‘Home looks nice. Allus does though, don’t it? Perfick’ And so the Larkins

Pop, Ma, Mariette, Zinnia, Petunia, Primrose, Victoria and Montgomery

return from an outing for fish and chips and ice cream one May evening. There, amid the rustic charms of home, they discover a visitor- one Cedric Charlton, Her Majesty’s inspector of taxes.

Mr Charlton is visiting to find out why junk-dealer Pop hasn’t paid his tax

but nothing’s that simple at the Larkins. Mariette takes a shine to ‘Charley’

as Pop calls him

and before long the family have introduced the uncomplaining inspector to the delights of country living- the lusty scents of wild flowers, the pleasures of a bottle of Dragon’s Blood, cold cream dribbled over a bowl of strawberries and hot, hot summer nights.

In fact, soon Charley can’t see any reason to return to the office at all …