by Jim Wight
30. Alf and Jimmy Youth-Hostelling near Reeth in the Dales, 1957
31. A postcard of Kirkgate in Thirsk, looking up to the parish church – and, by coincidence, Alf’s car outside the surgery
32. A farmer has helpfully cleared a path through the desperate snow drifts that were all too common
33. Brian Sinclair c. 1948
34. The garden at 23 Kirkgate, not as well tended as when Alf was in charge
SOME OF THE ASSISTANTS AT 23 KIRKGATE
35. Brian Nettleton, t’ vet wi’t badger
36. The author, with his father, ‘always a comforting presence’
DOGS – ALF DID NOT FEEL COMPLETE WITHOUT ONE BESIDE HIM
37. Hector the Jack Russell almost seemed to want to drive the car himself, while Dan was content to be passenger
38. Joan was as fond of the dogs as Alf
39. Walking up onto Sutton Bank with Hector and Dan, Gormire Lake and the Vale of York below
40. Bodie, the border terrier, Alf’s last dog
41. Rosie with Bodie and her dog Polly at Sanna Bay on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula
FROM REAL LIFE TO FICTION
42. The Whitestone Cliffs on Sutton Bank that Alf loved so much
43. The brass plate outside 23 Kirkgate: Mr D. V. Sinclair and Mr J. A. Wight, Veterinary Surgeons
44. The brass plate outside Skeldale House, announcing S. Farnon and J. Herriot, Veterinary Surgeons
45. James Herriot author meets the other James Herriot who lent him his name
46. After a hard day’s work as a vet, Alf would write his books on a portable typewriter in front of the television in the evening
FAME BOUGHT PHOTOGRAPHERS RUSHING TO YORKSHIRE FOR PHOTO-CALLS
47. The in’s and out’s of a vet’s life …
48. Arthur Dand, farmer and fellow author, with Alf
49. The fury of the chase: pigs are almost impossible to catch in the open
THE LITERATI IN LONDON AND YORKSHIRE
50. Dick Francis and Donald Sinden with Alf at the Authors of the Year party
51. Anthea Joseph, Alf’s publisher, and Lady Kaberry at a Yorkshire Post literary lunch
SIGNING SESSIONS CAME IN ALL SIZES
52. Signing books for farmer Austin Bell of Wethercote in his front room
53. The queue in W. H. Smith, Harrogate, 1977
54. How many animals need attention tonight, or is it all books?
55. The queue waits patiently for the doors of 23 Kirkgate to open
56. The ultimate honour: at Buckingham Palace after receiving the OBE in 1979
FILMS AND TELEVISION BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF NEW FANS
57. Simon Ward and Lisa Harrow played James and Helen in the first film. This shows them after their considerably more splendid wedding than the real couple (right) had thirty-two years previously
58. In the second film, John Alderton played James Herriot, again opposite Lisa Harrow. Colin Blakely (right) played Siegfried
59. Partners in more senses than one: the television actors stand behind their true-life counterparts. Christopher Timothy and James Herriot/Alf Wight; Robert Hardy and Siegfried Farnon/Donald Sinclair, and Peter Davison and Tristan Farnon/Brian Sinclair
60. Alf with Christopher Timothy in the garden of 23 Kirkgate
61. Christopher Timothy with the clapperboard during the filming of an episode of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’
‘WHEN I RETIRE, I WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN, MY DOGS AND FOOTBALL’
62. With granddaughters Zoe and Katrina
63. With Sunderland F. C. fans on King’s Cross Station in London
64. After the memorial service at York Minster: the author, Chris Timothy, Joan, Robert Hardy and grand-daughter Emma Page
Bibliography
IF ONLY THEY COULD TALK Michael Joseph 1970; Pan Books 1973
IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO A VET Michael Joseph 1972; Pan Books 1973 published together in an omnibus volume
ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL Michael Joseph 1975; Pan Books 1976
LET SLEEPING VETS LIE Michael Joseph 1973; Pan Books 1974
VET IN HARNESS Michael Joseph 1974; Pan Books 1975 published together in an omnibus volume
ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL Michael Joseph 1976; Pan Books 1978
VETS MIGHT FLY Michael Joseph 1976; Pan Books 1977
VET IN A SPIN Michael Joseph 1977; Pan Books 1978 published together in an omnibus volume
ALL THINGS WISE AND WONDERFUL Michael Joseph 1978; Pan Books 1979
THE LORD GOD MADE THEM ALL Michael Joseph 1981; Pan Books 1992
EVERY LIVING THING Michael Joseph 1992; Pan Books 1993
JAMES HERRIOT’S YORKSHIRE Michael Joseph 1979; Mermaid Books 1982
Other omnibus editions
THE BEST OF JAMES HERRIOT Michael Joseph in association with Readers Digest Association Ltd 1982
JAMES HERRIOT’S DOG STORIES Michael Joseph 1986; Pan Books 1992
JAMES HERRIOT’S CAT STORIES Michael Joseph 1994
JAMES HERRIOT’S FAVOURITE DOG STORIES Michael Joseph 1995
JAMES HERRIOT’S YORKSHIRE STORIES Michael Joseph 1997
Books for children
MOSES THE KITTEN Michael Joseph in association with A & C Black Ltd 1984; Piper Books 1988
ONLY ONE WOOF Michael Joseph in association with A & C Black Ltd 1985; Piper Books 1988
THE CHRISTMAS DAY KITTEN Michael Joseph 1986; Piper Books 1988
BONNY’S BIG DAY Michael Joseph 1987; Piper Books 1989
BLOSSOM COMES HOME Michael Joseph 1988; Piper Books 1991
THE MARKET SQUARE DOG Michael Joseph 1989; Piper Books 1991
OSCAR: CAT ABOUT TOWN Michael Joseph 1990; Piper Books 1992
SMUDGE’S DAY OUT Michael Joseph 1991; Piper Books 1993
Acknowledgements
Many people have helped me with the writing of this book. Two I wish to thank especially; they have shown great patience and understanding in enduring the company of an inexperienced and mono-focused author: my wife Gill, and my editor Jenny Dereham. I also wish to express particular thanks to my agent Jacqueline Korn, at David Higham Associates, whose persuasion it was that I should – and could – write this biography.
I am deeply grateful to my mother, and to my sister Rosie, who have not only supplied so much vital information but have been very cooperative and unselfish in agreeing to my sharing so many details of my father’s life with his myriad fans.
Two important people who have been a tremendous source of essential material must be especially thanked: my late Grandmother Wight for saving so many letters and other memorabilia of her son, and Alex Taylor, my father’s oldest friend, for his informative and entertaining memories of the countless happy hours spent in my father’s company.
I am also particularly grateful to Professor Norman Wright, the Dean of the University of Glasgow Veterinary School and his staff; also Ken Cunningham, Head Master of Hillhead High School and his staff: from these I received invaluable help and vital information.
Many others, among them relatives, friends and colleagues of my father, have provided me with anecdotes, photographs and other such important pieces of information that went to make up the final accurate picture of his life. In particular, I would like to thank: Fred Banks, George Bell, Bertram Bosomworth, Jim Chadwick, John Crooks, Arthur Dand, The Lady Dean of Harptree, Piers Dudgeon, Marjorie Eves, Alan Goldsborough, Janet Grey, Ellen Grout, Audrey Hancock, Robert Hardy, Dr Ken Hibbitt, Professor Peter Holmes, Ken Kilvington, R. M. Major, Martha Nettleton, Eve Pette, Dr Alistair Porter, Ossy Sandy, Peter Shaw, Anthea Sinclair, Bob Smith, Joan Snelling, Jimmy Steele, Eddie Straiton, Chris Timothy, Juliana Wadham.
Without the help and willing cooperation of all these people, the completion of this book would not have been possible.
Photographic credits
The author would like to thank his family and friends for providing many of the photographs which appear in this book. In addition, the aut
hor acknowledges the following for permission to reproduce photographs. Every effort has been made to contact all copyright holders: the publishers will be glad to make good in future editions any errors or omissions brought to their attention.
Life Magazine 37, 46, 48 and 52; Daily Express 38 and 49; Fay Godwin 39; Sunday Express 45; Desmond O’Neill Features 50; Yorkshire Post 51; Barratts Photo Press 56; D. N. Wilkinson Productions Ltd 60; Ian Cook/People Weekly 62; Evening Press (York) 64
THE BEGINNING
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PENGUIN BOOKS
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First published by Michael Joseph 1999
Published in Penguin Books 2000
Copyright © Jim Wight, 1999
The moral right of the author has been asserted
All rights reserved
ISBN:978-0-141-91653-8