Going up in the world.

If it's really high mountains you want, you had better try the Himalayas, Alps, Sierra Nevada, Andes or perhaps the Rockies. Best advice - stick with the best of all ! The English Lake District mountains !

The way we were...

Poor kids ! When they were growing up, most of their peers were visiting Disney World and the like ! Not ours. It was off to the Lakes and the Dales. Far healthier and cheaper too !

Book now, before it's too late !

Darlington, the heart of our Northern Heaven, has been having a makeover - and very nice it looks too ! The 1875 statue of industrialist Joseph Pease has been moved a few yards to its original position - the poor fellow was pushed out of the way in 1958 to make room for more motor cars. Joseph didn't invent pease pudding as two youngsters told me when I was taking some of these photographs ! He was however instrumental in starting the new town of Middlesbrough, extending the Stockton & Darlington Railway to what was called Port Darlington, on land which he had bought to transport coal from his Durham collieries. Middlesbrough then was just a tiny fishing village. Joseph's efforts were the beginnings of the modern Middlesbrough. Joseph owned collieries and became very wealthy. He was a Quaker and a great philanthropist having schools built and became involved in the movement for the abolition of slavery. He became the first Quaker Member of Parliament. These events in his life are depicted in the panels at the base of the statue. Anyway, the statue has been away for a good wash and brushup and once more looks very impressive.

Foreign holidays are wonderful ! But home is where the heart is !

Whitewash at the White House...

In 1973, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America, said "There can be no whitewash at the White House". Of course he may not have heard of that stormy day when the Duke of Cleveland, landlord of most of the Teesdale farms, was out on a hunting trip. Rather damp, he sought shelter at a farm of which he assumed he was the landlord. After all, he owned most of the area ! "A drop of rain won't hurt you, lad ! On your way !" Oh dear! Not his farm ! Furious and humiliated the Duke vowed that thereafter all of his farms would be whitewashed. Such a mistake must not happen again! Anyway that is more or less the story, although there are a few variations on the theme ! Whatever, the brilliant white farmhouses of Teesdale are a joy to behold !