Barnard Castle and Teesdale are rightly celebrating their links with Charles Dickens in the year that the 200th anniversary of his birth is celebrated. As the world probably knows, Dickens stayed at the King's Head Hotel in the centre of Barney for a couple of nights in February 1838 while researching Nicholas Nickleby.

I'm really impressed that Dickens was able to come to Teesdale for just two days and leave with enough inspiration to write an enormous novel. I've made a couple of visits recently to the dale, and all I've come away with is a couple of blog entries.

I've been contemplating this blog entry for a couple of years, but in this anniversary year it has to be said: the grand entrance to the King's Head is a disgrace and an embarrasment to Barnard Castle. There's a blue plaque on the wall next to the entrance celebrating the fact that Dickens dwelt there, but the grand entrance he once walked through has peeling paint, rotting wood and an extremely shonky-looking cast iron balcony.

It is bad enough that part of the Sun Insurance Company fire plate has been callously gouged out of the building just above the entrance. That is now lost, but surely something could be done to save the doorway.

In some ways it is reassuring to know that Darlington isn't the only Tees Valley town to abuse its heritage, but I think the people of Barney should rise up and march on the King's Head with a can of white paint and some brushes.

In the name of Dickens, repair this door!