Devon

Blackpool Sands

This is family beach utopia with clean water, pristine sand, great facilities and lots to do: from kayaking to boogie-boarding. The beach has been owned and managed by the Newman family since the 50s.

County Antrim

White Park Bay

Pack your watercolours with your bucket and spade as you may be inspired to paint this stunning arc of sand near Giant's Causeway.

Dorset

Chesil Beach

Thanks to its geological marvels, this stretch of coast, known as the Jurassic Coast is a Natural World Heritage Site. Chesil Beach stretches for 30 km of pebbles which decrease in size from Portland to West Bay. They say local fishermen landing at night ca tell where they are just by looking at the stones.

Brighton

Famous for being the gay capital of the south, Brighton enjoys a history of acceptance and counterculture that makes it visually, politically and religiously one of the most colourful cities in Britain.

While bitterly cold and wet in Winter, it becomes a colourful display of exuberance as soon as summer hits, drawing tourists like bees to honeysuckle, also known as London-by-sea.

Trendy clothes shops and organic cafes line the narrow streets of the North Laines and the bars and cavernous beachfront nightclubs are a hedonist's paradise. The gay community is based around Kemp Town which is home to gay hotels and estate agencies as well as gay-friendly churches.

Sussex University, just outside the city centre, retains the strong socialist tradition that it acquired in the 1960s.

Must see

The Royal Pavilion. Designed by John Nash between 1815 and 1823 for the Prince Regent before he was crowned King George IV.

Brighton Pier. This relic of the Victorian age is a great place to have good, old-fashioned fun.

Leeds

A really lively city with fantastic shops. ;Leeds was voted the UK's best shopping destination by Rough Guide in 2006. The Corn Exchange is a beautiful domed building that houses funky boutiques. Greek Street is a real hot spot for restaurants and bars.

Northumberland

Beadnell Bay

Follow the path from Beadnell village and you get to Beadnell Bay sweeping towards ruined Dunstanburgh Castle in the distance. The beach is backed by an 18th century harbour wall and rugged dunes, and although it is on the east coast it actually faces west, making it a perfect spot to watch the sunset.

Suffolk

Southwold Beach

There is a decidedly retro appeal to this one, the pretty multicoloured huts lined up on the beach are so quaint they make you want to put on a frilly-skirted swimming costume and pack a wicker picnic hamper full of ham sandwiches and lashings of ginger beer. The beach itself is a breezy stretch of golden sand with the chi-chi town of Southwold just behind it.

East Sussex

Camber Sands

In the 50s, Camber Sands on the South coast was the epitome of kiss-me-quick seaside fun but recently it has been reborn as a cool resort. Is sunny aspect and sweeping golden dunes make it popular backdrop for fashion shoots when the budget's too tight for Miami. It has also played a supporting role in films (notably standing in for the Sahara in Carry on, Follow that came!)

Bristol

Airport

The Bristol International Flyer connects the airport to Temple Meads train station, Bristol Bus station and Clifton, with stops around the city.

Christmas Steps Arts Quarter is an ancient and beautiful medieval stepped hill flanked by independent shops, galleries and cafes.

Migrations is a world music festival running through the year at St George's Bristol. Enjoy films, talks, exhibitions and music events with global artists appearing alongside the best of Bristol's diverse local talent.

The lively neighbourhood of Southville lies south of the centre. Seek out North Street for trendy shops and cafes.

Day trip

Slimbridge. Discover the world's largest collection of swans, geese and ducks at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Slimbridge of Bristol. Up the road is the village of Berkeley, home to Berkeley Castle and Edward Jenner Museum.

Windsor

Weymouth

Oxford

The university of Oxford is made up of a large number of colleges all of which having been established separately and at different times, enjoy a considerable measure of independence. Christ Church is the largest of the colleges and the buildings at Merton College are among the oldest in the city.

Portsmouth/Southsea/Gosport

Saltaire

In the middle of Bronte country in West Yorkshire, Saltaire is a model Victorian industrial village just north of Bradford city centre. Originally built by wool mill magnate and philanthropist Sir Titus Salt, its mill now houses the 1853 Gallery, which showcases the work of another local-boy-made-good, David Hockney.