Actor David Lawton celebrates 100th birthday

As the actor best known for playing snobby chef Bernard Booth in Crossroads turns a century, we take a look at those motel chefs through the years…

Crossroads regular David Lawton is celebrating his 100th birthday, today August 11th. David was born in 1923, became an actor and writer in the 40s and appeared regularly on television screens from the sixties onwards.

He featured in programmes such as BBC TV’s police drama Z Cars, detective series Maigret and their twice-weekly soap opera Compact, which was also devised by Peter Ling and Hazel Adair. Over on ITV, he has popped up in shows such as ATV’s Emergency Ward 10 medical saga and ITC’s The Adventurer and The Saint. As a writer some of his plays have been adapted for radio and theatre.

David, who lives in Hampshire, first appeared in Crossroads in 1966 as guest Antoni Bicni, an Italian chef who found the motel’s food rather off-putting, much to the rage of Spanish chef Carlos Rafael (Antony Morton) who challenged him to a ‘cook off’.

David – middle – in ITC drama The Saint (1963).

It was however 1969 when David returned to Kings Oak in his long-running role as Bernard Booth, who arrived at the motel to help find a chef when Meg (Noele Gordon) called his employment agency looking for more staff. Bernard, impressed with the possibilities, decided to put himself in the position and he was soon also investing in the Crossroads Motel financially.

Storylines saw him strike up a couple of on-screen partnerships, firstly with fellow chef Gerald Lovejoy (William Avenell) who was elderly and set in his ways, although Bernard admired his knowledge. Tish Hope (Joy Andrews) became a confidant for Bernard and they socialised away from the motel. This saw them kidnapped by G.I. Harry Silver (Stan Stennett) in 1971 while he was on the run from authorities for absconding from the American Army.

But his most memorable partnership was the one with Scottish chef Shughie McFee (Angus Lennie) where their different styles – Bernard being slightly snobby and Shughie very down to earth – caused many comic moments, reaching its peak with ‘Game Bird Jumbo’ in 1979.

David Lawton – left – in BBC TV’s Z Cars (1964).

David often took time out from Crossroads to do other TV and theatre roles and had his final stint in the programme back in 1979 when he reappeared – having left the previous year due to a public row with motel restaurant manager Max Lorimer (Johnathan Burn) –  with a new wife by his side, Helen (Annette Lynton). During his time in the show the daytime soap pulled in 18 million viewers four nights a week.

David was married to Rebecca for nearly sixty years, sadly ‘Betty’, as she was nicknamed, passed away in 2018. We’re told David is having a relaxed day has enjoyed all the birthday wishes from the Crossroads fans and has received his birthday card from King Charles III.

Image: ATV. Tish (Joy Andrews), Bernard (David Lawton), Amy (Ann George) and Vince (Peter Brooks) get the latest motel news. 1972.

Other memorable Motel Chefs…

The first motel chef arrived in episode two of Crossroads on December 3rd 1964. Carlos Rafael – played by Tony Morton – was a Spaniard with a temper. In 1966 he took some of his motel colleagues on holiday to Spain where some were caught up in a drug smuggling racket. Carlos had an evil twin, Georgio (also played by Morton) who terrorised Kings Oak in 1967. Other stories saw Carlos’ hands burnt leaving him unable to cook for many months, this saw the introduction of his cousin in 1967, Pepe. Sadly while back in Spain in 1969 Carlos died in a blaze trying to save children from a fire.

Pepe Costa arrived in 1966 – played by renowned actor Stephen Rea – the cousin of Carlos who helped out for a while and formed a friendship with Sandy Richardson (Roger Tonge) the pair enjoyed horse riding and cycling together as well as wooing the girls.

In the late 1960s it was all change with the arrival of Gerald Lovejoy. An older gent who was orderly, organised and one for sticking to the procedure. He also invested in the motel. In 1972 the series had its only female chef with Cynthia Cunningham (Jean Bayless). She arrived at the motel as a guest but struggled with her finances – and in order to pay her motel bill offered to work in the kitchen. Cynthia loved the opposite sex and had, despite an estranged husband, Norman (Edward Phillips), dalliances with handyman Dave Cartwright (John Hamill) and Timothy Hunter (Derek Farr).

1974 saw one of the most famous motel chefs – Shughie McFee. Shughie arrived with big stories of working as a chef on a liner. It turned out to be a worker’s ferry on the Clyde. He was one for tall tales and short remarks. He also had an eye for the ladies, however, failed miserably to ever manage to woo any with his limited culinary skills. He admired and hated Bernard Booth in equal measure and their bickering became a comic part of the programme.

Shughie was spoken of, but never seen, between 1982 and 1986 when finally the show cast a new team for the kitchen – although the kitchen was never seen again after Angus left the series. Between 1986 and the end of Crossroads in 1988 Andy Rashleigh appeared as Chef Andrew DeVillenerve with Glyn Pritchard as Paul the Cheffette.