Drunken Ducks and Little Rabbits

Having been back at work for three days, we decided that 2012 has already been exhausting enough and that is was time for another holiday. Famous for being the home of Beatrix Potter, the Lake District is known by most as a magical world belonging to Jemima Puddleduck and Peter Rabbit but we've got news for you...

It seems there's a new duck on the block, with whom we spent two blissful days eating, drinking and feeling very merry. The Drunken Duck Inn (www.drunkenduckinn.co.uk) nestles on a hilltop in Ambleside, Cumbria and is one of the nicest hotels we have ever come across. The food is fantastic, the views breathtaking and needless to say, the wine flows freely.

The Drunken Duck's name dates back to Victorian times, when the landlady of the Inn found her ducks lying stretched out in the road and concluded they were dead. Thriftily, she began to pluck and prepare them for dinner. The ducks, however, were not dead but drunk. Down in the cellar, a barrel had slipped its hoops and beer gradually drained from the floor into the duck's feeding ditch.

The ducks made all too good use of this unexpected opportunity, finding themselves plucked and halfway to the oven when they eventually came to. According to local legend the landlady, full of remorse for her rough treatment, provided the de-feathered birds with knitted waistcoats of Hawkshead yarn until their feathers grew back again.

We had a lovely time exploring Ambleside and on the way home we passed through Keswick and came across another hidden gem. Temporary Measure (www.temporarymeasure.co.uk) must be one of the most charming and quirky gift shops Cumbria has to offer, selling ceramics, cards and a lovely cup of tea. Their little rabbit collection of books, stationery and hand-knitted bunnies are cute enough to give ol' Peter a run for his money...