Celebrity catches up with the Yorkshire Vet as he sees patients on the pavement outside his practice in Boroughbridge

I’ve been spending a lot of time standing outside the practice recently, mainly because of pesky Covid-19. Throughout the crisis, veterinary practices have been seeing patients, but have mitigated the risk of their staff being exposed to coronavirus by keeping owners outside.

I know one practice that has erected a huge marquee, just like at a wedding, but rather than collecting a celebratory glass of fizz, pet owners and farmers stand two metres apart to hand over cat baskets or collect medicines.

In the absence of a marquee in Boroughbridge, I’ve taken to speaking to clients on the pavement. There are downsides to this. One is that it is difficult when it rains or when the road-sweeper cleans the street; another is that passers-by stop and say hello, sometimes joining in the discussion. This happened recently.

“I’d like you to sign a card for my friend,” explained an elderly lady, adding, “I’m not mad.” I didn’t think she was mad, because this sort of thing happens reasonably frequently to me. Being approached by strangers who think they know me personally is my new normal. But the elderly Welsh lady was obviously worried I would think she was mad and produced documentation from her bag, which she hoped would provide proof.

“I’ve brought my passport. Look, this is me,” she offered, before following with more evidence of her identity. “And my driving licence.”

This sort of documentation would suffice to apply for a mortgage. I thanked her, but reassured her that this was not necessary and that I did not think she was mad, nor did I need documentation to confirm her identity. Of course, this has all come about because of my appearance on The Yorkshire Vet, so I suppose, unintentionally, I’ve brought it upon myself. I don’t mind.

It’s nice to be able to sign a birthday card for a 67-year-old lady who lives alone, because something as simple as writing in a card might bring some pleasure. I signed the card and she rummaged in her bag again.

“This is a present to say thank you,” she said, handing over four bottles of cider. “I found them in the garage.”

On another day recently, again whilst standing on the practice doorstep, a second elderly lady, this time with a Jack Russell, went shuffling past. She chuckled, before explaining herself by saying simply: “You and that pig. My husband and I watch it endlessly. We can’t stop laughing.”

The endorsement, however, which rang most loudly, came from a lady who had made a special trip to see me from South Yorkshire. She was also clutching a bag, this time full of paperbacks. She asked if I could sign them.

“I’ve wanted to meet you and ask you to sign these books of yours,” she explained.

“It would mean a lot to me. My husband read them and then, as he became more poorly, I sat by his hospital bed and read them aloud. He loved your stories and I’ve wanted to come and let you know. You made a dying man very, very happy.”

Once upon a time, I was just a vet and the fixing of an animal was the high point of the afternoon.

Now, I’ve come to realise that other, less tangible things matter too. A book, which brings someone pleasure, or a comic moment in a TV series that makes someone laugh can have just as profound an effect as curing a beloved cat.

*The Yorkshire Vet continues Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 5.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson