On this occasion there was no clear water from the moorland streams to complement his meagre lunch; instead, he drank a number of the finest wines. He made sure that he did not consume too much, which was a wise decision since, eventually, he was summoned to a private audience with the Queen. He found her to be a most approachable and delightful person with a sharp sense of humour and an infectious laugh. My father told us that she had said that his books were some of the few that had made her ‘laugh out loud’.
It is understandable that she would have enjoyed the books of James Herriot. Not only would the humour have appealed to her but she is, of course, such a genuine animal lover.
On his departure from the Palace, he observed the other guests stepping into a succession of chauffeur-driven limousines. He was about to hail a taxi when one of these prestigious vehicles glided up to offer him a lift. It was none other than that ‘minor individual’, who was in fact Sir Robert Clark, chairman of Hill Samuel and Co. He was a most likeable man who provided my father with the perfect conclusion to a memorable day.
The following evening, I was having a drink with my father and two of his farming friends, Billy Bell and Gordon Bainbridge, in the Three Tuns Hotel in Thirsk. Many subjects were discussed but not once did he mention his day out at Buckingham Palace. James Herriot the author was, once again, Alf Wight the vet.
On another occasion, in June 1983, he was again in the company of royalty. He and Joan were invited to a private dinner given by Dick and Mary Francis in honour of the Queen Mother. Dick Francis, author of many best-selling books about the world of horse racing, was one of the famous people Alf got to know well and he was probably one of his favourites – a modest and charming man with whom he kept in touch throughout their almost parallel climb up the ladder of fame. Both men were published by Michael Joseph and Pan; both had Anthea Joseph and then Jenny Dereham as editor.
In July 1979, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Literature from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. On his return from the ceremony, he seemed almost stunned to have received it. ‘I felt a little out of place,’ he told us, ‘among so many intellectual giants. Me, the simple little country vet!’ A photograph of the ceremony shows that characteristically vague and bemused expression on his face.
Almost five years later, in March 1984, he received a special British Tourist Authority Award for ‘Helping to create a greater awareness throughout the world, of Britain’s attractions’. At a ceremony in London, Sir Henry Marking, the BTA chairman, said: ‘The name of James Herriot seems to leap out from every bookstall and every TV screen in the world … I am sure James Herriot never thought of himself as a travel promoter but “Herriot Country” is now well and truly established on the international tourist map, ranking in appeal alongside “Shakespeare Country” and “Burns Country”. Through his work, James Herriot has helped to bring new prosperity and employment to a great county already so rich in literary heritage, history and beauty.’
Alfred Wight had certainly boosted the economy of North Yorkshire. Such was his fame by now, that small businesses began using his name. ‘Herriot’ cafés, guest houses and hotels sprang up to make good profits out of the tourists who continued to pour into the area. An advertisement for one hotel particularly amused him. A part of its brochure read, ‘Welcome to “Herriot Country”, the home of the world’s most famous vet … No pets.’
Alf derived great satisfaction out of this boom in the tourist trade. Although some of the local people were not too pleased that their part of the world had become such a focus of attention, and turned an unfriendly eye towards so many strangers invading their patch, Alf often said, ‘I have put money into a lot of pockets around here and that has to be a good thing.’
Others agreed with him. In April 1984, he was the first winner of the Yorkshire Salver – awarded in recognition of services to Yorkshire and its people. He received his award at a ceremony in Leeds and was nominated for ‘Putting Yorkshire on the international map and bringing tourists, trade and employment as a result.’
Alf Wight was proud to receive such awards but some that gave him the greatest thrill were those bestowed on him by his own profession. As early as 1975, he had been made an honorary member of the British Veterinary Association and, seven years later, on 8 June 1982, he received his Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. This recognition, from the profession of which he was always particularly proud to be a member, meant a great deal to him. The words delivered that day by the College’s President, Peter Hignett, were very perceptive:
‘The Veterinary Profession owed Alf Wight a considerable debt of gratitude … not only because he had presented the profession to members of the public as a concerned and caring body of men and women but because he had never at any time sacrificed the respect of his colleagues for the popularity of public acclaim. The profession is proud of him and the way he has conducted himself in a situation which would have turned many a lesser man’s head.’
In 1984, he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Veterinary Science from the University of Liverpool with, again, the emphasis being on his contribution to the image of his profession.
This tremendous enhancement of the popularity of his profession had been recognised very quickly by veterinarians in the USA. The American Veterinary Medical Association had honoured him as early as 1975, and he was particularly pleased to read a review of his work, in that same year, by Professor Eric Williams of the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Professor Williams, who was a veterinary practitioner in his native Wales before emigrating in 1961, highlighted one aspect of James Herriot’s writing – the authenticity of his accounts of veterinary life. This was something with which veterinarians all over the world could identify. In his review of All Things Bright and Beautiful, Professor Williams wrote:
‘Here is a brilliant, honest, lucid day-by-day-and-night, exposition of the triumphs and despairing moments of veterinary practice.… James Herriot’s honest revelations come as a much needed tonic and reassurance to a world which appears to be going mad when daily we are faced with crime, scandal and vanishing moral standards. I am overjoyed that my colleague portrays so well the bonds of trust and friendship with his clients which are the basis for a successful professional life … to aspiring veterinarians, here is a superb thesis on veterinary practice.’
Eric Williams remained a staunch supporter of my father and his effect upon the profession. For many years, he was the Editor of the Bovine Practitioner, the official journal of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. In 1982, Alf was the very first recipient of honorary membership of that association. Although proud to receive such an honour he, as we expected, declined to visit America for the presentation – but it still took place. A delegation of the association, including Eric Williams, came to Yorkshire and presented Alf with his honour at the Three Tuns Hotel in Thirsk.
How he enjoyed that evening! He was able to swap experiences with his colleagues from the other side of the Atlantic and listen to the successes and failures that are common to veterinarians the world over.
Alf received countless offers to travel around the world and receive the many honours that kept coming his way but, by the beginning of the 1980s, he began to feel overwhelmed by his ever-increasing fame, and politely either refused them or received them in absentia. He even declined to appear on the front page of the enormously influential Timemagazine – something that could have propelled his fame to even dizzier heights. He stuck to his regular excuse that he was ‘one per cent author and ninety-nine per cent veterinary surgeon’.