AUTHOR Billy Hopkins joined travel writer and younger brother of Camilla Parker Bowles, Mark Shand, at a literary event at Stirk Hotel, Gisburn.

Mark recounted tales from his latest book River Dog, which details his epic journey along the Brahmaputra River from Tibet to Bangladesh.

Stories closer to home were Billy's reminiscences. His vivid brand of northern nostalgia surfaces in the tales of his childhood, which collected together in his autobiography Our Kid, put him on the best sellers' list.

Also used to being in popular demand is final speaker Tricia Stewart, better known as Miss October from the Rylstone WI calendar.

The calendar, which featured WI members in artfully shot nude poses, has raised thousands of pounds for leukaemia research and is to be the subject of a new film starring Julie Walters, with Helen Mirren as Tricia.