Congratulations to Susan Jones from Atherstone , the January winner of our writing competition, winning a £50 Marks & Spencers voucher and the chance to win a short stay at one of our finest properties! She and her husband enjoyed a stay at the charming Pilots Rest, Brixham, and managed to take in some of the spectacular scenery and attractions that the English Riviera has to offer. During their winter break in the South West they managed to enjoy the rural splendour of Berry Head Country Park, the Coast and Defence Harbour Battery Museum and take in the views of the bay from nearby Torquay. If you fancy keeping up with the Joneses and entering our writing competition, simply email around 500 words on your favourite activity in the South West to ewan@bluechipvacations.com. To read more of Mrs. Jones' winter break in Torquay, click here.

  The beautiful panorama of the South West was enjoyed by Blue Chip Vacations Marketing Executive Michelle Roberts this weekend when she enjoyed a bike ride from Brixham to Coleton Fishacre along the coastal path, taking in Sharkham Point and the striking Mansands Beach.

 Blue Chip Vacations' Marketing Executive Michelle Roberts took advantage of the glorious weather in sunny Brixham yesterday, enjoying a scenic bike ride around the quaint seaside town. Initially taking in the charming scenery of Berry Head Country Park, and then arcing around to the stunning panorama of the marina, Michelle has provided us with these beautiful shots of her journey.

Torbay Lifeboat Station gave Blue Chip Vacations a warm welcome despite the wintry weather, when Alan Taylor, MD of the self-catering holiday home specialist, and Maggie Sycamore, its Accounts Administrator, came in to present a cheque for £250 to the RNLI.

The money had been raised over the Christmas period when a festive email was sent to its 600-plus self-catering owners instead of a Christmas card. All money saved was donated to the RNLI, and the initiative even resulted in a number of separate contributions from property owners.

This Sunday (13th September) marks the start of Agatha Christie Week in Torquay, where a host of events will be held in homage of the town's author, daughter and the world's most prolific whodunit writer.

While many self-catering properties have already been booked up there are still a few late deals to be found. A spot of sleuthing could uncover the perfect deal for the Festival, which also marks the 75th anniversary of Murder on the Orient Express.

View all details on events taking place during Agatha Christie Week

Top of the self-catering sleuth's list is Paignton, located on the coast just three miles to the South of Torquay. We've a number of properties still available that are half the price of many properties in Torquay, including:

STEAM DOWN TO TORBAY FOR A GREAT LATE DEAL!

Steam fans are set for a bumper month of fun in Torbay as Tornado, star of the curtain raiser for year's Top Gear Series, comes to town to run the Torbay Express, and the Torbay Steam Festival rolls into action at the end of the month. To celebrate, Blue Chip Vacations is offering a host of discounts across a number of its luxury self-catering properties in the area.More on

Tornado

On the opening programme of this season's Top Gear, Tornado, stoked by Jeremy Clarkson, came a close second behind James May and his classic Jag, while Hammond, on his Vincent motorbike, failed to finish the London to Edinburgh challenge. The Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotive will pull the Torbay Express 12th, 19th and 26th July, as well as 2nd and 9th August.

Sunday the 5th of July sees the small Devon Village of Galmpton, near Brixham host its annual Gooseberry Pie Fair.  This quirky festival involves a giant Gooseberry Pie prepared by Hallett's The Bakers.  The Pie arrives by steam train at 12noon at the neighbouring village of Churston via the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway.  The Pie is then carried in a procession down the street to the Manor Inn in Galmpton.  The whole village gets involved in the fair and the streets will be full of stalls, entertainment and music in a true celebration of village and rural life. 

 Galmpton is a charming village close to the National Trust property of Greenway House, situated  between Paignton and Brixham.  Parking for the event within Galmpton is very limited, and visitors should try to avoid coming by car.  However Churston Village; the start of the procession, can be reached easily by bus - and of course Steam Train - with just a short walk to Galmpton itself.

For more details, you can download a flyer about the Galmpton Gooseberry Pie Fair here.

Brixham is situated in the heart of the English Riviera and is regarded as one of the brightest jewels of the Devon coast. The town is still a working fishing port, with the largest fishing fleet in the UK. The catch is landed on the harbour and sold to top restaurants across the country. Because of its reliance on the sea for much of the town's income, Brixham is justifiably proud of its fishing industry, and this is reflected in some of the town's restaurants.

Brixham is small and clusters around its all-important harbour, making the atmosphere friendly and cozy. Winding lanes and pretty streets are lined with independent shops and boutiques, offering visitors a rich shopping experience. If you're staying in self-catering accommodation, Brixham offers you the very best of Devon's wide variety of local produce; from Devon Ruby Red beef to locally grown vegetables and of course, very fresh fish!

Because of its popularity with visitors from all over the world, Brixham has a wide range of places to stay, from luxury hotels to homely bed and breakfast accommodation. There are holiday camps for those who prefer to stay under canvas or in a caravan, with easy access to all the amenities on offer and the wonderful surrounding countryside to explore. Holiday cottages are available all year round, enabling your family to stay in a comfortable environment at a time that suits you.

The maritime theme continues with the attractions available in and around Brixham. The Golden Hind Museum Ship has been based in Brixham since 1963 and gives visitors a chance to experience life aboard Sir Francis Drake's famous ship. The ship is a full sized, accurate replica of the original Golden Hind and gives you a fascinating insight into life aboard a ship in the 16th century. The ship runs events and special entertainment for young and old alike, including the chance to rub shoulders with pirates and brigands!

Following investigation into Devon-based letting agency Brixham Holiday Homes, by police and trading standards officials from Torbay Council, after complaints from holiday homeowners claiming to be owed money, leading Brixham based holiday letting company Blue Chip Vacations has stepped in to help holidaymakers affected by the incident.

Brixham Holiday Homes had been acting as agent for around 40 properties, but the company office has been vacated, with no-one answering calls.  Tourism officials have been trying to find alternative accommodation for guests affected by the closure.  Blue Chip Vacations has been offering help to holidaymakers whose plans have been disrupted by knocking 20% off  the cost of week long stays for anyone looking to replace holidays they had lined up. 

Meanwhile Blue Chip Vacations reports that bookings for Brixham are up by more than 20% this year, Managing Director, Liam Gavin comments, "It is encouraging to see bookings up in the Torbay area but terribly disappointing that the good work of tourism officials has been tarnished by the closure of BHH.  We are fanatical about encouraging visitors to the area and keen that nobody who has booked a holiday to the area is let down."

Welcome to the Blue Chip Vacations blog!  It's been a while in the planning stage but we are now up and running with what will become a great resource for visitors to Devon and Cornwall.

To start, here's a shot of Mooring's Reach in Brixham where it all started for Blue Chip Vacations.  Comprising of houses and apartments, the properties continues to achieve a 5 star rating from Quality in Tourism.  Their location and outlook over the harbour make them very popular with visitors, positioned between the harbour and the Breakwater Beach.

See all the available properties in Moorings Reach, Brixham.