All Creatures Great and Small shows how woke our world has become - Sarah Todd

Yes, in stark contrast to the modern version, not everything was tied-up in apple pie perfection.

When James gets knocked back by snooty farmer’s daughter Helen he takes some local nurses to a dance. The one Tristan rigs him up with doesn’t just get a little merry; she is seriously sick. Cue disgusted looks from Helen.

Even the gritty colouring, this film doesn’t have the storybook bright hues of the new television series, seems spot on. It’s real.

Too often now our world is being airbrushed to a perceived perfection that doesn’t reflect reality.

Now, while Samuel West undoubtedly does a wonderful job bringing some side to the new incarnation of Siegfried Farnon, senior vet at the fictional Darrowby practice, it knocked this correspondent sideways to be reminded what a real character this originally was. Anthony Hopkins portrayed him brilliantly in the aforementioned film, but for a masterclass in non politically correct programming the original old television series starring Robert Hardy is available on the BBC iPlayer. It’s impossible not to imagine the walls of Skeldale House shaking, as he flies into one of his rages.

There is nothing wrong with roses around the door; but so long as we, the audience, realise we are being spoon fed.

It’s hard, even for a long in the tooth reporter, to find the words to describe the constant re-imagining of our world.

Seriously worrying is news that Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, is on a mission to make the national curriculum taught in our schools more “diverse”. In reality, this so often means sweeping our history under the carpet.

The Telegraph has reported that among the proposals submitted by major unions and educational institutions is a move away from English literature, which is seen as too “traditional”, along with more diverse learning material, particularly in “majority white” classrooms.

The Association of School and College Leaders warned that “in particular, ethnicity and sexual orientation are under-represented in the national curriculum”.

Here we go. Can we please just let the next generation enjoy their childhoods without messing their minds up.

Teach them to read, write, add up and say please and thank you (something their parents should be doing at home anyway). Politicising education is not on and parents should stand up and object.

Looking back to when our offspring were young, whenever there was a mock election or political debate there was always a teacher making snide comments about particular political parties. They should keep their opinions to themselves or be sacked.

Keeping to the theme of television programmes, another guilty pleasure has been watching the reality television programme following former Tory frontbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg and his family.

He is what he is. But in our worrying world of the bland leading the bland he has a personality and in his own cartoon character way isn’t afraid of standing up for what he believes in.

Time and again he says “thank you very much” and “lovely to meet you” to opposers who say horrible things. Mostly about his wealth and social standing, so much of politics nowadays is based on envy.

During the election campaign we watch him go to Greggs every day for the same sandwich and witness him becoming putty in the hands of his six children. He doesn’t serve expensive champagne at a party, but rather his homemade cider.

So what? Of course, it doesn’t matter. But there is a moral compass of turning up, even in defeat, that is admirable.

Finally, farmers are going into 2025 determined to continue their protests against the tax war being waged against them by Labour.

But first, many have been busy keeping our roads open during the recent wintry weather.

The way of life of traditional family farms is at risk of being erased from our history. Beware, it can happen in the flick of a television switch.