The ’Spoons of Torbay
Torquay has its Green Ginger; Paignton has the Talk of the Town and the Isaac Merritt, Brixham has the Vigilance. A bit further afield, Newton Abbot has the Richard Hopkins while Teignmouth has the …
Kevin Dixon(Author)
Gracie Fields in Torbay
Gracie Fields was a comedienne and singer in the British Music Halls. In 1937 she was the highest paid film star in the world and was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio... and,…
A couple of Torquay Fascists
During the inter-war period Torquay’s MP and the editor of the town’s newspaper had a similar and very surprising view of the world. They were both prominent self-confessed fascists, and one of them…
Mr Patel – the ‘terrorist’ who died in Torquay
"I am very sorry for what I have done here, but this is the place. I had to be here to carry out the deed. The money for food is on the table. To the chef, the food was magnificent. Fit for the gods…
The Haunting of Toby Jugg: Sex, Communism & Satanism at Dartington Hall
Continuing WASD’s interest in all things weird about South Devon, here’s a tale of sex, communism & Satanism in Dartington. The author Dennis Wheatley’s (1897-1977) huge output of thrillers…
Where There’s a Will (1955) in Staverton
Our latest WASD homage to movies filmed in glorious South Devon is to the Totnes-set 1955 comedy ‘Where There's a Will’. The movie was directed by Vernon Sewell and starred Kathleen H…
Torquay’s Clipper Inn closes
After a century as a pub Torquay’s historic Clipper Inn in Melville Street, off Abbey Road, is closing. It’s the latest in a series of town pubs that have closed their doors over the last 20 years…
Sons of the Sea (1939) in Dartmouth and Churston
Continuing our WASD series of movies filmed in South Devon, here’s ‘Sons of the Sea’. This 1939 Dartmouth-set British colour drama was directed by Maurice Elvey and starred Leslie Banks, Kay Walsh…
Guilt Is My Shadow (1950) in Ashburton
Regular readers of WASD will know that we like to remember old movies filmed in South Devon. This time it’s the turn of the 1950 Ashburton-set 'Guilt Is My Shadow', a low-key and low-budget Britis…
Run Wild, Run Free (1969) in Newton Abbot Market
Continuing our series of movies filmed on location in glorious South Devon, it’s now the turn of Run Wild, Run Free (1969). This “sensitive and beautiful film” was mostly filmed on Dartmoor but it…
The Ghost Train (1941) in Teignmouth and Dawlish
“They do say that to look on the ghost train would mean death”. Here’s another movie filmed locally, this time in Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren. It’s The Ghost Train, a 1941 English m…
‘Tinmouth’s’ Press for Time (1966)
Here at WASD we like to recognise movies that have been filmed in South Devon. This time it’s the Teignmouth and Shaldon-set Norman Wisdom 1966 comedy 'Press for Time'. The screenplay, a slapst…
The Great Torquay Saturday Night Out – you were there…
A few weeks ago we posted an article called the Great Torquay Slalom Run. It was about the Torquay Saturday night drinking game based on downhill skiing between poles - with the poles being replaced…
The Great Torquay Slalom Run
There used to be a Torquay Saturday night drinking game called the Great Torquay Slalom Run. The name comes from Alpine downhill skiing between poles where skiers would start at the top of the hil…