79 Scot from Glasgow: What a beautiful show this is! It's got such gentleness and warmth you just want to live it! Yes, it's set in the 50s and shows us a world that doesn't exist and never has - but you would just love to be there! And Catherine Zeta Jones was so gorgeous!
78 Roger Rowley from Essex England: Catherine Zeta Jones should consider doing a 1 off remake of the Darling Buds Of May With as many of the original cast as humanly possible & that husband of hers could play the part of the general
77 rebekah from tasmania, australia: I first saw the Darling Buds of May when I was 11 (I'm now 31) and I became addicted to the name Mariette, I have since then had a daughter and I have named her Mariette who was born in '09. I love every episode, know it word for word, but in particular I loved the episode in France where Charlie is drunk and Pa saves him, and they go back to the pub and Pa's handed a beer so he forgets that Charlie is drunk
76 jackie from doncaster: when ma got stuck
in that chair
75 Alicia from Winchester: Im only 16 but i've watched the Darling buds of may series about 5 times over already and i have to watch it again every so often, I just wish they had made more of it.
74 Melissa from England: I love all of the episodes, but one of my favourites has to be the very first one. The beginning of seeing this charming family living the way of life we should all live, the fresh air, wonderful comaderie, seeing whatever problems came up through to the end together.We have the DVD and as this show was made around the time I was born, I'm enjoying it very much and wish we had more family shows like this. Perfick (Just had to say it!)
73 valerie bailey from tilbury essex: i positively love darling buds of may and always watch ittime after time, i was born in the fifties and my family used to go to the hopgardens and go pea picking and strawberry picking in the summer it is so like my childhood and pa reminds me of my dear old dad and ma of my mumlife was so simple an d so lovely then how i miss them, when im down i play my d.v.d.s over again and i am transported immediately back to a better time .thankyou pa and ma larkin and family you have made me so happy,vemberat
72 jackie thorneycroft from south yorkshire: favourite from the
darling buds of may
when let of fireworks
under the tables
71 Sue from Ontario, Canada: Darling Buds was filmed the same year we emigrated from Ashford, Kent. I saw the series on TV here a few years later. We bought the whole series on DVD. My husband and I have it on most nights before going to sleep, it is so comforting. We have driven to see Bus Farm and re visited Pluckley when we are over in Kent every other year. The characters and actors are all superb.Thank you for the best series ever!!
70 Alan Dixon from Lincolnshire: Please, tell me that someone else has seen an episode on ITV3(?) in which Pop DOES have a heart attack!! I KNOW I saw it because at the time I wasnt a fan, but having watched it my family bought me the dvd series collecteion...Imagine my disappointment to find that this did not include the finale. I keep monitoring the ITV schedule, and the episode I know I have seen has not been repeated since! Now my family think I have made it all up!!
69 Tony Worrall from Wales: Pam Grove wanted to know whether there had been a cookbook. Well yes there was I have a copy. It featured Ma and her recipes with specially shot stills on the sets. The Daily Mail also serielised some of it in the form of pull out supplements. To see Ma's actual kitchen set and other props go to the Museum of Kent life near Maidstone. The Darling Buds area has just been updated (as of July 2011).
68 Gabrielle Lindemann from Kent film ofifice: Enjoy a ‘Perfick’ day on the new Darling Buds of May tourist trail, launching online on 15 July 2011. You can go behind the scenes at locations from the series and enjoy the real sights and tastes of idyllic, rural Kent.
www.kentfilmoffice.co.uk
67 sandra church from chatham kent: In May this year my friend and I were lucky to get tickets to the Egerton Players production of the Darling Buds of May at Bethersden at Buss Farm where the series was filmed. It was wonderful to watch. A sunny day. The cast were brilliant. My maiden name was Buss and my family tree shows that a lot of my family were farm labourers in the Maidstone area. I would love to be related to whoever named the farm Buss Farm. The whole atmosphere was great. Thankyou Egerton Players and I wish you could do an episode a year.
66 Mark Navin from Hong Kong: Doea anyone know what was the location in Brittany for the 3rd episode?
65 Vee from Kent: We have been to Brittany every year for the last 8 years and we always call in at St Lunaire near St Malo before we get the ferry home. We managed to find the Hotel where the Larkin family stayed on their holiday in Breath of French Air, the hotel is a beautiful house facing the beach and is still exactly as it was in the TV show. It is a private residence but you can see it from the road.
64 Connie from Dorset: Im 16 years old and saw DBOM for the first time when i was about 13 years old. I love it! My hair on the back of my neck stands up when i watch it. It draws you in. My family and i wish we lived just like that, wish that we were the family we were watching. Althow it was made before i was born, it would be graet to bring back another series. Althow David Jason is rather old!
63 Albert Rowe from Northwich,Cheshire: I think we all agree this is how we would England to be like and the people in it anysad moments just watch a dvd and hope returns to our lives.absolutly the best series ever.and yes if it were possible to see another series with all the tallented actors would bring joy to many people.many people from many countries but all wanting to live this perfic life which makes us smile.my brthers and I hope to visit the classic car show but mainly to see the farm I am sure if it were opened as an atraction it would never be empty of visitors.Albert
62 Margaret Beil from Norfolk: Did my knee in the other day, so flicking through Sky channels came across DBOM back to back 8 episodes! Heaven to see it again. Ma Larkin's saucy laugh has me in stiches.
61 Richard from Peckham: This is my favourite show at the moment. I have 2 more episodes to watch and then I need to see more of them. CAn it be continued on ITV?
It is so good; I wish I could be with Primrose, she's so cute, the randy minx.
60 D V Webster from Kent: Without a doubt THE best british tv series ever made,wonderful acting,scenery,characters wonderful wonderful.Please all try this......sunday evening before the dullness of work on monday put on 2 hours of the dvd's around about 7pm and drift back in time....Which men amungst us would not love to be just like pop! Perfick.
59 s gillespie from london: Darling buds just brings back so many memories of when i was young. my whole family went to paddock wood to go hop picking every year and on the weekends my dad and mum would make the trip to paddock wood, pike fish lane just to get us out of london and into the fresf air, I absolutley loved it and hopefully will find myself back down that way again. Every time i watch it, it's like going home over and over again. Best prgramme ever made.
58 Nick Dow from Sidcup: We'll think of something! says Pop Larkin! and we know that troubles can be overcome and life will be good. We all know we can be happy because that is the way we are meant to be and the Larkins can show us how. My wife is a Romany Gypsy so her favourite episode is Climb the greasy pole, with the Gypsy families. I build Gypsy wagons for a living, and know the wagon builders in this episode. Darling Buds shows us how to open our hearts and minds, without the fear of violence drugs anti social behavior crushing our dreams, and making us hard again. The sun always shines-deep inside us. The critic says we are in a fools paradise the wise man knows we are together in a world that should exist in reality and we can reach whenever we want with a DVD or video. Perfick
57 brian sims from dover kent: what a program the best tv seares ever it so how thing where god i miss this dbom we never stop watcing it thank you for wicked tv
56 dawn from North Devon: A little of what you fancy is on BBC Radio 7 from Feb 2010, it can also be listened to for a few days after broadcast. David Jason and Pam Ferris excel. I found it quiite by accident and had no idea that this had been made, rather raunchy ha ha
55 Dawn from North Devon: Bliss, Im besotted, the books DVD's, the super cast. I would love my own 'Pa Larkin'. David Jason is so talented in everything he does.
54 alison from brisbane australia: Darling buds of may is my favourite tv show and always will be. As it was the era i was bought up in, and we had the strawberry fields down the bottom of our road. At Westcliff-on-sea Essesx, across the arteriale road. It was a lovely era to grow up in, where familys did things together.
53 sharon from Essex: Recently watching the reruns on itv3. Wish they would make another series but knows its very improbable. This show really has the feel good factor and I still love watching it. My teenage son also likes it, he was just a baby when it was first on tv. I wonder what happened to the child actors? My dream is to finally settle in Kent one day! It looks so beaufiful!
52 Eileen from Lancashire: My family own Buss Farm and I was married from there like Mariette. Later my children loved going there to visit their grandma on holidays and we saw the filming going on around us every day. My children made friends with the child actors in between shots and played on the swing. we all have happy memories of that time.
51 Rita Swift from Orange Co. California: I have purchased the entire series and know it must have been the best TV series in the UK. What I enjoyed was the complete difference in the characters, but yet in the end they all helped each otherto succeed. The Larkin's are 1950's Hippie like, not married, but raise children who appreciate each other and strive to help keep the farm running. I was raised on a western horse ranch in Southern California. The scenery and villages are original and beautiful. l love that antique Rolls Royce they all run around in on those narrow roads. All the actors are great, but my favorite is Pam Ferris. She makes everyone feel welcome.
50 Stephen from Pettswood.Kent: After watching DBOM on television I purchased the whole series on video,I watched it so many times that the tapes ended up stretching. Then along came DVD- now my wife and I can watch them to our hearts content,excellent ! ! !
This series of 1950s life in the heart-land of Kent has the feel good factor that we all crave every now and then. it covers all manner of family life, all it's trials and tribulations. The story's characters could have been taylor made for all the actors/actresses ,I could not envisage any other actors/actresses playing any of the parts-from Pop to the local Bobby to the post Mistress.It is such a shame that there will never be a follow up on the family as they grew up.Still we must be grateful for what we have,a superb series to watch over and over,GREAT ! ! !
49 Roger Holmes from Buss Farm, Kent: There was a 5th book 'A little of what you fancy' in which Pop has a heart attack. It has been on the radio but I doubt it will ever be on TV. In real life, all the children are now grown up and Catherine has moved on to bigger things. My mother and I would love to have another year's filming here but sadly I don't think ITV has the resources to fund re-casting and making another series, even before the recession. You might not like it with a new cast anyway.
As for cutting room clips it might be a bit boring, scenes you have already seen interrupted by aircraft from Headcorn airfield and trains on the main line through Pluckley. What I'd like to see (though it was probably destroyed) was the directors cut of the first episode, which was 80 minutes and had to be cut down to about 50 to fit the allocated transmission slot. On the other hand, maybe losing the less good bits was why we like the program so much.
48 ingrid from derby: you know what i would love to see? all the clips that ended up on the cutting room floor.
all the hours of film they shot but were never shown thats what i would love to see .
47 sandra church (nee Buss) from Chatham kent: We absolutely loved every episode. The one I really really loved was the one of Ma Larkin and Pa in the bath having breakfast. It was a classic brilliant piece of comic history.
46 Tracy from Maldon in Essex: Im such a DBOM fan that i have just named my new baby son "Monty". (Montgomery on his birth certificate). Its a bit like Marmite - people either love the name or hate it ! Ive only been rumbled by one lady who said to my husband - "Is your wife a big darling buds of May fan?" he just rolled his eyes ! Everyone else thinks he's named for Monty Don the gardener.
45 Dawn from Perth Australia: I get so home sick when i watch The darling buds of may. I grew up in Kent and now visit every two years. I plan to visit Pluckley soon. Perfick!
44 Vee from Kent: I would love to see another Darling Buds of May, Not sure when this was last updated but it would be great to see an update. Was there any other books written that updated what happened to the family? It would be great to get them all together again for a final one-off update of them all.
43 Laura from Sheffield: Hi i'm totally with Chloe from London i would be GREAT to see another series of Darling buds of May! Like she said reply if you want to see another episode!
42 Barbara from Buderim, Queensland, Australia: Life was good in the 1950's and the Darling Buds of May project the
optimism and simple pleasures of a loving family - I also love the
music too!
41 ingrid from derby: i remember seeing darling buds when it first came on tv and ive never stopped watching since i love it
40 Chloe from London: Reply to this message if ant one out there would like another series of the darling buds of may!! I know i would!!!
39 Chloe from London: hi! I absolutely love the darling buds of may! i had never seen it before the i got a free one in the newspaper, from then i was hooked i loved it, so decided to buy the box set. i have watched it so many times i'm shocked it has not broke! I would love them to do another series and im sure lots of you out there would to!
38 Pam Grove from Smithsburg, Maryland USA: Living in the states I was only fortunate to find this wonderful series when it was run on our Public Broadcast System. Thank God for them for they are just about the only place we find British TV. Far superior to ours in my opinion. As others have said I wish my life could be like this. The Larkin family has helped me get through a debilitating illness the last 2 years. Even though it's fiction it still made me feel there is happiness in this world. The reason I found this website I was looking to see if a DBofM cookbook had been produced. I'd love to have one. If I ever get back to England there 25 years ago) I plan on visiting this village.
37 Richard Abraham from Little Gaddesden: The Darling Buds of May is far and away my favourite TV programme of all time, and follows the Bates' books very faithfully; much dialogue lifted directly from the stories.
Wonderful casting, locations and all - it can never be bettered.
It was my great good fortune as an amateur actor to play The Brigadier ('General') at The Court Theatre, Pendley in 2002, which obviously I based solely on Moray Watson.
I still watch it often on video and DVD, and it seems to get better than even its first showing.
36 CLAIRE from england: The Darling Buds is the best show ever produced.How i wish i was part of the Larkin family.Watch from start to finish every may just as the real buds are bursting.Hope i become a mother like ma !!
35 melanie from sunderland: I adore the buds of may, I have them on dvd and watch them regulary. Ma larkin I just love, I have her perfick cooking book and use her recipes, I want to be ma larkin, I wish they would do more of the buds of may.
34 Tony Worrall from Gwynedd.: The best series that ITV ever produced for the network. Well doneYTV(wonder why TVS didnt make it?!). When I lived in southern England I visited Plucley and surrounds and sampled the pub!!It was just as I remembered my very fortunate childhood (not much money but somehow plenty of everything) growing up in South Warwickshire in the fifties/sixties.
33 paul + siobhan from middlesbrough: Best show on earth seen the play too in M'bro great!! Nothing better than a sunday afternoon watching Buds drinking wine or port! It's why sundays were invented. I wish life was like there's
32 john walton from newcastle upon tyne: the darling buds is one cracking series all the famly loves
31 Alison and lydia Kolic from Market Harborough, england: I take myself and my family (if they want to come) back to Home Farm every week, where the current world is somewhere in the future and I am in Ma and Pop's Kitchen enjoying a life of peace, happiness, laughter and good food! This is the best tv series ever made and hope that my DVD's don't ever get worn out from vasts amounts of weekly sunday viewing!!
30 Scot from Glasgow: I LOVE this show. It's got such warmth and gentleness - plus the fact I was madly in love with Catherine Zeta Jones. Michael Douglas - you're a lucky bloke getting a stunning babe like her! She was gorgeous then - and still is now!
29 bev from st ives: I love the Darling buds I was borne in the fifies & can only wish my childhood had been as wonderfull. I now have the complete series and worry I will ware it out these wonderfull stories helped me get through breast cancer
28 Sue FH from West Midlands: I adored the series when it was first shown- it depicts the kind of life I wish I'd had. I'm now reading the books by H E Bates, which are un-put-downable!
27 Rebecca from Melbourne Australia: I loved the show when it was first made and still love it now. I have worn out the video tapes and am getting a new set on DVD this christmas ( thanks Mum). I predicted Catherine would make it to the top.
26 C PAGE from PLUCKLEY: I lived (and my family di still ive) in Pluckley and was brought up on a farm there in the 1970's and I can tell you life there wasn't much different ti the Darling Buds Of May - I still watch the DVD's when I miss home as I now live in Hampshire. I love the xmas special reminds me of my home!! Perfick!!
25 Amelia from Gloucestershire: Hello! I remember watching "Darling Buds of May" when i was little..i watched it again when it was repeated last year and i kept going on about how much i loved it so i got the complete series as a xmas pressy!!! i've lost count how many times i've watched them!!! my favorite episode is when they all go to France!
24 Anne Peckham from Shropshire UK: Watching Darling Buds again has made me homesick for Kent (I moved to Shropshire 3 years ago) and would give a lot to move back again! Meanwhile watching Darling Buds makes me feel safe, warm and secure - I wanna be there!!
23 Tara Ryan from Lyminge, Kent: Today was the "Darling Buds Of May" open day and walking around that beautiful farm and seeing the house and where it was filmed,gives you a real feel good feeling! I wanted to come home and bake a cake!! I will never tire from watching the series and the simplicity of life from bygone days.
22 Scot from Glasgow: I love The Darling Buds of May for the stunning countryside and the even more stunning Catherine Zeta Jones playing the heart - spinningly beautiful Mariette. It's a lovely, light - hearted and romantic show set in a world of eternal love and warmth.
21 Tara Ryan from Lyminge KENT: Darling Buds of May is my inspiration! its such a feel good series. I often take my 3 year old daughter to Pluckley and drive around where it was all filmed,with an audio tape playing in the car!! We always hum the tune!My friends call me Ma Larkin because I am always cooking and love nature.
20 Tamela from Lynwood, CA.: I love the Darlings Buds of May, because that show seem so familiar. The father of the family remind me of a father I knew, so warm,kind, Loving and giving. The family is like the family of the show. When I first show the show, I fell in love with it, I felt so at home, I just love the place. One of my favorite episodes is when Mariette and her husband get their first house together and try to start their own wine company. I love the farm and how big the property is I would love to have a place like that.
19 David from Sittingbourne,: Something that may be of interest to devotees of the show. The location farm is not normally open to the public, as it is a private residence, but I`m involved with a charity classic car show which is held there annually and gives fans the one chance in the year to visit. We support the Kent Air Ambulance and cancer-related charities from the proceeds. Details at www.darlingbudsclassiccarshow.co.uk
18 Tracey from New Brunswick, Canada: My Father bought my the DVD set several years ago. Each Christmas we all watch it from start to finish over the school holidays. This year my children started to watch with us - they were all hooked by the end of the first episode. It's one of those series that can be enjoyed by all ages and that you can watch over and over. I have encouraged many of my friends to watch over the years, the reults are always the same. We all welocme the Larkin family to our homes and are simply addicted. What a great cast! We all hope to visit Pluckly next year on a Family Trip to the UK.
17 John Paget from Birmingham: How can you pick a single moment from a series that comes together as a whole in such a way that evrything blends so perfectly together, from the cast to the storylines. Pure enjoyment from start to finish.
16 JP from Kent: I have lived in kent my entire life and recently paid a visit to where "darling buds" was filmed!!
The village looks like a real "50's" village and has a lovely warm friendly feel, we had a drink in the local pub and saw all of the on location filming pictures (how fascinating) - I would recommend anybody to take a look at a beautiful part of the country and really feel "taken back in time" we paid Tenterden a visit later that day and this was equally as nice.
15 Zoe Luscombe from Plymouth: Excellent, Charlie is my favourite character.
14 Carl Crawford from Oxnard, california: Darling Buds of May is total escapism for anyone whose life hasn't turned out quite the way he wanted. I'm in love with Mariette, and I feel homesick for a place and time I've never been to. I hope God sends me there when I die!
13 John Porter from Bournemouth - U/K: My favourite moment from 'The Darling Buds of May?' - ALL OF IT!
12 J.F.Read. from Perth. Western Australia.: Have just come across this web page, i have been searching for information on the exact location of the T.V.series.."The Darling Buds Of May".. i am a truly devoted fan, [have been for many, many, years.] and have the complete series at home which i watch on my T.V.... No sex, No Violence, No drugs.What a wonderful breath of good clean air the series is..I am always in a complete state of euphoria whenever i watch the series, you can really get lost in the plot, and feel like you are really taking part in it yourself..
11 Emma from England: My Grandparents own the Darling Buds farm. I have always thought how lucky I am to have spent so many Summers in such a beautiful (yet delapidated) place.
Just to elaborate on Colin Duncan's answer, the exterior shots were taken in Kent (South of England), but the interior filming was all done in the North of England by Yorkshire TV the production company.
10 Daisy-May Bates from England: Please dont show the Darling Buds of May Again, i was in it and its so embarressing when its on tv!
9 Steve Bennett from Australia: I was born in England and moved to Ausralia when I was 5 years old (1957). My mum was born in Kent and My whole family loves "The Darling Buds Of May".Do you think they will ever do a Reunion Special, 10years on, kind of thing? It would be PERFIC!
8 Bas and Michelle from Holland: Hello! We are just addicted to Darling Buds of May and play it every evening before we go to sleep. We particularly love the episode where the whole family take a holiday in France and we never tire of watching it.
Thankyou for this very entertaining site!
Best wishes from
Bas and Michelle
7 Duncan from Swansea: I've been asked to write a geography essay for my final year course, 'Contemporay Rural Britain'. The essay asks me to pick a novel and write how it represents rural Britain today. Naturally I chose the Darling Buds.....any suggestions? Thank you.
6 Carol from New Zealand: I have all the series of The Darling Buds of May in my library and, like so many others I find it absolutely superb. Each play their parts so well - the scenery shown of Kent is gorgeous, the era so magic and the lifestyle portrayed is as life should be - relaxed, happy and free. The best!
5 Colin Duncan from Bethersden KENT: In answer to Jim Boyds question the farm which is called BUSS farm is real and 5 minutes walk from my house. My house was used for some shots. I found the purple lorry PGC123(an old diamond T US army truck)and popped up in a few walk on parts. Supplied the fire engine used in the first series. My mate, Fat Bob and I gave medical and fire cover for a lot of crowd shoots. I have real fond memories of Catharine before she was even known. The cast were so easy to work with. David, Pam etc. The director of photograpy PJ (Peter Jackson) allowed us time and patience to ask questions etc. Great memories and location Grub.
Favourite moment was during a late night shoot when Pa had just won a local by election. It was about minus 10 degees. The shoot involved bonfire night where Charlie accidently drops a light into a box of fireworks which then accidently sets the huge bonfire alight. We had to douse the flames after each take. The buckets of water we used froze solid in about 15 minutes!!. Now a large crowd of local amateur dramatics society extras had waited HOUR for their big 15 seconds. When they started the shoot half way through one of the older ladies Koed in the cold. After a short resus she came round shocked to be so "unproffesional dears" to which the continuity girl said "dont worry luv, your not in shot anyway" .... Queue another shock faint. Long night .
4 Jim Boyd from California, USA: Recently saw Darling Buds on video. Loved it.
Question; Was the Larkin Farm a movie set or was it a real farm?
Loved the Christmas episode. Fun, loving, great
3 Katherine from Norfolk: I think that The Darling Buds of May is so good. I also think that Catherine Zeta Jones looks funny with her hair in bunches.
2 Janice Cross from New Zealand: Absolutley love the "Darling buds of May". It takes me back to when I was a girl and living on the farm. I watch the video's all the time. So peacful to watch and to remember family life the way it was in the country. Marvellous acting by all the cast. David Jason is my favourite.
1 Amber: "The Darling buds..." is a great series! It reminds me of "Little House on the Praire," but in the 50's. The main reason I bought it was b/c CZJ is my fav. actress. I am very proud of her!