It’s Family Fortunes and we’re deep into Double Money. You’re at the podium as Les Dennis prompts “We asked 100 people to name a famous forest”. BOING! You’re onto it like a flash as, left arm still behind your back, you blurt out “Nottingham”. BING! Top answer. Not strictly a forest per-se but 49 people concur. “Play or pass?”. “We’ll play Les”.

Dad’s up next and Dad’s good at geography. “Arthur, name a famous forest”, “Sherwood, Les”. Ah, see what Dad did there? He extrapolated the derivation of the sporting team’s name into the material. BING! 32. You planted the seed and Dad dug it up.

Mum’s next, oh dear, she’s rubbish at places. “Elsie, Name a famous forest”. There’s an awkward pause before she squeaks “Gump”. There’s laughter in the audience, Les improvises “You never know what you’re going to get in this game”. BING! 7. Nice one Mum, we only need 2 more. Les is quietly surprised.

Next up is the Brother-in-Law. He’s only on because your Sister Sharon’s poorly; “Gordon, name a famous forest”, “The Black Forest, Les”. “It’s a piece of cake this game eh?” Les is on fire tonight. Gordon is ex-RAF and spent a bit of time over there but is he being too smart? BING! 11. Good job Gordon, even though you’ve never really liked him.

Finally, it’s strange Uncle Charlie. Charlie doesn’t say much probably because when he does nobody listens. He’s only here by default, that’s the drawback of a small family in this game. “Charlie, name a famous f...”, “Forest of Bowland” Charlie interrupts rudely. “What’s that like from Tolkien or something” Les mocks. “Forest of Bowland” confirms a straight-faced Charlie. “The imaginary Forest of Bowland” BING! 1. WHAT???

Not many people seem to know the Forest of Bowland, certainly not the several I mention it to prior to our trip including an imaginary Les Dennis. There aren’t that many trees there for a start; “forest” is used in the traditional sense of “a royal hunting ground”. Still, it is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a significant part of the heather and bog being designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Its relative anonymity might be explained by the popularity of its neighbours. The southernmost part of the Yorkshire Dales is to the right and the Lake District starts just half an hour up the road. Also, the mention of Blackburn and Burnley to most people will hardly entice them to visit its southern end.

Unlike Eric Morecambe, “little” Jimmy Clitheroe had no need to adopt the name of his birthplace for the stage. This tempting market town is an ideal base for the area and high street chains are reassuringly absent. If you’re a fan of the sausage, Cowmans (yes really) butchers can sort you out with more than 50 varieties although Pork & Cheese might be mincing it a bit too far in my book.

Starting in the village of Downham, less than 4 miles North East from the centre of Clitheroe (head out on the A671), this gentle 6-miler takes in fields and a ruined abbey before we meet a stretch of the river Ribble. With an Ordnance Survey Explorer OL41 as your companion, I have it on good authority that this little bit of the Ribble has confirmed sightings. Yeah, right.