"They are traditionally lonely, only children constantly scribbling in exercise books bought from the corner shop. Instead of reading the entire works of Dostoevsky, aged eight, I read Secret Seven books, dressed up as Davy Crocket and raced round the farmyard on my bike with my brothers and sisters."

Later, Sue graduated in psychology and moved to Sheffield to take her Masters. She worked as a research psychologist at Sheffield University, then with the DWP at Moorfoot, living in the city for 21 years before moving out to Derbyshire in 1994.

She is now a full-time writer, based in Great Longstone. Her first novel, Plotting for Beginners, was published two years ago and her latest – Zuzu's Petals, set in Sheffield and Wensleydale – is now out in paperback.

Froggatt Edge

Driving home from Sheffield I always revel in the deep view of the hills from the crest of Froggatt Edge. It doesn't matter how many times I see it, it never loses its power. I even made a character in Zuzu's Petals mention this particular view.

Caseys shop Great Longstone

Caseys is like a village shop from my childhood, stocking everything from Stilton to starch, party balloons to the New Statesman. What they don't stock they will order, such as my husband's weekly supply of 15 kilos of Longley Farm natural yoghurt (he's addicted to the stuff). Sometimes, at the end of the week, they even make a mercy dash with a carton as soon as it arrives…

The Caseys were delivering shopping years before home delivery was even on Tesco's business plan. But I'd rather go in and have a chat. They have a chair for weary customers – one village lady would sit in the shop every weekday morning, being served coffee when the family were brewing for themselves. Schoolchildren queue up to spend their pocket money and it doesn't matter how long they dither between liquorice sticks and rainbow drops, they're treated with patience and respect. Caseys is my kind of shop.

The Monsal Trail

Not a day goes by without me spending part of it on the trail, either on foot or on my bike. It's part of many walking circuits from our house – up the track to Monsal Dale, or down past the old Hassop station towards Bakewell. If the weather is fine, cycling down the trail is my favourite route into Bakewell. It's great to have a safe place to ride where I don't have to look out for hazards. I can tootle along looking at the views and enjoying the seasonal flowers and doing my imitation of Fotherington-Thomas in How to be Topp: "Hello clouds, hello sky." I can think about the piece of writing I'm working on, how to phrase something or how to resolve a plot problem and know I'm getting fit at the same time.

Green Way Café, Matlock

It only opened in May but already it's on my list of favourite places. The food is great and so is the space, with an open view at the front and a sunny, secluded back garden.

I like to meet a friend here and talk about writing, or critique a piece one of us has brought along.

Bakewell footbridge

Some people hate the new footbridge but my favourite view in Bakewell is from there. You get a full sweep of the river with the weir, the ducks and geese, the island with the mature trees, dogwood and willows and the 13th century stone pack-horse bridge beyond. I like it best on a Monday morning at 8 o'clock when I go down to Bakewell market, before the town has filled up with visitors.

My garden

I was sitting in my sunny garden in my pyjamas this morning, eating porridge, choosing my favourite places, and realised that my garden is one of them. Finding this house was like a happy ending after a horrendous year which included a disastrous fire and cancer.

The garden was a jungle of brambles, nettles and convolvulus, with only a few strangled peonies emerging through the undergrowth. I've worked hard on the garden since then. Now I just want to sit in it and bask.

Longstone Edge

When we were looking for a house to buy here we'd sit up on the Edge and look at the village below and wish for one. Then, when we'd bought it, we'd go up the Edge and look at the house through our binoculars and say to each other in amazed delight: "We live there!"

But the Edge is due to be replaced by a vast unsightly hole. A quarrying company is rubbing its hands at the thought of the enormous profits to be had from carrying away this prime piece of National Park and the Government is apparently happy to stand on the sidelines and cheer. Walks, wildlife, wild flowers and views will vanish forever. Please, lobby the Government to stop the desecration of our National Parks.

Bakewell Quaker Meeting House

I was brought up as a Quaker but junked it as a teenager. Now I go to meeting every week. The Bakewell Meeting House, built of stone in 1852, is a quiet haven in the town centre, tucked away from the bustle of traffic. When you walk in, you sense it is a place – as TS Eliot said – "where prayer has been valid". Quaker meeting helps me to make sense of the preceding week and it gives me strength for the week ahead. I'm like a radio that easily loses reception for a particular station and I need to go to meeting to be retuned.