Book delves into life of eccentric, early 20th-century Maine recluse Contributed • March 4, 2021
By RJ Heller
“‘Stories,’ said Campbell. ‘Every one of us has one. And they die along with us if we don’t share them. Jim Whyte knew. That’s why he told me so much toward the end.’” From Jeffrey Ryan’s book “Hermit: The Mysterious Life of Jim Whyte”
Maine is a unique place. Given its vast geographic expanse, a person can easily get lost within its woods and mountains whether they want to or not. Such is the case of one person, the subject of Jeffrey Ryan’s book “Hermit: The Mysterious Life of Jim Whyte.” Whyte most definitely wanted to stay lost.
A MUSEUM dedicated to the Yorkshire vet who inspired the hit TV series All Creatures Great and Small has appointed a new director. The World of James Herriot in Thirsk is dedicated to the life of local vet Alf Wight – who wrote the original All Creatures book using the pen-name James Herriot. It is based in the building in Thirsk which doubled as both Wight’s surgery and his home for many years. Since 2012 the museum has been run by a team of Herriot enthusiasts - including the vet’s son Jim Wight and daughter Rosie Page. It has now appointed as its new marketing director John Gallery, a marketing and hotel management expert who was, for 12 years, the general manager of the York Marriott Hotel.
BRING out your old bikes, baskets, rusty farm tools and lumpy brown furniture, that s the plea from the makers of the new All Creatures Great and Small TV series. They want people to tip out their attics, barns, cupboards and sheds to reveal the vintage treasures they need to make the new series of the award winning show as authentic as possible. As one of the most popular new shows in the past Covid-19 blighted year the Channel 5 hit is starting to film again in North Yorkshire. But because car boot sales, second hand and antique shops are closed their usual go to places to source old and ancient props are not open. So they re hoping instead to rally the public to help.
âAll Creatures Great and Smallâ: Who Was the Real James Herriot?
The British author and veterinarian didnât always let the facts get in the way of a good story. It caused some occasional friction.
James Alfred Wight, better known by his pen name, James Herriot, shared his experiences as a country vet in a series of beloved books. But the stories were never precisely autobiographical.Credit.Alan Band/Keystone, via Getty Images
By Jennifer Vineyard
Feb. 19, 2021
Beginning at the age of 50, the beloved veterinarian James Alfred Wight led a double life. By day, he tended to animals in and around the English village where he lived, and in the evenings, writing under the pen name James Herriot, he chronicled his experiences, both past and present.