Christmas with the Greens: Yorkshire farming couple return for festive Yorkshire Vet special on Channel 5 with Peter Wright

The Yorkshire Vet observes the drama, laughter and tears as a group of town and country vets, at four different practices across the county, help animals of all types.

Christopher Timothy, who once played the world famous vet, James Herriot, provides the series narration.

Peter Wright, who was trained in Thirsk by Herriot himself, has more than 40 years’ experience treating all kinds of animals.

After leaving Skeldale Veterinary Centre, his old boss’ original practice, he now works out of Grace Lane Vets in Kirkbymoorside, on the edge of the moors in North Yorkshire.

In a new festive special called Christmas with the Greens, Britain’s oldest farming couple Steve and Jean Green are celebrating Steve’s 80th Christmas on the family farm.

While he’s not as mobile as he used to be, Peter is committed to make sure it is their best Christmas ever by doing all he can to help with preparations.

Peter helps with choosing a tree, decorating and shopping, although he hands over cooking with Jean duties to his wife Lin.

He even helps Steve and Jean make their own crackers and create a very special festive card (using a green screen) as these three old friends reminisce about previous Christmases, enjoy the present and look to the future.

The previous series of The Yorkshire Vet: At Home With The Greens was very popular with viewers. Peter shared his thoughts with The Yorkshire Post about the upcoming Christmas special.

“The Greens are extremely popular, they’ve made a name for themselves on The Yorkshire Vet and as a consequence of that Channel 5, unsurprisingly, wanted to air special episodes called The Greens at Home,” Peter said.

“I think the Greens’ connection with the public is partly to do with the fact that they lead a very simple life.

“They have no money, but that doesn’t bother them. I think it goes to show that all the materialistic things that people hang onto these days, do they equate to happiness? I don’t think they do.

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“A lot of people yearn for that simple life. The evidence for that is that people who live and work in the city are under a lot of stress and pressure. They leave the city and go and find a country retreat somewhere.

“In this day and age, everybody works under a lot of pressure, everybody’s stressed, everybody has incredibly busy lives, commuting to work and then they turn the television on and see the Greens and they sort out the grout and look after the stock, they just seem so carefree.”

Peter really enjoyed filming the episode.

“Needless to say that myself and Lin had a lot of pleasure in making it because they are good company,” he said.

“Stephen doesn’t say a lot but he has a very active mind. I suppose in some ways he’s a true Yorkshire farmer; says very little but thinks a lot.

“They asked if myself and Lin could give them a hand to get ready for Christmas and that gave us the opportunity to do all sorts of things which the readers will find very interesting.”

The Greens’ life in the countryside and their personalities relate to the public, Peter said.

“I think we’re very lucky to live where we live, in idyllic North Yorkshire, where the countryside is beautiful,” he said.

“They don’t take it for granted, I don’t take it for granted, and I think when people move out of city life into the countryside, a lot of people do find something in life that has been lacking despite all the materialistic things that they have.

“It’s a combination of things that makes the Greens so interesting. It’s also fair to say that Jean Green is a character; she always has a word.

“Sometimes she can be quite forthright in her views, she would never be any good in a diplomatic service but I think people find that very endearing as well. A lot of people relate to that as well.”

The Yorkshire Vet appeals to a wide audience and this helps to bring families together.

“I’ve spoken to many fans over the years and what I find particularly satisfying, certainly about The Yorkshire Vet, is that it appeals to children from four years of age through to people in their 90s,” Peter said.

“It has a huge audience appeal and I don’t think that’s by accident, it’s because it’s giving people a bit of escapism from the busy lives that they lead.

“If programmes such as ours do bring families together so they can sit together and watch one of the programmes then I think it’s something very worthwhile.”

Christmas with the Greens: A Yorkshire Vet Special will air on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 9pm on Channel 5.

The Yorkshire Vet Christmas Special will air the following week on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.