大象传媒

Fame for the man who put Hambleton on the map came late. He was in his mid 50s before his first book was published - the years of storytelling to his wife and children finally put down on paper.

An original manuscript

Spurred on by them he learned to type and bought books to teach himself writing skills.听After many rejected manuscripts, James Herriot finally hit the bookstands with 'If Only They Could Talk' in 1970.听From the 3,000 commissioned for the initial print run his books went on to sell in their millions, being printed in twenty six different languages.听

By the mid 70鈥檚 two feature films had been made.听At one point four of his books had featured in the top ten bestsellers list and the 大象传媒 series 'All Creatures Great and Small' had begun its 13 year run.

But Alf Wight remained the vet - still working hard alongside Donald Sinclair and his son Jim, considering himself to be only a part time author.

He came to Thirsk in 1939 to join Sinclair as a partner in the now famous Kirkgate surgery.

Brian and Donald Sinclair with Alf

Born in Sunderland in 1916, he moved to Scotland as a baby where his father worked as a welder in the shipyards.听After qualifying at the Glasgow Veterinary College he found himself offered the Thirsk partnership. He stayed in Thirsk until his death in 1995.

鈥淗e hadn鈥檛 a bean in the world so worked all hours God sent,鈥� said Jim, who went out on his father鈥檚 rounds from the age of three.

鈥淗e was always telling us stories.听If anything happened he jotted it down.听The essence of everything he wrote is true.

鈥淚t was my mother who persuaded him to write the books. He had a wonderful way with words and yet he didn鈥檛 allow the fame to change him.鈥�

Although he set the books around the Yorkshire Dales, his family and friends became the characters. Helen was based on his wife, Joan. Donald Sinclair and brother Brian became Siegfried and Tristan Farnon. Only his children, Jim and Rosie, kept their own names.

But Alf wasn鈥檛 only a vet and author.听He was a keen reader; music lover, playing the piano and trying his hand at the violin for a time; avid football fan - following Sunderland all his life and skilled tennis player. He was also a much-loved family man.

Alf receiving his OBE in February 1979

鈥淪uccess never went to Dad鈥檚 head. He always looked after us - Mum, Rosie and I and his four grandchildren.听And he never wanted to leave the beautiful Hambleton countryside.

鈥淲hen he was asked to compile a book about James Herriot鈥檚 Yorkshire I told him no-one would be interested in the nooks and crannies we know and love. But that book outsold everything else he wrote. He may have always asked for our advice - it鈥檚 as well he didn鈥檛 always take it!鈥�.