SEVENTY years ago, the man from Nanny Goat Bank Farm came to rural Weardale. Bill Robson bought a handful of lorries and started transporting milk to dairies from a car park in the County Durham dale.

From those humble beginnings, the Robson family now owns one of the most successful caravan and motorhome sales companies in Britain.

With a multi-million pound annual turnover and 22 employees, they have established themselves at the heart of commercial life in a dale battling to shrug off large-scale redundancies, brought on by industrial decline.

The success of Robsons of Wolsingham, according to the family firm's chairman, Jim Robson, can be attributed to "working 12 hours a day, seven days a week - and an eye for a good deal".

The foundations were laid by his father, Bill, when he left Nanny Goat Bank at Woodburn, near Consett, in 1934, to move to Weardale.

"A local farmer, Tommy Allen, of Chatterley, asked him if he would transport his milk for him," said Mr Robson.

"Eventually, he was carrying milk as far as Newcastle and to the old Mayfair dairy in Sunderland."

Bill Robson bought a tiny plot of land, Little Rivington, on the banks of the Wear, between the Wear Valley pub and the Wolsingham steelworks, for a garage and filling station to service his growing fleet of milk lorries.

It wasn't until the mid-1960s, however, when Jim and his brother, Clifford, took over the business from their father, that the Robsons moved into the caravan business.

Clifford had visited Rolands, the Darlington caravan dealer, and decided almost on the spur of the moment to buy two Willoughy caravans, said his brother.

"I can remember he paid £165 each for them and we sold them for £195. It wasn't long before a man from Willoughbys, in Beverley, came to see us and we bought another six caravans."

Spurred on by their success, Jim and Clifford set about building a caravan showroom next to the garage, which is now open seven days a week until midnight.

"It took us two years, but in that time we sold an awful lot of caravans," said Mr Robson.

Mr Robson, who recently competed for Britain in the world horse-carriage driving championships, in Sweden, also converted old buses into "posh horseboxes".

"Out of the blue, a man from Malta called at our showroom and said he wanted 160 buses for services on the island. We managed to find him 100 in 18 months.

"The cash from that deal financed the demolition of the family home and the building of the multi-purpose showroom we have today."

Although Mr Robson, now 66, continues to chair the company, he has handed over day-to-day running of it to his son, Mark, who is general manager, daughter Marie-Louise, sales and advertising, and her sister, Anne-Marie, who manages the office.

They are particularly proud of the long service of two employees, Ann Howe, in the office, and Mike Rapp, motorhome sales, who have both been with the company more than 30 years.