The ‘African Blondin’ and Wild Times at Cockington Court
On 31 July 1888 the Western Times reported on a fete at Cockington Court held to support the local Conservative...
The Invisible Invasion of Torbay
In April 1599 Hortensis Spinola, an Italian spy working for Spain, was preparing the ground for another invasion of England....
‘Chelston in Lockdown’ at Torre Abbey
As part of 'Create to Recover' local artist Fred Gray Fred was awarded a grant to paint a series of...
“Oddly shaped cigarettes”: Torquay’s Cannabis Tradition
The police recently raided a Torquay house and found cannabis plants to the value of £12,000 growing in two bedrooms....
‘What Next? Torbay’ building alliances through Arts and Culture
'What Next? Torbay' brings together people working in arts, culture and heritage across Torquay, Paignton, Brixham and the surrounding areas....
Torquay and the Life, and Beyond, of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
On August 5, 1920, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave a lecture at Torquay Town Hall. Here was a literary celebrity...
Celts, Romans & Saxons- Faith & Belief in Torbay
So when did Torbay become Christian?We know that the first recorded inhabitants of Torbay were a Celtic people who inhabited...
Is Torre Abbey a Monastery?
Is Torre Abbey a monastery? Did it have monks or canons and is there a difference? First some Devon history....
The Tragedy of Talitha Pol
The Speakeasy Cinema is screening the 1964 film The System in The Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey on Thursday 19...
Torquay’s Oldest Pub?
'The Hole in the Wall' is promoted as, "the oldest pub in Torquay". The marketing continues, "This historic tavern...
The Lyd- Torquay’s other stream
When we think of a Torquay stream the usual contenders are the Shire Brook which feeds into the King's...
The Torquay ‘Bunker’
Plans have just been submitted to convert the old Torquay Magistrates’ Court into ten residential apartments. Pre-Lockdown, there was a...
Rome’s Torquay D-day?
In 1724 Daniel Defoe wrote of Torbay: "In the Bottom of this Bay is a beautiful, well-built, and finely-situated...
The Hell that is Torquay
Back in July of 1947 the Spectator Magazine’s James Pope Hennessy spent three days in Torquay… and he didn’t like...
The Torquay Top Hat
If we look at images from Victorian Torquay, it's noticeable that everyone wore a hat. And for much of...
The Torquay Muff
We have a couple of 1870 prints entitled 'The Strand';' and 'Torquay Morning Promenade in the Paignton Road'. Both these...
Torquay’s Promenading Parasol
This one is about the secret language of Torquay's promenading parasol. First, a definition. A parasol is not an umbrella....
Tuscan Torquay
This is about Tuscan Torquay; and why we decided to build mock Italian church bell towers across our town. In...
Making Torquay’s Middle Class: Torre’s Constitutional Club
Just next to Torquay Police Station in Torre is an unusual four-storey building. This is the old Torre Conservative Club...
Torquay as a Woman’s Town
Sybil Fawlty really ran Fawlty Towers. She was a far more effective manager than her husband, handled crises calmly, and...
