James Herriot vet, Peter Wright worked with Alf Wight at Skeldale House; years later, his work was featured on a multi-season television series on Channel 5 (UK), "The Yorkshire Vet". In his books, Wight calls the town in which Herriot lives and works Darrowby, a composite of Thirsk, Richmond, Leyburn and Middleham. He also renamed Donald Sinclair and his brother Brian Sinclair as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon respectively, and used the name "Helen Alderson" for Joan Danbury. Contrary to popular belief, Wight's books are only partially autobiographical, with many of the stories being only loosely based on real events or people. Wight's
All Creatures Great and Small (film) the book it was highly hypocritical, as Siegfried himself had earlier told James that he was 'spoiling' the farmers by coming out at all hours. Filming started in Yorkshire in May 1974, in the village of Pickering in North Riding. Studio work was done in London. Ward said "The roughest thing was putting a hand up a pregnant mare... for the film I had to do it again and again." The film's incidental music was by Wilfred Josephs. Having passed the British censors in September 1974, the film wasn't released until 9 May 1975, when it opened in London at