Cornwall based specialist letting agency, Classic Cottages has beaten off competition from across the county to scoop the title of �Best Website� in the tourism industry Oscars, The Cornwall Tourism Awards.

The website, www.classic.co.uk, which also won the best website category in the Cornwall Business Awards in May this year, has been redesigned and developed by an in house team of Unlocking Cornish potential (UCP) graduates.

To win the �Best Website� award Classic Cottages� website had to impress the judges in a range of categories including its design features, ease of navigation and overall impact.

Managing Director Simon Tregoning and his team celebrated the win at the glitzy award ceremony at The Headland Hotel in Newquay on 16th October. Simon collected the award from the category sponsor, Lynsey Bell from New Minds. Simon Tregoning said: �I am delighted that the success of our website has been recognised both in the business community through the Business awards and now and in the tourism sector. �The credit for the award must go to our young IT team who work consistently hard developing the latest systems for both our owners and customers to offer a fully interactive system that is both easy to use and visually appealing. �Having such a dynamic and creative IT team has enabled us to keep developing our systems with imagination to give us a significant competitive edge.� The company�s IT team is made up of three graduates who joined Classic Cottages via the Unlocking Cornish Potential scheme, which aims to combine talented young graduates with progressive Cornish companies.

Headed by Joel Henthorn, who joined Classic Cottages in 2002, the IT team has two other key members, who are both fellow UCP graduates, Shane Cornish and James Kennedy, both IT Developers.

Joel Henthorn, Head of IT said: ��I�m overjoyed to win another best website award for www.classic.co.uk. I get a great deal of satisfaction from developing effective, practical web solutions and am delighted that the hard work of the entire team has won us the title of best in the County.�

Now in their seventh year the Cornwall Tourism Awards were launched to reward and celebrate the increasing high standards and excellence within the Cornish tourism industry.

The ceremony was attended by more than 300 people and was hosted by Daphne Skinnard. Those in attendance were also treated to a guest appearance by Ruby Wax who recounted anecdotal stories of her holidays in the county.

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Image attached: L-R � Joel Henthorn (Classic Cottages), Lynsey Bell (Sponsor), Ruby Wax and Simon Tregoning (MD of Classic Cottages).

Notes to Editor�s:

Classic Cottages Classic Cottages is a specialist self catering letting agency based in Helston, Cornwall employing 28 staff. Classic Cottages market more that 700 high quality self catering holiday homes located in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

Classic Cottages was founded, as Cornish Cottages, in 1977 by Tony and Clare Tregoning. From the start the company was determined to build a reputation for offering only the very best properties in stunning locations. Starting with just twelve cottages in the first year, the company has grown to the point where now, in their 30th anniversary year, more than 700 properties benefit from their expertise.

Classic Cottages is still a family run company with the next generation picking up the reins and driving the company forward by taking on more high quality properties and leading the industry in their approach to marketing.

Over the years the business has won numerous awards, including The English Tourist Board \'England For Excellence\': Marketing Self-Catering Accommodation, Cornwall International Business of the Year: Tourism and Leisure category, and VisitCornwall�s Tourism Marketing Initiative of the Year. In 2007 Classic Cottages won the much coveted Guardian Observer Travel Award for Best Brochure Design. Classic Cottages� website www.classic.co.uk won the best website award in the Cornwall Business Awards in 2008.

www.classic.co.uk

For further information please contact:

Shelley Fletcher PR on behalf of Classic Cottages Deborah Clark Associates 01208 77900 shelley @dca-pr.co.uk Mary Harlow Operations Manager Classic Cottages 01326 555 500 mary@classic.co.uk