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Life and Times

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Biography (from Wikipedia) James Alfred Wight was born on 3 October 1916, in Sunderland, County Durham, 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 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 surgeons 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 a huge 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.

• James Herriot born James Alfred Wight in Sunderland England, October 3, 1916
• Moved to Glasgow, Scotland as child, late October 1916
• Attended Yoker Primary School, August 1921 – June 1928
• Attended Hillhead High School, September 1928 – 30 June 1933
• Graduated Glasgow Veterinary College on Dec 14, 1939
• Joined Yorkshire practice of J. Donald Sinclair in 1940
• Married Joan Catherine Danbury, 5 November 1941 ( see the church )
• RAF 1941-43
• Son, James Alexander, born 13 February 1943
• Daughter, Rosemary, born in 9 May 1947
• Trip to USSR as sheep veterinarian, 28 October – 6 November 1961
• Trip to Istanbul as cattle veterinarian, 8-10 August 1963
• 1966 begins writing using the pen name James Herriot
• 1972 ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
• 1974 ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL
• Receives American Veterinary Medical Association’s Award of Appreciation, 4 February 1975
• 1977 ALL THINGS WISE AND WONDERFUL
• 1978 BBC TV Series begins
• Receives Order of the British Empire and honorary Litt.D. from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, 1979
• 1981 THE LORD GOD MADE THEM ALL
• Made fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 1982
• 1983, receives honorary D.V.Sc. from Liverpool University
• 1992 EVERY LIVING THING
• Donald Vaughan Sinclair a.k.a. Siegfried Farnon (22 April 1911 – June 28, 1995 ) – Partner. Purchased veterinarian practice at 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk in 1939. Hired James Herriot in 1940 while he was in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was only enlisted for a few months before he was sent home to continue being a veterinarian. He took his own life by an overdose of barbiturates two weeks after the death of his wife of fifty-three years, Audrey.
• Wallace Brian Vaughan Sinclair a.k.a. Tristan Farnon (27 September 1915 – 13 December 1988) – Donald’s younger brother, known as Brian. Worked as a student veterinarian for his older brother until graduating from Royal (Dick) Veterinary College in Edinburgh in 1943. Joined the Army Veterinary Corps. Later joined the Ministry of Agriculture’s Sterility Advisory unit, eventually becoming head of the Veterinary Investigation Centre in Leeds.
• Richard Carmody – Oliver Murphy
• Calum Buchanan – James Herriot’s assistant. Died in 1990. – Brian Nettleton
• John Crooks – James Herriot’s assistant from 1951-54. – John Crooks
• Frank Bingham – Sinclair’s first partner. Worked with Herriot his first months at the practice.
• Mrs. Marjorie Warner of Sowerby a.k.a. Mrs. Pumphrey – Owner of the obese Pekingese, Tricki Woo a.k.a. Bambi. Died in 1983.
• James Wight – Grandfather: ship plater
• Robert and Jane Bell. Robert was a senior printer. – Maternal grandparents
• James Henry Wight – Father: ship plater and musician – Died in 1960
• Hannah Bell Wight – Mother: professional singer
• Joan Catherine Danbury Wight – Wife, Died 1999 – Helen Herriot, née Alderson
• James Alexander Wight – Son born on 13 February 1943 – Currently a practicing veterinarian in Thirsk – Jimmy Herriot
• Rosemary Page – Daughter born on 9 May 1947. – Currently a physician practicing in Thirsk – Rosie Herriot

48 Replies to “Life and Times”

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I was wondering if James ever visited the MSU VET CLINIC at MICHIGAN STATE VETERINARY HOSPITAL at Michigan State U niversity

Where did Donald Vaughn Sinclair practice before he bought the practice in Thirsk?

I have been re-reading all the Dr. Herriot books during this current coronavirus crisis and they have been very comforting to me. I wish I could tell Mr. Wight how much he has meant to me for so many decades.

Yes – it has been a great comfort in these times to reread these marvelous books. I feel I am with him high on the moors with the wind blowing and it is great laugh out loud!

During recent months I’ve been working my way through all seven seasons of the “All Creatures” DVDs and find them very comforting in their reminder that life was once so much kinder and gentler, before the covid-19 pandemic and political upheaval in the U.S. I’ll probably reread the books next. What I especially appreciate about Herriot/Wight’s success is that he was a hard-working vet, never wealthy in terms of dollars and cents but well aware of the intangible rewards he was reaping, who later became rich beyond his wildest dreams but continued to live as he always had in the place he truly loved. Many thanks to him for the example he set for all of us!

Was Alf Wight a vet at the Thirsk practice in 1964?

I agree with all these comments about the calming effect of James Wight’s books.

Especially worth reading is the ‘Best of James Herriot” compilation narrated by the author, with the beautiful photographs and amazing drawings depicting historical farm equipment and practices on the moors in the 30s and 40s.

The new TV series is also very well worth viewing even if you’ve watched every one of the original series.

Our favorite place for holidays too., especially Thirsk and the Herriot museum.

I’ve thought carefully about this and I’m sure that of all the people in history, Alf Wight is the one person I’d love to have had a cup of tea with.

Can someone help find an episode, please? I seem to recall Helen and James taking for another vet, temporarily. He had a very odd wife (or housekeeper?) who complained about too much heat, too much this, too much that, being wasted… As I remember it, touch scenes were really funny, but the woman seemed a bit nutty. I wanted to rematch, but cannot figure out how to find that particular episode, despite having the box set. We’re any of the original episodes aired on PBS left off of the box set? I have no idea… Thank you for any help in this matter!

James Herriot and creations have seen me through stressful times – whether in a war zone as a soldier or working as a police officer – his stories were sane, sensible, and kind. I could read them and push all other thoughts to the side. They have been in my bookshelves since the late 1970s. In these last 50 years I have lost many dogs, cats, and farm animals. I hope that as they crossed the Rainbow Bridge – James “Herriot” Wight is there to greet them – walking the hills and dales of Heaven.

ALL CREATURES…was the only TV that we allowed our children to watch during dinnertime during the ’70s/’80s. Never regretted it. Perhaps the best of thousands of hours of TV during a lifetime.

Albert D. WRIGHT – Yes James Wight did come to speak at the MSU Vet school in 1972 or 1973. I was lucky enough to see him speak. We had a family friend that was a vet student who invited us to join her family at the talk. I have a signed copy of the paperback version of the book, All Creatures Great and Small.

My son bought me the books of James Herrit for Christmas in 2008 right after he graduated from veterinary school . I have read every word of the books many times. I told you son how wonderful his profession is and to always be proud of it. James Herriot(Wight) is an inspiration, and now my son is as well. God Bless

I have been reading and re-reading his books for decades, and I wish I could thank him for the pleasure they have brought me over the years. I’m so grateful he took the time to write these stories — they still have the power to bring tears to my eyes or make me laugh out loud — and to share his life and love of animals with us. Truly a gift!

In the 1970s I was married and living in California. My husband gave me a beautiful book titled “All Creatures Great and Small.” Oh what a wonderful book. Then I received another book All Things Bright and Beautiful….. the rest is history! I’m so enjoying the new PBS Masterpiece adaptation of the above first book about Herriot’s life as the iconic vet in my home county of Yorkshire. What memories!

As others have expressed so well, the stories of James Herriot have been a welcome treat again, three decades after first reading about them and watching the TV series. So glad the show has been brought to us in a new production. We love James Herriot and is world.

What a wonderful man and time!

I too am rereading his books while hunkered down at home. I’m especially comforted by his appreciation of treasures found in his daily life & am reminded that those “intangible rewards” are the most enriching. His ability to freely reveal his all-too-human missteps & mistakes—made with the best intentions—reminds me to practice more acceptance of well-intentioned mistakes, mine as well as mistakes of others.

Despite all the self-reflection I also laugh out loud (by myself), especially when reading about—or even thinking about—Mrs. Pumphrey & her Tricki Woo!

My best trip of all times was the surgery Thirsk and the English country side. My favorite books of all time was the James Harriet series

Did the real Mrs. Hall really serve in the WRENS? It must have been in WWI? I love the scene in which she proves she’s a crack shot at the Darrowby Fair, and gives her prize to Helen’s little sister.

How very interesting that so many others have turned to re-reading theJames Herriot series during this very stressful and isolating year of pandemic and politics. I thought it was just me that remembered the comfort I received from these books. I have loved the Masterpiece series as well. One other thing: similar theme, a present day country vet show The Incredible Dr Pol on National Geographic Wild has helped me while away many long days and lulls me in a similar way. We all need to escape to the simpler life. Thanks, James Herriot, for all you have done for us.

I have been watching the episodes over and over couldn’t contained myself. I really enjoying it. Looking forward to the next season. Thank you PBS for bringing us joy in this uncertain time.

I absolutely adore his stories. They are warm, enchanting, and just good. They are so endearing. Grateful to have this series during these difficult times.

I am enjoying the new PBS series very much. Of course, James and Helen are my favorites but I also love Mrs. Hall and Siegfried and Tristan, too. Looking forward to reading the books. I agree with other commentators that the calmness and compassion of James are qualities that our world needs right now.

REPLY TO: R Benjamin The vets name in the show was Angus Grier, Season 1, Episode 12. There may have been one before that but I’m not sure. It would be in season 1 because in episode 12 it says James returns to Angus Grier.

I love James Herriot and all of his books. Am really enjoying the new PBS series also.

When I was younger I wanted to become a vet, but didn’t have the grades to get into vet school. After graduating with a B.S. degree, working as a vet assistant and attending night school it was my plan to become a vet tech, but that was interrupted by being diagnosed with hydrocephalus, getting a shunt infection and losing some of my short-term memory. Though I didn’t get to become a vet tech, I was blessed by working in two clinics as a vet assistant and have had many pets that I have loved dearly. I began reading and re-reading Mr. Herriot’s books as a young woman; they are my vicarious way of getting to do what I always wanted to do! Thank you so much for continuing to publish Mr. Herriot’s stories! I’m now looking forward to reading his biography; thank you, “Jimmy” for continuing your dad’s legacy.

What a consolation to be able to come into the lives of the people and animals in James Herriot’s books at this time. The ending of Episode 7 of the new PBS series is perfect. Caring and warm for all living things is really very simple. Thank you James Wight and PBS.

Hello .. can anyone clarify what happened to the lovely Mrs Weatherill?

My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting him at his surgery in Thirsk time ago while on a driving tour of Yorkshire. He talked to us for quite a while and was jut as he was in his books He signed his book we purchased in the village museum across the street from the surgery. The highlight of our trip.

Just finished reading the three books again abs have enjoyed them all for at least the fourth time. The are indeed calming and heart warming. We too love the PBS series and can’t wait for season two. We have spent a lot of time walking in the Yorkshire Dales and love them as much as he did. Thank you Alfred Wight. What a wonderful legacy you have left.

May I add my comments of admiration for the author of the James Herriot books. His writing was mesmerizing. Pickup one of his books and you would have a hard time putting it down. I have most of his books and have started to reread them. They are just as I remember them.

I’ve been watching with great pleasure the first series made of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. It seems to me that many of us find great comfort and pleasure in Alf Wights writings and the simple but satisfying lives (albeit it hard) they lived then. It reminded me of my childhood. I’ll be forever grateful that he took the time to record his experiences and being great joy to so many. I’m now purchasing the books which I’m sure I’ll reread time and again. It’s been a lifelong dream to spend an extended stay in Thirsk and soak up the atmosphere and beauty of the countryside the beloved Mr Wight so loved.

Very much enjoyed everyone’s comments re DrHarriot’s life Thank God for love & care of animals—salvation for humans.

Dear, Mr. Wight. As with another comment I too am reading my first of your novels; have ordered all four of the main U.S. ‘versions’ from the library; & am re-reading the said one, which I had finished. Similarly, I am greatly consoled by your writing, which bespeaks the world I have so much lamented as being lost. Other authors, too, have remarked during their parallel epoch of what you marvelled about England’s country & witnessed to be disintegrating, but your words, the heart, the soul, the kindness — shines through & brings the solace you experienced to clouded eyes. Thank you for typing & labouring & for demonstrating, through historical memory what beauty humans so much remember. Your works are a generous tonic, sir. (Ps. Though I rendered anonymous my ‘identity’ the truth of my comment is no less authentic.)

Years ago a little neighbor girl gave me a James Herriot book because I loved – and rescued – animals. I loved the book! Probably 20 years later I happened upon the old television series, bought the dvd set and have beennwatching them ever since. What a special, wonderful world. Thank you Maggie and James Herriot!

For Mothers Day 1992, my daughter gave me “James Herriot’s Dog Stories” which I treasure. This after reading all the others. Enjoy every minute of rereading them.

My daughter (7) and I have been reading and/or listening to every James Heriot publication as well as watching the newest television adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small. We are both enthralled and I just love the time we’ve spent together listening, reading and watching!

I know his writing and the time spent with my daughter are truly special and I just wish these times could go on forever.

Thank you Alf Wight for your gift to the world!

Simply love the series All creatures great and Small and look forward to following the coming episodes with joy. James Herriot is a thoroughly good kind and caring human being showing everyone his beautifully born nature full of kindness and compassion for all that comes into his way and his life story, animal or person. I am happy to know there are books too that relate his story.

I fell in love with the books as an American kid and teen. I read and reread them as I had time while starting my career in nursing. My husband and I spent a part of our honeymoon in Yorkshire and discovered we were 1 town away from Thirsk, the real Darrowby. (I had never researched the real James Herriot.) We were encouraged to stop by the practice but I don’t like to impose, and I think the time we spent together in that beautiful landscape was best spent with just one another. Now that he’s gone, I’m finding a special joy in watching the new series with the gorgeous landscapes and stories that tell the truth about love, and life.

I’m producing a high-quality photography book about the birds of a unique urban wildlife reserve in Los Angeles, CA. I’m including quotes from several wildlife conservationists and nature photographers, and I would love to include the James Herriot quote:

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”

The book will be a beautiful hardback volume of 200 pages, and is about celebrating and supporting urban wildlife/bird conservation. There will be 1,000 copies printed, as well as digital copies. Please reply at your earliest convenience and let me know how I might obtain permission to use the quote. I’m sorry for the short notice, it’s been challenging locating who to reach out to. My book is scheduled to go to print in September. I had reached out to Pan MacMillan publishers, and they let me know that the rights to the book had reverted to JAMES HERRIOT PARTNERSHIP, which I have not been able to locate. Please let me know if you have any questions, and your assistance is very much appreciated!

You could try: https://www.davidhigham.co.uk/authors-dh/james-herriot/ https://www.davidhigham.co.uk/permissions/

I fell I. Love with these books. I got them as a teenager and have them still. I always wished I could visit this remarkable author and the area he practiced, but now at age 66 I’m here in Glasgow visiting an ancestral castle and seeing much of this beautiful country. In this age of “self” it’s refreshing to open one of my prized books and remember what life and animals and family can truly be. Laura

Whenever I need a tonic to improve the day, I watch the first series of All Creatures Great & Small. I love the new version as well. Of course, I’ve read all Alf Wight’s books & alsoJimmie Wight’s excellent biography about his father. In the 1980s, I travelled to Thirsk with every intention to meet Dr. Wight at his surgery. A woman who worked at the Thirsk Tourist Center told me that he moved out of Thirsk for privacy reasons…I then thought it would be selfish of me to impose on his work day so I didn’t meet him after all. That was my mistake. In the early 1990s, I was on the steering committee for the ASPCA fundraising auction for the Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in NYC. I obtained a leather-bound, autographed collection of Dr. Wight’s famous books from his publisher which was auctioned off at Sotheby’s. Years later, I returned to Thirsk to visit the surgery/home by which time was transformed into “The World of Herriot Museum.” I also saw Alf Wight’s home outside of Thirsk where he lived with Joan, his wife. The Dales ‘are’ magical – I understand why he loved living there. He considered moving to a lower tax country but simply could not tear himself away from the Dales. His ashes were scattered on Sutton Bank, his favorite outlook that he & his dogs visited 1000’s of times. You can see five(5) counties from that beautiful vista. He knew his books had an uplifting effect on his readers & he mused that he wished they could have lifted him out of the serious depression he suffered from in his later years. He was infected with Brucellosis from an animal he treated – it attacked his nervous system in a profound way. He was a martyr to his profession. Dr. Alf Wight’s inherent kindness, humor & loving interest in “all creatures great and small” – (including the sometimes ‘troublesome’ human animal) -demonstrates his heart’s uber sensibilities for all creation. He loved the land, its animals and its people. He’s helped countless readers/watchers who need & want to be reminded that there are reasons to hope & that there’s much beauty & peace to behold in our world. His unconditional love embraces & holds us close through his carefully-crafted stories.

Make no mistake! The life of the Dales’ farmers was often brutally hard & unforgiving. Alf Wight had the gift of finding the light that breaks through the ever-changing clouds that transverse the lives and landscape of the Dales. He shines his light on all of us who make time to read his wise words of loving insight: There’s a silver lining to be found if only we look for it.

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James Herriot, 78, Writer, Dies; Animal Stories Charmed People

By Mary B. W. Tabor

• Feb. 24, 1995

James Herriot, the author whose "All Creatures Great and Small" and 17 other books have drawn even the most urban of readers into a magical country world of animals and their veterinarians, died yesterday at his home near Thirsk, Yorkshire, in northern England. He was 78 years old.

The cause was cancer, said Thomas McCormack, his editor at St. Martin's Press.

In the 22 years since "All Creatures Great and Small," his first work, appeared, Mr. Herriot produced a dozen other best-selling books. Each was filled with heartwarming stories, told in simple prose, of ailing animals and their owners and the veterinarians who tramp across the muddy fields of North Yorkshire at all hours of day and night.

Mr. Herriot, whose real name was James Alfred Wight, was born in Glasgow in 1916. In 1940, after graduating from Glasgow Veterinary College, he moved to the rural community where his books are set.

From his earliest days in practice, he kept a daybook in which he recorded the details of his treatment of animals. At dinner time, those who knew him said, he told the warm, often humorous anecdotes to family and friends, and he vowed to write them as stories someday.

At the age of 53, Mr. Herriot bought a typewriter and began to write, first in a back room, then, when he got lonely, in a family room, as his son and daughter watched television, Mr. McCormack said. It was while writing his first book and watching a British soccer match at the same time that the Yorkshire vet decided to take as his pen name the name of a Scottish goalie.

"All Creatures Great and Small" was published in 1972, and later inspired a popular BBC series. It became a best seller, but not until word-of-mouth enthusiasm sparked reviews months after its publication.

In the 1980's, as he began to retire from his veterinary practice, Mr. Herriot wrote a series of storybooks for children, including "Moses the Kitten" (1986) and "The Christmas Day Kitten" (1986). Then, in 1992, he brought his veterinary adventures up to date with "Every Living Thing," which was praised in a review in The New York Times as being "full of innocent and uncontrived charm."

With more than 60 million copies of his books in print, Mr. Herriot is the top-selling author at St. Martin's. His most recent book, "James Herriot's Cat Stories," an illustrated collection of stories from his earlier writings, was published in September and has been on the New York Times best-seller list for 22 weeks.

"James's unique blend of warmth and joy and skill as a writer made him perhaps the most personally beloved storyteller of his time," said Mr. McCormack, the chairman of St. Martin's Press and Mr. Herriot's editor since 1972. "When people ask me what he was like, I say, 'If you know his books you know James.' More than any other author I've met, he was his books."

In each of Mr. Herriot's books, a familiar stage is set: there are mystery illnesses, bad-tempered humans who always come around in the end, fussy owners who imagine their pets to have a variety of ailments and a succession of characters who attract the love of animals in spite of themselves.

In 1979, Mr. Herriot was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

"It is arguable that James Herriot has done more for his veterinary colleagues than any television series ever did for the mainstream branch of the medical profession," Maeve Binchy wrote in a 1992 review of "Every Living Thing" in The New York Times.

Mr. Herriot was hospitalized last year after being attacked by a flock of sheep. In what might have been a scene from one of his books, he was apparently trying to stop the sheep from eating plants on his lawn when they butted and trampled him, breaking his leg.

At the time of his death, Mr. Herriot was writing an introduction to another collection, to be published next year, "James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories." His earlier collection "James Herriot's Dog Stories" was a best seller.

Mr. Herriot is survived by his wife, Joan Wight; a son, James; a daughter, Rosemary Page, all of Yorkshire, and four grandchildren.

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The Real James Herriot: The Authorized Biography Hardcover – November 13, 1999

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James Herriot Books In Order

Publication order of all creatures great and small books, publication order of smudge books, publication order of short story collections, publication order of picture books, publication order of non-fiction books, publication order of anthologies.

Born in Sunderland, County Durham, James Herriot was the son of James and Hannah Bell Wight. While James took work as a ship plater, he also indulged his passion of the piano, his wife earning a small income as a dress maker, on top of her singing.

Attending Yoker primary school and Hillhead High School, Herriot gained a passion for football at an early age, becoming a lifetime supporter of the Sunderland Football club. He entered the veterinary filed at the age of 23, having received his qualifications from Glasgow veterinary college in 1939.

Initially practicing in Sunderland, James Herriot eventually moved to a rural area in the town of Thirsk, and there he stayed for the remainder of his life. James Herriot married Joan Catherine Anderson Danbury in 1941.

They had two children; James Alexander not only entered the veterinarian business but also joined his father as a partner in his practice, while Rosemary became a general practice physician. James Herriot briefly served in the military and eventually attested, even then, to have held a passion for writing, a dream than never came to fruition because so much of his time was consumed by his family and business.

It was his wife, Joan, who finally pushed him to pursue his dream; despite his enthusiasm, Herriot’s initial attempts at writing were met with rejection and often revolved around football. It wasn’t until he turned his eye towards what he knew best, animals, that James Herriot began to experience success.

It was after he observed the potential for success that his first novel ‘If only they could talk’ presented that James decided to drop the name Wight in favor of his pen name ‘James Herriot’, this resulting from common etiquette at the time which frowned upon the concept of professionals in most businesses advertising their services. James Herriot was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991 and died four years later; Joan, his wife, also died in 1999.

Writing Career

Many of James Herriot’s books are partially autobiographical and will tell stories that loosely incorporate events, people and places connected to his own life, many times in a personal manner. The books, in many ways, chronicle the shift the veterinary industry underwent during James’ years in his practice, taking into account the role transitions in agriculture as well as various social factors might have played in the process, this including the fact that many a veterinary practice slowly but steadily shifted their primary focus away from large beasts of burden to smaller creatures like dogs and cats.

While his books are largely referred to as animal stories, the creatures in James Herriot’s novels often play a fairly negligible role, with the plots primarily revolving around the people of Yorkshire country and their lives. The unique flavor present in Herriot’s work often emanates from the emphasis he places upon the relationships between animals and their owner, with the author known for making shrewd and quirky observations about this human/animal dynamic.

James Herriot’s books were adapted into a movie titled ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ in 1975, as well as a long running series of the same name which aired on BBC Television. The BBC also developed a three part drama in 2010 titled ‘Young James Herriot’ which utilized case notes and diaries to tell the story of the author. Herriot’s home of Thirsk has benefited greatly from his popularity, with the ‘World of James Herriot’ Museum attracting many a curious fan.

If Only They Could Talk

James Herriot arrives in the small village of Darrowby, unaware of the adventures that await him or the new friends that lie ahead. ‘If Only They Could Talk’ is a memoir narrating James Herriot’s first few years as a vet; operating in the country, ‘If Only They Could Talk’ manifests James Wight’s unique storytelling magic, the novel providing several hours of fun and joy to those persons that enjoy the company of animals and wish to explore the wild places of the country side.

‘If Only they could talk’ is an elegantly written novel that is often forgotten by today’s readers; there is never a dull moment within its pages. The characters are eccentric and the narrative couldn’t be any more humorous. Many natives of the region within which the novel is set have often complimented James’ first book for the sense of homeliness it creates

It shouldn’t happen to a Vet

The title aptly describes the spirit of James Herriot’s the second novel, which finds the author’s primary character, at one point, sitting on a high Yorkshire Moor and oddly scented like a cow. ‘It shouldn’t happen to a Vet’ continues to tell many more stories about Herriot’s complicated life, roping his boss Siegfried Farnon and the unpredictability that is his personality into the chaos, along with Tristan, his charming brother, complimented by Herriot’s fated encounter with the beautiful Helen.

Once more the beauty of the countryside shines through in this warm tale that is as charming as it is wise. ‘It shouldn’t happen to a vet’, like all of James Herriot’s works, is one novel that shouldn’t be rushed. James Herriot doesn’t write fast paced page turners filled with thrilling tales; rather it is those readers that enjoy the quite simplicity of a good book that Herriot writes for, his second novel simply happy to crawl down its own path, rarely in a hurry to arrive at its destination but making every portion of the journey a true delight.

James’ anecdotes about the life of a vet in the country illustrate a love for the quite life; they reveal wisdom and wit even while never failing to entertain. ‘It shouldn’t happen to a vet’ has no particular target group. It is the sort of novel that readers both young and old, men and women, are going to enjoy, whether they love animals and the countryside or not.

Indeed many older readers have admitted to enjoying James Herriot’s works during their teenage years, the same novels they continue to visit today and whose entertainment value has not dimmed even with the passing of time,

One Response to “James Herriot”

All of James Herriot’s books are a timeless joy to savor.

Marika Neuhardt

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