Andrew Charleton was born in Rothbury Cottage Hospital in May 1963 and has lived in the valley ever since. He likes to imagine that the hospital window was left open and the first sound to his ears was the silver Coquet meandering peacefully by, but more likely it was his mother complaining about having to leave the bingo to pop him out. Andrew does not profess to be a historian but hopes the love of his homeland comes across in these few meagre pages.