A HUSBAND and wife team who started their own business are spreading the message that it is possible to strike a balance between work and leisure.

Andrew and Jane Pearce, of Prydale Partners, have an office view that many business people would envy, looking across the North Pennines from their base in Rookhope, County Durham.

Mr Pearce said: "We are set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with stunning panoramic views of Weardale.

"To describe the dramatic backdrop of where we are would take some time, but in essence it really invigorates and awakens all of your senses."

The couple have renovated a cattle byre and a calving shed and turned them into teaching and accommodation buildings, complete with natural running spring water and log fires, with the help of a redundant building grant from the County Durham Economic Partnership.

Small business grants were also secured from the County Durham Development Company, Leader, and Business Link County Durham. Mrs Pearce said: "We have found a great balance in our own busy lives, and there is no doubt that living and working in Rookhope has given us the time and space needed to do that."

The couple, who have four young children, identified a niche for training and coaching away from the hustle and bustle of city life.