In the sunlit peace of Holy Trinity churchyard at Startforth on Monday I paid respects at the grave of my old reporter friend Mark Johns, who was shot dead 20 years ago.

His stone is plain, with only his name and dates, in contrast to the man himself, who as a Daily Express writer and owner of the Bowes Moor Hotel, was flamboyant and excitable.

In a shady corner of the burial ground I also spent time at a tall, weathered memorial stone to another murder victim, 18-year-old orphan housemaid Hannah Latham. She was strangled as she walked home to Brignall on New Year's Day 1813 after attending a dance and visiting friends in Barnard Castle. The killer was not caught, unlike those in Mark's case.

Outraged local people chipped in money to pay for Hannah's funeral and the stone. It bears these chilling lines, which must have made the culprit cringe if he read them: "Yet shall thy murderer while on Earth remain,the victim of remorse, despair and pain."

MPs have launched a campaign to restore John Profumo to the Privy Council and end his years of shame. It reminds me of my first taste of Teesdale. As a young reporter at the height of the scandal I was sent by a national paper to Lartington Hall, after a tip-off that Profumo was hiding there. A big Press squad turned up. Mrs Olive Field who lived there called the police to remove us, saying she knew nothing of the man. Years later I heard Profumo was indeed hiding in the dale that night, at a house in Whorlton. It was one of many scoops I've missed. If only I'd known.

It doesn't gain much attention, but the Gaunless Valley Visitor Centre in Butterknowle is a gem of its kind. It has a video show and photographs of local life over the past century or so.

When I called at the centre next to the old Stag's Head this week it was open and unmanned, something that couldn't be risked in other locations where thefts and vandalism are common. Perhaps a glance at the stern faces in the snapshots would deter anyone from any ill deed.

They had a lot of tough characters in these parts. One example is of bare knuckle fighters and their fierce-looking audience outside the Black Swan at Wham. They can all be inspected and enjoyed from 11am to 3pm daily.

An exhibition that ended on Wednesday in Witham Hall was a reminder of the impressive range of artistic skill in Teesdale. Its array of ironwork, engraved glass, leather goods, aircraft models, ceramics, portraits and greetings cards would grace any London store.

Pat Allan, who creates jewellery at her home in Staindrop, was taking her turn at holding the fort when I dropped in. Admiring murmurs could be heard from other visitors while Pat reported excellent sales for all the craftsfolk.

It's a fine example of self-help. The group, 17 in all, have joined forces under the title Made in Teesdale to promote their wares and will be at fairs, shows and halls in the coming months. It's a return to the traditional way of families making goods and selling them locally - before the days of mass production.

An unusual name above the door, From Little Acorns, attracted me to a neat shop in Galgate, Barnard Castle, where Sheila Hutchinson, of Staindrop, was on duty amid a charming collection of baby and toddler clothes from around the world.

"We decided to stock good but unusual garments and it's paying off," said Sheila, who started the business six months ago with her daughter, Nikk, interior designer Nick Booth and his mother, Jill Usher.

She said: "We tried three adverts but they didn't have any impact. Instead we're getting customers through word of mouth. One young mother rang from Staines, in Middlesex, to order clothes after hearing about us while visiting Teesdale."

The team hopes some day to design its own range of babywear and sign up people in the dale to do the sewing.

Drivers who leave cars at cock-eyed angles are wasting parking spaces in the middle of Barnard Castle. The same happened in a place I know in Jersey but ended when the owner put up a sign saying: "Please park prettily." Could it work here too?