MEMORIES of visiting and living in Upper Teesdale have inspired a businesswoman to write an anthem in tribute to its charms.

Middleton-in-Teesdale shop owner Judith Owston wrote the music and lyrics of Song for Upper Teesdale, which has been unveiled as part of the town's annual carnival celebrations, the main events of which take place tomorrow.

Mrs Owston is a leading member of the recently formed Upper Teesdale Business Forum, which has taken the song on board. With words that highlight the strengths of the dale as a magnet for visitors, it is expected that it will be an important tool in marketing Middleton.

Mrs Owston, a former Cumbrian hill farmer who runs the Step In gift shop, said explorations of the dale on rare days off had inspired her to write the song.

"With Song for Upper Teesdale the tune came first and I felt that it blended in with the rhythm of the area. Having created the melody, adding the words was an attempt to describe this beautiful dale," she said.