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Ex-pats, how about planting a tree? Of course, we'd have to get Malcolm to do the digging - or at least delegate it to someone.

0.3 miles =

Good idea, I'd probably sponsor a tree for the Dagless family.

I suspect if I plant any more trees in my garden my neighbours will be complaining in 10 years time about loss of “ancient lights “. However I’d welcome @Malcolm Robinson’s advice about which public areas I could plant a tree or two without breaking any by-laws? Please? Rx

Och! @Canny lass, I was down there this morning- glorious Autumn walk from home following the currently bone-dry course of the Green Letch North into Choppington woods and out adjacent to the Travellers Rest, where we did rest, at the bus stop and took the lazy way home. I’m absolutely useless at gauging distance but it’s a 5-7 minutes leisurely walk along to Whinney Hill Farm from the Travellers Rest heading towards Guidepost. I’ve attached a screenshot of the area, the farm 3rd turnoff on the right, just above the road number A1068. Hoping this is of some help?

Yes, it certainly wasn't hard to have a pub crawl way back then! I think many pubs in those days were named by the landlord rather than the brewery as is often the case today so it seems reasonable that the landlord would choose something familiar, to him in general and to his prospective clients in particular.

On the contrary - I've no memory of there being a Traveller's Rest in the area. Clearly my youth was not as misspent as I believed it to be. This Sir Colin Campbell beer house is a mystery. Clearly it was named so at some point between 1858-9, when the area was surveyed, and 1866 when the map was published. The 1871 census also gives the name as The Traveller's Rest and this is presumably the correct name. However, the 1871 census shows it as being occupied by a Scottish couple - James and Elizabeth Miller – both born in Scotland – aged 29 and 24 rears respectively. They have a daughter aged 4 years who was born in Bedlington. This suggests that they have lived in the area since about 1866 and could possibly have changed (or at least attempted to change) the name to The Sir Colin Campbell should they have taken over the pub around the time of map's publication. I've now completed my reading on Sir Colin Campbell, his life and times and now draw the conclusion that he himself had no connections with the shire. However, looking around the Choppington, Guidepost, Scotland Gate area 1861 - 71 it does appear to be heavily populated wth residents of Scottish origins - more so than Bedlington. It seems to me likely that the name, The Sir Colin Campbell, (and possibly the name The Lord Clyde) may have been a tribute to the man by his fellow Scotsmen. A question: Does anybody have any idea how far Whinny Hill Farm is from The Traveller's Rest? I've never been any good at judging distances but 27 chains is about 1/3 of a mile. Would that fit the bill? @lilbill15 you n Max have any idea from your walks? Anybody regularly drive that way?