Herbert Ernest Bates. Autograph letter signed to Beaton, from Kent.

Expresses pleasure at Beaton's telegram. Was 'touched and delighted' that Beaton liked his article. "The Telegraph" is not easy to please and it was difficult to get the article how they wanted it. Hopes Beaton's garden is flourishing. The sudden summery spell has helped his own garden. Both he and his wife send best wishes to Beaton.

Born into a family of Northamptonshire shoemakers, H.E. Bates is best known as a writer of short stories and novels. The first of his many novels appeared in 1926; he also wrote regular magazine columns and nature essays. It was for short stories that he won critical acclaim. During the Second World War, he was appointed to the Royal Air Force as a writer, producing highly popular morale-boosting short stories under the pseudonym of Flying Officer X. From the 1940s onwards, his novels became best-sellers; his output also included children’s books, two books on gardening, and three volumes of memoirs. A wider audience has been introduced to his fiction through successful film and television adaptations, the best known of which is probably 'The darling buds of May'.

Born into a family of Northamptonshire shoemakers, H.E. Bates is best known as a writer of short stories and novels. The first of his many novels appeared in 1926; he also wrote regular magazine columns and nature essays. It was for short stories that he won critical acclaim. During the Second World War, he was appointed to the Royal Air Force as a writer, producing highly popular morale-boosting short stories under the pseudonym of Flying Officer X. From the 1940s onwards, his novels became best-sellers; his output also included children’s books, two books on gardening, and three volumes of memoirs. A wider audience has been introduced to his fiction through successful film and television adaptations, the best known of which is probably 'The darling buds of May'.

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