All Creatures Great and Small

IT was a literary and TV phenomenon which swept the world. The humorous stories of veterinary life in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales and Vale of York struck a chord with tens of millions of readers and viewers. They became so famous that canny tourist bosses even named a whole area after them - Herriot Country.

Five years ago, Thirsk sought to capitalise by opening the James Herriot Centre in the original home and veterinary surgery of the author behind the Herriot books, Alf Wight.

It was an instant success, drawing visitors from far and wide. Now there's another reason to visit the centre for families with young children - a new interactive children's centre.

I took my daughter Gabrielle and her friend Josh up to Thirsk to test-drive the revamped museum.

We parked in a large square in the centre of the town and looked for the pay-and-display machines. But there weren't any. Parking was free! I felt we were slipping back in time to another, motorist-friendly era. Our time-travel experience was complete when we reached the museum, just a couple of minutes away in Kirkgate.

We began by wandering through waiting and treatment rooms, integrated with living and eating areas, all furnished as they were in the war years. A dispensary room featured all the tablets and medicines which were once doled out to sheep, horses, dogs and cats.

In the pretty garden at the back, we were able to climb in the old Austin 7 which was used in the filming of the hit TV series All Creatures Great and Small.

Then we moved on to a re-creation of the studios where the series was filmed, where we could stand behind the cameras or walk on set and appear on screen. It was all hands-on, with virtually no limits as to where you could go or what you could touch.

A phone rang with that old-fashioned sort of tinkle. I assured Josh he could answer it and a recorded voice came down the line, the heavily accented tones of a farmer calling out the vet to tend to an animal.

We moved upstairs to the new interactive area. Here there were electronic and other games, designed to give children hands-on experience of being a vet.

Ours ran from the vet's bag to a skull jigsaw to the 'feely' bags, inside which there were the jaws of different creatures great and small.

They enjoyed it and there were no queues for the games. In fact, we were the only ones in the room. We saw only a handful of other visitors all afternoon. What's going on? This place is well worth a visit - if you haven't yet been, give it a go.

Factfile: The World of James Herriot, 23, Kirkgate, Thirsk.

Open: 10.00am - 6.00pm (last admission 5pm)

Admission: Adults: £4.85, concessions £3.70, children £3.30, family of four, £13.

Further information: 01845 524234, or visit

www.worldofjamesherriot.org

Updated: 09:39 Saturday, June 12, 2004