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H.E. Bates: A BBC Radio Collection: Dramatisations and Readings including Fair Stood the Wind for France, Love for Lydia & More
Selected Dramatisations and readings of the genre-spanning work of HE Bates
'A great treasure trove to dive into' Entertainment Focus
HE Bates is probably best known for his comic novel The Darling Buds of May, which introduced the lovable Larkins to the world and sparked three hugely popular TV adaptations. In his 68 years, Bates wrote over 20 further novels, more than 300 short stories, children’s books, poems, plays and non-fiction. This collection brings together three full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations and fourteen excellent readings, rounding off with extracts from HE Bates autobiographies.
His wartime bestseller Fair Stood the Wind for France is a classic tale of danger, suspense and romance, centred around a British aircrew who ditch in Occupied France, and their attempts to survive and escape. This BBC radio dramatisation stars Rory Kinnear, Tom Goodman-Hill and Louise Brealey. Adapted from HE Bates’ semi-autobiographical 1952 novel, Love for Lydia charts the romance between a young reporter and a shy heiress. Tim Pigott-Smith and Juliet Aubrey star in this moving story of first love. Death of a Huntsman , based on Bates’ 1957 novella, is a vintage radio drama about a middle-aged businessman who finds himself strangely drawn to his ex-lover’s daughter. It stars Roger Delgado and Pauline Letts.
Described by Graham Greene as ‘the English Chekhov’, HE Bates was much acclaimed for his short fiction. Included here are 14 of his best tales, beginning with five stories taken from his 1957 collection Sugar for the Horse . Featuring his much-loved character Uncle Silas, they include ‘The Widder’, ‘The Blue Feather’, ‘Queenie White’, ‘The Singing Pig’ and ‘Aunt Tibby’. They are read by David Neal, who also reads six more bucolic ‘Time’, ‘Chaff in the Wind’, ‘The Maker of Coffins’, ‘The Cowslip Field’, ‘Loss of Pride’ and ‘Great Uncle Crow’. A further three stories, ‘The Primrose Place’, ‘The Small Portion’ and ‘The Sun of December’, are read by Kim Hicks, John Rowe and Anthony Hyde.
Contents, cast and credits
Written by HE Bates
Fair Stood the Wind for France
Rory Kinnear, Louise Brealey, Ellie Haddington, Bruce Alexander, Kenneth Collard, Tom Goodman-Hill, Kate Layden, Kenneth Collard, John Biggins, Rhys Jennings and Piers Wehner
Love for Lydia
Tim Pigott-Smith, Jordan Frieda, Juliet Aubrey, Margaret Tyzack, Angela Thorne, Philip Fox, Jamie Bamber, Robert Purdy, Don McCorkindale, Clare Corbett, Crispin Bonham-Carter, Helena Breck, Joanna David, Tom Mannion, Isabelle Joss, Tracy Wiles, Ray Lonnen, Helen Longworth, Ndidi Del Fatti, Tom Calder
Death of a Huntsman
Eric Anderson, John Ruddock, Hugh Manning, James Thomason, Kathleen Helme, Sheila Grant, Joan Sanderson
Sugar for the
‘The Widder’, ‘The Blue Feather’, ‘Queenie White’, ‘The Singing Pig’ and ‘Aunt Tibby’ read by David Neal
Country
‘Time’, ‘Chaff in the Wind’ and ‘The Maker of Coffins’, ‘The Cowslip Field’, ‘Great Uncle Crow’ and ‘Loss of Pride’ read by David Neal
‘The Primrose Place’ read by Kim Hicks
‘The Small Portion’ read by John Rowe
‘The Sun of December’ read by Anthony Hyde
'A great treasure trove to dive into' Entertainment Focus
HE Bates is probably best known for his comic novel The Darling Buds of May, which introduced the lovable Larkins to the world and sparked three hugely popular TV adaptations. In his 68 years, Bates wrote over 20 further novels, more than 300 short stories, children’s books, poems, plays and non-fiction. This collection brings together three full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations and fourteen excellent readings, rounding off with extracts from HE Bates autobiographies.
His wartime bestseller Fair Stood the Wind for France is a classic tale of danger, suspense and romance, centred around a British aircrew who ditch in Occupied France, and their attempts to survive and escape. This BBC radio dramatisation stars Rory Kinnear, Tom Goodman-Hill and Louise Brealey. Adapted from HE Bates’ semi-autobiographical 1952 novel, Love for Lydia charts the romance between a young reporter and a shy heiress. Tim Pigott-Smith and Juliet Aubrey star in this moving story of first love. Death of a Huntsman , based on Bates’ 1957 novella, is a vintage radio drama about a middle-aged businessman who finds himself strangely drawn to his ex-lover’s daughter. It stars Roger Delgado and Pauline Letts.
Described by Graham Greene as ‘the English Chekhov’, HE Bates was much acclaimed for his short fiction. Included here are 14 of his best tales, beginning with five stories taken from his 1957 collection Sugar for the Horse . Featuring his much-loved character Uncle Silas, they include ‘The Widder’, ‘The Blue Feather’, ‘Queenie White’, ‘The Singing Pig’ and ‘Aunt Tibby’. They are read by David Neal, who also reads six more bucolic ‘Time’, ‘Chaff in the Wind’, ‘The Maker of Coffins’, ‘The Cowslip Field’, ‘Loss of Pride’ and ‘Great Uncle Crow’. A further three stories, ‘The Primrose Place’, ‘The Small Portion’ and ‘The Sun of December’, are read by Kim Hicks, John Rowe and Anthony Hyde.
Contents, cast and credits
Written by HE Bates
Fair Stood the Wind for France
Rory Kinnear, Louise Brealey, Ellie Haddington, Bruce Alexander, Kenneth Collard, Tom Goodman-Hill, Kate Layden, Kenneth Collard, John Biggins, Rhys Jennings and Piers Wehner
Love for Lydia
Tim Pigott-Smith, Jordan Frieda, Juliet Aubrey, Margaret Tyzack, Angela Thorne, Philip Fox, Jamie Bamber, Robert Purdy, Don McCorkindale, Clare Corbett, Crispin Bonham-Carter, Helena Breck, Joanna David, Tom Mannion, Isabelle Joss, Tracy Wiles, Ray Lonnen, Helen Longworth, Ndidi Del Fatti, Tom Calder
Death of a Huntsman
Eric Anderson, John Ruddock, Hugh Manning, James Thomason, Kathleen Helme, Sheila Grant, Joan Sanderson
Sugar for the
‘The Widder’, ‘The Blue Feather’, ‘Queenie White’, ‘The Singing Pig’ and ‘Aunt Tibby’ read by David Neal
Country
‘Time’, ‘Chaff in the Wind’ and ‘The Maker of Coffins’, ‘The Cowslip Field’, ‘Great Uncle Crow’ and ‘Loss of Pride’ read by David Neal
‘The Primrose Place’ read by Kim Hicks
‘The Small Portion’ read by John Rowe
‘The Sun of December’ read by Anthony Hyde
Audible Audio
Published May 9, 2024
About the author
H.E. Bates
278 books194 followersHerbert Ernest Bates, CBE is widely recognised as one of the finest short story writers of his generation, with more than 20 story collections published in his lifetime. It should not be overlooked, however, that he also wrote some outstanding novels, starting with The Two Sisters through to A Moment in Time, with such works as Love For Lydia, Fair Stood the Wind for France and The Scarlet Sword earning high praise from the critics. His study of the Modern Short Story is considered one of the best ever written on the subject.
He was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire and was educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he was briefly a newspaper reporter and a warehouse clerk, but his heart was always in writing and his dream to be able to make a living by his pen.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England, particularly his native Northamptonshire. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside - and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. Bates was a great lover of the countryside and its people and this is exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River.
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little Chart in Kent and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. It was in this phase of his life that he found the inspiration for the Larkins series of novels -The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, etc. - and the Uncle Silas tales. Not surprisingly, these highly successful novels inspired television series that were immensely popular.
His collection of stories written while serving in the RAF during World War II, best known by the title The Stories of Flying Officer X, but previously published as Something in the Air (a compilation of his two wartime collections under the pseudonym 'Flying Officer X' and titled The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave), deserve particular attention. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Bates was influenced by Chekhov in particular, and his knowledge of the history of the short story is obvious from the famous study he produced on the subject. He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes (each delightfully illustrated) which were subsequently published in a one-volume Autobiography.
Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote numerous books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After the death of H. E Bates, Madge moved to a bungalow, which had originally been a cow byre, next to the Granary. She died in 2004 at age 95. They raised two sons and two daughters.
primarily from Wikipedia, with additions by Keith Farnsworth
He was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire and was educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he was briefly a newspaper reporter and a warehouse clerk, but his heart was always in writing and his dream to be able to make a living by his pen.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England, particularly his native Northamptonshire. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside - and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. Bates was a great lover of the countryside and its people and this is exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River.
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little Chart in Kent and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. It was in this phase of his life that he found the inspiration for the Larkins series of novels -The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, etc. - and the Uncle Silas tales. Not surprisingly, these highly successful novels inspired television series that were immensely popular.
His collection of stories written while serving in the RAF during World War II, best known by the title The Stories of Flying Officer X, but previously published as Something in the Air (a compilation of his two wartime collections under the pseudonym 'Flying Officer X' and titled The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave), deserve particular attention. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Bates was influenced by Chekhov in particular, and his knowledge of the history of the short story is obvious from the famous study he produced on the subject. He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes (each delightfully illustrated) which were subsequently published in a one-volume Autobiography.
Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote numerous books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After the death of H. E Bates, Madge moved to a bungalow, which had originally been a cow byre, next to the Granary. She died in 2004 at age 95. They raised two sons and two daughters.
primarily from Wikipedia, with additions by Keith Farnsworth
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