Stringent new regulations and a demanding checklist mean it’s more difficult than ever for Britain’s beaches to receive a Blue Flag Award, but that didn’t stop Torbay in South Devon, Poole and Bournemouth in Dorset and the Isle of Wight cleaning up with four each for 2013.

The beaches have met the tough new EU standards to achieve the award, which represents excellent standards of cleanliness, convenience and safety, and they’ll be flying their flags with pride this summer. So, if you’re booked to enjoy a stay in one of our Isle of Wight holiday cottages, Torbay properties or Dorset pads then check to find your closest Blue Flag beach.

In Bournemouth Alum Chine, Durley Chine, Fisherman’s Walk and Southbourne joined the UK’s Blue Flag beaches while Poole’s winners were Canford Cliffs, Sandbanks, Shore Road and Branksome Chine.

It’s all happening in Torbay this bank holiday weekend, as Torquay plays host to the annual Classic Powerboat Race and nearby Brixham welcomes the traditional Heritage Sailing Regatta.

Guests of our Torquay holiday cottages will be spoilt for choice when it comes to free entertainment as both events make for great watching for those on the shore. The Torbay Classic Powerboat Race will take place on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May, and the raceboats will be on Haldon Pier for those who want to go and admire them from Friday. You’ll even be able to meet some of the teams while you’re there as the event has an informal atmosphere that’s always great fun.

The first race starts at 3pm on Saturday and Sunday’s racing starts at 12.30pm, so if you want to watch the action from a great vantage point head down to the pier early. The terrace area in the Living Coasts restaurant is one of the best spots to sit and watch the racing, and you can visit the cafe even if you haven’t got a ticket for the attraction itself. The race pits will based in Torquay harbour so spectators can get close to the action throughout the weekend.

South Devon may have some of the UK’s most stunning coastal scenery but the English Riviera isn’t just a pretty face, it’s also a UNESCO-recognised Global Geopark, and it’s packed with fascinating geology and landscape. This unique annual festival brings the past back to life for the whole family and it’s set for 25 May – 2 June.

The festival programme includes a huge range of events that showcase Torbay and its natural heritage, and visitors can enjoy walks and talks, cruises, stories in the caves, a rock pool safari, family firecraft and much more.

The Seafari cruise lasts for an hour and enables passengers to have a look at the landscape from the best vantage point – the sea. Greenway Ferries will make sure you see some of the area’s wildlife along the way, and they depart from Torquay and Brixham. If you’re staying in one of our Torquay or Brixham holiday cottages during the festival don’t miss the chance to take to the water and celebrate the region’s impressive past.

Well ladies and gentlemen the results are out - The Radio Times have revealed their eight favourite beaches in Britain, so how did your favourite fare? Taking its inspiration from the BBC2 series Coast, The Radio Times has put together its favourite beaches for lounging, exploring and enjoying the scenery – and we have a selection of luxury holiday cottages close to two of the winners.

Newquay’s no stranger to the top of a beach poll, and the beautifully modest Crantock flies the flag for it at number one. Crantock is one of the quieter beaches in the Newquay area, and it’s just out of the way enough to avoid the crowds that its neighbours attract. If you park up in the National Trust car park at the bottom of Crantock village and make your way over the dune you’ll see just why it’s today’s number one.

The sprawling sandy beach feels miles away from anywhere, and it’s easy to spend hours enjoying the views without even realising it. You can even catch a ferry across the Gannel to Fern Pit and sample the fresh lobster before returning. We have Newquay holiday apartments within easy reach of Crantock Beach, and many of them welcome dogs too (don’t forget that Crantock Beach is dog friendly all year round).

There was a new arrival causing hearts to melt at Paignton Zoo last week, as the attraction's Bornean orangutan, Mali welcomed her baby.

Mother and baby already have access to the Ape Centre so lucky visitors will be increasingly likely to spot the cuddly pair throughout the summer. The baby is the first orangutan to be born at the zoo since 1997, and the birth last Thursday has excited keepers as well as visitors.

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said “We are absolutely thrilled that our years of patience have been rewarded and that Mali is proving to be an excellent and attentive mother. The babies are such enchanting and vulnerable looking creatures that you can’t help but want to do something to save orangs from extinction”.

Exciting news everyone - the Kingswear Castle paddle steamer is back in service on Devon’s River Dart after almost fifty years. Guests of our Dartmouth holiday cottages can now cruise the river in style, enjoying all the sights and sounds of the era when steam reigned.

In fact, you can even make a day of it with a Paddle Steamer Round Robin tour, which includes a trip on the steam train as well as a cruise on the paddle steamer. All ferry crossings are included too, so check out the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company website for more information and ticket options.

The Paddle Steamer River Cruise takes visitors along the River Dart’s lower reaches, passing Dartmouth and Kingswear castles, Britannia Royal Naval College (where Wills once studied) Agatha Christie’s former home – the Greenway estate, Bayards Cove and much more. So many of Dartmouth’s attractions are best viewed from the water that the paddle steamer makes a lovely way to take in the sights.

We’re starting to get excited about Race for Life in the Blue Chip Holidays offices, and we’re asking for your help to meet our sponsorship target of £350 on Sunday 19 May.

We’ll be reaching for our trainers and joining thousands of women in a 5k run in aid of Cancer Research UK. Please click here to visit our donations page and help us get a little closer (or even exceed!) our target.

The race starts at 11am in Paignton, and all of us on the team are ready and raring to run (and walk) against cancer.

The Orient Express is chugging its way to the English Riviera for one night only on 27 April. The stunning British Pullman train will be enjoying a break from its usual home at London Victoria to treat lucky diners to a five course meal in the setting of a beautiful vintage train.

The world-famous Orient Express will make its way between Plymouth and Exeter, while passengers sip champagne from crystal glasses and enjoy the impeccable service of yesteryear from traditionally liveried stewards. The dining carriage is an opulent spot for a meal to say the least, with Art Deco detail and welcoming armchairs that could only mean one thing – dinner on the Orient Express.

So, slip on your glad rags and forget the world for an evening with an experience you’ll never forget. Once the world’s most sophisticated way of travelling by train, the Orient Express still stands for luxury, adventure and escape - even if only for one evening...

We bet you’ve never been to a deckchair cinema, well there’s one in Croyde, and in fact it’s one of the area’s biggest attractions. The quirky cinema enables patrons to sink back into a deckchair just as they would on the nearby beaches and enjoy the showing in style.

Large crowds file their way into Croyde’s village hall on Sundays of bank holiday weekends and every Wednesday of the summer holidays and enjoy new, old and unusual films.

It may feel bizarre to be settling down for a movie in a deckchair but a visit to the quirky cinema always delights visitors, and one TripAdvisor reviewer described the cinema as “so quaint it hurts”.

You’ve seen River Cottage transform from a 17 century property to a project in sustainable living, and now it’s a top class restaurant. River Cottage welcomes foodies, fans of the show and the curious to regular evening events that are an experience as well as a night out.

Dorset’s most famous cottage serves its groundbreaking dishes to diners while they enjoy live music and soak in the atmosphere. The ethos of River Cottage is to produce good food from seasonal, local ingredients – so it goes without saying that whatever’s on the menu will be a meal to remember.

The farm may be a hub of activity by day, but an evening visit to River Cottage will find it a peaceful setting with a feeling of being far from the crowds. The menu includes produce fresh from the fruit and vegetable garden, and the bed is baked in the ovens onsite.  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall may not be at the evening events but his passion is visible throughout the cottage, on the menu and in the food.