Get in touch!
DalesDiscoveries.com
  • Home
    • Love Letter
  • Where to visit
    • Wensleydale
    • Swaledale & Arkengarthdale
    • Nidderdale
    • Malhamdale
    • Dentdale & Sedbergh
    • Wharfedale
    • Ribblesdale & the Three Peaks
    • Skipton
  • Eat & drink
    • Cafes and tea rooms
    • Pubs >
      • Dog friendly pubs and cafes in the Yorkshire Dales
      • Dogs friendly accommodation
    • Fine Dining
  • Things to do
    • Family fun
    • Ways to explore
    • Outdoor activities
    • All Experiences
  • More inspiration

An insider's view: Sita Brand, Settle Stories

Picture
Can you tell us a little about your job and how you came to be doing it? 

I’m the founder and Director of Settle Stories. I curate and programme events, including a festival, run the W.R. Mitchell Archive and a Learning Programme. When I left university my first job was as a storyteller for Common Lore. We travelled the country performing in schools, theatres and libraries. Then after a career as an actress, theatre director, producer and latterly as a consultant in arts and heritage I was determined to get back to creative work. So I set up Settle Stories

What aspect of your job and the place where you work makes you feel happiest?

I love Settle. It’s a wonderful market town with a strong sense of community. I adore the creative aspect of the job, creating the festival and making things happen. Also I still love performing and this job gives me the chance to do that.

What makes your business different? 

We are a creative enterprise for the common good. The work we do at Settle Stories introduces people to different cultures and peoples and broadens horizons. We solve challenges in inventive ways. We have a national and international profile despite being small.

If someone is feeling a little down and perhaps in need of a boost, where in the Yorkshire Dales do you suggest they should visit?


Settle, you can go for a walk down by the river and then have a cup of tea in any one of the wonderful cafes there are around. And if you like walking or cycling then there is so much to do.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love walking, especially long distance walking. Other than that, I enjoy tapestry making and meditation. I’ve been a Zen practitioner for many years.

If a visitor was coming here for two days what would you recommend they should try to do? Any particular places to eat or drink you'd like to recommend? 

I personally love the walk from Settle over to Feizor and then lunch or tea at Elaine’s Café. You can’t beat it.
Is there anywhere in the Yorkshire Dales that you feel sudden swooping joy?

Settle. I really am a fan.

Is there a happy detail in everyday life that you enjoy but you think many of us miss?

The breath. As a Zen and mindfulness practitioner, I enjoy my breath. We all breathe, but sometimes we forget and take it for granted. I often stop and still myself and just focus on my breath.

Where's your favourite place to just sit and look?

Looking out from Giggleswick across the river to Warrendale Knots and watching the sheep on the hills.

Is a local person who you think embodies the Yorkshire Dales spirit - and why?

Bill Mitchell. The stories he collected of Yorkshire over 60 years continue to inspire me.

Picture
Settle

More Yorkshire Dales insider views

Click here to see more Yorkshire Dales Insider Views

Find more places to visit in the Yorkshire Dales

Wharfedale
Grassington
Kettlewell
Burnsall
Appletreewick
Kilnsey

Bolton Abbey Estate

​
​
Swaledale & Arkengarthdale
Reeth
Richmond
Muker
Thwaite
Keld
Buttertubs
Langthwaite
Gunnerside
Crackpot Hall
Corpse Way
Swale Trail
Wensleydale
​
Hawes
​
Leyburn
Masham
Middleham
Askrigg
Wensley
Aysgarth
Carperby


Ribblesdale & Three Peaks
Settle
Settle-Carlisle Railway 
Yorkshire Three Peaks
Clapham
Feizor
Hoffman
Ingleborough
Ingleton
Stainforth
Nidderdale
Pateley Bridge
​
Scar House Reservoir
Coldstones Cut
Fountains Abbey

​Brimham Rocks

About DalesDiscoveries.com

This independent not-for-profit website was created using recommendations from Dales insiders' - people who live in, and love the Yorkshire Dales. 
​
​Copyright Susan Briggs 2021
The Tourism Network
The Old Mill
Millgate
Masham
HG4 4EZ

​​
Email

​Sometimes places open or close unexpectedly. Please always check opening times in advance.
​

Love letter to the Yorkshire Dales

Picture
Image; Guy Carpenter
Sign up for our free & upbeat Love Letter to the Yorkshire Dales. 

​