In the kitchen of Peter Wright’s home in the shadow of Sutton Bank and Kilburn’s iconic White Horse, a hearty cheese and pickle sandwich is waiting for him.
Prepared by his wife Lin, who is also this busy man’s PA, it will be sustenance between morning filming in Malton, a chat with me, then a dash for the afternoon’s appointments. This is a vet in a hurry.
Peter’s fast-paced life is part and parcel of his ‘fame’ – he hates the word – as one of the comforting and familiar faces on Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet. For many, he IS the Yorkshire Vet.
Peter makes friends with one of stars of this year’s Yorkshire Vet Christmas special. Image: Channel/Playground His pedigree as such is impressive, given that he trained alongside Alf Wight – creator of James Herriot, the man who definitely was the original Yorkshire Vet.
When we meet, he and Lin talk animatedly about attending the 25th anniversary dinner celebrating The World of James Herriot, where just a few days earlier they had rubbed shoulders with the likes of Sam West and Nick Ralph, stars of All Creatures Great and Small, the hit TV series based on the James Herriot stories.
Peter settles on to a sofa in the lounge overlooking the North Yorkshire countryside. Sun streams through the window, feathered friends are having the time of their lives on the bird table and Peter’s son’s visiting dog pads about the place.
Peter is the midst of two-days-a-week filming for a number of TV specials for Channel 5 and with a wry smile ponders the appeal of the shows he is such a part of.
‘I never see myself as a celebrity. I am fortunate to have had the career that I have had in a beautiful part of the world that I am lucky enough to call home. I think working for Alf Wight and Donald Sinclair (Siegfried in the books) was the icing on the cake.
‘I was approached by Daisybeck Studios (makers of All Creatures Great and Small and The Yorkshire Vet), to consider making a programme – I didn’t see myself as someone who had anything to offer to TV – didn’t think I was the TV type. But the guy who owns the studios was a Yorkshireman. It was him saying ‘trust me’ that persuaded me – he has not let me down.’
‘I said to Lin – what do people see in this? She said ‘they’re not interested in you – they’re interested in your patients’. I think that’s true. Equally so – our fantastic countryside, which still has a few characters – like The Greens (a farming couple who now have a spin-off series and Christmas special).
‘Alongside that, there’s warmth, humility and the ‘say it as you are’ people of Yorkshire – those ingredients thrown into the mix make The Yorkshire Vet what it is.’
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the farmers Peter was used to dealing with were an aspect of casting that could not be controlled.
‘Once farmers could see how it worked, they became much more confident and accepting of what we do – The Greens are revered all over the world.
‘They live a simple, fulfilling life and I think there is a lesson to be learned there – a materialistic life – is it worth it? I am not so sure. The simple things in life give you the most pleasure – no doubt about that.’
‘The medical profession is moving in great strides now and people expect that for their pets and that is something that makes me feel quite inadequate. I take my hat off to the youngsters that do amazing things.
‘When I first qualified and came back to Thirsk, Alf Wight would have wry smile and say, ‘you youngsters, I know your head is bulging with knowledge’.
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‘I might have had knowledge – but I had no experience. Alf wasn’t the sort of man who would ram things down your throat but if you went for advice, he would offer a pearl of wisdom.
‘On The Yorkshire Vet now we have the young vets whose heads are bursting with knowledge – mine has trickled away over the years but I have the experience, and I feel as if life has gone full circle to some extent’, he chuckles.
The Yorkshire Vet: A Donkey for Christmas. Tuesday 17th December 8pm.
Catch up with another Yorkshire Vet – Julian Norton shares his plans and hopes for the new year in the upcoming January 2025 issue of Yorkshire Life
The Yorkshire Vet Christmas special sees Peter travel across the country visiting donkey sanctuaries in his role as ambassador for The Donkey Sanctuary network.
The charity’s headquarters is in Sidmouth, Devon, but there are rescue centres carrying out rehabilitation work across the UK, including one in Malton, which also features in the programme.
‘The Donkey Sanctuary is the biggest equine charity in the world and reaches out across the world – working at government level in small communities in Africa to improve the lot of donkeys.
‘There is a great need for charity’s work. These are very docile, lovable creatures who become neglected or abused as people lose interest in them or don’t fully understand how to look after them – it is different from a pony or horse.
‘The Yorkshire sanctuary in Malton – it is not open to the public – is always busy – they have 20 or so donkeys and the aim is to rehabilitate them if they are not too old, to find them guardian homes and get them into a loving, forever family.
‘I am very proud and privileged to be their ambassador.’
Peter has been an ambassador since 2019. The charity’s founder, Dr Elizabeth Svendsen, was born in Yorkshire and her granddaughter asked Peter to be the ambassador.
thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk
‘I didn’t know her before the programme, and it was a great privilege to film with Dame Judi Dench’, says Peter.
‘She is an actress without equal. It was humbling for me to look at what she has done over her huge career – she was involved with stage, Shakespearian work and born in York – it just shows that everything that is good links to Yorkshire.’
The two met at the Flicka Foundation donkey sanctuary in Cornwall.
Peter’s wife Lin had suggested he take Dame Judi a Yorkshire Rose pin badge.
‘Her face lit up and she was so thrilled. It broke the ice – she was lovely to film with, we spoke about donkeys and how they can be neglected.’
The pair sat on a bench and chatted about things in general, and about Yorkshire.
‘I said something in a broad Yorkshire accent and she effortlessly slipped into a perfect North Yorkshire accent’, said Peter.
‘We had a really good laugh, and I was so touched when we finished and she asked for my number – it isn’t every day a dame of the realm asks a raggy-arsed country vet for their contact details.’
Not one for the fame game, Peter says he felt like ‘a rabbit in the headlights’ when he attended the National Television Awards this year after The Yorkshire Vet was nominated for an award.
In his tuxedo, he rubbed shoulders on the red carpet with the likes of Holly Willoughby, Ant and Dec and Bradley Walsh and Tony Jones.
‘I was way out of my comfort zone! I am much happier in my waterproofs or waders.’
The Wright family festive gathering sees 6-9 people round the table for a feast cooked by Lin.
‘We always had Christmas at our house because Peter was usually on call so the assistants could go home to their families’, says Lin.
‘In true Yorkshire fashion it starts off with Yorkshire pudding as the starter followed by turkey, beef and all the trimmings.Usually no one wants dessert!’
