As I was heading north from Birmingham, desperately short of fuel, I pressed on to Donington Park Services, which sits perfectly between Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. The coffee at Greggs was decent but it was the warmth of being called 'duck' by the woman who served me that truly brightened my day. There’s something unique and charming about being greeted with such a friendly, albeit mischievous, term in this region. Duck! What’s not to love?
In the East Midlands, being called 'duck' feels special—it’s affectionate yet playful, unlike more common terms like love or sweetheart. While 'bab' in the West Midlands and 'pet' in the North-east are also endearing, there's something wonderfully unique about 'duck'. It captures a sense of friendliness and familiarity that I find missing elsewhere. I can't help but wish service areas would embrace this unique cultural touch with signs that say 'Duck Spoken Here' to spread that warmth.
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