Spring festivals on The English Riviera

The South West really comes into its own during the spring. The clocks have advanced to summer time opening up wonderful long evenings for walking and soaking up the spectacular scenery, and with the warmer days, you can fully take advantage of the outdoor events taking place at this time of year.

Why not start with the English Riviera Cream Tea Festival, which runs from Friday 18th April to Wednesday 23rd April 2008 and is packed with good old British traditions, opening with Fish and Chips day. Look out for special offers and entertainment in fish restaurants throughout the Bay and tuck into one of the great British staple foods of the seaside. Most of the Bay’s fish comes fresh from Brixham each day, so you know you are getting top quality at a very reasonable price.

On Saturday 19th April enjoy a slice of olde England at the Morris Day on Paignton Green. Not only will the traditional Morris Dancers be high-kicking into action, a huge rally of Morris Minor cars will descend upon the Green, making use of a rather bad pun. Did you know that this year the Morris Minor was voted as being the car that most sums up "what it is to be British" and is in fact, 60 years old? As you would expect of a Morris Day, there will also be a traditional English fete with music, fun and games for all the family.

Make sure you are pretty hungry on Sunday for the highlight of the festivities,- Cream Tea Day, which will encompass a massive traditional celebration in the elegant grounds of Cockington country park, where a huge marquee will house one of the largest tea parties ever held, with local cream tea suppliers offering up their low fat (so we are told) goodies.

The South West is pretty patriotic, which accounts for the huge number of landowners supporting King Charles I rather than Cromwell during the Civil War. Never forgetting our loyalty to the monarchy, on Monday 21st April the Queen's Birthday is celebrated by a concert at the Riviera International Centre Torquay, where cheeky cockneys Chas 'n' Dave will be heading down from the East End of London to sing some of their timeless and popular ditties, while The Wurzels from Somerset will be sing the Scrumpy and Western classics. Buy tickets from Torquay Tourist Information Centre on the harbour.

And for the height of all patriotism, Wednesday 23 April is St George's Day, which is never missed in these parts. Entertainment will be prolific throughout the Bay, with local businesses, pubs, restaurants and cafés all doing their bit to make sure our patron saint is remembered with gusto.

Those with a penchant for speed boats will want to be around Torquay Harbour during the May Bank Holiday for the Honda Power Boats Torquay Grand Prix, which is the largest off-shore powerboat series in the UK and starts right here in the South West. The Honda F4SA 150 race is at 12 noon on Saturday 24th May, with the 225hp an hour later. Two more races take place on Sunday 25th May at the same times.

Brixham Heritage Festival also starts over the Whitsun weekend at 7.30pm on Sunday 25th May with The Ballard of Resurrection Bob, a new musical from the South Devon Players. The following day, Monday 26th May, sees the opening procession through the town to the harbour, which turns into a street party extravaganza, with the Street Heat Samba Band, Black Bess Morris Dancers and other street entertainers. Later on in the evening, at 9.50pm the harbour will be illuminated by fireworks. The fun goes on throughout the half term week with music, crab catching and fishing competitions, a classic vehicle rally and good old fashioned Punch and Judy, ,just like seaside entertainment used to be.

For more information and a programme of events, log onto http://www.holidaytorbay.co.uk/brixhamheritagefestival.html.

Go wild this year at Torbay’s Walk on the Wide Side Festival, a five-day extravaganza of walks around some of the Bay’s most spectacular countryside, starting on Monday 26th May.

Brian Carter, a local walker and writer renowned for his works on local wildlife, will be opening the festival with the Paignton Three Park and Proms walk. This is ideal for children as the walk is flat and gives the whole family an insight of all that the resort has to offer, apart from the wide sandy beaches.

On Tuesday 27th May you have a choice of three walks: the historic Bishop’s Walk around Anstey’s Cove, Torquay, with a knowledgeable ranger from Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust; a ramble over Dartmoor with Newton Abbot Ramblers or the John Musgrove heritage trail from Cockington Country Park, Torquay.

Learn about Babbacombe’s dramatic coastline and about some of the people who have lived there on Thursday 28 May from the Babbacombe & St Marychurch Local History Society, and on Friday, take the family on Cockington Country Park nature trail.

With so much to do in the Bay, you’ll there will be no problem in keeping the children amused during half-term. Contact the English Riviera Tourist Board for details of all the walks, meeting places and booking on 01803 211211, or log onto www.www.englishriviera.co.uk/site/events-and-entertainment/walk-on-the-wild-side-festival

Why not say goodbye to the winter blues and pick yourself a refreshing spring break at one of our luxury Torbay holiday homes? Blue Chip has properties in all areas of the Bay, many close to the beach with sea views, so take a look at our brochure and start summer with a swing.