The tragic death of vet who inspired All Creatures Great and Small character
The Channel 5 show follows three vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s.
All Creatures Great and Small behind the scenes with Samuel West
All Creatures Great and Small has become one of the most beloved shows on television. Set in 1930s and 1940s Northern England, the series follows a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales. The Channel 5 show is inspired by a series of books about a Yorkshire veterinary surgeon, written by Alf Wight, under the pen name of James Herriot. Wight was a British veterinary surgeon and a best-selling author. Wight's books are based on his experiences treating animals and their owners in the Yorkshire Dales. James Herriot is the central character in the series, played by Nicholas Ralph. He is hired by the eccentric Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) to work at Skeldale House.
The character of Siegfriend was inspired by Donald Sinclair, the vet who employed Wight in Thirsk in 1940.
He hired Wight to run his veterinary practice when he signed up to the Royal Air Force.
However, just four months after joining the RAF, there was a severe national food shortage, meaning proper veterinary treatment of farm animals received a high priority, and he was discharged and returned to Thirsk.
Three years after returning to his practice, Sinclair married Audrey Adamson.
They welcomed two children together, a son and a daughter.
Sinclair was left devastated when Audrey passed away in 1995. 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.
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 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."
