The Good Guide to the Lakes, by Hunter Davies. Forster Davies Ltd, £7.99.

KENDAL does not fare well in the latest edition of Hunter Davies's popular The Good Guide to the Lakes.

The sixth edition which Davies says has been completely revised and updated - claims the Auld Grey Town has suffered in the last few years.

"Whereas we rated it highly in the earlier editions, nowadays Penrith seems the friendlier, more attractive place to shop in," Davies says.

He reports that Kendal is being spoilt by the traffic and building societies springing up "all over the place", and that the one-way system is "diabolical" - although the accompanying map doesn't give any clue as to which way the one-way system runs through the town.

Whether or not you agree with Davies's view of Kendal and elsewhere, his opinions are let down by occasional inaccuracies. He talks about the "excellent new" Oddfellows Contemporary Art Gallery unfortunately the building closed a number of years ago.

Even Davies's own introduction would have benefited from some judicious proof-reading - at one point he talks about an "anagram" when he means "acronym".

Of course, it is easy to find errors in a work that tries to be as comprehensive as The Good Guide. Davies has set himself a mighty task, and for the most part he

rises to the challenge.

However, it might be best to use the pocket size book as a fun accompaniment to time spent in the Lakes, rather than as the "most comprehensive guide to all that is based in Lakeland", which is what the publicity material claims it is.

Undoubtedly, it is the famous writer's own acerbic and sometimes downright rude comments that make the little book a lot of fun.

Rating Coniston as "probably the most disappointing of the major Lakeland villages", and saying that he quite likes the Rheged attraction, even though he doesn't know what it's for, are observations you aren't likely to find in other guide books. Michaela Robinson-Tate.

May 22, 2003 11:00