You'd be quackers to miss out on charity duck dash

The bathtime favourites will race down the Grand Cascade at The Alnwick Garden at 2pm on Saturday for the second annual Alnwick Round Table Duck Race.

The Grand Cascade was first used for a duck dash in 2008, when thousands of brightly-coloured birds battled it out in an event in aid of the Grace House North East Children’s Hospice Appeal.

Then, last April, Alnwick Round Table decided to bring back the event, raising more than £2,900 for its own causes, Hospicecare North Northumberland and The Alnwick Garden Trust.

This year, Round Tablers are partnering with The Stephen Carey Fund and The Alnwick Garden Trust.

They hope to sell considerably more ducks to make this year’s event, which is sponsored by Alnwick Specsavers, even more of a spectacle.

Each raffle ticket, which relates to a duck, costs £2 with prizes for the winning (and last-placed) ducks.

A ticket for a duck does not grant entry into The Alnwick Garden, but you don’t have to be present on the day to win a prize.

Prizes come from a variety of local businesses and include a £150 first prize, a meal for two at the Treehouse, free entry for four adults with beer tokens to the Alnwick Beer Festival and gift vouchers for the likes of Turnbull’s, Lal Khazana in Shilbottle and Gray’s in Warkworth.

Details of all the prizes and tickets are available online at www.alnwickroundtable.co.uk/the-duck-race.html or you can buy tickets in person from Specsavers and the Garden.

This year, the Alnwick Gin Race will also return. Some ducks will be released that will allow adults to win a 20cl bottle of Alnwick Gin, although you must be there on the day to win these prizes – see the website for details.

For younger visitors, the name a duck competition is back at the top pool in the Walled Garden.

For £2 a go, your child can guess the names of the ducks and win an Easter egg and goodie bag, sponsored by Sainsbury’s in Alnwick.