BOOKS can leave a lasting impression.

I’ve always loved books and despite the popularity of reading on a screen I still love flicking through the pages - just call me old fashioned.

Whether you’re into e-books or prefer the more tangible experience of feeling your way through it’s the tales that count and the impact they make.

One of my favourite reads stems back to the Reader’s Digest days which swelled our bookshelf with some weighty reads. Encyclopedias and health manuals were among the many.

For me, though, the most memorable one of all which I read cover to cover and made a lasting impression - I can still remember some of the tales today - was the stories told by a well-known Yorkshire character.

James Herriot, the pen name for Yorkshire vet, Alf Wight, wrote many books about his experiences - some more humorous than others - tending to animals around the county.

Through his books, Alf gained a following of fans and to this day his legacy lives on in the award-winning tourist attraction - ‘The World of James Herriot’ set in the North Yorkshire market town of Thirsk renowned as the heart of Herriot country and the setting for Channel Five’s Yorkshire Vet TV programme which, incidentally, spawned my latest read ‘The Yorkshire Vet.’

As his book cover refers, Peter Wright is following in the footsteps of the famous vet who he worked alongside as a young lad and whose practice he ended up taking over in the Yorkshire Dales.

For Peter Wright this is familiar territory - the place where he grew up and where he honed his skills with the great Vet himself - the only difference these days is the addition of the camera crew accompanying him on his visits to the many furry and feathered clients he tends in what readers will glean is an interesting and varied career.

There are highs and lows. There are moments that will make you laugh out loud and there are times when you may be reduced to tears - essential elements of a good book and this is a good book.

The opening lines give you an insight into the laughter and comedy moments drawn from real-life experiences you will encounter along the way. Friday the 13th, unlucky for some, and even more so for the author who is in the throes of castrating a Yorkshire terrier.

I’m only a few sentences in and I’m recalling the similar wit and humour I remember reading all those years ago in James Herriot’s anecdotal tales. Similar circumstances - both working as vets and dealing with animals on a daily basis - and told in way that will pluck your heart strings or make you laugh out loud.

Being followed by a film crew brings a slightly different dimension to Peter’s tales - although James Herriot’s profession did, of course spawn the popular TV series ‘All Creatures Great and Small.’ Incidentally, Peter also worked with Alf Wight’s (James Herriot) partner Donald Sinclair, characterised by Siegfried Farnon in the series.

This book is a tonic for the soul. Of course the nature of Peter’s job brings plenty of tears too. “I then see receptionist and budgie fan Sylvia Binks put her arm around a colleague who’s having a difficult few minutes in a workplace that’s full of life, but sometimes death as well,” he writes giving an insight into the many challenges he and his team are faced with in this fascinating career.

A wonderfully entertaining book which is guaranteed to bring a smile, or a tear, to your face.

The Yorkshire Vet - In the Footsteps of Herriot is published by Mirror Books and priced at £20.