THOUSANDS of leaflets and a mountain of flyers went into circulation as 45 businesses put themselves in the shop window yesterday.

A tourism information day at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, provided a marketing opportunity for companies and organisations based in the Wear Valley district.

Most of them are featured in a new Visit Wear Valley guidebook, which is distributed around the country.

Guesthouse owners Paul and Judy Weston, who run Five Gables, at Binchester, said the event was a success.

Mr Weston said: "It is a great networking exercise. We meet other people who are in the tourism field, but not in the same line as us."