This week, I'm exploring one of the 1970s most beloved television programmes - "All Creatures Great and Small." Inspired by my recent experience with expensive veterinary bills for one of our cats, this episode reflects on how dramatically our attitudes towards pets and animal care have changed since the 1970s.
I begin with my childhood memories of pets at our Victorian vicarage in Padgate, from Flopsy the escape-artist rabbit who repeatedly ran off to join wild rabbits on the old RAF base, to Henrietta the bad-tempered hen who surprised everyone by laying eggs, and the succession of goldfish I won at the annual fair during Padgate Walking Day.
"All Creatures Great and Small" first broadcast in January 1978, based on James Herriot's bestselling books about his life as a country vet in 1930s Yorkshire. The television adaptation starred Christopher Timothy as James Herriot, Robert Hardy as the eccentric Siegfried Farnon, and Peter Davison as the loveable rogue Tristan, with the stunning Yorkshire Dales providing a breathtaking backdrop.
What made the programme special was its gentle, uplifting storytelling in an era when television drama was becoming increasingly complex. The biggest cliffhanger might be whether James would get his wellies off before his tea went cold! The show featured memorable characters like the formidable Mrs Pumphrey and her pampered Pekingese Tricki Woo, alongside a wonderful cast of eccentric Yorkshire farmers.
I explore how the programme's success reflected Britain's growing love affair with animals and the countryside, transforming James Herriot's books into a television phenomenon that captured hearts across the nation.
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