The Yorkshire Post Says: Yorkshire and Britain is poorer for Robert Hardy's passing

For TV viewers of a certain vintage, he will always be synonymous with the role of vet Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small, the television adaptation of James Herriot’s novels.

Born in Cheltenham, he was clearly at home in North Yorkshire, his charitable interests included a longstanding association with the Wensleydale Railway.

Yet, in many respects, the 91-year-old was a man for all seasons. He had the versatility to play both Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, each on more than one occasion, while his more recent appearances in the Harry Potter films enabled a younger generation to appreciate one of the all-time great actors whose career in theatre, television and film spanned more than 70 years.

Britain – and Yorkshire in particular – is all the poorer for his passing.