James Herriott on Tristan Farnon

The World of James Herriot, Thirsk, UK

 

In his novel All Creatures Great and Small, writer James Herriot paints an intriguing portrait of his younger colleague Tristan Farnon. Unlike in the 1970s TV series, we don't see his first arrival in town by train. Instead, Tristan hitchhikes his way home from veterinary college in Edinburgh.* When James picks him up at a cafe on the Great North Road, Tristan carries his own luggage out to the car, instead of expecting James to carry it. 

As in the TV series, Tristan gets on well with older folks. There are, for example, his fellow members of the Darrowby Bellringers Society. But there is also old Boardman, a character not featured in the TV series. 

The old man, a WWI veteran, serves as gardener for Siegfried. Although he's friendly with James, Tristan is the one whom he's most taken with. Perhaps it's the youthful high spirits that prompt Tristan to ride a bike through Skeldale House while performing his errands. 

 

The back garden of "Skeldale House"

 

I suspect that easygoing Tristan possesses vast stores of patience, and is a good listener. Old Boardman always welcomes Tristan into his little gardening headquarters, whereas, according to Herriot, few others are ever invited. There, surrounded by his tools and Bairnsfather cartoons, the veteran regales Tristan with his wartime adventures.

Tristan may be training to be a veterinarian, but he also loves to study personalities. When Siegfried strongarms him into caring for the chickens, he spectacularly fails to do so regularly enough to produce eggs. Yet on the occasions he does feed them, he studies them intensely, learning to distinguish each by sounds and mannerisms.

When Tristan is forced to feed the pigs Siegfried buys, he finds himself attracted to the piglets. Yet as they mature, and trade in their youthful personalities for increased girth and determination to consume, his affection for and interest in them wanes. Perhaps Tristan missed his calling as a psychologist?

Additionally, despite not always doing well at university, Tristan possesses a keen mind for facts. James Herriot finds it humiliating to do the daily newspaper at Skeldale House, as Tristan can finish them in the time it takes James to fill in one answer.

Actor Peter Davison (Tristan) visits the real "Skeldale House"**

All these little observations that James Herriot puts into his novel may not be at odds with the Tristan that we saw on our TV screens in the original All Creatures Great and Small series, but they do enhance our understanding of him. Or at least, the fictional character based on Brian Sinclair, as chronicled by James Herriot, the pen name of veterinarian Alf Wight. 

Perhaps sometime I'll have to watch the 2020 TV series, and see how they portray Tristan in the updated show.

Dragon Dave

*That's a 180 mile journey. Given the state of the roads back then, I wonder how long it would have taken him to reach Thirsk (Darrowby), and if he managed it in one day.

**Photo from The World of James Herriot, Thirsk, UK

The Problem with Indulgences: Part 1

When we travel to England, the hotels we stay in usually offer a free breakfast. So we fill up on breakfast, eat a decent lunch, and then go light for dinner. Here I am in Thirsk back in 2012, having breakfast before venturing off to explore the adopted town of James Herriot, which he calls Darrowby in his books. 

As you can see, I had a plate of eggs, bacon, and mushrooms, along with toast and tea. 

My wife opted for yogurt and oatmeal (which they call porridge), along with fruit, tea and toast. When it arrived, she helped remove all the bones from my kippers. The bones are just so tiny, so hair-thin, that she could see the fish bones better than I could.

All this good food left us feeling stuffed in the morning, and a little lethargic. But it didn't stop us from exploring "The World of James Herriot," (a museum housed in the building in which he lived and worked), and other notable Herriot sites. 

This year in Hawaii, I noticed that my sinuses felt plugged, and I had to breath through my mouth more. This made my voice hoarse. I also felt a little pressure in my chest, which worried me. When we returned home, these problems persisted. Catching a cold shortly after returning home didn't help matters. Finally my arm started hurting. My upper arm ached, as if I had pulled a muscle. Pins and needles descended into my lower arm, making my hand constantly want to fall asleep.

At this point, I finally gave in, and went to go see a doctor.

Dragon Dave

Oh, the Places We've Seen: Part 1

As we firm up our plans for this year's trip to England, it made me reflect on the special places we visited on our three previous trips, and I thought I'd share my thoughts with you.

One of those special places was Rye, where author E. F. Benson lived and set four of his Mapp & Lucia novels. A ten episode "Mapp & Lucia" miniseries was filmed there in 1985. It starred Geraldine McEwan as Lucia (who also played Agatha Christie's spinster-sleuth Miss Marple), Prunella Scales as Mapp (who also played Mrs. Fawlty in "Fawlty Towers") and Nigel Hawthorne as Georgie (who also played Sir Humphrey Appleby in "Yes Minister" & "Yes, Prime Minister"). I bought the first five episodes in a five VHS set many years ago, which were adapted from the fourth novel titled Mapp & Lucia (from which, of course, the book and TV series took its name). A handful of years later, I realized that I really enjoyed them, as I periodically pulled them out and watched them again. More years later, I came across a second series of five episodes on DVD, which were based on the fifth and six novels. Then I discovered the novels, Mapp & Lucia first, then the first novel Queen Lucia, and gradually accumulated the entire saga. After that, as I enjoyed reading those novels so much, I began looking around for other Benson novels to read. 

Anyway: Rye. It's a beautiful seaside town, and the tourists certainty fill it up on the weekends. We enjoyed walking the narrow, winding streets, and seeing all the locations that inspired Benson to write his stories, as well as those the film crews used for the miniseries. One unexpected discovery was that E. F. Benson isn't the biggest literary figure who lived in Rye. That honor belongs to American novelist Henry James (but I haven't read him yet, so he doesn't count. Yet). Benson moved into the house after James died, and according to all reports, acknowledged him as a literary icon. Recently, I've learned that the British film "Yellowbeard," which featured some of the Monty Python gang in addition to Cheech and Chong, shot some scenes on the idyllic, cobbled streets of this medieval town. That was a wacky, funny movie. I'll have to watch it again.

Another great place I visited was Holmfirth, where "Last of the Summer Wine," the world's longest-running sitcom, was filmed. It was so neat to walk the streets and the surrounding countryside, take the bus tour, and visit Sid's Cafe, wherein Compo Simmonite, Norman Clegg, and Foggy Dewhurst often ventured for a cup of tea, and usually received far more than they bargained for from Ivy, the proprietor (and Sid's wife). The ability to sit down there, and drink a cup of tea...it was just indescribable. Amazing.

Even better, we never got an earful from the proprietor.

To follow up our love of James Herriot's books, and the TV series "All Creatures Great and Small," we spent several days in Thirsk, where he lived and worked. Later, we stopped in beautiful Askrigg, where much of the fictional Darrowby was set. It was such a pretty little town, set in the Yorkshire Dales, that we had to return there for another visit.

You no doubt recall our visit to Brighton, where we attended the World Fantasy Convention, and saw one of my favorite Fantasy authors Terry Pratchett. That week will always be special to me, as I got to see him before he passed away earlier this year. Meeting and talking with Peter F Hamilton, K. W. Jeter, and Mary Robinette Kowal was also lots of fun.

Another attraction of Brighton was that it served as the setting for E. F. Benson's novel The Blotting Book. We enjoyed walking the streets he mentions in the novel, and taking buses and trains to see places farther from the hotel where crucial acts in his story took place. A really, really special visit.

What amazes me most is how much we've been able to tailor these trips to our interests using the information so readily available over the internet. Planning trips like these would have been much more difficult, if not impossible, ten or fifteen years ago. One of the reasons we weren't visiting England back then was because we had little incentive to go. But now, my wife and I can look up places of interest, read about the authors who lived there, map out potential routes and travel times, and book hotels, all while sitting on the couch with our laptops, comparing notes and ideas. We can also find books online, often for free, from authors that are mentioned as living or writing in places we will visit. Reading those books may give us an enhanced appreciation for the places we will visit, and suggest additions to our itinerary. Back then, I was angry that the airlines were downsizing their telephone operators, and forcing us to book tickets online. I missed the personal service and interaction, and saw it as an unwelcome dehumanizing aspect of technological innovation. Now, although we may be spending far longer planning our vacations, we're following up ideas as we think of them, and those discoveries lead us to other points of interest, and so on, and so forth, without needing to visit the library, pay a travel agent, or book spaces on a tour. As a result, we can fine-tune our trips to our interests far more effectively than we ever could have back then. 

There were good old days in the past, but today and tomorrow hold the truly Great New Days.

Dragon Dave

The Dalek Invasion of our World

I’ve always loved the Dalek stories, particularly the serials from the 1960s and ‘70s.  Those of you who’ve followed my blog know that I used the Doctor Who story “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” as a paradigm to understanding the importance of various places and landmarks during our visit to London in 2011.  I suppose it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when the Daleks invaded our home last year, but then, one can never fully anticipate the future. 

Through the entry portal of my wife’s knitting needles, Daleks of different color schemes (and hence holding different ranks and positions within Dalek society) began appearing in our living room.  A gray Dalek was swiftly followed by black, yellow, pink (Pink?), and even a red Dalek, featuring an arm with pincers instead of a sucker from the AARU movie “Dr. Who and the Daleks.”  Instead of bending us to their will through force and oppression, these Daleks conquered us with their cuteness.  My wife forged a particularly strong relationship with one, whom she brought along on last year’s trip to Yorkshire and Wales.  He forced his way into photographs at various stops along the way, and a slideshow of these now plays whenever her laptop sits idle for too long.

A "Last of the Summer Daleks" moment outside Holmfirth.

Prospecting for future mining operations at Aysgarth Falls,
in preparation for "The Dalek Invasion of Earth." 

While I rest at our hotel near Thirsk, I am guarded by
"All Daleks Great and Small."

Another "All Daleks Great and Small" moment,
this time up above Askrigg.

"The Dalek Who Went Up a Hill,
But Came Down a Mountain."

Late last year, my wife mailed a Dalek to a friend of ours in New York, who is also a fan of Doctor Who.  He was surprised and delighted by her gift, but apparently not as much as his daughter, who discovered the Dalek when she returned home during the Christmas break.  He told us that she’s “kidnapping” their Dalek, and taking it back to rule her dorm room in Colorado.  He wrote, “I think she will be using the Dalek to intimidate the other residents.”  That’s the problem with Daleks.  Give them an invitation into your little world, and they’ll end up ruling it.

You never can tell where an act of kindness will end up taking a person.  Or, for that matter, a Dalek.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill, But Came Down a Mountain

Ribblehead Viaduct in the Yorkshire Dales

Ribblehead Viaduct

A viaduct is a bridge formed of several smaller strands.  My wife had seen something in a guidebook about Ribblehead Viaduct, and had caught a glimpse of it on our first drive through the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  But on our return visit to Askrigg, she saw the long bridge, and some sheep gathered around a small parking area along the road, and so she stopped the car for a few moments.

It had been warm the day before, short pants weather, out where we were staying near Lancaster, along the West coast of England.  But returning to the Dales, on this foggy morning, we were glad we had returned with our long pants, warm shirts, and jackets.  The sheep might have had their woolly coats, but we needed extra clothing to keep us warm, and block out the chill breeze. 

"Uh, could I borrow your woolly coat?"

I once knew a lady who claimed she didn’t need to travel.  If she drove anywhere, to visit anything or anyone, she returned home by that evening.  Home was where she felt comfortable: it was where she felt she belonged.  And she was right about the complexities and complications associated with travel: I’ll give her that.  She argued that she could see anything she wanted on the internet, or by reading a book or magazine, and to a certain extent, I’ll grant her that as well.  I certainly could have read up, done endless study on the places we visited, and emerged with a knowledge of Holmfirth, Thirsk, and Askrigg that would have rivaled many of the locals.

"Brrrrr!"

But there’s one aspect of travel that you can never substitute with research, and it’s those special places you discover along the way, that you’d never learn about or really appreciate unless you were there to notice them.  For me, Ribblehead Viaduct is one such place.  I still remember the amazement I felt standing there in the tall grass, gazing at that long stretch of stonework.  I can still feel the chill wind blowing so hard I had to remove my hat or I would lose it.  I remember how I smiled at those sheep wandering around in the grasses.  They might have looked unconcerned, but they kept their distance from me.  After we took our photographs, we headed back to the car, and approached a food truck in the hopes of warming up with a cup of tea.  But the people inside hadn’t opened up yet, so we got back in our car and continued onward.

Someday I’d like to return there, and take the walk featured in the “Walk of the Week” video below.  For Ribblehead Viaduct is an awesome example of human achievement, set amid some of the most pastoral landscape imaginable.  It has an interesting history, and reading about how it was built can give you a sense of its importance and history.  But such knowledge is empty and incomplete without traveling there and actually seeing it.  Nor can photographs convey what I experienced standing there on that cold, cloudy morning, gazing across the windswept field at Ribblehead Viaduct.  

"We've unfinished business, Ribblehead."

I’m glad we discovered it

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

Visit Cumbria

Walk of the Week (10 minute video)

Britain’s National Parks’ page

Wikipedia page

Remembering Old Dreams Above Askrigg

The Road above Askrigg

We climbed a narrow, winding road, passing homes and holiday cottages, and then walked between numerous farms.  Rock walls separated fields for cows and sheep.  Occasionally, we moved aside to let a car pass, but mostly we had the road to ourselves.

"Wait, let me show you my best side."

Rarely did we glimpse a farmer.  The animals seemed content to watch over themselves.  The young cows were friendly and inquisitive.  The sheep ignored us, or scampered away as we approached.  We made ample use of the benches we found, watching the animals and the village of Askrigg below.  At times, I wondered if the locals might look askance at us, despite the messages of welcome and invitation carved into the wooden benches, or inscribed on a plaque.  Still, that didn’t stop us from using one particular bench set against the side of an outbuilding, at face level with young cows only a few feet away.

"Uh, I don't suppose you brought us any food?"

I wondered if James Herriot visited these farms.  As mentioned in “The Road to Kilburn,“ it’s hard to know how far he ranged.  Certainly he spent time located away from Thirsk, such as when he worked with Ewan Ross in Leyburn, or when he carried out tuberculin testing (such as on his honeymoon).  But it was impossible to gaze at these animals, and not feel affection for them. 

A big "Thank You" to everyone who helped provide all
those benches.  They gave us wondrous views. 

James Herriot may have intended to live in Glasgow and treat household pets, but on his trip down to Yorkshire, he fell in love with the landscape and these larger animals.  His stories cured us of the desire to someday own a farm.  Nevertheless, it was pleasant to remember what had awakened that dream in the first place.  

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

The Purple Cow of London

The Road to Kilburn

Hijacked by Cows in the Yorkshire Dales: Part 1

James Herriot’s TV House: Part 1

"Excuse me!" Siegfried cries, as he bustles past you in the hall,
hangs up his coat and hat, and then bursts into the living room.

For this blog, I’ve stepped back in time to revisit The World of James Herriot in Thirsk.  The museum, housed in the building where the real James Herriot (Alf Wight) lived and worked, also contains a mock up of studio sets that were used in the TV show “All Creatures Great and Small.  I covered some of these real-life aspects in “Skeldale House is Not the Tardis,” and my three-part series, “The Mistress of Skeldale House.”  In this blog, I’ll cover the studio portion of the museum, because it has its own special magic.  Then, in Part 2, I’ll cover the house in Askrigg that we saw in the TV show.  Enjoy!

"Mrs. Hall, we're ready to eat!" Siegfried bellows,
picking up his knife and fork.

In our heads, we all know that the rooms we see on the TV show “All Creatures Great and Small” are merely studio sets.  But in our hearts, they feel real, each room part of a house that we would love to live in.  We imagine visiting Helen and James in their living room, or sharing a meal with them at their large dining table.  We hear Mrs. Hall working in her kitchen, just down the hall.  Perhaps we even imagine staying with them a few days, and using one of the second or third-story bedrooms.  While Skeldale House may not be the Tardis, on TV it seems more than large enough to suit any need.  Sigfried even keeps rooms locked up, so that Mrs. Hall won’t feel compelled to clean them.

"Ah James, there you are." Siegfried sees
James sitting on the chair, reading a book.
"Have you discovered what's wrong
with Mrs. Dalby's cows yet?"

While giving us a taste of the magic of filmmaking, these Fictional spaces sooth the visitor’s longing to visit Skeldale House as it appears on screen.  One can touch the table, sit on the chairs, remember a favorite scene, and even imagine James Herriot reading a book as Siegfried Farnon swans in, hangs up his hat, and pours James a drink. 

Before you leave, the telephone rings.  When you pick it up, a farmer tells you that he needs your expertise with one of his sick animals.  So you pack up all the medicine you think you’ll need, and then you head outside, to hop into your Austin 7, and drive out to the farm.

"Good news, Mrs. Dalby.
I know what's wrong with your cows!" 

I hope this glimpse into James Herriot’s TV House sated some of your longing to visit the Skeldale House you came to love on “All Creatures Great and Small.”  It’s a place you couldn’t really live, but it’s definitely worth a visit.

Hanging out with James Herriot,

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

Skeldale House is Not the Tardis

The Mistress of Skeldale House: Part 1

The Mistress of Skeldale House: Part 2

The Mistress of Skeldale House: Part 3

Related Internet Links

The World of James Herriot