The Daffodil Days

In the early 1960s in a small Devonshire town, the church bells ring. The people of North Tawton go about their days, catching glimpses of each other‘s lives. There‘s Dr Webb, who knows more about his patients than he would sometimes prefer. There‘s Jenny, the sales assistant at Kestrels, who understands that the ladies who come to the boutique are often looking to buy a feeling over a new outfit. There‘s Bill Nicholls, who climbs the belfry ladder each week to ring the church bells, their notes - harmonious and clashing - rippling across the rooftops. Amidst all these lives, a young couple shimmer into focus. New to the town with their two children, they have fled London for a quieter existence in the idyllic thatched cottage, Court Green. The life they will construct here – out of fresh lino tiles, furniture painted white with red hearts and expertly hosted dinner parties – will be a good, happy one. The Daffodil Days depicts a pivotal year in the marriage of 20th century literature‘s most infamous couple, as witnessed by the people they lived amongst; a kaleidoscopic portrait of this enigmatic couple refracted through the rich inner lives of a community caught, if only for a moment, in their light.