Julian Norton serves as a familiar face on Channel 5’s hit docu-series The Yorkshire Vet, which debuted in 2015 and quickly gained a loyal audience. Alongside Peter Wright and other colleagues, he tends to animals throughout North Yorkshire. However, both Norton and Wright departed from Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk around three years ago, after years of service.
Peter Wright’s Long Career and Departure
In 2021, Peter Wright bid farewell to Skeldale after an impressive 40-year tenure. He began his career under Alf Wright, the renowned author of All Creatures Great and Small, before seeking new opportunities.
Viewers have wondered about Wright’s motivations for leaving. He openly discussed the Medivet takeover as the key factor. Having risen from junior vet to partner—and eventually senior partner—at the esteemed practice, Wright ran it for nearly 20 years, cherishing many fond memories.
“I was there from being the new boy and then I gradually became a partner,” he recalled. “I then became senior partner. I ran the practice for almost 20 years, and I have lots of happy memories of working there.”
Wright described himself as a mixed practitioner, handling animals from cows and horses to hamsters. The corporate shift made farm animal care economically unviable, stripping away the work he loved most. “To take the farm side away from me, you know, it had to stop because it wasn’t economically viable anymore and I couldn’t do that work anymore,” he stated. “But I had to continue what I loved and that is being a mixed practice vet.”
Julian Norton’s Mental Health Struggles
Julian Norton has candidly addressed the mental health challenges of veterinary work. He highlighted its isolating nature, noting solitary visits to farmers separated by long drives with little chance for conversation.
“Veterinary work can be quite lonely too,” Norton shared. “You visit solitary farmers with their animals, 30 minutes of driving in between, not much chance to chat. Fewer people are employed in farming now and if you don’t get the chance to discuss the issues things get bottled up.”
