"YOU'RE in The Village!" That line may sound familiar to older readers and fans of the cult 1960s TV series The Prisoner, in which Patrick McGoohan played a secret agent who resigns his job and is kidnapped and imprisoned in a mysterious resort.

Each week, McGoohan's character tries various ways to escape his sinister captors.

But if, like us, "Number Six" had been enjoying a weekend break at Ribby Hall Village, he would have needed no persuading to stay.

Our village was only a few minutes from Blackpool, in the lovely countryside of the Fylde Peninsula. Our home for three nights was a luxurious three-bedroom super deluxe "cottage" with the intriguing address of No 3, Fisherman's Reach.

When we opened our curtains on the first morning of our stay, the reason was obvious. We were greeted by the sight of a dozen early-morning anglers, each with what appeared to be a truck-load of equipment, camped around the pond which our cottage bordered.

Give them their due, they were keen, those anglers. They were there early in the morning. They were still there at lunchtime, and they were there when the sun went down. The next morning, which broke slightly drizzly, they were there in their little pond-side tents, for all the world like a crop of giant mushrooms that had sprouted up overnight. So we sat and watched them from the warmth and comfort of our spacious and stylishly fitted-out accommodation.

As I heaved in our suitcases on the first afternoon, my daughter, Bethany, had squealed with delight as she discovered not just a wide-screen TV and CD player in the lounge, but another TV in her bedroom. Mum and dad's room also boasted TV, plus en-suite bathroom.

Throw in an impressive modern kitchen - ours had a washer-drier, dishwasher, full-size oven and gas hob, microwave, toaster and cavernous stainless-steel fridge-freezer - and we were soon feeling right at home.

Ribby Hall Village stands in 100 acres of landscaped grounds, and the focal point for indoor activities is the sport and leisure complex with its two indoor swimming pools - a family fun pool, with water slides and spa pools, and a traditional, 25-metre pool reserved for adults.

The modern unisex changing areas, where mum, dad and the kids can all change and shower together, make it easy to keep an eye on younger members of the family. The design is so clever - you simply enter the cubicle dressed from the dry side through one door, change into your "cozzie", and leave through the second door on the pool side, then put your clothes in a locker.

Once in the pool, the overhead cones which slowly filled with water, then tipped their contents on unsuspecting dads beneath, proved a big hit.

Resorts such as Ribby Hall Village really come into their own when the weather is unsettled. Indoors, there is everything from squash and badminton to table tennis and a gym, with a children's soft play area.

Luckily, we saw enough sunshine to sample the mini golf (note to self: find time to practise your putting, then you might get it through that dratted clown's mouth!) and to take a leisurely hour exploring the resort site by bike. For the more energetic, there is a large equestrian centre offering hacks and lessons, a bowling green, nine-hole golf course, tennis courts and a climbing wall, plus an outdoor children's playground.

Venturing further afield, Blackpool's bold and brassy attractions are right on the doorstep, but we found the sedate charm of Lytham, with its attractive green and windmill, and Victorian St Anne's-on-Sea, where we tucked into fish and chips on the prom, more to our taste.

Just a short walk from the Ribby Hall site is Wrea Green, which must qualify as one of the prettiest villages in the north. With its duck pond, thatched houses and Saturday cricket match, it felt more like Kent than Lancashire.

We all agreed, our three days seemed like much longer, and it won't take a Prisoner-style giant white bouncing ball to persuade us to return.

Fact file

The quickest route (approx two hours) is via the A64, A1/M1 link, M62, M61, M6 and M55. Ribby Hall Village is a few minutes from Junction 3 of the M55, in the direction of Kirkham.

If you are not in a hurry, take the scenic route, like us, through Harrogate and Skipton (a good lunch stop), then on to Colne, where you can pick up the M65, via Burnley and Blackburn, linking up with the above route at the M6.

For a brochure, phone 0800 086 1717, or click on to www.ribbyhall.co.uk