The entries were so good this month that two winners were announced for the February writing competition! Congratulations to Jim Metcalf and Jacob Wiggins, both of whom have been rewarded with a £50 Marks & Spencers voucher, and both will go into the prize draw to win a short stay in one of our finest properties! Jim enjoyed a stay at the charming Fish Cellars in Portwrinkle, while Jacob and his family explored picturesque Paignton. If you fancy a chance of winning this fantastic prize, simply email an article around 500 words long, to ewan@bluechipvacations.com. To read more of Jim’s Portwrinkle adventures, click here, or to read Jakob’s charming account of pretty Paignton, click here.

With summer breaks still available, why not book your summer holiday in Devon or Cornwall today?

 The opening races of the Zapcat powerboat season will take place in Newquay, Cornwall on 24 and 25 April, when the Blue Chip Newquay Zapcat Grand Prix race weekend takes place at Fistral Beach.

Viewing will be free and a range of entertainment and freshly prepared food and drink will be available for spectators. Opportunities to meet the race teams and see the powerboats up close will be laid on to encourage a growing following for the championship, which already has international status

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.

 Santa played a secret visit to the winners of the Blue Chip Vacations Secret Santa competition this Christmas, leaving some amazing gifts for the lucky family to enjoy. A member of the bookings team picked a Christmas booking reference from a hat and to decide who got the surprise visit from St. Nic.

The Kirby family from Aldershot were this year’s victorious holidaymakers, whose fantastic prizes included an iPod shuffle, iTunes vouchers, a hot diamond earring and necklace set and a set of Laura Ashley wines glasses. There was even a hamper for the family dog!

To celebrate Blue Chip Vacations' 10th birthday, we ran a prize draw for all bookings between 1st November to 31st December 2009 for a holiday in 2010, with some amazing prizes up for grabs! The winner of the first prize will get their 2010 holiday paid for up to the value of £1,000, as well as a fun day out for all party members at one of the top local attractions in the area including Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts, Kents Cavern and Babbacombe Model Village, or a great day fishing, at a spa or an evening at the theatre. To round the fantastic day off, we're even throwing in a scrumptious meal at a fantastic local restaurant! Two runners up will enjoy fine dining at one of the finest restaurants in the South West.

It seems Judy Speirs has been very busy of late, first playing auctioneer in the Children in Need Auction that Blue Chip Vacations kindly provided a prize for, then introducing a famous Canadian singer in a world record attempt just up the road in Exeter! On December 5th 2009, history was made, as the world record for the number of people wishing each other a Merry Christmas could have been broken at St. James Park, Exeter. The previous record was set in Hong Kong in 2007 and stood at 4898, while there were 5500 present to watch Exeter City vs. Brighton.

A massive thank you once again to all who entered the fabulous Children in Need competition on on The Judy Spiers Show, BBC Radio Devon, which raised a massive £750 for the worthy cause. The lucky winner was Alan from Moorshop, who can enjoy a week of luxury at the stunning At The Beach in Torcross, a meal at the 14th Century Start Bay Inn and a scrumptious organic vegbox from Riverford Organic Produce. Kindly, the BBC have sent over the edited highlights of the broadcast, so if you missed out the first time around take a listen to this truly heart warming generosity. Congratulations to him and a huge thank you to everyone who bid! If you were an unsuccessful bidder, why not take a look at the superb range of luxury properties that Blue Chip Vacations' offers in ‘At the Beach'; prices start from a mere £230 per week!

Book a 2010 break before the end of the year and you could find yourself with an early 2010 birthday present - a free holiday, a sensational South West experience and a meal for your entire party at one of the region's leading restaurants.

To mark the launch of our 2010, tenth anniversary brochure, we're going to reward one early booker with a free holiday, an unforgettable experience of their choice*, and a meal for their entire party. Two additional customers will also receive a fabulous dinner for their party at either Fifteen Cornwall, Bistro 46, The Seahorse, The Elephant, Tanners, or St Petroc's Bistro. And, anyone making a booking before the end of the year for a holiday in either May or October will also receive a free 12-month subscription to ‘Coast' Magazine.

Blue Chip Vacations' Children in Need generosity was broadcast across Devon today on the Judy Spiers Show on BBC Radio Devon! With the worthy cause of Children in Need in mind, a jaw dropping prize of week of self-catering indulgence at the splendid ‘At the Beach' in Torcross, a meal at the 14th Century Start Bay Inn and a scrumptious organic vegbox from Riverford Organic Produce. Alan from Moorshop was the lucky winner to scoop this bargain and his winning bid of £750 will go directly to the charity's laudable cause. Congratulations to him and a huge thank you to everyone who bid! If you were an unsuccessful bidder, why not take a look at the superb range of luxury properties that Blue Chip Vacations' offers in ‘At the Beach'; prices start from a mere £230 per week!

We’re offering listeners of BBC Radio Devon the opportunity to bid for a luxury self-catering week at the one of the UK’s top ten seaside hideaways, as short-listed by the Sunday Mirror.