OTHER NEWS - Herriot Country podcast launched

Two York 'creatives' are hoping to cheer people up during the lockdown and raise money for the NHS with their new James Herriot-related podcast.

We have been finding out more about 'Voices from Herriot Country'.

Bestselling author James Herriot (real name Alf Wight) soon became a writing phenomenon after his first book about life as a rural Yorkshire vet was published 50 years ago, in April 1970.

His stories also appeared in two films and on TV in the popular BBC series 'All Creatures Great and Small'. 

The new podcast, created by Helen Leavey and Simon Collins (both pictured above) has been listened to around the UK as well as in America, Australia, Italy, Sweden and China.

Many listeners have said they’ve been cheered up, with others reminiscing about their own rural childhoods. Episode four came out a few days ago and number five will be out soon. 

50 years as a best seller

It was last summer (2019) when Helen and Simon first decided they’d like to mark the 50th anniversary of the first book with a podcast.

They set out to find, record and photograph Yorkshire characters who could have stepped from the pages of a Herriot book.

Several of their interviewees personally knew Alf Wight, who grew up and studied in Glasgow.

Later he worked in and around the North Yorkshire market town of Thirsk for more than five decades after arriving there in 1940 as a newly-qualified vet. 

Helen told Minster FM:

“Voices from Herriot Country has been a lovely project to work on, chatting to fascinating people in magical places with, naturally, lots of cups of tea and a fair few scones,

It was wonderful to find the spirit of Herriot lives on.

It’s clear there are still plenty of ‘characters’ around and we’re looking forward to meeting many more.”

Helen and Simon have regularly worked together since meeting in 2017 when they both volunteered for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

They’d wanted to make a podcast for a while.

“When we realised last year that in April 2020 it would be 50 years since the first Herriot book was published, we decided to get cracking,”

The two, who are not making money from their podcast, had originally planned to release it all a little later on.

“But then we found ourselves in lockdown with some extra time on our hands - when not homeschooling - and the desire to put some smiles on some faces,” said Simon.

"We decided to push out three episodes quickly, with more to follow as soon as possible.”

They hope listeners in Britain who enjoy the podcast will make a donation to the NHS while those abroad will donate to a medical facility of their choice. 

Episode one of Voices from Herriot Country features 85-year-old farmer Chris Greensit.

His family’s vets were Alf Wight and Donald Sinclair, James Herriot and Siegfried Farnon in the Herriot books.

Chris, who's never been abroad and only been to London once, still has some cattle and crops but takes life easier since the death of his brother, although he's still got "t'lad" - Brian, in his 60s - helping him out.

He also tells a gripping tale of finding a huge hoard of old coins on his farm in 1985, buried more than 300 years earlier, during the English Civil War. 

In episode two listeners meet Rose Dawson, a pensioner with a passion for helping injured and sick owls; she now has more than 50 in her garden.

She was first introduced to the bird of prey by the Herriot vets in the 1980s.

Episode three features charming retired butcher Ray Ballard.

He talks about Alf Wight and Donald Sinclair as well as his wealthy customer Marjorie Warner.

Millions of readers and viewers knew her as 'Mrs Pumphrey', the popular Herriot character who spoiled her Pekingese dog Tricki Woo and regularly sent expensive presents to the animal’s ‘Uncle Herriot’. 

Episode four of the podcast features Alfiya Stephenson, a Herriot fan from Central Asia.

Now married to a Yorkshireman and living in the Dales, Alfiya enjoys taking Russian tourists around ‘Herriot Country’ and reading the Herriot books in both English and Russian.

She grew up in the mountains of the former Soviet Union where her father was a rural doctor and also the local vet. 

LISTEN to Helen on Minster FM:

Helen Leavey is a journalist, communications consultant and ghostwriter of two books for Channel 5’s Yorkshire Vet Peter Wright, who worked with Alf Wight and Donald Sinclair - James Herriot and Siegfried Farnon in the books.

Simon Collins is a filmmaker, editor and photographer. 

Retired York music teacher Ishbel Herd, MBE, composed and played the podcast’s theme tune. 

For more information and photos see ‘Voices from Herriot Country’ on Facebook.

Also on Twitter  - @HerriotVoices.

The podcast is available on Itunes, Spotify and Soundcloud. 

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