised to tell the twins one day about their big brother, Wren, who will never be forgotten.
NB: Tom Archer was played by Tom Graham between 1997 and 2014. From 2014 to present, Tom has been played by Will Troughton.
