The debate continues about whether the British countryside holds its arms out wide to welcome families. Helen Creighton has no time for "day-tripping twits dropping litter, setting fires, trampling crops, leaving gates open allowing livestock to wander."

Neither do I. But Helen wants to protect her countryside not only from these vandals, but even the best-behaved child. Rather than encouraging rural drinking establishments to be family friendly, she'd like them to restrict access to adults only. "I would be most grateful to have a list of pubs where I'm guaranteed to be able to drink alcohol and participate in adult conversation uninterrupted by the howling of babies, the distractions of sticky-fingered free-range toddlers, or having to negotiate an obstacle course of stupid-sized prams every time I wish to cross the room." So that tells us!

But, of course, we've been told several times already. When Christiane Wolf-Hinterdobler, with a 14-month-old daughter, tried to book a table for lunch at Terroir restaurant on the north Norfolk coast, she was given short shrift by the owner. "We're a Child Free Zone. See you in 14 years!" he said, despite having been shortlisted for a Responsible Tourism Award. Christiane smarted, "So much for being able to introduce kids to proper food!"

We all need adult time. But do we really want to frequent places where our children are banned, as if they were dogs. (Although some places welcome pets and small people - see Visit Britain's Families And Pets Welcome guide at visitbritain .com.) Why don't we adopt the Irish system, where kids are allowed in up to nine at night, after which pubs transform into grown-up, and, these days, blissfully smoke free, bars? Then perhaps all of us, Helen included, would be happy.

· Please post tips and queries on the Travelling with Kids Forum at deabirkett.com