Not many trees on the North York Moors but the beck has its concentration, I always think on passing what a good place this would be for a summer picnic with a pair of binoculars for a bit of birdwatching, should be something a bit more exotic than the poor Red Grouse.

The northern Pennines are quiet and often unfrequented and all the better for it, for this is a land truly far from the madding crowd and its magic and its gravity are slowly and surely seeping into my aged bones. I have cycled here to camp in this excellent field at Low Way Farm in Holwick a couple of miles or so from Middleton-in-Teesdale, parallel with the west side of the river Tees. Well with 40 miles or so on my wheels it has not been a particularly hard ride and I'm up for a bit of entertainment so made my way to the excellent Stanmore Arms, a very isolated boozer a few minutes walk away. In these northern landscapes folks have always had to work hard for their livings and running retail outlets even today is particularly challenging given the paucity of passing trade potentials compared with the usual tourist traps. The great thing for those who buck the trend and come to these parts is the stunning friendliness and appreciation you get from pub, cafe and farm campsites like this one run by the Scott family. You certainly wont find its like in the Lake District and I reckon I know on which side of the Pennines the butter spreads best! Come and check it out, you won't be disappointed... Tomorrow some hard graft getting myself over the highest road in all England to get to Hexham and their wonderful Book Festival, so you see, work-a-day office dreaming (and God knows I did a plenty of it), can come to pass...

Tom Kise, Mike Kise, Gus Arnitz