Where do you think of the typical scenery in the UK? Foggy London in Sherlock Holmes? Harry potter's Hogwarts Castle? or Liverpool about the Beatles?
For me, Dr. Herriot's Yorkshire Moore is the English landscape. Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights" depicts a desolate Moore, but I envisioned Dr. Herriot traveling around farms as veterinary surgeon in his car. It is a peaceful and magnificent agricultural land.
When I wanted to go to England, Yorkshire was the only place in my mind rather than London or Manchester.
The world of Dr. Herriot is filled with humorous and heart warming stories that were written by James Alfred Wight who was a real veterinary surgeon from Glasgow, and were based on his own experience.
The stories are also full of interesting characters. His business partner, Siegfried is eccentric but charming, Siegfried's younger brother, Tristan is cheeky and funny, a wealthy widow Mrs Pumphrey and her companion dog Tricky Wu, a cat doesn't miss to attend any meetings in a town, a puppy nearly died from swallowing a ball, a hard-working, stubborn and kind Yorkshire farmer, his family and cattle.
Each episode is quite short but is giggly and touching after reading it.
Yorkshire is known as the region "God's own county" and is a popular tourist destination because of its beautiful and therapeutic landscape.
A flock of white sheep is scattered in a vivid refreshing green dale that extends to the horizon, and a grey limestone wall that draws and irregular boundary between them. The white clouds gracefully floating in the bright blue sky seem to reflect a flock of sheep on the field.
The sunshine that occasionally shines through the gap of clouds reminds me a scene of a Greek mythology where a God is peeping at the ground through the clouds.
It was "All Things Wise and Wonderful" that was translated in Japanese. This is the first book I read about the story of Dr. Herriot.
Amazon UK "All Things Wise and Wonderful"
I happened to pick up this book amongst a pound book section at Book Off that is second hand book shop in Japan. It was so magnetic and I was immediately drawn into the world. When I realised that there were other books written by him, I searched around those books as much as I could, and read them not only once, over and over again.
The book, "All Creatures Great and Small", was the first published and was made into a movie in 1975, and three years later, it was made in a TV drama in 1978.
Unfortunately, it was never aired in Japan, but actor Robert Hardy, who played Herriot's boss Siegfried Farnon in the TV series, should be recognised as Cornelius Fudge, the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter.
In 2020, 30 years since the last episode was broadcast in 1990, it was remade as a new TV series in the UK. So far it has ended with a Christmas special episode.
When I visit the places relevant to Dr. Herriot, I will report it. See you later.