THE feelgood factor is slowly returning to Cumbria after months of doom and gloom because of the foot-and-mouth crisis - and this week The Westmorland Gazette is teaming up with Westmorland Packaging to launch a competition aimed at lightening the mood even further.

Over the coming weeks, Ready For Fun 2001 will see visitor attractions and companies from around the county offering great prizes to Gazette readers.

The competition was inspired by Westmorland Packaging, of Kendal, which came up with the bright idea of printing the logos of 26 visitor hotspots on to carrier bags and dishing them out to shops around the county.

All the attractions are entering into the spirit of Ready For Fun 2001 by donating prizes to the weekly competition, and the first fantastic prize up for grabs is a family ticket to Rookin House Equestrian and Activity Centre at Troutbeck, near Penrith, worth £75.

The winning family can mix and match those exciting activities that take their fancy, up to the value of the ticket.

They can take their pick from:

A trip in the Abbott Battle Tank (£50 per trip, includes one driver and up to five passengers); Testing their driving skills in a Honda-powered go-kart on the Lake District's only indoor rally cross circuit (25 laps £10.50); Exploring more than 250 acres of terrain on escorted quad bike treks (20 minutes £10.50); Human bowling - one player climbs into the ball and is strapped securely into the seat, before being rolled at pins situated 15 feet away, knocking over as many as possible (£3 per person); Enjoying a cross-country rollercoaster ride on board the Argo Cat, an eight-wheeled amphibious all-terrain machine (£30 per trip, roomy enough for five adults or eight children); Learning how to operate a 24-tonne JCB excavator (£10 per person); Clay pigeon shooting (£18.50 per person); Archery (30 minutes £5).

To enter the competition to win a family ticket to Rookin House Equestrian and Activity Centre, simply answer the question below and and send it on a postcard (with your name, address and telephone number) to: Ready for Fun Competition (Week 1), The Westmorland Gazette, 22 Stricklandgate, Kendal, LA9 4NE, to arrive by first post next Wednesday.

Usual Gazette competition rules apply.

Don't forget to look out for the Ready For Fun logo next week, when the prize of a great family day out at two of Whitehaven's most popular tourist attractions will be on offer.

QUESTION: How many wheels does the Argo Cat have?