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All Creatures Great and Small actor dies aged 91
Hardy became a household name whilst playing senior vet Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small.
Robert Hardy played senior vet Siegfried Farnon

British actor Robert Hardy, star of the TV show All Creatures Great and Small, has died aged 91, his family has said.

Tributes have poured in for the actor, who is described by his family on BBC News as: “Gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified, he is celebrated by all who knew him and loved him, and everyone who enjoyed his work.”

Hardy was one of Britain’s most successful and enduring actors, with a career in TV, film and theatre that spanned more than 70 years.

He became a household name whilst playing senior vet Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small - the iconic TV series based on the semi-autobiographical books written by veterinary surgeon Alf Wight, under the pseudonym James Herriot.

The series, which ran for 12 years beginning in 1978, is centred on the Skeldale House Surgery in the Yorkshire Dales during the 1930s-50s. However, many of the stories were inspired by Wight’s real-life experiences in the 60s and 70s.

Commenting on Hardy’s passing, the World of James Herriot - an attraction based on Wight’s former home and surgery - said on Twitter: ‘We share with you all the very sad news of the loss of the brilliant and talented #roberthardy our wonderful #SiegfriedFarnon ACGandS’.

Hardy is well-known for his role as Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter films, and also appeared in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and 1995’s Sense and Sensibility. He played Winston Churchill several times and featured in TV adaptations of Middlemarch and Little Dorrit.

He was made a CBE for services to acting in 1981.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
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Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.