Many people will be delighted to hear that Stan Walinet's book about Mickleton has been reprinted.

It is the fourth re-issue since it came out in 1994, a fact that is hardly surprising, as it must rank as one of the most interesting volumes produced about any Teesdale village's history.

The latest copies, which have arrived in time for today's annual carnival, will be eagerly snapped up by a lot of enthusiasts who have been waiting for them since the previous edition sold out.

The book, A Hundred Mickleton Years, has been sent all over the world in the past decade and been enjoyed by many strangers who have never even been near the dale.

All the profits, around £1,700 so far, have gone to the village hall, and this latest batch will help to swell that total.

There are some different photographs in it from the olden days, and Mr Walinets has re-written a number of captions to give extra information about some of the characters and places.

One new feature which will be well studied is an Ordnance Survey map of the village from 1953.

Mickleton has altered a great deal since then, with attractive houses built in the past 20 years or so and new families arriving.

There is a telling quote in one chapter from a well-known veteran, John Bob Pickall: "I used to ken everyone from yan end o' t'village t'other, but not now."

There was talk about the village dying when the school closed, but in fact it has grown and improved steadily since then and newcomers have played a notable part in local activities.

The book can be bought in local shops for £5.95. How long before another reprint is required?

Eunace and David Tate celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in style on Monday.

The generous couple treated 153 friends to an excellent meal and entertainment, and suggested that if any of them wanted to give a present it should be in cash.

They promptly received the remarkable sum of £1,777.

All of it was handed over to St Teresa's Hospice, whose Teesdale support group is fortunate to have Mrs Tate as its secretary.

"It was an absolutely lovely day which everyone enjoyed," she told me.

"We are grateful to everyone for giving us all this money, which is being passed on to do a lot of good."

The couple, well known for the fruit and gift shop they ran for many years in Barnard Castle, now live in Startforth.

They are keeping quiet about how much the function cost, but with so many to feed, there was obviously a hefty bill.

"But the only thing that matters is that the hospice benefited," said Mrs Tate.

The Reverend John Moore acted as a jolly MC and Graham Walker had all the feet tapping with his lively keyboard music.

David Jones and Ian Whitfield gave insights into the hospice finances.

Warm tributes were paid to the late Rex Lowson, who founded the support group and was its chairman.

Shortly before he died, the couple told him about their plans for their ruby wedding and he was delighted.

"Our thoughts were with Rex all through our special day," said Mrs Tate.

"He did a tremendous amount of good for the hospice in many ways, and we all now miss him terribly."

How many Teesdale people have pulled up at Whorlton crossroads in the past week to have their fortunes told by Gipsy Rose Smith?

A sign outside her family's traditional horse-drawn caravan was offering her guidance on the future with the aid of crystal ball.

It was first time such a service has been available at the roadside, as far as anyone can remember, in the run-up to Appleby horse fair.

When I called on Thursday, Mrs Smith wasn't giving away much about herself of her clients.

She said she had dealt with "not too many but not too few."

How much did she charge them? That was a private matter. Where was she from? The Midlands, no specific place, just all over the Midlands.

The pleasant lady said she would tell fortunes at stops on the way to Appleby.

But naturally enough, she couldn't forecast where those would be or how long the journey would take.

Kevin Whately sent a glowing message which was read out at a dinner given at the weekend in honour of Alan Wilkinson, the teacher who inspired him at the start of his acting career.

The star was busy playing in a charity golf tournament in Portugal but took time to pen his personal tribute.

He was a pupil at Barnard Castle School when he appeared in plays produced by Mr Wilkinson, and has never made any secret of the fact that this led to him making his name on stage and television.

He has kept in regular contact with his old mentor during his roles in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, the Inspector Morse series and now the Inspector Lewis sequel; as well as numerous one-off productions.

The town clerk, Geoff Bosworth, met the star some time ago in Oxford and mentioned that Mr Wilkinson was about to step down after 46 years as a councillor.

When informed about the tribute dinner, he said he would send a message and would be grateful if it was read out.