BUSY women headed into town from all over Teesdale on Wednesday - Maureen Mason, of Whorlton, with jam, Cherry Simpson, of Westwick, with snowdrops, Molly Orton, of Winston, with knitted gloves, Mavis Grimley, of Staindrop, with decorated aprons and others with a wide variety of fine produce.

They are a merry bunch who sell their wares at the weekly country market in Barnard Castle parish hall, with Margaret Foster, of Gainford, as the controller.

She joked to me that she is known by the others as the Fat Controller, but that must be untrue as she is certainly not on the plump side.

There are 33 traders who sell their wares at the event, which was known as a WI Market for most of its 30 years before changing to a name with more general appeal.

They don't all turn up every Wednesday morning; the fruit, flower and vegetable growers are missing at the moment.

One big seller this week was Betty Bowers' home-made cakes and cookies. Other pastry treats were snapped up quickly though gushing rain kept many of the regular customers away.

"We always have a range of quality produce, whatever the season and weather," said Ms Simpson, who this summer will have her own gooseberries, blackcurrants, plums and damsons on her table.

GRATEFUL members of Barnard Castle lunch club were full of warm praise as usual for Graham Smith on Tuesday, as they tucked into a hearty meal prepared by him. But they also wanted to hear about a hi-tech feature he has bought for special occasions at a cost of £4,500.

The genial cook, who lives in Cockfield, has invested in a chocolate fountain, one of the latest must-have attractions at wedding receptions and other functions.

It stands as tall as a five-tier cake and sends down a mouth-watering cascade of melted chocolate mixed with fresh fruit and other delicacies, such as marshmallows and Turkish delight.

It soon has all chocoholics drooling.

Mr Smith, who also cooks for similar clubs in Mickleton and Gainford, is feted everywhere for good old-fashioned dishes, such as this week's tasty offering of mince and dumplings followed by bread and butter pudding.

"So many people are surprised by my new fountain," he told me. "Guests can't believe their eyes when they see it. It has been causing quite a sensation each time I demonstrate it."

He has trained his wife Dawn and father Roland to operate it at functions and expects it to come into great demand.

He learned his craft during 16 years in the Army.

After handing in his sergeant's stripes, he cooked at the Royal Hotel in Woodland before launching his own business.

FOLK living within sight of the Teesdale stretch of the Pennine Way have noticed for some time that fewer hikers are tramping along the famous footpath nowadays than in its heyday in years gone by.

It is one of the reasons why Baldersdale youth hostel is closing at the end of the coming summer season.

It is a far cry from the day in April 1965 when over 2,000 enthusiasts gathered on Malham Moor to celebrate the completion of the English section of the long-distance walking route after many years of negotiations.

There were more festivities when the full Scottish leg was officially tagged on in 1977.

Since then, thousands of hardy souls have left their bootprints along the 250 miles from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm over the border, and many have enjoyed the hostel's cosy hospitality.

But takings have dwindled. It is sad that in this era of a lot more leisure time for most people, fewer are taking to the bracing air.

There are hopes that the building will be taken over as a private home which can offer bed and breakfast to the remaining hikers.

AFTER the piece here last week about Janet McCrickard's bird-feeding advice, one of her admirers sent me another of the booklets produced by this former Gainford artist and writer.

This one is all about incense. It might be imagined that there couldn't be a lot to say on this subject, but she tells a fascinating story.

She points out that it has been burned all over the world through the ages.

It was widely used in England in past centuries to freshen the air and, so it was believed, to counteract disease, which was thought to be caused by bad odours.

The idea of using it died out but came back during the flower power era of the 60s.

Ms McCrickard says modern scientific research has confirmed the ancient belief that incense, a natural form of air freshener, can comfort, soothe, relax, stimulate and invigorate people as well as creating a favourable atmosphere for study, worship or love.

Doesn't it sound better than many a modern medicine?

Her book, published in 1987, gives a vivid history of the material and its users, probably dating from the time when folk first started to use fire.

All in all, it is not the sort of publication you would expect to be compiled in any Teesdale village.

* I'll be glad to see anyone who calls with snippets of news at The Northern Echo office at 36 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, on Mondays and Tuesdays. Telephone (01388) 638628.