Wearing the trousers

Sitting on a peninsula, Blackpool has fewer opportunities for excursions than some places but there's a direct rail line across the Pennines as far as York. On the Sunday we take a day out to Hebden Bridge, an attractive stone-built town deep in the Calder valley. In the Industrial Revolution, because of the fast-flowing rivers, it was a haven for weaving mills and was known as Trouser Town.

The mills have long closed but Hebden Bridge is popular with artists and tourists. It's got a pub/hotel called the Old Gate with outdoor seating, where we enjoy the last of the good weather. And guess what---it's on another canal. This one is the Rochdale Canal which I've never been on but plenty of people have, and the towpath makes a nice walk.Read more