A relaxed pace ...or drum'n'bass

Regional focus: The South-west

Beaches, bars and natural beauty tempt UK stars to the South-west. Zoe Frampton looks around

Published: 30 September 2003

What's so great about the South-west? Perhaps it's the mixture of countryside, sleepy villages and beaches, contrasting with lively towns and cities. Beautiful historical sites are set against up-to-the-minute clubs and bars, which means the area has loads to offer. The laid-back atmosphere, casual by day and funky by night, is unique to this part of the country.

A great example of a South-west seaside town is Bournemouth, where the best attraction is seven miles of sandy beach. These beaches have won awards for safety and cleanliness. Bournemouth also boasts over 2,000 acres of award-winning parks and gardens and the nearby New Forest.

Bournemouth is also a popular destination for celebrities. Trendy restaurant and bar Bree's and Klute is a favourite hangout for boy band Blue and actress Martine McCutcheon. The VIP area has also been visited by DJ Sara Cox and husband Jon Carter, and indie band Coldplay. The town's largest club, Elements (previously The Cage), is famous for being the place that inspired Craig David's hit "7 Days".

Bournemouth also has its own celebrities - the local grammar school has educated the likes of Blur's Alex James and Hollywood actor Christian Bale. In fact the area is such a pull for the rich and famous that Madonna and the Beckhams have all been house-hunting in nearby Poole Quay. Even the beaches have found fame, Sandbanks beach is recognisable as the location for the video of Coldplay's "Yellow".

Bristol, meanwhile, has all the attractions of a vibrant city with the added bonus of nearby countryside, valleys and woods. The neighbouring Spa town of Bath should be on every UK resident's must-see list. And the area surrounding Bristol and Bath is famous both for the beautiful Downs, and its waterways. Bristol has a historic harbour, the river Avon, and the dramatic Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Musically, the Bristol area is home to the distinctive sound of UK trip hop/big beat fusion, as exemplified by local artists Massive Attack, Portishead and Roni Size.

The Bristol BBC studios also produce some of Britain's best known television series, including Casualty, Holby City and Teachers. It is sometimes possible to spot cast members in and around the city.

Gloucester has a more sedate feel altogether than other areas in the South-west. Famous for cider and cheese-making, it hosts the bizarre annual cheese-rolling competition on Cooper's Hill, which involves rolling a huge Double Gloucester cheese down the incredibly steep hill and racing after it. This can actually be quite dangerous! Not for the faint-hearted.

The South-west is certainly a good place to live or to visit, with its wide variety of scenery and lifestyles making it virtually impossible to be bored.