H. E. Bates
Encyclopedia
Herbert Ernest Bates, CBE
(1905 – 1974), better known as H. E. Bates, was an English
writer and author. His best-known works include Love for Lydia
, The Darling Buds of May
, and My Uncle Silas
.
, Northamptonshire
, and educated at Kettering Grammar School
. After leaving school, he worked as a reporter and a warehouse
clerk.
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 the people, as exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River. Both have been reprinted numerous times.
, was inspired by one of his midnight walks, which took him to the small village of Farndish
. There, late at night, he saw a light burning in a cottage window and it was this that triggered the story. At this time he was working briefly for the local newspaper in Wellingborough
, a job which he hated, and then later at a local shoe-making warehouse, where he had time to write; in fact the whole of this first novel was written there. This was sent to, and rejected by, nine publishers, until the tenth, Jonathan Cape
accepted it on the advice of its highly respected Reader, Edward Garnett
. He was then twenty years old.
More novels, collections of short stories, essays, and articles followed, but did not pay well.
he was commissioned into the RAF
solely to write short stories. The Air Ministry
realised that the populace was less concerned with facts and figures about the war than it was with reading about those who were fighting it. The stories were originally published in the News Chronicle
under the pseudonym of “Flying Officer X”. Later they were published in book form as The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave. His first financial success was Fair Stood the Wind for France
. Following a posting to the Far East
, this was followed by two novels about Burma, The Purple Plain
in 1947 and The Jacaranda Tree, and one set in India
, The Scarlet Sword.
He was also commissioned by the Air Ministry to write the story of the Flying Bombs, but because of various disagreements within Government, it was shelved and publication was banned for 30 years. It was eventually discovered by Bob Ogley and published in 1994. Another commission which has still to be published is the story of the Night Fighters.
.
His most popular creation, however, 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 TV series, produced after his death by his son Richard and based on these stories, was a tremendous success. It is also the source of the American movie The Mating Game
with Tony Randall
and Debbie Reynolds
(1959). My Uncle Silas
stories were also made into a TV series.
Many other stories were adapted to TV and others to films, the most renowned being The Purple Plain
in 1954 which starred Gregory Peck
, and The Triple Echo
. Bates himself worked on other film scripts.
in Kent
and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote many books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After Bates' death 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. Their youngest son, Jonathan
, was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the 1982 film Gandhi
.
of his stories The Darling Buds of May and its sequels, My Uncle Silas
and Love for Lydia
In his home town of Rushden, H.E. Bates has a road named after him to the west of the town leading to the local leisure centre.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1905 – 1974), better known as H. E. Bates, was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
writer and author. His best-known works include Love for Lydia
Love for Lydia
Love for Lydia is a semi-autobiographical novel written by British author H. E. Bates, first published in 1952.-Plot:Lydia Aspen, a seemingly shy girl from a wealthy but isolated background, is encouraged by her aunts, her new carers, to discover the delights of growing up...
, The Darling Buds of May
The Darling Buds of May
The Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama which was first broadcast between 1991 and 1993 produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV Network. It is set in an idyllic rural 1950s Kent, among a large, boisterous family. The three series were based on the novels by H. E. Bates. Originally...
, and My Uncle Silas
My Uncle Silas
My Uncle Silas is a book of short stories about a bucolic elderly Bedfordshire man, written by H.E. Bates and illustrated by Edward Ardizzone.-Inspiration:...
.
Early life
Bates was born on May 16, 1905 in RushdenRushden
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England.The parish of Rushden covers an area of some and is part of the district of East Northamptonshire. The population of Rushden was estimated at around 28,368, making it the fifth largest town in the county...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and educated at Kettering Grammar School
Kettering Grammar School
Kettering Grammar School was a boys grammar school that had a number of homes in Kettering, Northamptonshire throughout its history.-History:...
. After leaving school, he worked as a reporter and a warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
clerk.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, particularly his native Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. 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 the people, as exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River. Both have been reprinted numerous times.
Career
He discarded his first novel, written when he was in his late teens, but his second, and the first one to be published, The Two SistersThe Two Sisters (novel)
The Two Sisters was the first novel published by English author H. E. Bates in 1926.-Background:It was his first novel, though he had published a one-act play The Last Bread earlier that year). The book was inspired by one of his midnight walks, which took him to the small village of Farndish in...
, was inspired by one of his midnight walks, which took him to the small village of Farndish
Farndish
Farndish is a very small and rural village in northwest Bedfordshire, located about 500 metres east of the county border with Northamptonshire which is also the postal county. The village is near the Northamptonshire villages of Irchester and Wollaston and the Bedfordshire village of Wymington...
. There, late at night, he saw a light burning in a cottage window and it was this that triggered the story. At this time he was working briefly for the local newspaper in Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
, a job which he hated, and then later at a local shoe-making warehouse, where he had time to write; in fact the whole of this first novel was written there. This was sent to, and rejected by, nine publishers, until the tenth, Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...
accepted it on the advice of its highly respected Reader, Edward Garnett
Edward Garnett
Edward Garnett was an English writer, critic and a significant and personally generous literary editor, who was instrumental in getting D. H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers published. His father Richard Garnett was a writer and librarian at the British Museum...
. He was then twenty years old.
More novels, collections of short stories, essays, and articles followed, but did not pay well.
World War II short stories
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was commissioned into the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
solely to write short stories. The Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
realised that the populace was less concerned with facts and figures about the war than it was with reading about those who were fighting it. The stories were originally published in the News Chronicle
News Chronicle
The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. It ceased publication on 17 October 1960, being absorbed into the Daily Mail. Its offices were in Bouverie Street, off Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8DP, England.-Daily Chronicle:...
under the pseudonym of “Flying Officer X”. Later they were published in book form as The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave. His first financial success was Fair Stood the Wind for France
Fair Stood the Wind for France
Fair Stood the Wind for France is a novel written by English author H. E. Bates, it was first published in 1944 and was his first financial success...
. Following a posting to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, this was followed by two novels about Burma, The Purple Plain
The Purple Plain
The Purple Plain is a 1954 British war film, directed by Robert Parrish, with Gregory Peck playing a Canadian pilot serving in the Royal Air Force in Burma in the closing months of the World War II, who is battling with depression after having lost his wife...
in 1947 and The Jacaranda Tree, and one set in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, The Scarlet Sword.
He was also commissioned by the Air Ministry to write the story of the Flying Bombs, but because of various disagreements within Government, it was shelved and publication was banned for 30 years. It was eventually discovered by Bob Ogley and published in 1994. Another commission which has still to be published is the story of the Night Fighters.
Post-war work
Other novels followed after the war; in fact he averaged one novel and a collection of short stories a year, a prodigious feat. These included The Feast of July and Love for LydiaLove for Lydia
Love for Lydia is a semi-autobiographical novel written by British author H. E. Bates, first published in 1952.-Plot:Lydia Aspen, a seemingly shy girl from a wealthy but isolated background, is encouraged by her aunts, her new carers, to discover the delights of growing up...
.
His most popular creation, however, 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 TV series, produced after his death by his son Richard and based on these stories, was a tremendous success. It is also the source of the American movie The Mating Game
The Mating Game (film)
The Mating Game is an MGM color film made in 1959 and starring Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall and Paul Douglas in his final screen appearance. Reynolds sings the title song during the opening credits....
with Tony Randall
Tony Randall
Tony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
and Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
(1959). My Uncle Silas
My Uncle Silas
My Uncle Silas is a book of short stories about a bucolic elderly Bedfordshire man, written by H.E. Bates and illustrated by Edward Ardizzone.-Inspiration:...
stories were also made into a TV series.
Many other stories were adapted to TV and others to films, the most renowned being The Purple Plain
The Purple Plain
The Purple Plain is a 1954 British war film, directed by Robert Parrish, with Gregory Peck playing a Canadian pilot serving in the Royal Air Force in Burma in the closing months of the World War II, who is battling with depression after having lost his wife...
in 1954 which starred Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
, and The Triple Echo
The Triple Echo
The Triple Echo is a 1972 British drama film directed by Michael Apted starring Glenda Jackson, Brian Deacon and Oliver Reed, and based on a novel by H. E...
. Bates himself worked on other film scripts.
Personal life
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little ChartLittle Chart
Little Chart is a civil parish and small village to the north-east of Ashford in Kent, South East England. The parish has an area of , and a population of 239. Within the parish boundaries are two hamlets: Little Chart Forstal ; and Rooting Street...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote many books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After Bates' death 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. Their youngest son, Jonathan
Jonathan Bates (sound engineer)
Jonathan Bates was a British sound engineer. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Sound for the film Gandhi. He worked on over 65 films between 1962 and 2007 and was the youngest son of writer H. E. Bates.-External links:...
, was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the 1982 film Gandhi
Gandhi (film)
Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
.
Honours and death
Bates died on 29 January 1974. A prolific and successful author in his own lifetime, his greatest success was however posthumous, with the television adaptationsThe Darling Buds of May
The Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama which was first broadcast between 1991 and 1993 produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV Network. It is set in an idyllic rural 1950s Kent, among a large, boisterous family. The three series were based on the novels by H. E. Bates. Originally...
of his stories The Darling Buds of May and its sequels, My Uncle Silas
My Uncle Silas
My Uncle Silas is a book of short stories about a bucolic elderly Bedfordshire man, written by H.E. Bates and illustrated by Edward Ardizzone.-Inspiration:...
and Love for Lydia
Love for Lydia
Love for Lydia is a semi-autobiographical novel written by British author H. E. Bates, first published in 1952.-Plot:Lydia Aspen, a seemingly shy girl from a wealthy but isolated background, is encouraged by her aunts, her new carers, to discover the delights of growing up...
In his home town of Rushden, H.E. Bates has a road named after him to the west of the town leading to the local leisure centre.