(upbeat music) - [Narrator] In the heart of glorious North Yorkshire lies the quaint market town of Thirsk.

Here, the world's most famous vet, James Harriet, lived, worked and wrote his best selling books.

His former surgery and home are now a museum, but he practice lives on nearby.

(phone rings) - Good afternoon, Skeldale Veterinary Center.

- It's a great privilege working in this practice and it very much is in the footsteps really of James Harriet.

There's never a dull moment at Skeldale.

- [Narrator] Julian Norton is the Yorkshire Vet.

Ha, ha.

- We have a wide range of different species that come in to see us and that gives us this tremendous amount of satisfaction.

I've got the best job in the world.

- [Narrator] Julian works alongside senior partner and former Harriet trainee, Peter Wright.

- Isn't it fantastic, this?

It looks so tranquil, doesn't it?

I still get a buzz by walking into the place and thinking what's gonna be happening this morning?

To be able to do what you want and do it here is just phenomenal.

- [Narrator] As their dedicated team heads towards Christmas, there are challenges to be faced and out in the wintry countryside, the vet's hard work continues.

- In Herriot's day, he used to carry a shovel in his boot.

- [Narrator] No matter what the weather, - It's freezing!

- [Narrator] And around the clock.

- C'mon, take a breath.

- [Narrator] It's varied.

- Oh, Crikey, get off me.

- But it's rarely easy.

- God.

- [Narrator] As the Skeldale team do their very best.

- Oh.

(mew) - [Narrator] To make sure that all creatures great and small, he knows for sure that was the last warning.

- [Narrator] Have the Merry Christmas of them all.

(xmas music) (birds chirping) (bells ringing) (upbeat xmas music) - [Narrator] Thirsk is gearing up for Christmas.

Now the whole town is getting into the festive spirit.

(upbeat xmas music continues) At the surgery, Peter and Julian are springing an early surprise on the staff.

Well two actually.

- [Peter] Oh they're still here.

They're ready.

Now, at great expense, we've got a choice.

- [Nurse] A choice?

- A choice of tree.

- [Nurse] Right.

- [Peter] Now that's one.

- [Nurse] That's a beauty.

That is not a beauty Julian.

There's no contest.

- [Nurse] Looks to me, it has a bald bottom.

- Ooh, - [Nurse] In the end, Peter's.

- Thank you very much, that's all we need to hear.

- [Nurse] Sorry Julian.

(gentle music) (birds singing) - [Narrator] As temperatures drop in North Yorkshire, (lambs bleating) Animals shelter indoors away from icy winds.

Lisa is a familiar face at the practice.

Today she's brought in a Tiny poorly piglet and, he's the runt of the litter.

- Mum's been lying with her feet really close to the wall and then she's got up, her feet's been flying and she's caught him with a trotter, a sharp edge of the trotter and she's sliced his side open a little bit.

This one's about half the size of the other pigs and he's been struggling a bit to get a feed cause all the others obviously taking over and stealing all the teats.

So he hasn't got an official name, but I've been calling him Tiny Tin.

He's not a good start, no, poor little fella.

- [Julian] Marissa?

- [Lisa] A, yeah.

- Come thru.

Oh no, - I've got a little squash side.

- [Julian] Oh yeow.

- [Lisa] And I wasn't quite sure how deep it was.

It must have happened during the night.

We couldn't see a lot of blood in the pen.

- [Julian] The thing that I would be a bit worried about is, you know the weight of a pig, and all the force there were just a trotter could have caused quite a bit of internal damage as well.

To be honest, I think all we can do in terms of the wound is to repair it and hope for the best In terms of the internal injuries, we'll give him some drugs to limit any pain and inflammation.

(lively music) I have to say he does seem quite lively even though he is got a wound and he is quite little.

- [Lisa] He's not two days old yet.

- No, that all it.

- So we're gonna repair this and then we'll put some tissue glue on which is, it's like the medical version of super glue and it's quite handy 'cause it doesn't need any further treatment.

- [Narrator] Nurse Kate is on hand to help.

- [Kate] You're alright.

- [Julian] This is where you don't wanna glue yourself to the pig.

Having of first glued myself to a hamster with this kind of thing, but never to a pig.

I've never used it in a pig before.

- [Kate] Aw, look at the little pig.

- [Julian] You're a good pig isn't it?

That's not bad, is it?

No, it should certainly keep it together.

- [Narrator] But an injection could be a problem.

- [Julian] This will definitely be the worst bit in this should definitely make him squeal.

- [Narrator] Because last time Julian tried to inject one of Lisa's pigs, things didn't go too well.

- Lisa's got a special injecting device.

That means we can inject aggressive pigs.

So we can do it from, from a safe distance.

- Shove it into her, and run for your life.

(pig roars) - [Julian] YEAH!

(pig squealing) I have to say he looks like he's found a second wind, doesn't he?

- [Kate] Definitely.

- Stay still.

- [Kate] He's quite a feisty little thing.

- [Julian] He's strong isn't he?

Yeah, he's getting stronger and stronger.

There we are, you're done.

You're done, you're mended.

- [Kate] There you go.

So our little Timmy, Tiny Tim.

He's mended now, really.

And as you can see, he's a happy little piglet now.

Whenever we get new born animals in, it always is an exciting time.

But I suppose when we're getting now round towards the Christmasy time of year then yeah, it definitely gets our festive juices going.

- I'm relieved.

I'm very happy.

He seems lively, so I'm really hopeful for him.

A lot more hopeful of him was when I came.

- For a little piglet like Tiny Tim, This wound is really quite big and the next 24 hours or so will be quite crucial for him.

Obviously the next step is to get back and be reunited with his mum and hopefully she'll accept him.

(lively christmasy music) - [Narrator] At the surgery, - Look what I have.

- Ooh, lovely, let's see.

- [Narrator] The team is feeling festive.

- That's beautiful.

- All right, we'll get decorating.

Let's get started yeah?

(upbeat xmas music) - We get lots of cards, lots of chocolate, lots of nice thank yous at Christmas, which is really good.

- Putting a tree in the waiting room is just gonna be like a wee magnet.

Every male dog that comes in, is likely to cock their leg against it, so we'll be keeping a mop on hand.

Ready to clean anything up.

- Oh yes.

Oh wow.

- Well done.

Looks lovely.

It's the season to be Jolly.

And I think everybody should deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.

Shouldn't they?

(gentle expansive music) - [Narrator] As farmers labor on the frozen land, Peter's taken an emergency call from an old friend.

- We're gonna go and see Chris and Will Greensits they have of a bullock with pneumonia.

We get a lot of pneumonia leading up to Christmas.

Traditionally, farmers buy cattle in at this time of year, so they've been transported sometimes hundreds of miles from where they were born.

But all this is stressful and the bugs that we have around at this time of year all adds up to respirative problems, Pneumonia in particularly.

(gentle xmas music) I'm bloody frozen this morning, Chris.

- [Narrator] Chris, his brother Will and farmhand Brian, fear the worst.

- [Peter] He's old, innit he?

- Um, aye, there was some wind.

- Yeah.

- [Will] You want me to crush then?

- [Peter] Yeah.

Weak, innit he?

- [Chris] A little bit more if you like.

- [Peter] Yeah, that'll do.

He hasn't a little bit of fight in him, was he?

How long have you had him now?

- [Will] It'll be a fortnight.

- [Peter] Fortnight, yeah.

- [Narrator] And he's going downhill fast.

- Ooh.

- [Peter] You're all right, crease all.

Let's have a look at his front end Thank god, he's awake.

(cows mooing) Bloody awful.

(cow moos) I'll leave him as best I can.

I'll give him the best possible combination I can give him.

- [Will] Yeah.

(tense violin music) - [Peter] That's hot!

16.

I'm going to give him some broad spectrum antibiotic.

I'm going to give him some an anti-inflammatory to try and minimize the lung damage that we've got.

With some cattle with pneumonia, they do go down, deteriorate very quickly, and this one has deteriorated very quickly.

A lot of the normal lung tissue has been so badly damaged.

I'm going to struggle to save him.

I'm going to try and perform a bloody miracle, but it's not looking very good.

See if we can get into his vein now, there we go.

Could I have the yellow one now please Chris, as well?

(tense music) - Bad way?

- He's in a bad way.

- [Peter] I know it's old fashioned, but you know sometimes when they're bad like this, his temperatures low.

If we could put some, put some straw in I think.

Keep him warm, keep his, conserve his body heat.

(tense music continues) That's it.

That's better.

Right, let's hope that stuff.

Wait, as soon as it rains or, it'll work pretty quickly but by God it needs to.

(gentle music) Chris and Will are gonna make sure that he gets some nice warm water to drink and we've got to hope we'll get some improvement.

So, it's pretty much in the balance at the moment.

Well at least we're doing what we can for this fella now.

Well I'll come and see you tomorrow morning.

God willing.

- [Narrator] Coming up, will the Greensits Bullock, make it through the night?

- I stayed with him and looked after it.

He put the arm around its neck and kept it warm.

- Can Julian save Barney the spaniel?

- [Julian] That's twice as big as it was.

We're not gonna be able to remove that from the leg I don't think, cause it's so big.

- [Narrator] And Peter gets lumbered with some donkey work.

- [Peter] It's that look in his eye I don't like.

(majestic xmas music) - [Narrator] In Thirsk, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

- [Workman] Where you want your spanner under top?

Just come down to where the markings are.

Pull, pull 'em back out again, yeah, down a bit.

Back up, on bit mark.

Bit Mark.

- Spanners reversed.

- That'll have to do.

- [Narrator] At the practice, Julian's seeing Barney the spaniel.

After months of ongoing treatment, he's been brought in by owner, Solly.

- Back in Easter he developed a a very large lump on his leg and it turned out to be a high grade cancer.

(tense music) - And now it's getting worse.

- [Julian] You go in first, come Barney.

- [Solly] Okay, Thank you.

(tense music continues) - [Julian] So not so good.

- Uh, no.

Since the last time I saw you, his legs swollen up and it's weeping and he won't leave it alone and he just doesn't seem very happy.

- [Julian] That's twice as big as it was.

- [Solly] It's huge, yeah.

- [Julian] Isn't it?

And it's all rated in the service and it's weeping and it's pretty grim.

We're not gonna be able to remove that from the leg I don't think.

- No.

- [Julian] Cause it's so big.

- [Solly] I'm just a bit worried about it now, what his options are.

- Mm.

The only thing that we can do, which is a bit of a big thing to take in, will be to amputate his whole leg and take the tumor off and the leg as well.

'Cause it would then take all that tumor away.

- [Solly] Okay.

- [Julian] - Of course he then brings other problems in that he's only got three legs, which I think in the context of everything, that's probably the, the lesser of the two situations to deal with.

Right.

So I'll take him through and then I'll say, I'll give you a ring when we're done.

- [Solly] Feeling pretty sad.

He's 14 years old and I'm used to seeing with four legs, not three, but this is the only thing that can be done to control it.

So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

- [Narrator] Julian doesn't waste any time.

(sad piano music) - [Julian] We haven't really got any other options.

It's either this or I'll put him down.

So this is a tumor called a mass cell tumor, which is quite aggressive and then notoriously difficult to remove in entirety because they tend to invade into the local tissue.

C'mon Barney.

- Barney's come pretty much straight through to theater.

There's no merit once the decision's been made, there's no merit in sitting on these, these cases we'll need to just get on and do the surgery and then the quicker that legs off and the the tumor's off.

The better it is for everybody.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] At the surgery, Peter's received an unusual phone call.

- Yep, leave it with me and I'll see what I can come up with.

This year, it's the 100th anniversary of James Herriot's birthday, and Julian and myself have been asked to turn on the Christmas lights in Thirsk.

It's quite an accolade really, to be able to do that.

And I've been asked to go and find a donkey for the nativity.

Not an easy thing to do.

So I'm going to put my thinking cap on now and see where we can conjure up a donkey.

(upbeat guitar music) - [Narrator] On her family farm, Skeldale 's favorite, Jean Green, (mixer whirring) is preparing something special in the kitchen.

(Blows raspberry) - [Jean] In this big bowl, there's fruit, nuts, and most of it's been stuff for seven years.

I like to leave the fruit for seven years, so it matures in booze and everything.

Cor, mama mia.

You got brandy, hot, then this** and some more tuning, this one Blow your socks off.

- [Jean] Right, now we'll add your flour in I don't measure nothing at my house.

Everything's on the guesswork.

(upbeat xmas music) Too much is better than none.

(upbeat xmas music continues ) - [Jean] I love Christmas.

I love to bake and I love to make everything up as I go along.

Now we'll have to get Steven and let him try a bit with his kid.

STEVEN!

STEVEN!

YOO-HOO!

(Steven laughing) - [Jean] Oh perfect.

- [Steven] That's right, yeah.

- [Jean] What's the mark out of 10?

- [Steven] Maybe 11.

- [Jean] Oh, holy cuddles then.

Mwah!

Perfect.

Highly toxic, but beautiful.

(pensive music) - [Narrator] Yesterday Peter took an emergency call from the Greensit brothers.

One of their bullocks had a serious bout of pneumonia.

- Bloody awful.

A lot of the normal lung tissue has been so badly damaged.

I'm going to struggle to save him.

(whoosh) - [Narrator] This morning, Peter's on his way back again.

- He was very weak.

He couldn't really stand and the arrangement was that if he was no longer with us, which I fully expected, the family was going to let me know this morning so as not to, not to attend.

I've had no phone call.

- [Narrator] Because Chris and Will, have been working through the night.

- [Will] I stayed with him and looked after it.

Okay, put me arm around his neck and kept it warm, And I mean I've been pulling myself and what it's like, you know bit of kindness goes a long way don't it?

(cows mooing) (footsteps crunching gravel) - [Peter] If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.

I didn't think I'd be here this morning.

Crikey.

Good lad.

Bye Crikey.

Hah, hah.

Although it's not good for you Will but cheering me up with that sort of strength.

I was still expecting to see a carcass outside the door when I came in this morning.

- Yeah.

- [Peter] The fact that he's up and takes a bit of holding is unbelievable.

About one degree below normal.

We've got a lot more airflow so his lungs than we had yesterday.

I think that stuff we give into the vein to take the inflammation out, made a big difference to him.

(moo) We're following up now with what he had yesterday, so I'm gonna put some anti-inflammatories back into his vein again.

Ah, that's got it.

Good.

Excellent.

It's a miracle I would say, as near as to a miracle as you'll get.

'Cause you're so weak and there he is now, Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

I think he's been well looked after though.

Will and Chris were getting some fluids into him yesterday and I think that helps.

And you need a bit of luck, sometimes a lot of luck.

- We hope he makes a full recovery, once he started eating and drinking, you're interested in life.

Ah, look at that, God!

So that's what we're hoping for.

Knowing we can keep his appetite up, he should be alright.

- [Peter] Well you know I'm absolutely tickled pink with that, 'cause I was sure he'd be a goner.

It's, it's like a shot in the arm really for this beast to be improving, and it's almost as good as a Christmas present.

So I'm a very happy vet.

That doesn't happen often.

(xmas music concludes) (happy xmas music) - [Narrator] While Peter's out and about in the local countryside, he's dropping in on his good friends, the Greens.

(knocking) - [Peter] Hello?

- Hello Mr. Night, how are you?

- [Peter] Good.

- Merry Christmas to you.

And to you.

Bunny, you're into swing every time ready.

You're looking very festive.

- Are you?

I am.

- Merry Christmas Dave.

By Crikey.

Whoa, look at this.

- Oh, like to go in there.

- [Peter] But you've been busy.

I brought you a fridge magnet.

- [Jane] Oh I like him.

- [Peter] I thought you like, I thought you'd like that one, I thought you'd like that fella.

- [Jane] I like his gnashers.

Thank you very much.

- [Peter] Not at all.

Not at all.

- [Jane] Yeah, You meant to see it.

- [Peter] Nice red table cloth as well.

I've been treated like Royalty.

- I've been making Christmas cake.

How's this one for a standard?

- [Peter] I didn't know you were a top cook.

- Oh yeah.

I can even beat Mary Berry if you want.

- [Peter] Have you got a soggy bottom?

- No.

- Good, I'm pleased to hear it.

- No I ain't got a soggy bottom.

I think you feeled it dry.

- [Peter] Well, I wasn't expecting this.

- [Jane] We got everything for you.

- I wasn't expecting this at all.

Oh, look at that, that looks nice Jane.

Thank you.

- There's your lunch.

- By crikey.

(xmas music) - [Narrator] Peter's not just here on a social visit.

- [Peter] I don't know you're warm like that.

You're making me look like a wimp.

(laughing) We're trying to organize a nativity and we just wondered whether Horace should audition for it.

What do you think?

- And I wouldn't recommend it but if you want to risk it for a biscuit, you're more than welly - [Peter] You see, I don't know whether Horace, would be very sociable.

Would he get on well with children?

- No.

- No.

- If he got outta control and you couldn't hold him, it'd be pandemonium.

- [Peter] It could be chaos.

- [Jane] There'd be no good him making an ass of your self.

- [Peter] No it wouldn't.

He might make an of me as well.

No.

- Nah.

- [Peter] It's that look in his eye.

I don't like, Sorry Horace.

- Good bye, Love Muffin, Merry Christmas to you - [Peter] All the best Jane, all the best.

- Yeah, you too.

- Bye, you do look, - See ya.

- You do look after me.

- Well I'll see you, sometime.

- [Peter] We will in the very near future.

- I will be love, take care Peter.

- [Peter] All the best Jane.

- Love you, Thank you Jane.

- [Narrator] Coming up.

- [Julian] Horrible surgery.

- [Narrator] Barney the spaniel has life saving and drastic surgery.

- [Julian] This is when you really feel like you're a butcher rather than a surgeon.

- [Narrator] And will a poorly piglet be accepted back by mum.

- Let's get you a touched, poor little Tiny Tim's kind of getting on dregs.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] At Skeldale, cancer stricken Barney, is having radical surgery.

- [Julian] The only thing that we can do, which is a bit of a big thing to take in, will be to amputate his whole leg.

(melancholy music) - [Narrator] Assisting Julian is nurse Zoey.

- Right?

Are we ready?

Even though you know it's the best thing, it just is horrible surgery.

It's not exactly the most beautiful operation to do.

And it in many ways it's a bit like butchery 'cause we, we literally have to cut through all the muscles, well the nerves or the tendons and then ultimately through the bone.

And there isn't really anything glamorous about this.

It's pretty, pretty grim.

- [Zoey] Heart rate's gone up to 160.

- [Julian] Barney's quite old, I think he's 14.

But I'm very much a believer that you don't make a decision simply on the basis of age.

Just because he's old doesn't mean to say that we can't do our best for him.

I really feel like you're a butcher rather than a surgeon in this case with this particular type of tumor, they nearly always just stay within the, within the regional area.

And he's ban showing no signs whatsoever of secondaries anywhere else.

So, I'm reasonably confident that this will take away all the cancer that he's got.

That's his bad leg.

Hopefully it won't be bad anymore.

Dogs cope pretty well with three legs.

If we were to have a, a limb amputated, you know, it's half of our legs gone.

But with a dog it's obviously on a quarter.

But even then beyond that, you know, there's so much more of that movement comes from the spine, the flexion of the spine, which doesn't happen with, with people to the same extent.

Done.

Oops.

Fairly neat, isn't it, as neat as it gets.

Had we not done this procedure today, then, then ultimately the, the tumor would've would've brought his life to an end.

It's not a brilliant piece of surgery to take off a leg, but I think, you know, we've got to look at it now as having saved it saved his life.

So, fingers crossed it's kind of down to him now.

(festive xmas music) - [Narrator] Thirsk has recently seen a festive wool explosion.

Today, Peter is calling on the people responsible.

- The Thirsk Yarn Bombers.

- I've been here to help the Yarn Bombers out.

The Yarn Bombers of Thirsk have done a fantastic job over this year, decorating the town for various different events and they're absolutely incredible.

- At Yarn Bomber HQ, Operation Christmas is in full swing.

- [Peter] Good morning.

- [All] Good morning.

This must be the powerhouse of the operation.

I often wonder where it was you know.

Now I had a bit of time spare, so I thought I'd come and give you a hand.

I've always been able to knit a bit, but I I can do very basic stuff so don't laugh at me, will you?

I've just been digging an abcess out of a horses' foot this morning and she wasn't the most cooperative, outside in the rain.

It was, - And he wants to run?

- [Peter] Oh yeah.

(laughing) It's a lot pleasant.

More pleasant than, than stitching cows up, 'cause not nobody kicks in here as well as I work, (laughing) I'm working on a, on a scarf.

I think, I'll get there in the end.

- Can't tell where you started?

- [Peter] I put me own personal stamp on it.

- Yeah.

- [Peter] I know what you're gonna say.

Don't quit the day job alright I'm gonna go while me reputations semi intact.

I think I have a cow to save.

(moo) (mellow music) - [Narrator] Yesterday, Lisa brought in Tiny Tim, the smallest and weakest piglet from her latest litter.

- Mum's caught him with a, a trotter, a sharp edge, a trotter, and she sliced his side open a little bit.

- [Narrator] Julian glued Tiny Tim's wound but was still worried.

- The next 24 hours or so will be quite crucial for him.

Obviously the next step is to get back and be reunited with his mum and hopefully she'll accept him.

- [Narrator] A day later back on Lisa's farm.

She's been keeping a close eye on him.

- [Lisa] Hello Tiny Tim, how are you doing?

That glue is holding well.

I'm not gonna hurt him.

He looks really, really well.

The way he was squashed yesterday.

I was concerned there might have been in some internal problems, but I've seen him passing both urine and feces so I know everything's going on well there.

Mum's took him back, she's done really well.

She's accepted him back.

No problem.

As long as somebody keeps her sharp trotters to herself, I think he, he's gonna be alright.

- [Narrator] But Tiny Tim still needs a little help from Lisa.

- Get you attached.

When a piglet's born, it finds a teat and it sticks to it.

And it wont go to any other teat that's it's teat.

So unfortunately he was the slow pick which teat he ended up with the back one, which is a bit of a duff teat.

Here, I'll squeeze a bit of milk down for you.

Poor little Tiny Tim's kind of getting on dregs, which is why I'm giving him extra feeds as well, to bring him on a bit.

It's like we've got a little Christmas miracle, Hey ya.

And a really good end of the year.

We've had some tough times this year, but, this is looking good.

He's made us really happy yet.

(birds singing) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] At the surgery, Christmas has brought out a little festive competitiveness.

- Today is the Christmas baking competition.

Peter's going to judge, he's going to taste everything whether he likes it or not.

And he's going to declare a winner.

- I'll cry if I don't win.

- Christmas puddings.

- [Narrator] But the whole team think they've got what it takes.

- Feeling it, Christmasy year.

- Pitching on.. - They're not my best effort, but they were done very late on last night.

- I've made some blueberry flap jack and put a little Christmas tree on it.

Make it kind of festive.

- [Peter] Oh, no pressure here then is there?

the Skeldale gingham alter.

Well, well, how many anal glands have we done on that table, eh?

(laughing) Anyway, I don't know what I'm gonna do here.

- Heaven?

- It is for me, it is.

(playful music) - It is quite a clooshy bottom.

(laughing) (playful music continues) - [Nurse] Take yourself another tart.

- [Peter] Um, very nice.

Now that tastes better than it looks.

- God, I'm gonna be having trouble or whatever the hell I deal with now.

For presentation, flavor, appearance, seasonality, I'm gonna give it to the Mince pies.

(applause) - I'm gonna sulk .

- I dunno whether that I dare come to work tomorrow morning after this.

I mean I've, I've made one person very happy, I made six people very miserable.

So I think, anyway, I think I better just have another mince paddy cake to keep me sugar levels up.

Keep me, keep more level.

- [Narrator] Coming up.

- [Peter] Teddy.

- [Narrator] Peter's still doing the donkey work.

- He don't really like children?

- [Peter] You don't like children?

- No.

- Oh, there's gonna be thousands there.

- [Narrator] Will Barney make you back home to his family?

And it's Peter and Julian's Big moment.

- [Peter] It's the centennial of Alf Wight, James Herriot's, it would've been a hundred years old this year.

So it's a massive honor for us to be here to turn the lights on.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] This evening, it's the Christmas lights switch on, in Thirsk.

But Peter is still looking for a character to complete their Nativity scene.

- [Peter] We're really struggling for a donkey.

We're going to call and say Mr. Bird now to say how Teddy is to see if he's suitable for the part.

I'm hoping so because you know, we're getting a little bit desperate now.

- [Narrator] Last time Peter visited the birds.

- Teddy!

- Teddy, the donkey was less than impressed.

Lot better now won't he.

- Yeah.

- [Peter] Teddy, Teddy.

Here he is.

- [Farmer] He might be a bit nervous near you.

- [Farmers Wife] Oh, yeah, after last time.

- [Peter] I can't think why.

Well Teddy, we just sort of just seeing what sort of a reaction we'll get in a crowd.

There'll be children there, you see, there'll be lots of children, there'll be lots of bright, bright lights, and noise.

I want somebody who's just gonna stand there, be very placid.

And I just, I don't know, he sort of, to me, he looks as if he's just sort of waiting to go.

He doesn't like people, does he?

He doesn't like, he doesn't like strangers.

- Is he alright for a little bit, then he'll just snap, like.

- Does he?

- Out of.

He'll be like walking along and bite the kids.

He don't really like children.

- He don't like children?

- No.

- [Peter] Oh, there's gonna to my thousands there.

- He can like bolt off and stuff and, - [Peter] Bolt off?

You're putting me off now.

Well, I'm sorry Ted, I'm sorry.

But we can't, risk it.

I think when we get down to the bright lights, he might snap.

He just has to err a little doesn't he, he has to bite a child and we're in trouble aren't we?

No, Teddy, I think it's too much of a, too much of a risk with Teddy.

I have another idea.

I have another idea, which might just work.

(peaceful music) - [Narrator] Earlier, Barney had radical life saving surgery.

- [Julian] The only thing that we can do, which is a bit of a big thing to take in will be to amputate, his whole leg.

Don't really feel like you're a butcher rather than the surgeon.

Had we not done this proceeding today, then, then ultimately the, the tumor would've would've brought his life to an end.

- [Narrator] Now with Christmas, only days away, Julian's keen to check up on his patient.

- Hello?

All Right.

- Yes, fine.

Thank you.

Hi Julian.

- [Julian] How we doing?

How's Barney?

- He's okay.

He's okay.

I think he's forgiven me.

- Me, very good.

- He hasn't forgiven you.

- [Julian] Oh, look at that.

Fantastic.

Hello?

The tail's still going, isn't he?

- Yeah.

Two days after the operation it started working again.

- [Julian] And he gets around okay?

- It does.

- [Julian] mean I was quite surprised how quickly after the operation that he regained his balance.

- Yeah, - But it, it just is truly amazing, isn't it?

How well dogs cope.

- [Narrator] Now Barney is back to full health, there's one last job.

- [Julian] So he gets some speed up, doesn't he?

When he wants.

- What, oh, when he wants to.

- [Julian] So we've got this special thing.

This is a stitch cutter.

It's healed up very well.

And this of course it's not painful now you can touch it there and it doesn't give him any discomfort.

And the wound's nice and clean.

Two and a half weeks ago, he was a dog really, who's future was very much in the balance.

But then here we are now with a, a happy dog and a perfectly good lifestyle.

Sitting next to the fire, waiting for Father Christmas to come.

What could be better?

Can I go now Barney?

Is that all done?

Have a good Christmas and don't eat too many mince pies.

- [Solly] Look at at.

Good boy.

I'm totally relieved.

I'm really relieved.

I do feel it was the right decision.

It's just been a massive, massive part of my life and I can't imagine life without him.

(birds singing) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] With the festive season in full swing, it's time for Thirsk's Christmas Light Switch On.

And Julian and Peter have been invited to do the honors.

- It's as Centenary of Alf White, James Herriot.

It would've been a hundred years old this year.

So it's a massive honor for us to be here to turn the lights on.

- I'm hoping that we can do it without messing it up.

I'm hoping it's just a question of pressing a button or pulling a lever.

But a, surely we work out on my starter go with Pete.

- We're not good with technical things sometimes, are we?

- That's true actually.

That's true.

- [Narrator] But the town's nativity scene is still missing some animal magic.

- [Peter] Oh, fantastic.

- [Julian] That's a very.

- [Peter] Impress.

Are you Mary?

And there's a sheep.

Just one sheep.

It's a nice warm outfit that though, isn't it?

- What about donkeys?

I thought you were supposed to get as a donkey Pete.

- Well, a bit of trouble.

No, I haven't let you down.

You know, - I can't see donkey anywhere there.

- Yeah I went to see Horace, Horace was too aggressive.

Yeah.

- And I went to see Teddy up at the birds.

- Teddy was too, too sleepy.

- [Peter] Too risky, too drunk.

- But I haven't let you down.

I haven't.

- I can't see a Donkey anywhere.

- Look at this.

(laughing) - [Julian] Whoa, steady, steady.

Wow, now there's a donkey, that's a proper Donkey.

- [Peter] I'll tell you what though, he's isn't frightened by the music.

The bright lights don't bother him.

- [Julian] He's not gonna kick any of us, is he?

- [Peter] He's not gonna kick any of us.

- [Julian] What a brilliant idea.

- [Peter] He's fantastic, isn't he?

- [Julian] Who made then?

- [Peter] It's made by the Yarn Bombers.

The Yarn, the famous Yarn Bombers of Thirsk .

- [Julian] They've done a good job is that, - [Peter] That they've done a fantastic job.

I was actually allowed into Yarn Bomber command.

- Is that right?

- Oh yes.

The, I was in the inner circle.

- [Narrator] With the nativity scene Mission accomplished, It's time to take center stage.

- [Announcer] Would please, give the British best welcome, It's Peter and Julian.

(cheering, clapping) - [Julian] It's the hundredth year of Alf Wight's birthday and it's a great privilege really to be invited to switch the lights on this year in celebration of that.

- [Peter] We're very proud to be from Thirsk.

We're very proud to be from the Yorkshire and look at the turnout tonight.

Thirsk is the most magnificent place.

And I tell all our vets to come to work for Thirsk 'cause it's the center of the world.

- [Announcer] Okay guys, I'm gonna go through this.

You wanna stand back at the front here, yeah?

- [All] Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Go.

(cheering, clapping) (upbeat xmas music) - Brilliant, it worked perfectly.

- [Peter] I think we're a fantastic community spirit in Thirsk, and I think it shows it very clearly tonight.

- It was packed, wasn't it?

I've never seen it this busy.

- Yeah, it was brilliant.

- Busier than our waiting room on a Monday afternoon.

It's been a fantastic year for everybody at Skeldale .

We've had some, some, some great moments, but I think this is a really fitting way to end the year for us.

Switching on the lights here and to do this today has been a, been a great honor and a really nice way to end the year.

- [Peter] He's very lifelike, isn't it?

- [Julian] He?

Is he anatomically correct?

- Oh, I think so, look at his knees perfect.

- No but is he, anatomically correct?

- I'll, I'll see.

I'll see what you mean.

- Have you got a scalpel?

- Well, we're pretty good at removing them, aren't we?

Well, you are, perfect job.

(upbeat xmas music) (bells ringing)