David Rayvern Allen obituary

One day in 1959, David Rayvern Allen, who has died aged 76 of cancer, received two job offers as the pianist for a six-month cruise of the Caribbean or as a music arranger for BBC television shows. He chose the latter and remained at the corporation until 1993, when he retired as a chief producer.

Along the way he befriended John Arlott, crickets great radio commentator and Guardian writer. Outstanding among the more than 40 books that David wrote or contributed to were biographies of Arlott and another of the sports leading journalists and broadcasters, EW Swanton.