Bruce Dinsmore looked fit and relaxed when he turned up in Teesdale this week after completing the arduous Great Divide cycle race in America.

His proud mother, Ruth Dinsmore, of Cotherstone, told me she expected him to appear strained and haggard after pedalling 2,500 gruelling miles in 22 days.

But he looked back on it as a wonderful experience and was already thinking of tackling the challenge again next year.

"If I do, I'll put in even more effort and try to finish in under 20 days," he declared.

This would be hailed as a remarkable feat, for at the age of 40 this time he came in fifth overall, and was the first veteran over the line.

Air fares and other expenses cost him about £1,500, and there was no cash reward to collect. The event has no entry fee and no prize fund, as riders take part just for the joy of it.

During the race from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, the contestants went through a lot of wild terrain and saw a wide variety of creatures.

"We spotted grizzly bears on the first day and then all sorts of other things, like tarantulas, road runners and rattlesnakes on the rest of the trip," said Mr Dinsmore.

His machine, which cost £4,000, has larger wheels than most mountain bikes, making it more suitable for this type of event.

He will be using it for a few more races, including the Three Peaks event in this country, before concentrating on his other favourite sport of basketball during the winter months.

He did a lot of wind surfing and climbing in Teesdale before taking up cycling.

He has ridden in tough races all over Europe, but classes the American one as the hardest and most memorable of all.

He now works at Skipton as a sports development officer for Craven District Council.

Clive Pearce has fond memories of the day in 1955 when his father, William "Taff" Pearce, became the first worker on the site of Selset reservoir.

He took charge of a Bedford truck with the registration number OBY 71, which he used to ferry other workers to and from the site in Lunedale.

Young Clive loved getting rides in the cab of the vehicle. He remembered its number and many years later would have liked to buy it for one of his own cars.

He wasn't able to find it, but did manage to buy 71 OBY from the DVLA and put it on his 2002 Daimler limousine.

"The car hasn't been driven much, but I'm delighted to have that number on it as it's so like the one on the truck my father drove," he told me.

He rang this week from Oxford, where he runs a successful coach company, after hearing about the new book, Lunedale's Heritage, which has been produced by local residents and has a piece about Selset.

"I can remember the truck being delivered to Middleton railway station, where a lot of material for the reservoir arrived on trains," said Mr Pearce.

"My father drove it around the dale for three or four years."

Mr Pearce hopes to spend more time in the dale, maybe driving Daimler 71 OBY, after he retires next year.

Peter Richardson, otherwise known as Rantin' Richie, has lined up a lively scoop for his drive-time slot on Radio Teesdale next week.

He has arranged to do a telephone interview with one of his great musical heroes, Neville Staples, of The Specials, during his Thursday show, from 5pm to 6pm.

Richie, a DJ who at other times can be seen compiling poetry or pulling pints in the Black Horse in Barnard Castle, was ecstatic when he gave me the news this week.

I had to admit I knew nothing of Mr Staples. But I learned later that he's been a star for years in America and parts of Europe.

"He is performing at a festival in Cornwall on Thursday, but will find time to chat to me on the phone," said the jovial presenter, who has long-standing connections in the music world.

He hopes to get other showbusiness folk on his show on future Thursdays. There are different presenters on other nights.

The station is doing limited live broadcasting to the town area at the moment.

But once a connection is made to a transmitter at Romaldkirk, the whole dale will be able to tune in to its local programmes.

One valuable volunteer is Richard Rainbow, of Eggleston, who has just completed his first year of media production studies at Teesside University.

His knowledge of how and when to push buttons and levers, to produce music or words at the right moment, is being passed on to others who are learning the ropes.

"I'm lucky to be able to work in a studio like this," said Richard.

"It is giving me experience which will be useful during the rest of my time at university, and then in future when I get started on a career."

Peter Dixon, the station manager, is always glad to welcome keen volunteers and give them a chance.

Does anyone have a photograph taken during the official opening of Hamsterley village hall?

Officials are planning an exhibition to mark the hall's 40th anniversary later this year and would like to include a shot of the initial ceremony.

Julia Hunter, who is trying to track one down, asked that anyone who has one tucked away should ring the hall secretary, Jackie Holloway, on 01388-488323.