Fantastic! - what a great response - not sure if I should cancel the trip while I research the websites of every place mentioned or merely extend it indefinitely and try them all!

Mr Happy - that's a tremendous resource you have there - is it your own or is it available one some site somewhere (I'm assuming it will also cover the other days of the week as well)? I particularly liked the selection of venues in Lancashire - I grew up there (in Standish, totally unheard of until the arrival of junction 27 on the road we love to hate) so I'm quite tempted to trip down memory lane.

But I'm also rather tempted by Leek (thanks mandotim) even though it's a bit further south than my original spec - I seem to remember that the Derby-Ashbourne-Leek-Macclesfield road was the pretty route in days gone by (ie before the early M6 was joined through to the M1).

Thanks to all who replied - keep 'em coming.

SJ