When Philip Larkin asked his long-time secretary Betty, at the end of an evening out, if he could come in for a cup of coffee, she initially thought that was all he wanted. Until that point, the poet and his colleague had enjoyed a classic working relationship.
Larkin’s day job was librarian at Hull University and Betty took his dictation, organised his work and stayed resolutely positive when he was feeling down. He, in turn, appreciated her loyalty, efficiency, typing skills and pragmatism.
But that warm night in 1975 marked the start of a different sort of intimacy between them, one that lasted well over five years.
More amour from the Daily Mail UK.
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