James Herriot
The Vet who Writes Books
Introduced by Melvyn Bragg
In this documentary profile James Herriot talks to Melvyn Bragg about his upbringing in Glasgow, his life in Yorkshire and his work as both vet and writer.
Herriot's second career began only some ten years ago. ' It was my wife who pushed me into it. For 30 years I'd been saying I was going to write a book and one day she turned around and said, " Men of 50 don't write books." That stung me. I went right out and bought a pile of paper and got stuck in.' In 1970 his first novel, If Only They Could Talk, was published. Two years later It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet appeared and this was so successful with readers that letters poured in asking for further instalments. Two of his later stories have been made into popular feature films.
If he wished, he could live from his writing alone, but neither fame nor literary success is his first priority. He still feels as he did on first coming to North Yorkshire: ' It suddenly dawned on me this was the life for me. I am a doctor of farm animals now.'
Film cameraman JOHN WYATT
Film recordist MALCOLM CAMPBELL Film editor JESSE PALMER Director BOB LOCKYER
A 2nd House production
Assistant editor TONY cash Editor BILL MORTON