The Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small follows a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s. The show is inspired by a series of books about a Yorkshire veterinary surgeon, written by Alf Wight under the pen name James Herriot.
Wight was a British veterinary surgeon and best-selling author, and his books are based on his experiences treating animals and their owners in the Yorkshire Dales. James Herriot, the central character played by Nicholas Ralph, is hired by the eccentric Siegfried Farnon, portrayed by Samuel West, to work at Skeldale House.
The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Siegfried Farnon
The character of Siegfried was inspired by Donald Sinclair, the vet who employed Wight in Thirsk in 1940. Sinclair hired Wight to run his veterinary practice when he signed up to the Royal Air Force. However, just four months after joining the RAF, a severe national food shortage meant proper veterinary treatment of farm animals received high priority, and he was discharged and returned to Thirsk.
Three years after returning to his practice, Sinclair married Audrey Adamson. The couple welcomed two children together, a son and a daughter.
Sinclair's Death Following Wife's Passing
Sinclair was left devastated when Audrey passed away in 1995, after they had been married for 53 years. Just two weeks after Audrey's death, Sinclair died by suicide after overdosing on barbiturates, a class of depressant drugs. He was 84.
His death came just four months after his close friend Wight, who passed away aged 78 in February 1995 after a four-year battle with prostate cancer.
Friends Remember Sinclair's Grief
Reflecting on Sinclair's death, his friend William Foggitt said: "He missed Alf Wight, and when Audrey died he just faded. He was devoted to her, and he was heartbroken when she died."
Their friendship was tested following the release of Wight's books, as Sinclair reportedly disagreed with how he was portrayed in the novels. After Wight's death, his son Jim revealed that Sinclair struggled to handle his emotions effectively. Jim told The Bridgehead: "When my father died, he didn't call. It hit him hard because they were good friends. There was silence for a whole week. Then the phone rang. I said, 'Hello, Donald.' All he said was, 'I'm fed up about your dad.' Then, gone. The phone was down. That was typical of him. So I knew how he felt."
