James Alfred Wight OBE FRCVS
October 3rd, 1916
I come from a tiny village in rural Wales. And when I say 'tiny', I mean tiny. By 'village', Americans probably think somewhere that has, maybe, 1000 inhabitants. The village I come from has maybe 20. There was a pub there, an old phone box that hasn't had a phone in it since the mid 90s, maybe 10 houses and it was in a valley so small and so narrow that, during Winter months, the Sun never got high enough in the sky to unfreeze one half of the valley.
One year it snowed so much that we became stranded in the valley for 3 months. The road through the valley is no more than 3 metres wide and two cars cannot pass at the same time. One side of the road is a precipitous drop down into the river below and at night, with the Moon below the horizon of the top of the valley, it is impossible to see anything on the road and people often simply walk off the edge into the river.
The inhabitants of that village I grew up in lived only in that village all their lives and hadn't strayed further than 30 or 40 kilometres away. People who lived there didn't even speak English. You couldn't get a radio or TV signal in the valley; it was that remote.
My father had rigged up a long cable that stretched all the way up the side of the valley and, at the very top, lashed to a particularly sturdy beech tree, was our TV antenna. It pointed roughly in the direction of the great TV mast that stood, warning lights blinking forlornly in the far distance, atop the Preseli Mountains from where, thousands of years ago, Neolithic people had dragged great bluestone boulders hundreds of miles across the country to erect at the great monument that became known as Stonehenge.
Most of the time, it worked most of the time. When it got a bit blowy up on the top, at the tree line, the signal would snarl and jump, and the screen would turn into a blizzard of static, and sometimes, when gales rushed across the Irish Sea with malice at their heels, the trees would bend and twist and you'd get nothing at all except the faint ghostly image of Irish television stations where some chap called Gaye Byrne would be interviewing Bongo or Mr Edge from The U2s.
Sundays would be the worst, presumably because God didn't like the analogue TV signal turned up too high on a Holy Day. On a Sunday, the TV would be mostly fuzzy, unwatchable and phantom bare. The only moments of clarity were during the afternoon edition of Farmer's Weekly, where some man in a suit he bought in 1963 would tell you the current price of worming solution for sheep or the current state of the pork market in Westphalia. It’s a rural community - this sort of thing was important, apparently. If you were lucky, in the evening, the wind would whip the forest into the right direction and you'd get to watch the BBC's new Sunday evening flagship show, which was about a veterinary surgeon who lived in Yorkshire who seemed to spend most of his time with his arm up a cow's arse. It was called All Creatures Great and Small and, perhaps rather inadvertently because that's all that we could get, I spent a good part of my childhood growing up with the adventures of one Mr James Herriot.
James Alfred Wight, better known by his pen name James Herriot, was born on October 3, 1916, in Sunderland, England. His name has become synonymous with charming, heartwarming stories about rural veterinary life in Yorkshire, where he lived and worked for most of his life. While Herriot is remembered primarily as a writer, his contributions to both literature and the veterinary field remain enduring. His tales of farmers, their animals, and the people who populated the Yorkshire Dales have captivated readers for decades, thanks to his unique blend of humour, warmth, and genuine affection for the creatures he cared for. Yet Herriot’s life was one of dedication, humility, and a grounded passion for his profession that extended far beyond the pages of his books.
Herriot was born into a working-class family. His father, James Henry Wight, was a ship plater, and his mother, Hannah Bell Wight, was a singer and dressmaker. Although born in Sunderland, Herriot moved to Glasgow with his family when he was only three weeks old, and it was in Glasgow that he would grow up. His interest in animals started early, likely influenced by the article he read about a veterinary surgeon that sparked his curiosity in the field. He studied at Glasgow Veterinary College, graduating as a veterinary surgeon in 1939, just before World War II broke out. After working in Sunderland briefly, Herriot accepted a position at a small veterinary practice in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, where he would live and work for the rest of his life.
When Herriot began his career, veterinary practice was very different from what it is today. In the 1940s, rural vets like Herriot dealt primarily with farm animals—cows, horses, sheep—using rudimentary treatments and travelling long distances between farms. Medical technology was still limited, and much of the work relied on the vet’s intuition, physical strength, and hands-on knowledge of animals. Herriot often had to battle both the weather and the unpredictable temperament of his patients. This era of veterinary practice is vividly depicted in his books, where Herriot’s combination of expertise, patience, and humour comes across through his many anecdotes about treating animals in the tough, rural environment of the Yorkshire Dales. As society evolved, so did the veterinary profession. The 1960s and 1970s saw advancements such as antibiotics, new surgical techniques, and more emphasis on caring for smaller domestic pets like cats and dogs. Herriot adapted to these changes, but the core of his work—his dedication to animals and their owners—remained unchanged.
Despite his veterinary commitments, Herriot always harboured dreams of writing. Encouraged by his wife, Joan Catherine Anderson Danbury, he began writing down stories based on his experiences as a vet. It took a while before his works gained momentum; his first book, If Only They Could Talk, was published in 1970, but it was the U.S. release of All Creatures Great and Small in 1972 that brought him widespread recognition. His books combined humor, warmth, and vivid descriptions of both the animals he treated and the unique people he encountered. They depicted the life of a country vet with a charming simplicity that struck a chord with readers worldwide. These stories showcased the interdependence of rural communities and their animals, while the Yorkshire Dales, with their rugged beauty, served as a backdrop that was as essential as the characters themselves. Herriot had a knack for painting these landscapes with words, transporting readers to the very farms and villages where he worked.
Herriot’s books are notable for their lack of sentimentality, even as they evoke deep emotion. While his tales of animals and their owners often bring humour and joy, he did not shy away from the tougher realities of veterinary practice—difficult births, disease, and death were regular features of his professional life. Yet these stories are handled with compassion, reflecting Herriot’s empathy and understanding of both animals and their human caretakers. His success lay in his ability to balance the lighthearted moments with the more sombre aspects of life, creating stories that were at once entertaining and deeply moving.
As his fame grew, so did the demand for more stories. Herriot went on to write several more bestsellers, including All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, and The Lord God Made Them All. His stories were adapted for film and television, most notably in the long-running BBC series All Creatures Great and Small, which first aired in 1978 and ran until 1990. The series was so popular that it was revived in 2020, introducing Herriot’s world to a new generation of viewers. These adaptations captured the essence of Herriot’s writing, highlighting the same warmth and humour that made his books so beloved. However, despite the fame and fortune that came with his writing career, Herriot remained modest and grounded. He continued working as a vet well into his literary success, preferring the quiet life of a country vet to the spotlight of celebrity.
Herriot’s legacy is not just in his writing but also in the way he influenced the veterinary profession. Many veterinarians cite his books as the reason they pursued a career in animal care, inspired by his depiction of the profession as one that combines deep scientific knowledge with compassion and understanding. Herriot’s stories also helped raise awareness about the importance of animal welfare and the critical role that vets play in ensuring the health and well-being of animals.
In addition to his professional and literary contributions, Herriot’s love for the Yorkshire Dales and its people shines through in his work. The Dales are not just a setting for his stories but a character in themselves, with their rugged beauty and ever-changing weather playing a central role in the lives of the people and animals that inhabit them. His vivid descriptions of the landscape and the tight-knit farming communities evoke a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, more connected way of life. Even though his stories are set in a specific time and place, their themes of resilience, community, and the bond between humans and animals are universal, allowing his work to transcend borders and generations.
James Herriot’s literary career spanned more than two decades, with his final book, Every Living Thing, published in 1992. He had by then become one of the most successful authors of his time, with his books translated into numerous languages and selling millions of copies worldwide. Herriot continued to write despite his declining health—he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991. He passed away on February 23, 1995, at the age of 78. His wife, Joan, passed away four years later. Their two children, James and Rosie, have played an active role in preserving their father’s legacy, with Rosie being particularly involved in promoting the World of James Herriot Museum, which is located in his former veterinary practice in Thirsk.
Today, Herriot’s influence is still felt. The World of James Herriot Museum remains a popular tourist destination, drawing fans from around the world who want to experience the Yorkshire countryside that Herriot so lovingly described in his books. The continued popularity of the All Creatures Great and Small television adaptations also keeps his work in the public eye, ensuring that new generations discover his stories. His legacy is not just one of humour and warmth but also one of kindness, empathy, and an enduring respect for the bond between humans and animals.
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