Competition: Fifty million home-grown holidays
We asked you to nominate your favourite family holiday in England - and the response has been magnificent. Hundreds of readers have so far submitted entries, but there is still time to win.
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Your support makes all the difference.Fifty million: that has just been announced as the final tally for holidays in England taken by British residents last year. The figure helps to explain the remarkable level of interest that Independent readers have shown in our search for the best family holiday in England.
The English Tourist Board has enlisted the help of The Independent for a new category in its annual England for Excellence awards, which reward the people and places that do most for English tourism.
We want you to vote for a new category: the Family Holiday of the Year. You may choose a resort, or city; a campsite, or hotel; a holiday camp, or activity centre - any location which you feel reflects the best of an English holiday. (Do make sure, though, that the location is actually in England - we've had a few entries for other parts of the UK.)
A shortlist of the entries will be drawn up and members of the travel staff at The Independent, plus representatives of the English Tourist Board, will visit each location and evaluate it in the light of readers' comments.
Your entry will earn you the chance to bask in your nominee's glory at the England for Excellence awards ceremony in London on 4 November. If yours is chosen as the best nomination for England's top family holiday, you will be able to attend the ceremony. We will also invite your family, to visit a new attraction for our regular Outings feature.The English Tourist Board will bring you to London for the ceremony, while The Independent will provide a journalist and photographer to accompany you on your day out.
To enter, write to The Best Family Holiday Award, PO Box 4AP, London W1A 4AP with the following information: your nominated family holiday - and, in 100 words or fewer, your reasons for choosing it; your name, address, and daytime telephone number.
Here are two of the entries we've already received:
Whitby (picture above)
"Where adventure, fun and history combine to whet the appetite for all the family to savour. Steeped in history, Whitby was the largest whaling port in England. Captain Scoresby invented the Crows Nest, and Captain Cook sailed the world. Besides sand, sea and fishing, there are scenic cliff-top walks that are a bird spotter's paradise. Amusement arcades, golf, swimming baths and the theatre, in conjunction with excellent guest houses such as Grantley House, make Whitby a family holiday second to none."
V J Jackson, Cheshire
Mullion Cove Hotel, Mullion Cove, near Helston, Cornwall
The wonder of its setting is equalled only by the deliciousness of the food and the friendliness of the staff. Families (and dogs) are genuinely welcome.
The road ends at the hotel so older children can explore freely. Details of local walks and beaches are provided in each room. When our son wanted a sea-fishing trip, they arranged it - and dried our clothes afterwards!
Breakfast is the full English versiont at its best; dinner of a quality uniformly excellent (the menu changes daily); the cost for a family on half-board is very reasonable.
Mair Gaunt, Cardiff
So far, South West England is doing especially well, while East Anglia looks surprisingly thin. And England's big cities are feel a tad neglected, too. You have 10 days to get your bid in. The closing date is Tuesday, 30 September.
Usual Newspaper Publishing plc rules apply. The travel editor's decision is final.
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