Crossroads regular David Lawton is celebrating his 100th birthday – today August 11th. David was born in 1923 and became a regular on television screens in the sixties.

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.

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’.

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 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).

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, and is looking forward to his birthday card from King Charles III.