I met some elderly ramblers in the lakes about 20 years ago when I was on a bit of a youthful first backpacking/wild camping hike in the lakes. They were telling me about their adventures in the lakes as youngsters and particularly about how much more cosmopolitan Ambleside is now compared to how they first knew it. When they first went there they met some locals who said they’d show them around “Meet us outside the chipshop at 7”
So they arrived at the chipshop at 7 to meet their guides and there a long queue out into the street, people are buying heaps of chips, a WWII helmet full of chips, and babys bathtub full of chips. Its a chips frenzy.
So they ask their guides – “So where are you taking us then – whats there to do in Ambleside on a thursday night?”
“Thursday night is chip night”
“What else it there to do?”
“Its chip night…. this is it”