LINCOLNSHIRE VET JULIAN EARL
A Memoir in the Life of a
COUNTRY VET A national lockdown recently afforded us a bit of extra time to relax with a cuppa and a biscuit and enjoy Julian Earl’s wonderful, warm and eminently readable memoir of his life as a Lincolnshire country vet. This month we find out more about the author and recommend his excellent two volume story of all creatures great and small, or rather those which grunt and smell… Words: Rob Davis.
REMEMBER JAMES HERRIOT? That halcyon country vet was born in Sunderland, the same as the present Mrs Davis, though she was of a different vintage. James Alfred Wight, upon which the eponymous veterinary surgeon was based, spend much of his time in Thirsk, a period which provided the inspiration for his series. Unlike those books, though, which were pastoral, perhaps a bit watery, Lincolnshire vet Julian Earl’s two-part memoir is different; rather more light-hearted, funny, readable and witty. Being locked down at home during the great pandemic of 2020 at least afforded me the chance to read Cows in Trees and its second volume, The Dog with the Head Transplant. The only criticism could level of either is that they’re so light and readable that they’re demolished in just a few hours. I’d advise anyone reading them to pace themselves and spread the amusement out a bit. We recently spoke to Julian not just about his career and how it was cut short, but his recovery from a devastating accident and how rebuilding his life afforded him a chance to reflect on what an extraordinary career life as a vet can be… especially in a county like Lincolnshire. What inspired you to become a vet?
Probably a latent sense of guilt! I was just a couple of years old when I accidentally threw my teddy on the open fire at my
childhood home in Leeds. Poor Ted suffered burnt paws, but my mother and I managed to patch him up. From that point on, I rather enjoyed looking after animals in their time of need. At the age of seven or eight I was in awe of the vet who treated our Labrador/Irish Wolfhound cross, Jet. He was a super pet with a wonderful calm temperament, and a major influence on my love of animals. And an influence that led to your eventual career?
Yes. At the age of 13 I took a job at my local vet. Ostensibly that means cleaning up after the animals, feeding or fussing them and so on. But in fact, that’s the job that teaches you not the ‘menial jobs,’ but more like the ‘fundamentals’ of being a vet. Compassion, empathy for both animal and owner, how to handle them gently, how to be patient with them… if you can’t do any of that, there’s no point embarking on any further study or training – without those qualities, nothing will overcome that shortcoming.
Where did you study?
I enrolled in a B.V.Sc Degree in Veterinary Science at Liverpool University, which would last from October 1976 until I qualified on 10th July 1981. A teacher at my secondary school had rather sadly said that I wouldn’t make it, but fortunately that’s inveiglement to a determined young person, and I did make it – indeed, I achieved an Advanced
Vet Practitioner-status, one of the highest qualifications that the UK’s 20,000 vets can obtain. How difficult is it to become a vet?
A veterinary degree takes five years, and broadly speaking it begins with a study of anatomy. There’s a little crossover but each species has its own distinctiveness, and within each species even different breeds have their own characteristics. There are constant assessments at the end of each terms and big exams at the end of each year, the cumulative grades of which make up your total mark. After studying anatomy, you move onto pathology – essentially, we study what’s ‘normal’ then how pathology changes these when the animal has been subject to trauma or disease. The final two years are the clinical ones – principles of anaesthesia, diseases, pharmacology, helping out the alimentary system, orthopaedics and eventually surgery.
When and where did you begin to practice?
After qualifying I applied to various practices and spend around eight months working in Preston before moving to Burnley. I spent eight wonderful years there and I’m still in touch with my former employer. It was a great practice because it was mixed farm and domestic work.
What was that important?
It gives the role great variety. Domestic animals are wonderful of course but because
Main Image: Author Julian Earl has detailed his career spend working as a country vet in Lincolnshire over two wonderful volumes.
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