Ribble Valley Conservatives welcomed Saj Karim MEP and James Heriot’s son, Jim Wight as speaker’s at a fund raising event for the County Council elections attended by 100 members and guests at Clitheroe Golf Club.

 Councillor Ken Hind Chairman of the R.V. Conservative Association stated

‘ We were privileged to have to speak Jim Wight, James Heriot’s son and local MEP Saj Karim and his wife Zahida  are  residents of the Ribble Valley living in Simonstone .We were relieved to see him fit and well after his ordeal in the recent terrorist shootings in Mumbai, when he was holed up in a hotel whilst terrorist rampaged through it, indiscriminately shooting innocent members of the public .We were delighted to welcome him to the Conservative fold in his home constituency.’

Saj Karim told the meeting ’ I crossed the floor from the Liberal Democrats to join the Conservatives in the European Parliament . I realised as a Conservative in my youth that I was coming home to what I truly believed in .’

Jim Wight spoke of his father , a man who in his lifetime became the most famous vet in the world , selling 70 million books in 28 languages, spawning 3 feature films and a television series. A modest man who despite encouragements hid from the glow of publicity and continued to provide a service for Yorkshire farmers and small animal owners in his practise. Born in Sunderland , he was an ardent supporter of the town team throughout his life, where at the Stadium of Light, the hospitality suite is named after him.

 His first book sat in a draw for 2 years after a number of publishers said it would never sell, until publishers Michael Joseph had the foresight to see it’s universal appeal. Jim knew the characters in the books , Siegfried Farndon , his father’s vetenary partner true name Brian Sinclair and his brother both more colourful men . The character of Mrs Pumphrey and her dog, Trichee Woo actually existed .James Heriot received a hamper from Fortnum and Mason’s every time he treated Trichee and it was a sad day when he died.!

 Jim White is the author of his father’s biography which have currently sold over 100,000 books and he signed a number of copies for those attending .