What has happened to the Dales land? Well, I no longer live in Yorkshire having returned to my native Norfolk. But my wife and I had a time in my old happy hunting ground in Yorkshire some years ago. The small holders I knew could not make an existence under modern farming methods and their youngsters have moved away, some joining the professions. Gradually the small holdings became absorbed into larger holdings – a land grab, so to speak.

The land has been taken over by the National Trust (or some other august outfit) and the small holders homes and outbuildings I once knew are long gone. The only animals I saw were endless sheep grazing what is highly fertile soil. It’s somewhat bleak and devoid of life. You have read the Herriot books but don’t be fooled, it’s not like that now.

By way of explanation, twentieth century Dales small holders had a bare existence in living off their land. Society was then less affluent. They accepted basic living standards because there was no other. Our twenty first century way of life is demanding and expensive. A Dales small holding cannot provide the necessary income to support our way of life. Put simply, no one these days wants to be a peasant. No, people prefer living in luxury with all mod cons and look back at a Dales way of life on television. Similarly, it’s easier to visit the Kirkgate museum than emulate the world of Sinclair and Wight.

The world has changed, and not for the better.

I come from a farming background in Norfolk. I worked livestock and the land in Yorkshire. North Yorkshire farming is hard, unremitting work and that just to make a living. People these days don’t want a hard graft way of life, but I enjoyed it. A Dales small holding is very hard work. So many people now do not want to work hard but they miss out on the satisfaction of growing what they eat. Miss out on living by the sweat of their brow.

I doubt the Dales farms will emerge again as they once were. But who knows? Our times change so quickly.

Me? I’m nudging eighty years old. I won’t see a Dales farm alive again. But one day, soon, they will again be a way of life, and precious at that. Everything goes in cycles and we’re headed back to the world Alf Wight knew.

That will be a shock to so many! It’s OK reading about Alf Wight in books, but needing to live that life? I don’t think so.

To me these characters are so contrived. They’re played by people more used to stage than a TV camera or farm yard. Yes, I know Robert Hardy and Chris Timothy were also stage actors but they entered into and embraced the characters of Alf Wight and Donald Sinclair and made them available for TV audiences. But this present series is more like a TV soap than depictions of real life characters, Yes the sets are contemporary with the times , but some how this latest series does not quite hit the mark.

Robert Hardy completely embraced the character of Donald Sinclair. He was Siegfried as recall him. But Samuel West is a theatrical representation, more suited to the stage than an outdoor set.

In real life Donald Sinclair was a larger than life character, as I found out. He possessed the moment; loud, demonstrative and decisive. Noisy. I did as he asked because he was a natural leader. Disagree and his voice got louder and his demands more insistent. No Dales small holder, or farmer worker as I was, would argue with him! Donald was always top dog in any situation.

Alf Wight was quieter, more gentle and reserved. He embraced both the animals and the person looking after them. He spoke quietly, was sparing of judgement yet very much on the side of the sick animal. He advised and cajoled.

Donald barked orders!

I take nothing away from Donald Sinclair as a vet, but his presentation of himself demanded a certain courage to deal with him.

Mercifully, mostly it was Alf Wight who attended our animals. I got on with him quite well, helped by my lunch no doubt .

I’m so glad this latest TV adaptation of the books is available to us. I take nothing away from their effort yet I must say, the characters are a long way from the originals, Wight and Sinclair.

I read “All Creatures Great and Small” my senior year of high school and it inspired me to become a veterinarian. Thanks to Herriot I found my way. Always in my heart.

I always re-read Mr. Wight’s books every two years..seven books I have at home, from first to last, and I still laugh and cry as if I were reading them for the first time. Beautifully rendered environment, nature of people and animals, nature.

As to Denton and Eve Pette I have no knowledge. Having read the books extensively now, it seems they featured in Alf Wight’s life long, long ago. My time in North Yorkshire came about after Alf Wight’s encounters with the Pettes.

I’m well into my seventies now; the people I met who had known Alf during the events depicted in the books are probably now long gone from us. Most of the Dales farmers are certainly gone – their small holdings no longer exist. I don’t think anyone had a reason for leaving a trail about Alf.

I don’t know if you’re connected with North Yorkshire farming but it’s worth mentioning here, the local vet is not a huge presence in the lives of farmers. He’s to be avoided if possible because he costs money! The only reason Alf Wight is remembered today is because he wrote the books, and then, even in his life time he wasn’t greatly revered as such, at least as far as I know. But he was very well respected. He was a necessary tradesman as was the knackerman. But the latter paid for a beast, Alf charged for treating it!

All I can say is Alf was well respected among the farming community of which I was a part until, that is, the books became well known. Then locally to Thirsk his name was a bye word for disgust! Once a small, little known market town Thirsk quickly filled with coaches bearing tourists and their Nikons; Most days we couldn’t move in the market place for tourists. They were a rapacious pain! Parking? Forget it. We couldn’t even get a half pint in the Golden Fleece (Drover’s) for tourists blocking the bar, and the toilets! Anything not glued or bolted down was lifted for a souvenir. But Thirsk bookshop did well, very well.

Please do post here if you find anything about the Pettes. It will be very interesting.

I’m wondering if we have any pictures or information about Denton and Eve Pette, the real life Granville and Zoe Bennett. I haven’t found anything about anybody matching those names or descriptions in the bit of googling I did. Do we have any leads? I know he had a practice in darlington and they mention on the site that this Bentley-driving hard-drinking vet inspired the character, that’s about it