H. E. Bates Lydia". His most popular creation was the Larkin family in "The Darling Buds of May". Pop Larkin and his family were inspired by a colourful character seen in a local shop in Kent by Bates and his family when on holiday. The man (probably Wiltshire trader William Dell, also on holiday) turned up to the shop with a huge wad of rubber-banded bank notes and proceeded to spoil his trailer load of children with Easter eggs and ice creams. The television adaptation, produced after his death by his son Richard and based on these stories, was a tremendous success. It
Darling of the Day Stewart, Lady Vale – Vivienne Martin, Cabby/ Constable/ Mrs Leek – Myra Sands, Doctor/ Bert – Lee William-Davis, Daphne – Nicola Bryan, Alf – Adam Dutton, Rosey – Cristin Curtin, Sydney/ Judge – Michael Storrs, Duncan Farll – Chris Stanton, Attendant – Emma Hatton Mark Warman – Musical Director & piano Ian Marshall Fisher – Director Darling of the Day Darling of the Day is a musical with a book by Nunnally Johnson, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, and music by Jule Styne. It is based on Arnold Bennett's novel "Buried Alive" and his play "The Great Adventure". The show closed