Last chance for England's glory

East Anglia, the Lake District and the Isle of Wight are making late bids for glory in `The Independent' search for the favourite family holiday in England. Hundreds of readers have submitted entries, but there is still time to win

"Just off the main tourist road, the A590 in Cumbria, lies a small unpretentious village named Greenodd," begins the nomination from Sandra Humphery of Montrose - one of many readers in Scotland who have taken up the challenge to nominate the best family holiday in England. "It was a carriage stop for poets on their way to Coniston. Nowadays you can wander along the riverbank and watch the herons fishing. You may go into Ulverston on market day and hear the local farmers discussing prices in a dialect as rolling as the neighbouring hills."

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 who do most for English tourism. Ms Humphery's entry was one of many received this week for the Lakes. Locations in Eastern England and along the South Coast have also done well numerically, though the South West remains the favourite region.

If you have not yet entered, there is still time to do so: nominations close next Tuesday.

The definition of Family Holiday of the Year is broad. 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. Mrs P Carveley of West Yorkshire recommends the city of York: "There's everything for everyone. River trips if you're feeling lazy; walk the walls, climb Clifford's Tower if you're feeling energetic."

Wendy White of Norwich suggests Southwold in Suffolk: "Unspoilt beaches, clear blue sea, wooden beach huts, a summer theatre and 1950s charm beckon. Have afternoon tea at the Swan Hotel, but stay at the Crown. The mood is upbeat, the food, wine and beer divine and the conversation worth eavesdropping on."

Once nominations close, a shortlist will be drawn up. Members of The Independent travel staff, plus representatives of the English Tourist Board, will visit the 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 the holiday selected as England's finest, you will be invited to the ceremony - and, with 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, just 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. Usual Newspaper Publishing plc rules apply. The travel editor's decision is final.