|
|
|
On Reserve
Author Spotlight - James Herriot
by Leslie Weddell
The
Real ‘James Herriot’
Many readers will recall the wonderful books and television series
of “All Creatures Great and Small” by James Herriot.
But that was not the author’s name, for his real name was James
Alfred Wight. (Apparently he preferred to be addressed as Alf,
rather than James.)
As a practising veterinarian surgeon and member of the Royal
Veterinary Society, Alf Wight was not allowed to use his real name
as it was seen to be advertising his work. So Alf used the name
‘James Herriot’ and was allowed to write his entertaining books
about his life as a vet.
James Alfred Wight was born on October 3rd 1916 in Sunderland. His
parents, James and Hannah Wight moved to Glasgow soon after their
wedding, but nine months later Hannah returned to Sunderland to have
her baby. When James was only three weeks old his mother returned to
join her husband in Glasgow where he lived for the next twenty years
or so, and because of his broad Glaswegian accent many people
thought he was a born Scot.
He qualified in difficult times in early 1939, and his first
position as a vet was in Sunderland in January 1940. He did not move
to Thirsk until July of the same year.
Alf began writing his books and became an overnight sensation, but
he did not let it go to his head, He still led his normal lifestyle,
and was much respected as a skilled veterinarian surgeon. He was an
avid supporter of Sunderland Football (soccer) Club and loved
cricket, music, athletics and tennis. He married Joan Danbury on the
5th of November 1941 in St. Mary’s Magdalene Church, Thirsk. They
had two children, Jimmy and Rosie. Jimmy followed in his father’s
footsteps and became a veterinary surgeon whilst Rosie became a
doctor.
The original surgery was
in Kirkgate Thirsk, but was moved in 1997 to purpose built premises
on the Thirsk trading estate. The original building along with an
adjacent one has been turned into the famous ‘World of James Herriot’
centre.
If you have not read any of ‘Herriot’s’ books you really must - for
you are in for a treat!
They are full of humour and portray beautifully the life and times
of a vet in the 1940’s in rural England.
The weather in Yorkshire in winter can resemble Siberia at times,
(especially in the thirties and forties) with biting cold and frozen
and slippery country roads and farm tracks to drive down. And a
veterinary practice is on call 24 hours a day. Being called out at
3am to a cow that has birthing problems is not a pleasant way to
spend the night. In those days cow sheds had no heating, hygiene was
not as it is today, and the poor vet had to strip to the waist in
the freezing cold to make a difficult, and risky delivery without
losing the mother. The farmer would stand by and try to be useful,
but often he had little in the way of amenities for the vet to use
apart from a bucket of hot water and a few towels.
Alf Wight had a long and fruitful life and passed away in 1995, but
his wonderful stories are forever with us for generations to come to
be enjoyed by all.
You can find out more about author Alf Wight by going to google
search engine and entering ‘The World of James Herriot’.
Besides all the books, you can find the television and film series
on DVD and video tapes too.
|
On Reserve!
Thought-provoking commentary and opinion. |
Book Reviews
Impartial review of your book, Send
(including Press Release, short bio and your e-mail address
(the latter is required) to Cook Communication, 6086 Dunes Drive, Sanford, NC 27332. ReserveBooks.com reserves
the right to choose which titles to review. |
Up to Date
ReserveBooks.com is equipped to help you move from
Gutenberg to Cyberlit. Let us help you lean into the cutting
edge of new technologies that are bringing a new democracy
in communication media. |
|
 |
|
