James Herriot
Encyclopedia
James Herriot was the pen name
of James Alfred Wight, OBE
, FRCVS
also known as Alf Wight (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), an English veterinary surgeon
and writer, who used his many years of experiences as a veterinarian to write a series of books of stories about animals and their owners. He is best known for these semi-autobiographical works, which are often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small, a title used in some editions and in film
and television
adaptations.
, England to James (1890–1960) and Hannah Bell (1890–1980) Wight. Shortly after their wedding, the Wights moved from Brandling Street, Sunderland to Glasgow
in Scotland, where James took work as both a ship plater and pianist for a local cinema, while Hannah was a singer as well as a dressmaker. For Alf's birth, his mother returned to Sunderland, bringing him back to Glasgow when he was three weeks old. He attended Yoker
Primary School and Hillhead High School
. From his father he gained a passion for the Sunderland Football Club and remained a lifelong fan. In 1992 he was named a Life President of the club.
In 1939, at the age of 23, he qualified as a veterinary surgeon
with Glasgow Veterinary College. In January 1940, he took a brief job at a veterinary practice in Sunderland, but moved in July to work in a rural practice based in the town of Thirsk
, Yorkshire
, close to the Yorkshire Dales
and North York Moors
, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. On 5 November 1941, he married Joan Catherine Anderson Danbury. The couple had two children, James Alexander (Jim), born 1943, who also became a vet and was a partner in the practice, and Rosemary (Rosie), born 1947, who became a physician in general practice.
Wight served in the Royal Air Force
in 1942. His wife moved to her parents' house during this time, and upon being discharged from the RAF as a Leading Aircraftman
, Wight joined her. They lived there until 1946, at which point they moved back to 23 Kirkgate, staying until 1953. Later, he moved with his wife to a house on Topcliffe Road, Thirsk, opposite the secondary school. The original practice is now a museum, "The World of James Herriot", while the Topcliffe Road house is in private ownership and not open to the public. He later moved with his family to the village of Thirlby
, about four miles from Thirsk, where he resided until his death.
Wight intended for years to write a book, but with most of his time consumed by veterinary practice and family, his writing ambition went nowhere. Challenged by his wife, in 1966 (at the age of 50), he began writing. After several rejected stories on other subjects like football, he turned to what he knew best. In 1969 Wight wrote If Only They Could Talk, the first of the now-famous series based on his life working as a vet and his training in the Royal Air Force
during the Second World War. Owing in part to professional etiquette which at that time frowned on veterinary surgeon
s and other professionals from advertising
their services, he took a pen name
, choosing "James Herriot" after seeing the Scottish goalkeeper Jim Herriot
play for Birmingham City F.C.
in a televised game against Manchester United. If Only They Could Talk was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 by Michael Joseph Ltd, but sales were slow until Thomas McCormack
, of St. Martin's Press
in New York City, received a copy and arranged to have the first two books published as a single volume in the United States. The resulting book, titled All Creatures Great and Small, was an overnight success, spawning numerous sequels, movies, and a successful television adaptation.
Wight was found to have prostate cancer
in 1991, and underwent treatment in the Lambert Memorial Hospital in Thirsk
. He died on 23 February 1995, aged 78, at home in Thirlby
.
On 29 July 2009, UK-based open-access rail operator Grand Central Railway, which operate train services from Wight's birthplace of Sunderland to London King's Cross (calling at Thirsk), named Class 180 DMU No. 180112 (British Rail Class 180
) "James Herriot" in his honour. The ceremony was carried out jointly by Alf Wight's daughter Rosie and son Jim.
and Sowerby
. He also renamed Donald Sinclair
and his brother Brian Sinclair
as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, respectively, and used the name "Helen Alderson" for Joan Danbury.
Contrary to popular belief, Wight's books are only partially autobiographical, with many of the stories being only loosely based on real events or people. Wight's son Jim states that a lot of the stories, although set in the 1930s, 40s or 50s in the books, were actually inspired by cases that Wight attended in the 1960s and 70s.
From a historical standpoint, the stories help document a transitional period in the veterinary industry: agriculture
was moving from the traditional use of beasts of burden
(in Britain, primarily the draught horse
) to reliance upon the mechanical tractor
, and medical science
was just on the cusp of discovering the antibiotics and other drugs that eliminated many of the ancient remedies still in use. These and other sociological
factors, like increased affluence, prompted a large-scale shift in veterinary practice over the course of the 20th century: at its start, virtually all of a vet's time was spent working with large animals: horses (motive power in both town and country), cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. By the year 2000, the majority of vets practised mostly on dog
s, cat
s, and other companion animals belonging to a population having a larger disposable income, people who could afford, and had the leisure time, to keep animals merely for pleasure. Wight (as Herriot) occasionally steps out of his narrative to comment, with the benefit of hindsight, on the primitive state of veterinary medicine at the time of the story he is telling, for example, describing his first hysterectomy
on a cat, and his first (almost disastrous) Caesarean section
on a cow.
The Herriot books are often described as "animal stories" (Wight himself was known to refer to them as his "little cat-and-dog stories"), and given that they are about the life of a country veterinarian, animals certainly play a significant role in most of the stories. Yet animals play a lesser, sometimes even a negligible role in many of Wight's tales: the overall theme of his stories is Yorkshire
country life, with its people and their animals primary elements that provide its distinct character. Further, it is Wight's shrewd observations of persons, animals, and their close inter-relationship, which give his writing much of its savour. Wight was just as interested in their owners as he was in his patients, and his writing is, at root, an amiable but keen comment on the human condition. The Yorkshire animals provide the element of pain and drama; the role of their owners is to feel and express joy, sadness, sometimes triumph. The animal characters also prevent Wight's stories from becoming twee or melodrama
tic — animals, unlike some humans, do not pretend to be ailing, nor have they imaginary complaints and needless fears. Their ill-health is real, not the result of flaws in their character which they avoid mending. In an age of social uncertainties, when there seem to be no remedies for anything, Wight's stories of resolute grappling with mysterious bacterial foes or severe injuries have an almost heroic quality, giving the reader a sense of assurance, even hope. Best of all, James Herriot has an abundant humour about himself and his difficulties. He never feels superior to any living thing, and is ever eager to learn — about animal doctoring, and about his fellow human creature.
The books have been adapted for film and television, including a 1975 film titled All Creatures Great and Small
and a long-running BBC
television programme of the same title.
At the time of his death, the Reader's Digest Condensed Book
volume containing All Creatures Great And Small (Volume 96, 1973 #5) was the most popular book in that series' history. His last book, Every Living Thing, immediately went into the top 10 bestseller list in Britain, and had an 865,000 copy first edition printing in the United States.
Herriot's fame has generated a thriving tourist economy in Thirsk. Local businesses include the "World of James Herriot" museum (located in 23 Kirkgate, the original practice surgery), and a pub called the "Darrowby Inn". Many of the original contents of his surgery can be found at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming
in Murton, York. Parts of the BBC TV series set including the living room and the dispensary (see picture, right) are on display at the James Herriot museum in Thirsk
, which is also open to the public.
In July 2010 it was announced that Koco Drama, a subsidiary of Shed Media
would be producing a three part drama called Young Herriot for the BBC
inspired by the true story of James Herriot/James Wight and how he learnt his trade in Scotland
. This series will draw on archives and exclusive access to the diaries and case notes he kept during his student days in Glasgow
, as well as the biography
written by his son. The book to accompany the BBC series, "Young Herriot", was written by the historian and author John Lewis-Stempel
.
In September 2010, the Gala Theatre in Durham presented the world premiere professional stage adaptation of All Creatures Great & Small.
All Things Bright and Beautiful
, and inspired by a punning suggestion from Herriot's daughter, who thought the book should be called Ill Creatures Great and Small.
Dog Stories: fly leaf lists publishing dates of 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981 and 1986.
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of James Alfred Wight, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FRCVS
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom. Established in 1844 by Royal Charter, its statutory duties are laid out in the 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act.-Role:...
also known as Alf Wight (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), an English veterinary surgeon
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
and writer, who used his many years of experiences as a veterinarian to write a series of books of stories about animals and their owners. He is best known for these semi-autobiographical works, which are often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small, a title used in some editions and in film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
adaptations.
Biography
James Alfred Wight was born on 3 October 1916, in Sunderland, County DurhamCounty Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England to James (1890–1960) and Hannah Bell (1890–1980) Wight. Shortly after their wedding, the Wights moved from Brandling Street, Sunderland to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in Scotland, where James took work as both a ship plater and pianist for a local cinema, while Hannah was a singer as well as a dressmaker. For Alf's birth, his mother returned to Sunderland, bringing him back to Glasgow when he was three weeks old. He attended Yoker
Yoker
Yoker is a western district of Glasgow, in Scotland, UK, lying on the northern bank of the Clyde to the east of Clydebank. It is located approximately 5 miles west of the City Centre. From the fourteenth century a ferry has linked Yoker with the burgh of Renfrew on the south bank...
Primary School and Hillhead High School
Hillhead High School
Hillhead High School is a day school located in Glasgow, Scotland, on Oakfield Avenue, neighbouring the University of Glasgow. It is one of the largest schools in Glasgow.Until 1976 it was a selective school...
. From his father he gained a passion for the Sunderland Football Club and remained a lifelong fan. In 1992 he was named a Life President of the club.
In 1939, at the age of 23, he qualified as a veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon is a term used to describe:*The full title of a vet, who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals, in the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries**See also Veterinary medicine in the United Kingdom...
with Glasgow Veterinary College. In January 1940, he took a brief job at a veterinary practice in Sunderland, but moved in July to work in a rural practice based in the town of Thirsk
Thirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, close to the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
and North York Moors
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. On 5 November 1941, he married Joan Catherine Anderson Danbury. The couple had two children, James Alexander (Jim), born 1943, who also became a vet and was a partner in the practice, and Rosemary (Rosie), born 1947, who became a physician in general practice.
Wight served in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1942. His wife moved to her parents' house during this time, and upon being discharged from the RAF as a Leading Aircraftman
Leading Aircraftman
Leading aircraftman Leading aircraftman (LAC) Leading aircraftman (LAC) (or leading aircraftwoman (LACW) is a rank in some air forces, between aircraftman and senior aircraftman and having a NATO rank code of OR-2. The rank badge is a horizontal two-bladed propeller....
, Wight joined her. They lived there until 1946, at which point they moved back to 23 Kirkgate, staying until 1953. Later, he moved with his wife to a house on Topcliffe Road, Thirsk, opposite the secondary school. The original practice is now a museum, "The World of James Herriot", while the Topcliffe Road house is in private ownership and not open to the public. He later moved with his family to the village of Thirlby
Thirlby
Thirlby is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. With a population of about 120 in 2003, Thirlby is situated approximately four miles east of Thirsk....
, about four miles from Thirsk, where he resided until his death.
Wight intended for years to write a book, but with most of his time consumed by veterinary practice and family, his writing ambition went nowhere. Challenged by his wife, in 1966 (at the age of 50), he began writing. After several rejected stories on other subjects like football, he turned to what he knew best. In 1969 Wight wrote If Only They Could Talk, the first of the now-famous series based on his life working as a vet and his training in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during the Second World War. Owing in part to professional etiquette which at that time frowned on veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon is a term used to describe:*The full title of a vet, who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals, in the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries**See also Veterinary medicine in the United Kingdom...
s and other professionals from advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
their services, he took a pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
, choosing "James Herriot" after seeing the Scottish goalkeeper Jim Herriot
Jim Herriot
James "Jim" Herriot is a former Scottish international footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for clubs in both Scotland and England.-Career:...
play for Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in a televised game against Manchester United. If Only They Could Talk was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 by Michael Joseph Ltd, but sales were slow until Thomas McCormack
Thomas McCormack
Thomas McCormack is a former book-publishing executive, editor, and author who is now a playwright.- Publishing :McCormack was born in Boston, MA. When he was age 8, the family moved to Stamford, CT. Following high school in Stamford, McCormack earned a B.A. summa cum laude in philosophy from Brown...
, of St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
in New York City, received a copy and arranged to have the first two books published as a single volume in the United States. The resulting book, titled All Creatures Great and Small, was an overnight success, spawning numerous sequels, movies, and a successful television adaptation.
Wight was found to have prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
in 1991, and underwent treatment in the Lambert Memorial Hospital in Thirsk
Thirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
. He died on 23 February 1995, aged 78, at home in Thirlby
Thirlby
Thirlby is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. With a population of about 120 in 2003, Thirlby is situated approximately four miles east of Thirsk....
.
On 29 July 2009, UK-based open-access rail operator Grand Central Railway, which operate train services from Wight's birthplace of Sunderland to London King's Cross (calling at Thirsk), named Class 180 DMU No. 180112 (British Rail Class 180
British Rail Class 180
The Class 180 is a type of British diesel multiple unit train built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 for use on then-new express services by First Great Western . They were built at Washwood Heath in Birmingham and are part of the Coradia 1000 family along with the Class 175. FGW stopped using the...
) "James Herriot" in his honour. The ceremony was carried out jointly by Alf Wight's daughter Rosie and son Jim.
Author
In his books, Wight calls the town where Herriot lives and works "Darrowby", which he based largely on the towns of ThirskThirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
and Sowerby
Sowerby, North Yorkshire
Sowerby is a small village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, it is situated immediately south of Thirsk....
. He also renamed Donald Sinclair
Donald Sinclair (veterinary surgeon)
Donald Vaughan Sinclair was a British veterinary surgeon made famous as the eccentric character Siegfried Farnon in the semi-autobiographical books of James Herriot , later adapted for film and television as All Creatures Great and Small.- Royal Air Force service :In 1939 he bought an existing...
and his brother Brian Sinclair
Brian Sinclair
Wallace Brian Vaughan Sinclair , universally known as Brian, was a British veterinary surgeon who worked for a time with his elder brother Donald and Alf Wight...
as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, respectively, and used the name "Helen Alderson" for Joan Danbury.
Contrary to popular belief, Wight's books are only partially autobiographical, with many of the stories being only loosely based on real events or people. Wight's son Jim states that a lot of the stories, although set in the 1930s, 40s or 50s in the books, were actually inspired by cases that Wight attended in the 1960s and 70s.
From a historical standpoint, the stories help document a transitional period in the veterinary industry: agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
was moving from the traditional use of beasts of burden
Working animal
A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. They may be close members of the family, such as guide or service dogs, or they may be animals trained strictly to perform a job, such as logging elephants. They may also be used for milk, a...
(in Britain, primarily the draught horse
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
) to reliance upon the mechanical tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
, and medical science
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
was just on the cusp of discovering the antibiotics and other drugs that eliminated many of the ancient remedies still in use. These and other sociological
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
factors, like increased affluence, prompted a large-scale shift in veterinary practice over the course of the 20th century: at its start, virtually all of a vet's time was spent working with large animals: horses (motive power in both town and country), cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. By the year 2000, the majority of vets practised mostly on dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s, cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, and other companion animals belonging to a population having a larger disposable income, people who could afford, and had the leisure time, to keep animals merely for pleasure. Wight (as Herriot) occasionally steps out of his narrative to comment, with the benefit of hindsight, on the primitive state of veterinary medicine at the time of the story he is telling, for example, describing his first hysterectomy
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial...
on a cat, and his first (almost disastrous) Caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
on a cow.
The Herriot books are often described as "animal stories" (Wight himself was known to refer to them as his "little cat-and-dog stories"), and given that they are about the life of a country veterinarian, animals certainly play a significant role in most of the stories. Yet animals play a lesser, sometimes even a negligible role in many of Wight's tales: the overall theme of his stories is Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
country life, with its people and their animals primary elements that provide its distinct character. Further, it is Wight's shrewd observations of persons, animals, and their close inter-relationship, which give his writing much of its savour. Wight was just as interested in their owners as he was in his patients, and his writing is, at root, an amiable but keen comment on the human condition. The Yorkshire animals provide the element of pain and drama; the role of their owners is to feel and express joy, sadness, sometimes triumph. The animal characters also prevent Wight's stories from becoming twee or melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
tic — animals, unlike some humans, do not pretend to be ailing, nor have they imaginary complaints and needless fears. Their ill-health is real, not the result of flaws in their character which they avoid mending. In an age of social uncertainties, when there seem to be no remedies for anything, Wight's stories of resolute grappling with mysterious bacterial foes or severe injuries have an almost heroic quality, giving the reader a sense of assurance, even hope. Best of all, James Herriot has an abundant humour about himself and his difficulties. He never feels superior to any living thing, and is ever eager to learn — about animal doctoring, and about his fellow human creature.
The books have been adapted for film and television, including a 1975 film titled All Creatures Great and Small
All Creatures Great and Small (film)
All Creatures Great and Small is a 1975 television film, directed by Claude Whatham, based on the book All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot. The book is a compilation volume, first published in 1972, comprising Herriot's first two novels, If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldn't Happen...
and a long-running BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television programme of the same title.
At the time of his death, the Reader's Digest Condensed Book
Reader's Digest Condensed Books
The Reader's Digest Condensed Books were a series of hardcover anthology collections, published by Reader's Digest and distributed by direct mail. Each volume contained several current best-selling novels , abridged...
volume containing All Creatures Great And Small (Volume 96, 1973 #5) was the most popular book in that series' history. His last book, Every Living Thing, immediately went into the top 10 bestseller list in Britain, and had an 865,000 copy first edition printing in the United States.
Herriot's fame has generated a thriving tourist economy in Thirsk. Local businesses include the "World of James Herriot" museum (located in 23 Kirkgate, the original practice surgery), and a pub called the "Darrowby Inn". Many of the original contents of his surgery can be found at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming
Yorkshire Museum of Farming
The Yorkshire Museum of Farming is located in Murton Park near York in England. It is housed on a grass field site of approximately , and is the only museum in the district specifically dedicated to the subject of farming. In the autumn of 2010, the museum was awarded full accreditation status by...
in Murton, York. Parts of the BBC TV series set including the living room and the dispensary (see picture, right) are on display at the James Herriot museum in Thirsk
Thirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
, which is also open to the public.
In July 2010 it was announced that Koco Drama, a subsidiary of Shed Media
Shed Media
Shed Media Group is a British creator and distributor of television content. The Group produces long-running television brands in drama, factual, documentary, factual entertainment, and history....
would be producing a three part drama called Young Herriot for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
inspired by the true story of James Herriot/James Wight and how he learnt his trade in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. This series will draw on archives and exclusive access to the diaries and case notes he kept during his student days in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, as well as the biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
written by his son. The book to accompany the BBC series, "Young Herriot", was written by the historian and author John Lewis-Stempel
John Lewis-Stempel
John Lewis-Stempel is a historian and author, who was born in Herefordshire, England, where his family have lived for over five hundred years. He has written on a range of subjects from Native Americans to natural history, but specialises in military history. His semi-autobiographical 'The Wild...
.
In September 2010, the Gala Theatre in Durham presented the world premiere professional stage adaptation of All Creatures Great & Small.
Books for adults
- If Only They Could Talk (1970) ISBN 0-330-23783-7
- It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1972) ISBN 0-330-23782-9
- All Creatures Great and Small (1972)
- Let Sleeping Vets Lie (1973) ISBN 978-0718111151
- Vet in Harness (1974) ISBN 0-330-24663-1
- All Things Bright and Beautiful (1974)
- Vets Might Fly (1976) ISBN 0-330-25221-6
- Vet in a Spin (1977) ISBN 0-330-25532-0
- All Things Wise and Wonderful (1977)
- James Herriot's Yorkshire (1979)
- The Lord God Made Them All (1981)
- Every Living Thing (1992)
- James Herriot's Cat Stories (1994)
- James Herriot's Favourite Dog Stories (1995)
Omnibus editions
In the United States, Herriot's novels were considered too short to publish independently, and so several pairs of novels were collected into omnibus volumes. The title All Creatures Great and Small was taken from the second line of the hymnHymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful is an Anglican hymn, also popular with other Christian denominations.The piece can be sung to several melodies, in particular the 17th-century English melody "Royal Oak", adapted by Martin Shaw, and "Bright and Beautiful" by William Henry Monk...
, and inspired by a punning suggestion from Herriot's daughter, who thought the book should be called Ill Creatures Great and Small.
- All Creatures Great and Small (1972) (incorporating If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet)
- All Things Bright and Beautiful (1974) (incorporating Let Sleeping Vets Lie and Vet in Harness)
- All Things Wise and Wonderful (1977) (incorporating Vets Might Fly and Vet in a Spin)
Dog Stories: fly leaf lists publishing dates of 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981 and 1986.
Books for children
- Only One Woof
- Moses the Kitten
- The Christmas Day Kitten
- Oscar, Cat-About-Town
- Smudge, the Little Lost Lamb
- The Market Square Dog
- Blossom Comes Home
- Bonny's Big Day
- James Herriot's Treasury for Children
Biographies
- Lord, Graham. James Herriot: The Life of a Country Vet (1997)
- Wight, Jim. The Real James Herriot: The Authorized Biography (1999)
- Lewis-Stempel, John. "Young Herriot: The Early Life and Times of James Herriot" (2011)
See also
- All Creatures Great and SmallAll Creatures Great and Small (film)All Creatures Great and Small is a 1975 television film, directed by Claude Whatham, based on the book All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot. The book is a compilation volume, first published in 1972, comprising Herriot's first two novels, If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldn't Happen...
(film) - All Creatures Great and Small (TV series)
- Donald SinclairDonald Sinclair (veterinary surgeon)Donald Vaughan Sinclair was a British veterinary surgeon made famous as the eccentric character Siegfried Farnon in the semi-autobiographical books of James Herriot , later adapted for film and television as All Creatures Great and Small.- Royal Air Force service :In 1939 he bought an existing...
- Brian SinclairBrian SinclairWallace Brian Vaughan Sinclair , universally known as Brian, was a British veterinary surgeon who worked for a time with his elder brother Donald and Alf Wight...