Great Lives

Alistair McGowan on HE Bates


Listen Later

HE Bates is probably best known for the Darling Buds of May and Fair Stood the Wind for France, but Alistair McGowan is surprised that he is not known for his short stories, which he believes are the best ever written. "To me it's a minor literary tragedy that he is so little known and so little trumpeted."

Joining him in studio is HE Bates' granddaughter, Vicky Wicks; and from South Africa his son, Richard Bates who was executive producer of the wildly successful tv adaptations of the Darling Buds of May starring David Jason. The programme also includes Bates own voice plus an extract from Fair Stood the Wind for France, his second world war novel about a British plane that crash lands in German occupied France.

Produced in Bristol for BBC Studios by Miles Warde

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Great LivesBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2

4.2

465 ratings


More shows like Great Lives

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,715 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

375 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,071 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,540 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,793 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

960 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

611 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

306 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,738 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,024 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,029 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

111 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

48 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

304 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

130 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

164 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

242 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

52 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,172 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

729 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,004 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

113 Listeners

A Good Read by BBC Radio 4

A Good Read

39 Listeners