A Berry Pomeroy Timeslip Ghost
Following our theme of weird South Devon, here's a local incident that fits in to that most rare of paranormal experiences- the timeslip.Timselips are a reversal of the traditional Torbay ghost. Many …
Kevin Dixon(Author)
Hunting England’s Queen
In 1644 the English Navy was in Torbay hunting down England's Queen. This was Henrietta Maria of France, queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland and wife of Charles I. She was mother of his tw…
The Stench and Perfume of Olde Torquay
When we look at a picture of Victorian Torquay there's one thing that we can't really see. That's what the town actually smelled like. And it stank. The smell would have hit you instantly- a mixture…
The Wreck of the U-269
During lockdown the 1981 West German war film Das Boot has been regularly on TV. It's the fictionalised story of a German U Boat. But we do have the wreck of a real U-Boat off the coast of Torbay. …
The Press Gang in Torbay
During the wars against Napoleon the villagers of Torbay could be forced into joining the Royal Navy.It wasn't always so.While working and living conditions in the Royal Navy were harsh, at normal tim…
The Great Cream Tea Wars
Take a look at the two images above and below. Depending on where you're reading this, one should bring out feelings of belonging and images of home; the other a sense of alienation or even…
Spitting – A Torbay tradition
"Here I sitting behind in a dark place, a lady spit backward upon me by a mistake, not seeing me, but after seeing her to be a very pretty lady, I was not troubled at it at all", Samuel Pepys (1633-17…
Bees in Paradise (1944) in Torquay
Those movies filmed in Torbay still keep coming to our attention. One reason for this is that location data bases often don't include movies made during the War- we didn't want the Luftwaffe finding …
Tim Brooke Taylor in Torbay- a tribute
It's just been announced that actor and comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor has just died from coronavirus aged 79. Depending on your age you'll probably know Tim from one of a variety of roles, but for…
‘The Ritual’ on Film 4
On Tuesday 14 April at 9pm Film4 is showing the movie version of Torbay author Adam Nevill's novel, 'The Ritual'. This is a 2017 British supernatural horror film directed by David Bruckner, and starri…
The Funk Hole Myth- Torquay during World War Two
Local writer David Scott has just released his latest book, entitled 'The Funk Hole Myth- Torquay during World War Two'.David is the former editor of several regional newspapers, and was the managing…
Torquay’s Lost Observatory
We all know St Michael's Chapel opposite Torre Station. Less well known are the other ruins next to the chapel. However, this site was once vital to Torquay's tourism industry.This graffiti-covered wa…
Billy Kimber- Torquay’s real Peaky Blinder
"You owed our dad money, you paid with your life", Billy Kimber’s daughter Maudie Peaky Blinders is the period crime drama television series set in Birmingham which follows the exploits of the Shelby…
Body Snatchers in Torquay Cemetary?
Young folk growing up in Torquay were often told stories of body snatchers in Torquay Cemetery. There's also a specific tale of the Cemetery's grave diggers who illicitly dug up a recently buried w…