English Riviera Magazine August/September 2020 by English Riviera Magazine

Walks • Local Food • Heritage • Nature • People • Events • Arts

EnglishRiviera Aug/Sept 2020

magazine

WE MEET Will Mills

Abstract Artist Vicki & Phil

Life at the Meadfoot Bay

Walk

Galmpton Creek to Maypool

Heritage Quiz

Test your local knowledge

The D'Oyly Cartes At Pudcombe Cove

Paignton Zoo

ROARS AGAIN! English Riviera Magazine for Residents by Residents DELIVERED FREE TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE BAY

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“It was a memorable evening, the first night out after lockdown.The food was delicious, staff very attentive. Felt very safe from the dreaded virus. Congratulations to all.”

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About us...

Welcome

To the August/September issue. Created and Published By Devon Magazine Company Limited Julian Rees julian@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Telephone 01803 842893 Mobile: 07455 206470 Anita Newcombe anita@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Telephone: 01803 850886 Advertising Sales sales@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Advertising Copy copy@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Editorial editorial@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Website englishrivieramagazine.co.uk ISSN (Print) 2052-8515 ISSN (Online) 2052-8523

Next issue 25 September Write to us at: ENGLISH RIVIERA MAGAZINE 69 DAVIES AVENUE PAIGNTON TQ4 7AW © 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form without prior permission of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, Devon Magazine Company Ltd will not accept liability for loss or damage. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any omissions, errors or alterations or for the consequences of any reliance on these details; neither can they vouch for the accuracy of claims made by any advertiser. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers.

Life in the Bay is now emerging like a butterfly, its wings small and tentative attempting to fly. We’re now all wearing masks in public spaces and making all the adjustments needed to keep our residents and visitors safe while we try to resume our businesses and livelihoods. Yes, it’s been tough but I have marvelled at how brilliantly Torbay’s towns have been working together. There’s a buzz in the air and already I’m seeing people out and about enjoying themselves. In this issue we bring you the latest news from Paignton Zoo and Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust. We also hear the experiences of boutique hoteliers Vicki and Phil from the Meadfoot Bay and chat to emerging abstract artist William Mills. In fact there’s lots going on in Torbay’s Arts scene with the English Riviera Summer Open and the Devon Open Studios events. There’s also a delightful walk to try in this issue. If you prefer (or need to) to stay home, we’ve got lots of heritage features plus a heritage quiz and a picture quiz to keep you busy.

Happy reading and stay safe!

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In this issue | August & September 2020 6 Openers Local news snippets

16 Will Mills

12 Vicki Osborne & Phil Harnett Life at the Meadfoot Bay Hotel

16 Will Mills - Artist Devon Open Studios Bursary Winner

20 John Callcott Horsley Inventor of the Christmas card

22 Sarah Brydges-Willyams The widow whose kindness changed Britain

24 Torbay’s Press Gangs Join the navy...or else!

27 Teignmouth Tombs Jenny Ridd unlocks some family secrets

30 Pudcombe Cove Exploring the D’Oyly Cartes’ family cove

33 Beach Clean Kayakers clear up!

34 Picture Quiz Can you spot where we’ve been?

37 Heritage Quiz Test your knowledge of Torbay’s past

38 Riviera Walk Galmpton Creek to Maypool

40 TCCT News An update on coast and countryside places

43 Our Beautiful Gardens Torquay’s ornamental gardens

44 Paignton Zoo Reopened and awaiting your visit

46 Arts Roundup Art exhibitions and events

40 Team TCCT

48 Business Local business news

On the cover Wildflowers in Torquay © Julian Rees englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

43 Beautiful Gardens August/September 2020 | 5

Openers... Openers... Openers... O Aimee Donates iPads A loving daughter whose father died from COVID-19 has raised funds to buy iPads, which she has donated to Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. This enables patients to reach their loved ones amid COVID restrictions on visitors. The iPads include ‘Attend Anywhere’ software, also enabling access to video consultations with health professionals instead of face-to-face meetings, which have been restricted due to infection control measures. Another initiative is called #SendingLove for relatives and friends to send a handdelivered message and photograph. Aimee, a nursing lecturer, is a former Health Care Assistant at Torbay Hospital’s cardiac ward and emergency department. She decided to raise funds for iPads after keeping in contact with her father James in hospital, by video. She said, “Being able to Skype was an incredibly emotional process and meant I could be with him. I couldn’t hold his hand or brush his hair but he was talking to me and able to see his grandchildren play.” Aimee is now raising money to buy iPads for other hospitals, which she hopes to have engraved with her father’s name before donating. Almost £8,000 has been donated so far and anyone who wishes to support her cause can visit JustGiving. 

Disabled Sailing Gets £10,000 Award The Disabled Sailing Association, Torbay has been awarded £10,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund towards the costs of maintaining both their yachts during the Covid-19 crisis. Peter Turner, DSA Chairman said that he was delighted with the award explaining, “We 6

| August/September 2020

provide a unique service and it would be a great loss to the disabled community if we were not able to cover the costs of maintaining our two yachts in a fit state for their intended use.” Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s Chief Executive said, “We are proud to be able to provide vital funding to the Disabled Sailing Association, Torbay to help it through these extremely challenging times.”   www.disabledsailingassociation.org.uk

Ceremonies Restart Following a break in service due to the COVID-19 lockdown measures, Torbay’s Registrar Service has resumed conducting marriage and civil partnership ceremonies. Torbay’s Register Office, located at Cockington Court is now able to host marriage and civil partnership ceremonies, albeit on a smaller scale than before. The Ceremony Room will run at a reduced capacity of just eight guests (including the couple), and the Register Office will have a maximum capacity of four people (including the couple). Cllr Christine Carter, Cabinet Member for Corporate and Community Services, Torbay Council, said, “Although we are having to offer ceremonies at a reduced capacity, the recommencement of ceremonies is the great news that many of our local couples have been waiting for. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all couples who are rebooking their ceremonies my congratulations as they take the next step in their lives together”. Any couples that have ceremonies booked in the Cary Room or Hayloft at Cockington Court will need to make contact direct via info@cockingtoncourt.org. 

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.. Openers... Openers... Openers... Palace Theatre on the Global Stage Paignton’s Palace Theatre was the venue for an inspirational short film by internationally acclaimed, American spoken word artist, activist and YouTuber, Prince Ea. With over 1 billion Facebook and 5.64 million YouTube followers, Prince Ea has received many accolades including a listing in Oprah Winfrey’s: Oprah’s Supersoul 100 - the world’s biggest trailblazers. South West based independent filmmaker Jake Cauty of JPC Film hired the Palace Theatre’s auditorium for the film entitled ‘Kid Drops Out of Class – The Reason Will Make You Cry.’ Jake, who regularly works with some of the biggest names in the media industry including Disney and Sony Pictures, and his small crew spent the day filming a scene with the young star Alex Robinson playing the Palace Theatre’s Grotrian-Steinweg grand piano. Jake says, “It’s been one of the best experiences we’ve had on a film shoot.” The short film voiced by Prince Ea has already had nearly 300,000 views on YouTube. Maureen McAllister, Director of Operations for Jazz Hands Community Interest Company at the Palace Theatre said, “The ‘lights, camera, action’ bringing a little ray of light in these horrid times and to see our piano and stage in the film, and the Palace Theatre Paignton mentioned in the credits is fabulous!” 

 palacetheatre.co.uk

Harbour Patrol Tor Bay Harbour Authority is partnering with Devon & Cornwall Police to help promote sea safety and to assist with enforcement within the Bay. Police officers will be joining members of the Harbour Authority in their boat ‘Oscar 4’ over the summer months as they undertake regular patrols. Together, using harbour byelaws and police powers, the teams will tackle any reports and incidents; these may include unsafe use of craft and anti-social behaviour at sea or on the coastline. In addition they will also be providing sea safety information englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

and advice for people engaged in the various types of waterborne activities that share Tor Bay waters. Cllr, Nicole Amil, Harbour Committee Chair, Torbay Council, said, “This is just one of many multi agency initiatives that Torbay Council are involved in, which are helping to create a safer environment for both residents and visitors to the region”. Harbour staff will also be looking out for and reporting any suspicious activity seen in the ports to the Police and Border Force as part of Operation Kraken.   tor-bay-harbour.co.uk/safety

Jack the Ripper South Devon Players Theatre Company are casting for a tour of their steampunk stage show ‘Jack the Ripper’ about the notorious Victorian serial killer. The show will tour around Devon, and up to Bristol, once live theatre is deemed safe. The show is a researched drama based on a number of the historical theories surrounding Jack The Ripper in Whitechapel, London. The show never reveals who the Ripper is, therefore through the show he is played by different people, all similarly masked. The principal main character is the detective Frederick Abberline, a brilliant, humanitarian, but broken man, working to track down the killer. There is a fantastic range of characters to be cast, and roles cover all ages from 18 to 70, both male and female. Auditions will be done by self-tape and early rehearsals will be via Zoom online video calls, moving to live rehearsals once cleared by Equity. Further projects are planned so get in touch, if interested.   southdevonplayers.com

August/September 2020 | 7

Openers... Openers... Openers... Saltern Chalet Martin Robins has produced a fascinating booklet about the chalet that was built by his grandfather William on land overlooking Saltern Cove in the 1930s. It is full of photos and recollections of many happy holidays at the chalet in what he describes as, “one of the finest places on this side of Heaven.” William Robins worked for Great Western Railways and the booklet details how he used his GWR connections to help get the chalet built. The family collected rainwater through a well-designed hole in the roof, used a chemical toilet and tended a garden that provided fresh fruit and vegetables. Grandfather William also kept lobster pots and swam in the bay daily, come rain or shine. Martin says, “For over forty

years it gave immense pleasure to hundreds of people, some even lived there in war time. My grandfather had five sons and was himself one of twelve.” For those interested in this delightful area, this is a fascinating read. If you’d like a copy please send a cheque for £5 to: MJ Robins, Glebe Farm, Lower Stanton St Quintin, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 6DB – don’t forget to include your name and full address. 

Torbay Lifeboat still on Call 24/7 As an essential emergency service, Torbay Lifeboat has remained on call throughout this pandemic, ready, willing and able to launch at a moment’s notice to save lives at sea. As a totally self-funded charity, the RNLI is reliant on fundraising, donations and the souvenir shops; Covid-19 has severely impacted its income. At the same time, the crew still needs protective kit and fuel to launch its lifeboats, and the lifeboat station and lifeboats need to be maintained and repaired. Fundraisers have been doing everything they can to raise funds at this time using online fundraising. They have been holding ‘virtual’ events such as coffee mornings, quizzes, jigsaws, competitions and an online magazine. You can follow their events on Facebook @TLFTorbay and if you would like to support the RNLI by making a donation you can do this via the Torbay Lifeboat Fundraisers Just Giving page at justgiving.com/ fundraising/rnli-tlf or contact the treasurer on 01803 666171.  8

| August/September 2020

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OVER THE THRESHOLD Record Inheritance Tax bills are a reminder of the need for good estate planning There are few more confusing – or unpopular – taxes than Inheritance Tax (IHT). For older generations, the prospect of paying up to 40% tax on what they leave behind is diﬃcult to contemplate. For some children and grandchildren, grappling with IHT is something they are ill-equipped to do. Yet more and more families are having to deal with IHT. Figures show that IHT receipts reached £5.4 billion in the 2018/2019 tax year. HMRC’s latest estimates show a year-on-year increase of £164 million.1 The rise reﬂects the surge in residential property prices, as well as the strong recovery in other asset values, which has dragged more households into the IHT net. From April 2020, the residence nil

rate band rose to £175,000, for those who qualify. Coupled with the fact that the ﬁrst £325,000 of an individual’s estate is exempt from IHT, this will mean that, subject to certain conditions, a married couple and civil partners could have a combined tax free estate worth £1,000,000.2 Despite this, at the heart of this problem remains the simple fact that IHT could be considered a voluntary tax; the Treasury relies on inertia and people’s reluctance to confront the issue.

‘‘

WITH CAREFUL IHT PLANNING, MORE WEALTH COULD BE RETAINED TO SUPPORT FUTURE GENERATIONS

The boost to the Treasury’s coffers is a reminder of the damaging effect death duties can have on families’ plans to create and pass on wealth, and also that there are perfectly legitimate ways of mitigating IHT through foresight and careful financial planning. The mitigation of IHT does not require high-powered tax planning; only a willingness to discuss the issue, take action and make use of the many options available, establishing trusts* where appropriate; and making use of annual exemptions such as gifting. If you are uncertain about where you stand regarding IHT and would like to know more about how

to prevent much of your money falling into the hands of HMRC, or your local authority through long-term care fees, you should seek advice. For further information or to arrange a no-obligation meeting, please contact Orestone Wealth Management Ltd by phone on 01803 659659 or by email at adrian.howard@sjpp.co.uk

The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances. * Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 1 gov.uk - HMRC tax receipts, 24 April 2019 2 gov.uk/inheritance-tax, April 2019

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Torquay

£795,000 Freehold The property offers a unique and exciting home enjoying panoramic views, the principal accommodation arranged on one level, with a self contained annexe at garden level. It has a kitchen/dining room opening to a terrace, living room, 4 bedrooms, 2 en-suite, bathroom, utility, study, with the annexe offering a living room/kitchen, bedroom, shower room. Gardens. EPC Rating – D

Marldon

£725,000 Leasehold Enjoying a semi-rural location, the property has spacious accommodation, in excess of 4000 sq.ft, traditionally arranged over 2 floors, with a self contained cottage adjacent. The accommodation has a dining room, drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility, cloakroom, 4 bedrooms, 3 en-suites, bathroom. The separate annexe has 2 bedrooms, en-suites, kitchen/dining room, sitting room. Extensive gardens, swimming pool, and parking. EPC Rating – E

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Vicki Osborne & Phil Harnett LIFE AT THE

M E A D F O O T B AY Having taken over The Meadfoot Bay in April 2017 and created the stylish boutique hotel it has now become, Vicki and Phil deftly set up a successful home delivery service during lockdown and have now reopened the hotel and brasserie. Anita Newcombe pops by.

here are some rather nice-looking cars in the car park when I arrive at The Meadfoot Bay. Phil greets me at the door and takes my temperature. Fortunately I pass the test and am invited for a chat in the hotel’s lounge. Vicki and Phil tell me that before coming here they ran an advertising agency in London for many years and, in fact, still manage some clients on a consultancy basis. Having worked together for 23 years, theirs was the classic office romance; they subsequently started their business EQtwo in July 1999. While they loved the work and their life in London, the emphasis gradually changed from offline to online, with fewer big creative campaigns (in

12 | August/September 2020

the press and on TV and radio) and more clients wanting digital programmes. Vicki tells me, “There were fewer opportunities for real creativity with digital media so it just became less fun.” The couple had worked with a number of travel and leisure-related businesses and stayed in lots of wonderful boutique hotels all over the world; eventually a plan evolved to seek out a new adventure in the hotel business. Phil explains, “Vicki took me to the Lake District for my birthday. We stayed at the Gilpin and the way the hotel was divided into a main hotel and another smaller property (the owner’s ex-house) got us thinking. It was

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lovely but rather intriguing and we realised that we would murky weather – we put in an offer quite quickly and it was accepted.” love to create a boutique hotel ourselves.” The purchase was completed on the Friday and they By chance their office lease was up for renewal. Clients opened at The Meadfoot Bay on the Monday. I think were tending to communicate more online than off, so it sounds terrifying but Vicki explains, “We had kept they decided to take the plunge and close the premises. the housekeeping team and taken on a breakfast chef.” Now the search for the proposed new challenge began. They wanted a hotel with good business potential and that When they started, Vicki looked after the reception daily from breakfast right through to 10pm while Phil worked meant a location that would attract the right customers. remotely on the EQtwo (advertising) business. They They looked first at properties in the Lake District but took on a management couple initially while they worked soon discovered that the amount of rain rather (as they towards creating the ‘next generation’ Meadfoot Bay. say) “dampened the soul”. So they criss-crossed the The hotel has country in their 15 rooms with search seeing It was an evolving thing – we were so thrilled that four different some fascinating people went with us and it was great to really room types: suites, places along the understand the layout of Torquay and get to know deluxe, superior way. people in the community.” and standard. They were Two of the suites have delightful outside terraces and all both quite clear that they were looking for a new business the rooms are beautifully decorated with gorgeous fluffy rather than a new home but were rather shocked by the towels, complimentary toiletries, free Wifi, mini fridges living conditions of some of the hotel owners. Phil says, and tea & coffee facilities. The rooms are all named after “It was quite heartbreaking to see how some lived.” By local coves including: Churston Cove, Saltern Cove, 2016 they had arrived in the West Country looking at Pudcombe Cove and Anstey’s Cove. properties in Padstow and Bude before visiting Torquay. Their management couple moved on and now came They were shown The Meadfoot Bay and immediately two real ‘finds’. Jody Miller-Studdy as General Manager; thought that it could fit the bill. Vicki tells me, “It was he’s Devon born and bred (with a spell in France) and generously sized with a lot potential and the area was really lovely. We loved where we lived in London so a new Callum Tasker as Chef who has considerable experience working with two renowned Bay chefs Simon Hulstone place had to feel good as well as work well too.” and Mitch Tonks. Casting back over her memories Vicki says, “Torquay So, now with a top team in place they decided to open had a sort of lovely soft look even though it was rather

“

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August/September 2020 | 13

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Riviera People Brasserie at the Bay. They tested the concept in advance, deciding that there was enough demand. It started well but then disaster – the global pandemic struck and they had to close the hotel. Phil says, “We had to do a fast rethink in terms of menu so we could offer home delivery and takeaway options to our customers.” There were also logistics to be worked out. Vicki set up a dedicated online payment system while Phil did the deliveries of evening meals. Phil tells me, “Interestingly, in the first month it was just ourselves and The Elephant plus a couple of curry houses that offered a takeaway service.” The Brasserie had only been open three months but their culinary delights were hugely well received. Curries were very popular with Malaysian and Goan dishes now flying out of the door. They also had a successful ‘Lobsterfest’ but most popular were the homedelivered Sunday lunches. They offered a 20% discount to NHS workers and made donations to local foodbanks. Vicki explains, “It was an evolving thing – we were so thrilled that people went with us and it was great to really understand the layout of Torquay and get to know people in the community.” Of course, closing the hotel and restaurant was very challenging financially. Vicki explains, “This year was really going to be the year for us – we became a boutique hotel, had invested in a huge refurbishment programme, we had ten staff and the service and facilities were now excellent. We had done really well in January and February so Covid was a major blow.” In fact they closed early on 18th March and initially had one couple that really didn’t want to leave. Then the hard work started again. They had to take on a lot of extra cost around cleaning, especially the use of protective equipment and investing in their own ‘fogger’ as well as a UV machine that blasts the room with cleansing UV light. They received a small business grant to help tide them over which helped, along with business rate relief, but they couldn’t cut costs as much englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

as they’d hoped while closed. Phil says, “It’s quite expensive running a hotel, even without guests.” Now the hotel is open again and guests are returning. They have re-planned the restaurant, cutting the tables by 50%. Already there’s been a great response with people saying they feel safe – in fact, the Brasserie with its new table layout, looks stunning and has a delicious menu – very tempting. Despite the Covid setback, their original vision appears to be bearing fruit. Phil says, “We felt that there was a place for a boutique hotel when we came. In the next 18 months to two years there will be lots more 5-star hotel bedrooms in Torbay – I think that the Bay will then become much more like the jewel it once was.” Vicki says, “The demographic of our guests has changed. Originally the décor of The Meadfoot Bay was chintz and red carpets. After we refurbished over 2017/18 the average age went down; originally mainly in their 60s and 70s, we’re now getting many more guests in their 20s, 30s and 40s, so we now have a lovely spread.” The couple love it when friends come to visit. Often with preconceived ideas of Torquay, they are amazed by how stunning it is. When Vicki and Phil have time, they enjoy visiting beaches and National Trust properties; they have also adopted St Luke’s Torquay as their local church. Vicki is a qualified lay minister and their London priest came down and blessed the building for them. Vicki explains, “I have always been very much involved with the church and even more so when our priest became ill. A lay minister cannot bless the sacrament but can preach, take services, baptise and take the sacrament to the sick.” Before lockdown she was running a regular, hour-long ‘Quiet Space’ at St Luke’s (a time for people to spend as much quiet time in church as they wish) and hopes to again. Sounds like the perfect balance after the busy work involved in running a fabulous boutique hotel!   meadfoot.com August/September 2020 | 15

William Mills ABSTRACT ART

William Mills is a young Torbay artist who has successfully exhibited his show-stopping large abstracts across the South West and has sold works as far afield as Australia. Anita Newcombe calls him for a chat. 16 | August/September 2020

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ill’s bold paintings are a joy of colour, light and shade with wonderful texture and depth. Creating works described as Turneresque, he’s being hailed as an emerging English Riviera talent and has won the New Elizabeth Bovill Trophy in 2020. Just 16 months ago, William Mills quit his job to concentrate full time on his art. He took everything he’d painted to Artizan Gallery in Torquay and spent an hour chatting to owners Julie and Jacob Brandon about where he should be headed. He tells me, “They were very encouraging but I was a bit lost – I was painting in a vacuum and had little concept of where to start my journey.” Will had been painting in earnest since his teens and before that too. After leaving Torquay Boys’ Grammar School in 2011 with 3 A-Levels and 10 good GCSEs, he studied art at King Edward VI College and subsequently took a degree in Film at Falmouth University. Will then started a sales career with a global software company, sticking it out for four years even though his ADHD made things very difficult for him. He tells me, “It was really tough – a constant battle. ADHD is like a mental incoherence - it’s exhausting in an office job. Some days you arrive at your desk and everything just clicks into place, others feel like every thought process is being filtered through six miles of sludge– it takes a big emotional toll.” Eventually Will realised that the only job he could do while being himself was in art, “Painting has always englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

been the only corner of my life that my ADHD couldn’t penetrate, or complicate”. He explains, “I spent years doubting I’d ever find a career in which I could be myself, and now I’ve found it.” In his toughest years, painting had become increasingly compulsive and when he managed to buy a small flat of his own in Torquay he decided it was time; he flung himself into a full-on world of canvasses, paint, varnishes, applicators and crafting tools. With help from Artizan Gallery, he has learned how to share his artworks and begin making his mark. He says, “It’s daunting, to take things that you have made, poured over and loved, and then to not only share them, but try and assign a monetary value to them, I don’t think any artist finds that easy”. Till this point Will had only sold his paintings to family and friends but in June 2019 he sold two large pieces to someone he didn’t know for the very first time. He says, “It was incredible, life-affirming. I was with my girlfriend when the email came in and it was an unbelievable feeling.” He has regularly exhibited since 2019 and had his first solo show ‘Horizons’ at Artizan Gallery in January and February 2020. Many of his sales now come through online art platforms and he has sold pieces to places as far afield as Australia and across the United States. Will tells me, “I live an isolated life now – my friends have moved to London and I’ve stayed here in Torquay. But it works for me; the sheer amount of work involved going from nothing, to becoming an established artist in August/September 2020 | 17

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“

It’s very generous to compare my work to Turner – such atmospheric painting, brooding, turbulent, sweepingly organic yet industrial, and delicate – I love the comparison

just a year, is immense.” Will’s hard work has paid off and he is “close to being self-sufficient” now. He explains, “I just want not to have to worry about having enough materials and paint. To wake up every day with the safe knowledge that this isn’t temporary, this isn’t just an expensive hobby, this is my life now.” I tell Will that Artizan Gallery’s Julie Brandon has told me she believes he has a great talent and that other artists she has spoken to admire his work – a meaningful accolade. She has even told me that he has been compared to the legendary Turner. How does he feel about that I wonder? He says, “It’s very generous to compare my work to Turner – such atmospheric painting, brooding, turbulent, sweepingly organic yet industrial, and delicate – I love the comparison.” The central theme underpinning William’s work is the ongoing journey in understanding personal identity and how it is shaped over the passage of time. He describes his work as, “rooted in something between seascapes and landscapes, evoking that feeling of gazing over something, far off in the distance.” His paintings are bold and eye-catching and some now grace the walls of beautiful properties in the UK and around the world. Will has recently won the top bursary for Devon Open Studios, which runs from 12-27 September 2020. As overall winner he has been awarded the Joanna Radford prize. This allows him to exhibit in the prestigious event englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

without cost, makes a contribution towards his materials and gets him lots of press coverage. Devon Open Studios gives art-lovers the chance to meet artists in their studios right across Devon. He will spend a total of three months preparing and is hoping to have 20-30 new paintings for the event. He tells me, “I have an aesthetic or visual idea in mind then work around that – everything has the same cohesive language.” Julie and Jacob at Artizan Gallery are Will’s main touchpoint with the art world and help him a great deal. However, he has also been working recently with an art consultant Ceri Hand, her time being paid for by a Torbay Council Arts Bursary. Will says, “Her main influence has been to help me understand where my focus needs to be over the coming year. She has opened my eyes to different ways of traversing the art world.” Will’s current position is one of “relentless optimism. This year has been a constant roller-coaster, the highs are so incredibly high, and the lows can be crushing, but I’ve never been happier, I can finally wake up feeling like I’m doing something I’m made to do”. Devon Open Studios featuring William Mills will be exhibited at Artizan Gallery 7 Lucius Street Torquay TQ2 5NZ from 12-27 September. He will also be featured at the English Riviera Summer Open at Artizan Collective Gallery at 74 Fleet Street Torquay from 22 August – 27 September (see our Arts News section).   williammills.co.uk artizangallery.co.uk August/September 2020 | 19

John Callcott Horsley Horsley was brother-in-law to Isambard Kingdom Brunel, an artist who designed the world’s first Christmas card and whose objection to the painting of nudes earned him the sobriquet “Clothes Horsley”. Ian Handford of Torbay Civic Society tells us more.

ohn Callcott Horsley was born on January 29th 1817, the son of William Horsley. John would eventually marry Mary Brunel, and become brother-in-law to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. An academic, he studied art at the Academy of Dr Henry Sass. He proved highly competent, and would move in royal circles after it was accepted he was a leading English painter of domestic scenes. Once Rector of the Royal Academy, John mixed in high circles and even had contacts with wealthy industrialists who commissioned him to paint their portraits. Eventually John and Isambard became friends, and even organised a walking holiday of Italy together. Both men were highly motivated and energetic, John being recorded as thinking nothing of travelling overnight by train and walking miles to sketch a medieval church or manor, while Isambard would get involved in an unaccountable number of engineering projects. John’s first exhibited picture at the Royal Academy in 1839 was, ‘Rent Day at Haddon Hall in the Days of Queen Elizabeth’; it was this that launched his successful art career. During the 1840s he was Chief Engineer of the Great Western Railway Company and brought the railway to Torre Station, having already seen the Exeter to Newton Abbot line completed in 1846. Strangely, although it was meant to continue towards the Strand Torquay, that never happened, although the branch line did go to Paignton. In the 1840s Sir Henry Cole suggested to John Horsley that should design a picture for what was to become the world’s first Christmas Card. Sir Henry made his request after getting utterly tired of scribbling greeting notes to family and friends every Christmas. The formal Christmas card was produced in 1843 with a first print run of 1000 cards and Horsley’s wonderful “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You”. It was an instantly successful product and the card idea even went 20 | August/September 2020

international generating millions of pounds around the world. The commission for the words and picture had come through the Royal Academy and the cards cost a shilling (5p) each. Initially, they were mainly bought by the upper and middle classes and it was not until 1870 when postage stamp costs were reduced, that the working population started to send Christmas cards to their family and friends. Meanwhile in 1848 Horsley and Brunel went to Paris; they wanted to witness at first hand the revolution that was taking place. It was after the excitement of Paris that the two men became close making a strong friendship that lasted through Brunel’s too-short life. Paintings by Horsley were generally historical although he liked painting contemporary subjects like ‘scenes of flirtation set in the countryside’ and ‘blossom time’ featuring sunshine and pretty women. Brunel was still at GWR, although he wanted to retire to Torquay - for a time in 1858 he and Mary stayed at Watcombe Villa and then Portland Villa (later Maidencombe House Hotel). Horsley, now married to his second wife Rosamund, was asked to join the Brunels in Torquay. They stayed at Orestone House in Maidencombe (today Orestone Manor Hotel) and remained here for a year. Rosamund had inherited a fortune and was waiting to build their new home at Cranbrook in Kent but could not proceed as her inheritance was tied up with a trust. By one of those quirks of life, Brunel had purchased the Watcombe Estate and he also was waiting to build his gentlemen’s mansion or castle atop Watcombe Hill but could not start, as he

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Riviera Heritage was overseeing the final arrangements to launch his new vessel ‘The Great Eastern’. It was recorded however that, “the days, weeks and months spent in Watcombe were his happiest”. Horsley, having suffered the tragedy of losing his first wife Mary, had always believed he would die early himself, yet now we know that in fact he outlived his brother-inlaw by an amazing forty-four years. Always concerned about the pressures Brunel imposed on himself, one emotional letter survived imploring Brunel to reflect on his lifestyle, “I see one of almost unparalleled devotion to your profession, to the exclusion, too far to great an extent, to that which was due to your God and even to your family and an utter disregard of your health”. Whether Brunel ever read this is unknown, but Horsley was proved right, as Brunel died far too early, at 53. Fortunately, Horsley had painted an oil of Brunel, which remains historically important. It captures his brother-inlaw as a man getting things done, wearing smart clothes yet relaxed at his desk, rather than the more familiar pictures, of Brunel in front of those huge launching chains of the Great Eastern, with mud on his boots. The press accused Horsley of hypocrisy and prudery throughout his life because he openly objected to all artists painting nudes. Lampooned often, they even named him “Clothes Horsley”. Yet he still became close to the Royal Family, and eventually attended the birth of Princess Beatrice – this was because they wanted a portrait of the princess presented at her first birthday.

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Commissioned in June 1858, it is recorded that Horsley could often be seen dodging in and out of Buckingham Palace, always trying to avoid Prince Albert, as the portrait was to be a surprise. Royal patronage assured his career, and from 1875 until 1890 he was even Rector of the Royal Academy itself and organised the academy’s first ‘Old Master Winter Exhibition’. Horsley being a keen musician also became a friend of Mendelssohn and Bartoldy, yet his solemnity and prudity surfaced again when appearing in Punch. This led to a letter appearing in The Times on May 25th 1885 entitled ‘A Women’s Plea’ and signed by ‘a British Matron’, a letter that, in fact, he had written himself. Although sympathetic replies came back, one more controversial from The Church of England Purity Society, they generally made it crystal clear that they thought he was out of step with the “man-on-the street”. He replied signing himself just ‘H’. Later he would be morally offended, when female art students were asked to view nude paintings of women. This led to him being ridiculed again by a cartoon entitled ‘The Model British Matron’ which depicted him as a corseted matron. Horsley, perhaps our greatest prude, died on October 19th 1903 just two years before the Victorian era ended. Yet amazingly one of his original Christmas cards fetched £5000 not long ago at auction, although perhaps, this was because it was addressed to Elizabeth Barrett Browning no less.   torbaycivicsociety.co.uk

August/September 2020 | 21

Sarah Brydges-Willyams Politicians and Primroses

In 1863 a childless Torquay widow died and left her house and much of her estate to an aspiring politician who was on the verge of bankruptcy. That kindness changed Britain and the world. Kevin Dixon tells us more.

An early meeting of the Primrose League Mount Braddon

Benjamin Disraeli

ount Braddon is an imposing Grade II villa just above Torquay harbour. It was built in 1827 for Sarah Brydges-Willyams, the wealthy widow of a colonel in the Cornish militia. Sarah was born Sarah Mendez da Costa and was of Spanish-Jewish descent; she believed that she might be related to the famous politician Benjamin Disraeli who had Italian-Sephardic Jewish ancestry. She then began writing to him. Initially Disraeli regarded Sarah as an elderly eccentric and even sought legal advice. However, when one of the letters included a donation of £1,000, he agreed to a meeting. This led to a long-term friendship between Disraeli, his wife Anne and the childless widow. The Disraelis then visited Torquay every year and corresponded with the owner in between – about 250 letters survive. When Sarah died in 1863, she was buried at Disraeli’s home Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe. In recognition of his efforts to further the cause of Zionism, Sarah had bequeathed Disraeli £30,000, three quarters of her estate and Mount Braddon. This bequest probably saved him from bankruptcy as he had debts resulting from his lavish lifestyle and poor investments. However, he never wanted to move to Torquay and sold Mount Braddon for £1,850.

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The story goes that Disraeli’s favourite flower was the primrose and that he greatly admired and was inspired by those growing at Mount Braddon. Recognising this enthusiasm, Queen Victoria frequently sent him bunches of primroses; he wrote back that the primrose was, “the ambassador of spring”. When the twiceelected Conservative Prime Minister died in April 1881 it caused widespread popular grief and Victoria sent a wreath of primroses to his funeral. On the anniversaries of his death the flower came to be worn by Conservative Party members. In the 1880 election, the Conservatives lost badly to Gladstone’s Liberals and the Tories recognised that they needed to reach out to new voters. And so in 1883, Lord Randolph Churchill and John Gorst launched a new mass movement to promote the spread of Conservative principles. As Disraeli had been the hero of Popular Conservatism and had done so much to expand the franchise to working class men in the cities, the movement was named the Primrose League in his honour. The Primrose League had more support than the trades’ union movement and in 1910, when the entire national electorate was only 7.7 million, it had a membership of almost two million. Dedicated to spreading Conservative principles, it transformed how

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Riviera Heritage political parties worked, and ensured the domination of the Conservative Party at the end of the nineteenth century. Its influence is still felt today. The strength of the League was due to its cross-class appeal. Notably, the League didn’t seem that interested in political theory – only “atheists and enemies of the British Empire” were excluded – and the motto was ‘Imperium et libertas’ (Empire and liberty). Though the League’s beliefs were vague, it nevertheless galvanised political participation and provided a more social aspect to campaigning and lobbying. It began an extensive network of social activities with sashes and enamel badges being worn at music hall dances, high teas, excursions by train, cycling clubs, summer fetes – such as those at Cockington – and many other activities. Magic lantern shows with slides of scenes from the Empire were particularly popular. Hence, the long-studied phenomenon of working-class Toryism. It also offered a training ground for aspiring politicians – Winston Churchill, aged 22, made his first public speech to a Primrose League rally on July 26, 1897. The League specifically appealed to women at a time before they were able to vote – by 1891 over half of the membership of the League was female. Indeed, many women first experienced political participation through the Primrose League and would go on to influence the various women’s suffrage groups striving for support in the decades before World War One. This may have been

greatly significant; when women over 28 were granted the vote in 1918, despite expectations to the contrary, women proved to be far more likely to back the Conservatives than either the Liberals or the new Labour Party. The campaigning of the Primrose League, alongside Liberal divisions over Ireland, helped the Conservatives maintain their grip on power through the latter years of the nineteenth century. But with the granting of universal suffrage after the Great War, the Conservative Party leadership decided that, “a mass membership was necessary if the Conservatives were to be on an equal footing with the mass battalions of the trade unions”. This led to an increased party membership, and the need for ancillary support organisations such as the Primrose League diminished. Also, women had now gained the vote and could be full members of the Conservative Party. After 121 years, the Primrose League was finally wound up in 2004 and its remaining assets were transferred to the Conservative Party. Now the huge success of the Primrose League is largely forgotten, as is Sarah’s gift to Disraeli, which ensured that one of our greatest politicians could remain in Parliament. In 1845 Disraeli in ‘Sybil, or The Two Nations’ developed the idea of One Nation Conservatism. In 2010 Boris Johnson explained his political philosophy: “I’m a onenation Tory”.  The vault of St Michael and All Angels Church, Hughenden, containing Benjamin Disraeli, his wife Mary-Anne, and Sarah Brydges-Willyams whose epitaph is on the left of the three.

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August/September 2020 | 23

Torbay’s Press Gangs

During the wars against Napoleon, the villagers of Torbay could be forced into joining the Royal Navy. Kevin Dixon brings us the story.

nitially, while working and living conditions in the Royal Navy were certainly harsh, there were many volunteers. The workload for individual sailors was often less than on merchant ships and volunteers were paid a bounty upon joining, two months’ wages in advance with better pay than on a merchant ship. Also, volunteering protected the sailor from any creditors. The Quota System further maintained a steady supply of men; each county was required to supply volunteers. A county then offered convicts the option of completing their sentence or volunteering. Areas with a naval connection produced high numbers of volunteers. 53% of Royal Navy volunteers were English, with Devon having the second highest number at 6%, after London’s 10%. This rapidly changed in time of war when Britain’s navy increased from 135 ships in 1793, to 584 in 1812; and its personnel expanded from 36,000 seamen to 114,000. Accordingly, Britain needed to quickly find crews for its ships. And so an impress service operated - the taking of men into the Navy by compulsion. Those liable to impressment were “eligible men of seafaring habits between the ages of 18 and 55 years”. “Failure to allow oneself to be pressed” was initially punishable by hanging, although the punishment became less severe over time.

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By the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, over half the Royal Navy’s sailors were pressed men. It’s further likely that among the ‘volunteers’ were pressed men who redefined themselves to get the sign-up bonus. Most pressed men came from the Royal Navy’s practice of taking seamen from inbound British merchant ships or fishing boats. It was legal as long as the Navy replaced the man they took. Naval captains would often take the best seamen, replacing them with the less able from their own ship. In 1805, the navy waited for the fleet to return from the Great Fishery on the Dogger Banks. 96 fishing smacks were boarded by tenders waiting off Torbay and so many men were seized that room could not be found for them on board the navy’s ships. It was later reported that the sea interceptions had been so thorough that there was, “Not a single man found in Brixham liable for the impress”. In response, many merchant ships had hiding places constructed where their best crew could hide when approached by a naval vessel. Other captains offloaded their favoured crewmen in Irish ports before making final landfall in England. On land those undertaking this forcible recruitment were the press gangs. They operated in cities and coastal towns and, as many seamen crossed the country by

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Riviera Heritage stagecoach or wagon, gangs were also stationed at Okehampton, Liskeard and Exeter. Usually led by a naval officer, seafaring men were recruited as part of the gang but landsmen were also used. An ability to use force was more important than background. On shore, merchant seamen and fishermen were conspicuous. There was, “no disguising the fact that the sailor was a sailor. He was marked by characteristics that betrayed him. His bandy legs and rolling gait suggested irresistibly the way of a ship at sea”. The potential recruit would first be asked to volunteer for naval service. If he refused, “he may be plied with alcohol or simply seized and taken”. Although the power of the Impressment Service to conscript was limited by law to seafarers, this was a broad definition with around a quarter of the Bay’s adult male population being at risk of impressment. There was a widespread fear that civilians without any seafaring background were being taken away. This belief was confirmed on May 6 1803 when, “shipwrights, a fishmonger, coal factor, grocer, cooper, ostler, shoemaker, constable, basket maker and many more” were taken in Brixham. All these men, however, had to be released because they were not seamen. It looks as though the Brixham folk were lucky. Court records show fights breaking out as people attempted to avoid wrongful impressment, particularly when press gangs instituted a ‘hot press’ (ignoring protections against impressment) in order to man the navy. Local officials often resisted impressment and the local populace would also band together to oppose their activities. In 1803, a press gang, attempting to impress

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local quarrymen, fired on a crowd in Portland, killing four people. Nevertheless, the courts upheld impressment - it was deemed vital to the war effort. Brixham was targeted by the press gangs, as it was the Bay’s largest town with a population of around 3,700. In contrast, Paignton had 1600 residents and Torquay only 800. Brixham had many seafaring men on its streets and the press gangs could operate anonymously. The town supplied the fleet, which required a marine guard to prevent, “scenes of drunkenness, obscenity, blasphemy and consequent casualties (by the men fighting with each other and falling over precipices) which, to the disgrace of His Majesty’s Navy obtained heretofore in watering the fleet at Brixham.” In contrast, outsiders would have been more obvious in smaller and quieter Paignton and Torquay. Of course, while the navy could forcibly recruit, it also lost 25% of those it seized to desertion each year - with surprisingly little difference between volunteers and pressed men. Admiral Nelson noted that over ten years, more than 42,000 sailors had deserted. The activities of the press gangs inevitably gave rise to legends. One was of recruiters dropping a King’s shilling into a man’s ale so he was deemed to have volunteered. Tavern owners would then put glass bottoms in their tankards. This one isn’t true - impressing officers were subject to fines for using trickery and a volunteer, in theory at least, had time to change his mind. The years of the press gang in Torbay came to an end with the surrender of Napoleon in 1814. Britain no longer had the need to impress sailors and never again used that means of forced recruitment. 

August/September 2020 | 25

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Riviera Heritage

Unlocking a Cemetery’s Secrets Jenny Ridd works to unlock the secrets of Teignmouth’s Tombs and discover her family history as well as other Teignmouth past residents.

one of us will ever forget the pandemic of 2020, nor stunning sea views. This surely was heaven on earth. how our lives changed overnight. One thing we all I was on a mission, not only to maintain my greathad in common was identifying green space to walk in, uncle’s grave, but to get my exercise by walking round somewhere quiet, preferably isolated and close to nature. the cemetery and at the same time discover some of the And where could be better than a cemetery? other poignant memorials to Teignmouth’s past residents, I decided to use some both magnificent and of this time tracing humble, whole and broken, my family history, and remembered and forgotten. remembered that I had a In 1851 the Teignmouth Great-Uncle George buried Extra Mural Cemetery in Teignmouth Cemetery. Company met to discuss In need of a bit of ‘P and the selling of public shares Q’ one day, I set out to find to create the cemetery. him, only vaguely recalling There were representatives the grave location from a from the Palk and Acland previous visit. I had such a families and shares were shock when I saw the ‘Old set at 2/6d. Solicitors Cemetery’ looking more Messrs Tozer, Whidbourne, like a wildflower meadow Mackenzie & Tozer, Great Uncle George’s cleared grave than a tended graveyard, and carried out the administration. Great-Uncle George nowhere to be seen. Interestingly, Tozers still survives today in Newton I contacted the Friends of Teignmouth Cemetery, and Abbott, 169 years later. in an act of supreme kindness, research volunteer and In 1855 the cemetery opened, with its two chapels maintenance man Geoff Wood, found the grave on the having “a heavy sombre look” and being “fit only for burial plan, identified it under a foot of ivy and arranged the city of the dead”. The Rev. Sherlock of St Michael’s for another volunteer, Wendy, to strim it. The next time Church, Teignmouth laid the foundation stone. Soon the I saw it I felt I was on an island – the only cleared grave rich, poor, famous and unknown were being buried there. in a sea of gently waving grasses, high on a hill, and with Nicholas Toms Carrington described the cemetery in his

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Riviera Heritage Guidebook of 1865: “The situation is commanding, and polymath, his passions were nature, geology, oceanography the enclosed space, which is entirely surrounded by wall and archaeology. He excavated in Crete and wrote books and railing, may comprise about two acres”. He describes on the Mediterranean. the chapels as being “for worshippers belonging to the I have a friend Sarah in Sussex who excavates in C of E”, and the other for “dissenters”. They were once Crete. On enquiring whether she knew of Spratt, Sarah identical, but today the Anglican chapel is boarded up, told me that her late husband had gained his Ph.D. by while the non-conformist chapel is a ruin. researching his life, and she was willing to share any Carrington’s Guidebook was published by Edward information with the Friends, who will gain exclusive Croydon, Teignmouth’s predata. It was a serendipitous eminent publisher who had piece of synchronicity, produced lithographs since and will honour this great 1820. His Repository of Arts man whose tomb is so very was next to Croydon’s Free modest and unassuming. Library in a Regency-Gothic Following years of building, which now houses austerity, Teignbridge W.H. Smith. Croydon District Council lacks the worked with worthy artists resources to maintain the like Strutt, Spreat and cemetery to its former Havell, and produced standard and it relies heavily thousands of lithographic on a small band of dedicated prints of the area, these volunteers to keep pathways Edward Croydon’s angel being the forerunners of open, strim, plant flowers, the postcard. It is fitting then, stop granite monuments toppling that the imposing Croydon and maintain the Commonwealth family monument is still in the Graves. It is a big ask, and they do cemetery. Once a bold statement a fantastic job. The volunteers in of success, wealth and artistry, turn, rely on membership fees to sadly it is now in pieces, literally the Friends group, (£5 a year) and with a fallen angel, although donations to buy their equipment, suitably, the angel is holding a while they offer their time and book. skills for nothing, as well as giving A memorial, which is a personal expert advice on the resident favourite, belongs to Dr John wildlife, flora and fauna, which Pulsford who died in 1897. He they are striving to conserve. was the author of several religious The Friends are determined books written while living at that both the famous, like Huntly in Bishopsteignton. On Spratt, and the ordinary, like top of a lofty granite column, a Great-Uncle George, will have finger points heavenwards, while their stories told. In parallel lower down two doves of peace with their tremendous efforts of watch over him. It is a supreme maintenance, they are raising Dr John Pulsford’s lofty granite finger piece of monumental masonry. awareness through various The Torbay coast was home to many officers who fought websites and intend to run promotional events when in the Napoleonic Wars, and Teignmouth was part of that. life returns to normal. Alongside their vital work, a Its most famous admiral was Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt, Trust has been formed to fundraise for restoration of son of Commander James Spratt (aka Jack) of Woodway the chapel and the lodge house at the centre of the House, Teignmouth, who fought at Trafalgar with Nelson. cemetery. Thomas was born in Teignmouth in 1812 and fought in For more information, or if you fancy volunteering, the Crimea, for which he became a CB (Commander of please visit the website: gravetales.wordpress.com and the Bath). He was a surveyor in the Navy, in particular the Friends of Teignmouth Cemetery Facebook page. dealing with the approaches to the Suez Canal. A Victorian You will be pleasantly surprised.  englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

August/September 2020 | 29

The D’Oyly Cartes at Pudcombe Pudcombe Cove, once owned by the D’Oyly Carte family of Coleton Fishacre (now National Trust), had a seawater pool, a bathing hut and a yacht landing stage. This idyllic spot is no longer accessible on foot so Anita Newcombe lands by kayak to explore.

upert D’Oyly Carte of Gilbert & Sullivan and Savoy Hotel fame and Lady Dorothy, younger daughter of the Earl of Cranbrook spotted a beautiful valley leading down to the sea while out sailing and decided it was the perfect spot for an elegant country home, which they proceeded to have built in 1925. The wonderful gardens at Coleton Fishacre run down a narrow combe from the house to the sea at Pudcombe Cove. I decide to kayak there on a voyage of discovery. Heading out of Dartmouth in one of Dartmouth Yacht Club’s sea kayaks (available to members who are competent paddlers), my kayaking buddy and I head

downriver. We pass the Lower Car Ferry, the Royal Dart Yacht Club and paddle on towards Kingswear Castle. Mostly hugging the coastline, we continue on our way as the river mouth widens and we head round towards the Mew Stone. From here we can see the NCI Froward Point and we call them up on our handheld for a radio check. We’ve already checked the weather and tides and all is set fair for a favourable trip. On the way, we enjoy pottering in and out of the rocky inlets until, before long we round the final rocky outcrop and find ourselves in sight of Pudcombe Cove. It’s a reasonable sized beach, very pretty and usually quite The sea pool at Pudcombe Cove

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Riviera Heritage Family members at the cove

National Trust still keeps a copy of the year’s tide tables in the Flower Room so that they can continue to do this today. There is also a bell on the side of the house, which was used to call the family in from the cove at meal times. Now I’m sitting on the edge of the seawater bathing pool with my toes in the water and I open my flask of tea and picnic sandwiches (no litter of course as I always use a Tupperware box). I’m pretty sure that the fare provided by the D’Oyly Carte’s butler would have been far superior; in fact local legend suggests that champagne was sometimes lowered over the cliff down to the waiting recipients on the beach! There was once a sailing jetty, sun bathing platform and shelter so it was the perfect spot for their favoured leisure activities. The tidal pool at Pudcombe Cove was probably built in the late 1920s or early 1930s; Lady Dorothy and Rupert D’Oyly Carte having moved into their newly built country home in 1926. It was a place they could entertain their guests in style. 

PHOTOS © : National Trust

sheltered – the high cliffs that lead up the valley to Coleton Fishacre’s gardens protect an idyllic horseshoe-shaped cove. No wonder the D’Oyly Cartes loved coming here. Of course, in those days there was a steep path down the cliffs but it’s now completely eroded, cutting off access for anyone on foot. If you look at a satellite map though, you can still clearly see the seawater bathing pool that they used. As the tide comes in, the pool gradually fills and warms. It’s an idyllic place to sit and we take the opportunity to relax and contemplate what life must have been like for the family. If you visit National Trust Coleton Fishacre, you’ll be able to see some fascinating evidence of their beach and sailing activities. The tidal clock near the front door would have told the D’Oyly Carte family when the next high tide was, and let them know when the lido at Pudcombe Cove could be used. There is also a wind dial in the Library to forecast sailing conditions. Every day the butler would set the high tide clock manually as it had no mechanism. The

Rupert and Bridget D’Oyly Carte surveying the building of Coleton Fishacre c.1925 englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

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Riviera Community

Lonely Cove Beach Clean Members from Dartmouth Yacht Club’s kayaking section organised a beach clean on a remote, sea-accessonly beach between Coleton Fishacre’s Pudcombe Cove and Scabbacombe Sands. Anita Newcombe joins them.

oger Holroyd and Andy Robinson first spotted the remote cove whilst paddling between Brixham and Dartmouth recently. A stunning, lonely spot, it was covered with plastic and rubbish, quite unlike most of the coves on this stretch of coastline. They wonder if it just catches the tides in a way that captures any floating debris in the water and keeps it held fast there. Either way they are determined to return with their sea kayaks plus a support boat to clean up this isolated beach. Dartmouth Yacht Club’s Tim Freeman has also joined today’s expedition bringing the club’s motorboat ‘Doris’. The weather is set fair and it takes us an hour and a quarter to paddle round from Dartmouth to the beach. We’ve chosen to approach at low tide to make sure the whole beach is accessible. It’s a rocky landing with a few small waves breaking into the cove as we beach the kayaks. Steep cliffs rise up behind allowing no way down to the shore, so all this litter has not come from passing beachgoers. It looks mainly like general litter and fishing debris with old nets, small orange marine buoys plus the rotting remnants of plastic drinks bottles. Tim Freeman keeps the motorboat afloat on the sea near the cove, as landing here is not an option for ‘Doris’. After a couple of hours of litter picking we’ve filled 8 large bin bags and Andy volunteers to start paddling them out to the support boat, still hovering quite far out on the water. It takes a couple of trips and now, without its unsightly ‘flotsam and jetsam’ this lovely, isolated cove has taken on a much more cheerful aspect. Obviously social distancing has been observed throughout our little expedition and we now find a

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Above: The team get busy! Main picture: Roger taking full bags of waste to the waiting motor boat

fresh water stream running down the beach to wash our hands before tucking into our picnic lunches. The boys have brought a cold beer each to celebrate success as I lay out my sandwiches and flask of tea. Before too long we’re heading back to Dartmouth, this time with the current in our favour. The wind has dropped and it’s swelteringly hot but we’re a jolly party, having achieved our goal. Well, who else is going to keep the sea-access-only beaches clear if the sea kayaking community don’t? Therefore we’ve decided to keep an eye out and pick other beaches for a paddlers’ beach clean in the near future. It’s been a fun day out and definitely worth the effort.   dyc.org.uk

Get involved... To join Dartmouth Yacht Club’s Kayaking/Canoe section please contact: timfreeman61@googlemail. com 01803 832663 August/September 2020 | 33

The Picture Quiz

We had some lovely feedback from last issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s picture quiz so hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a second round. Can you guess where they are?

3. 4.

34 | August/September 2020

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August/September 2020 | 35 Answers: 1. Church Hill, Marldon, 2. Shoalstone Pool, Brixham, 3. Harbour Point building, Torquay harbourside, 4. Yew tree, Church of St Mary and St Gabriel, Stoke Gabriel 5. Town Hall, St Marychurch, 6.Wild flowers, Torquay sea front, 7. Gallows Gate, Torquay, 8. Mural, Gerston Road, Paignton, 9. Torquay Indoor Market, 10. Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Cecil Road, Paignton, 11. Electric House, Castle Circus, Torquay, 12. Mill wheel, Cockington, 13. Torbay Lifeboat Station, Brixham, 14. War Memorial, Stoke Gabriel, 15. Babbacombe Cliff Railway

14. 15. 12. 13. 10.

11. 9.

Riviera Quiz

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Riviera Quiz

The Heritage Quiz Lots of interesting people had connections with Torbay and surrounding areas. How many of their stories do you know? 1. Edwin John Beer settled in Paignton in 1926. But what famous man-made fibre did he pioneer? 2. Bernard Delfont was a leading British Theatrical Impresario who brought the Folies Bergères to London. Which Torbay theatre’s opening did he support in the late 1950s? 3. The Princesse de Polignac was an American-born heir to a sewing machine fortune, lived in Torbay as a child and is buried here in the family vault. Who was her father and what famous Paignton building is associated with her family? 4. After which member of the Royal Family was Torquay’s Princess Pier named?

5. This famous prime minister won his first election for the constituency of Newark in Wales in 1832, whilst living in Torquay. Who was he?

6. Jabez Lake, a Brixham fisherman who became a poet and founded the Brixham Sea Scouts, famously said, “pigs might fly” before the local authority would spend money on building what? 7. John Lethbridge, born at Stoke Gabriel, was an exceptional risk-taker. His invention led to the recovery of lots of historic treasure and made him rich. What did he invent? 8. Billy Munn was a successful jazz pianist who after an illustrious career in London, Europe and America came to Torquay as a hotel bandleader. He loved it so much he stayed for 30 years. Which hotel was it? 9. Beverley Nichols was an author of popular novels who grew up in Torquay and described it as “a lush, mushy place abounding in the rich, the eccentric and the elderly”. What serious crime was he believed to have tried, but failed to commit three times? 10. Harry Brearley retired to Torquay and died at Livermead in 1948. What did he invent that is in use everyday in all our homes?

With thanks to Torbay Civic Society Answers: 1. Viscose Rayon. 2. The Princess Theatre. 3. Isaac Singer / Oldway Mansion. 4. HRH Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria. 5. William Gladstone. 6. Brixham Breakwater. 7. The first underwater diving machine. 8. The Imperial, Torquay. 9. He is said to have tried to kill his father on three occasions. 10. Stainless steel, earlier known as rustless steel.

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August/September 2020 | 37

BOATYARDS & FARMYARDS Need to know Distance: 3.2 miles Exertion: A good long countryside walk Time: Allow 2 hours with time to enjoy the views plus more to stop for lunch Terrain: i erside ﬁeld aths and a short stretch of road. Wellies advisable if wet! Dogs: On leads near livestock, some roads Refreshments: Bring a picnic or take the ferry to across to Dittisham Start Postcode: TQ5 0EH Grid Reference: SX 88171 56054

his walk is always popular with the children as there are so many different things to see. It offers views of the busy boatyard at Galmpton and various rotting hulks in the creek, lots of mud to splash about in, geese and chickens on the farm, long views up and down the Dart, lots of interesting flora and fauna and, if you like, a short ferry ride over the river to Dittisham for a quick drink or a pub lunch. This route follows parts of the Dart Valley Trail, the John Musgrave Heritage Trail and the Greenway Walk.

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1 From the car park at Galmpton Creek follow the path around the easterly shoreline and head up the hill on the tarmac road behind the boatbuilders’ yard. When the road comes to an end take the footpath on the left up over the hill at Mill Point. When you reach the crest there’s a fine iew across the ri er to urrow oint near Dittisham. The river is at its widest point here at nearly 1000 metres across. Follow the path down the hill where it leads on to the riverbank at Old Mill Farm and follow the shoreline around the bay to a large ancient oak where the ath ta es to the fields you ha e young children or adventurous dogs be careful of the mud here at low tides as one can easily get stuck if you venture too far! 2 Climb over the stile and follow the path up over the hill past the mighty fallen pine tree and through the gate in the ence i estoc is o ten gra ing in these fields so dogs must be on leads under close control. Follow the ath u to the fi e bar gate and through the yard o Lower Greenway Farm. 3 Once through the farmyard climb over the stone stile on the le t u o er the field and o er another stone stile then cross the road into the Greenway Plantation. Follow the ath u through the woods to another fi e bar gate (don’t forget to shut it behind you), past the route signposted for Greenway, then follow the path to the next gate and look out for the amazing paperbark trees on the edge of the Greenway Arboretum on the right.

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

Riviera Walk

Crown copyright. Media 082/19

Once through this next gateway you are greeted by the most fantastic view down the River Dart to Dartmouth and Kingswear and here you’ll ﬁnd benches to sit and take in the stunning scenery. We spotted two different birds of prey in the pastures that fall away down towards the river’s edge along with a wonderful variety of trees. To complete the walk it’s necessary to now retrace your steps to the permissive path to Greenway House that you passed at the top of the hill coming up englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

through the plantation. This leads you to the main house driveway. 5 Once at the house take the path to the left that snakes through the trees down to the Greenway Ferry where you can take the short crossing to explore Dittisham or stop for a drink at the Ferry Boat Inn. From the ferry stage follow Greenway Road back up to Lower Greenway Farm and follow the same route back to Galmpton Quay.  August/September 2020 | 39

Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust has been working hard to care for the beautiful sites in their charge despite lockdown. Now Occombe Farm Café is getting a major facelift.

orbay Coast & Countryside Trust’s (TCCT) planned refurbishment work on Occombe Farm Café is now well underway. With contractors operating on site, Occombe Farm will remain closed until the building work is finished – but it will all be worth it! Damian Offer, Chief Executive, Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust explains, “We decided it made sense to undertake these building works before re-opening post-lockdown, rather than having to close again later in the year.” The Trust is building an extension on the south side, increasing the café’s capacity and expanding its floor space, which will help accommodate customers with doggy companions. The kitchen area will be reconfigured to improve efficiency. Plus, there will be a new counter and new displays for all the delicious food and drinks on offer. Initially, the increased floor space will enable the Trust to operate within COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Later there will be potential to add more seating when normal operations are allowed. New toilet facilities will also be provided. The Trust hopes that all the work will be completed by mid-September and both the café and farm will be able to reopen at the same time. Sue Gillion, Occombe Farm Café Manager, told us, “We anticipate that a lot of our regular visitors will be disappointed that we will be closed over the summer holidays but we can’t wait to see everyone again when we re-open in September”. The Café project is part of a much bigger programme to develop Occombe creating a superb new destination

40 | August/September 2020

News for locals and visitors. Occombe Farm was originally set up to provide a base for TCCT’s farming operation. In 2005, the farm shop and café were added to provide a local food hub and to generate income to fund its vital charitable work caring for Torbay’s natural heritage. All profits from Occombe Farm Café go towards the Trust’s work across Torbay.

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Riviera Countryside

Cockington Visitor Centre The Trust’s popular Cockington Visitor Centre reopened in mid-July. Check the website for opening times. Cockington Country Park, with its fabulous lakes and stunning Memorial Rose Garden, always makes a fantastic (and free) day out. Berry Head National Nature Reserve A bird-watcher’s hotspot and home to many rare species, the Trust has been working hard maintaining the paths and open spaces for visitors. The conservation charity also grazes Soay and Hebridean breeds of sheep; they can reach those awkward heathland places that rangers can’t reach and allow rare plants to flourish. The Napoleonic forts are always exciting to visit and the views are quite spectacular. Deer have been spotted here during lockdown. As with all Trust-protected sites, please follow marked paths, ensure your dogs are under control near livestock and take all litter home. Together we can keep the Bay’s treasured beauty spots looking magical – well done us!   countryside-trust.org.uk The TCCT Team

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Time to Buy a Trust Membership? Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust (TCCT) has increased fees for parking at its sites across Torbay. The change was long overdue, as parking charges had not increased in over 3 years. TCCT is a registered charity and the income raised from car parking charges supports its work in caring and maintaining Torbay’s most precious green spaces. The purchase of an annual £25 Trust membership supports the charity’s work and gives you the option to buy a TCCT Parking and Benefits Pass for £12.50; this gives you free parking at all TCCT car parks and other benefits. There’s more information about the TCCT membership scheme on the website: countryside-trust.org.uk/support-us/members August/September 2020 | 41

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Help direct local customers to your local business using a local magazine Advertise your local business in English Riviera Magazine and reach 15,000 homes and businesses throughout Torbay

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Beautiful Gardens....

Riviera Gardens

During lockdown Torquayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s municipal gardens have been skilfully maintained and are now raising the spirits of everyone who strolls along the seafront with stunning formal and wildflower displays. Take the time to appreciate our wonderful local environment...

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August/September 2020 | 43

PAIGNTON

ZOO reopens...

The animals at Paignton Zoo had a very quiet time in April, May and June, seeing only their keepers. But now the fabulous zoo and gardens has reopened. Anita Newcombe pops by.

’m visiting Paignton Zoo just before the reopening at the beginning of July and it’s still in lockdown with its big gates firmly shut. I’m here to chat to Pippa Craddock, longstanding Director of Marketing and Development in her office on the first floor of the Zoo’s entrance building. Of course there are still plenty of people on site – the animals need lots of looking after. Zookeepers are preparing food, feeding them their favourite meals, cleaning their homes, caring for their health and engaging with them while the usual entertainment from seeing a regular stream of visitors has been suspended. Now the zoo is working with a whole host of brand-new safety measures – not for the animals in their charge – but to keep the humans on the other side of the fence safe. Arrival times must be prebooked

for the very first time to ensure there aren’t too many people arriving at once. Paignton Zoo is a lovely big, open-air site but where there are contact points you’ll find protective screening (with card payments preferred), floor markings and hand sanitising facilities. Most of their toilets will be open with extra cleaning, good ventilation, hand sanitising prior entry and hand washing prior exit all in place. Many of the animals are expected to be extra inquisitive as the zoo starts taking visitors again and most of your favourite spots will be open. It’s easy to forget what a therapeutic experience strolling around the lush zoo gardens and visiting the majestic animals like the lions, the tigers, the gorillas, the orang utans and the red pandas can be. Among my favourites has always been the scarlet ibis and there are so many amazing birds like the hyacinth Macaws, owls, peacocks, pelicans and toucans. To help ensure the right level of distancing, there are one-way systems in exhibits like the Amphibian Ark, Bongo House, Rhino House, Crocodile Swamp and Giraffe House. The Reptile Tropics is currently being refurbished and will open on or around 1st August. The Island Restaurant will be open for takeaways and there will be other food outlets open around the zoo. Pippa tells me that the Zoo will always be a fantastic and safely managed day out for the whole family and she

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Out & About hopes that local residents will continue to offer support and continue to visit during the winter. Even if you are an Annual Pass Holder visiting and buying items from the food outlets and shop will be a great help. You can also adopt an animal, donate or fundraise using virginmoneygiving.com/fund/helpourzoo. Businesses can join the Corporate Supporter’s Club; there are gold and silver levels to choose from and lots of benefits including networking. A big feature to look forward to is the amazing Great Big Brick Safari, which will be opening on 5th August and running through to 3rd January. From a giant gorilla, a jumbo size elephant and a majestic lion, to marvellous

“

macaws, beautiful butterflies and a cool crocodile, these stunning Lego brick animals will form The Great Big Brick Safari Trail for visitors to follow around the zoo. A team of experienced professionals from Bricklive designed and produced these magnificent models. Say hello to Cressida the crocodile, who is 3.1 metres long and made from 19,000 Lego bricks. She took 144 hours to make and weighs 350 kilos. And then there’s Ormond the ostrich – nearly 2 metres tall, made out of 45,000 bricks; he took 200 hours and weighs in at 493 kilos. So what are you waiting for? Plan a day out to Paignton Zoo very soon. Book online.   paigntonzoo.org.uk

Pippa tells me that the Zoo will always be a fantastic and safely managed day out for the whole family and she hopes that local residents will continue to offer support and continue to visit during the winter.

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August/September 2020 | 45

ArtsRoundUp

Torquay’s Artizan Gallery and Artizan Collective Exhibitions and Events

Creative Coastal: Group Exhibition 27 July-15 August, Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm We’re sure we are not alone in having been particularly appreciative of the place we call home after the past few months; being locked down by the sea feels like slightly less of a hardship when we have been out for our daily exercise. Creative Coastal will celebrate the seaside scenes that have offered some serenity to those who have the privilege of enjoying their own small part of the British coastline. Artizan Collective will be welcoming a group of 12 artists who each take inspiration from their coastal surroundings to its Fleet Walk venue for a threeweek show. Artizan Collective Unit 5, 74 Fleet Street Torquay TQ2 5EB art-hub.co.uk/ex/creativecoastal20

Between Heaven and Hell – Keith Frake 15 August-5 September, Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm, Saturdays 10am-6pm

The Power and the Glory – Sarah Vaci 5-11 August, Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm, Saturdays 10am-6pm In ‘Navel Daze’ Sarah Vaci explores identities and relationships with our bodies. An intimate portrayal of the navel as a landscape manipulated to create a fascinating interplay of abstractions and visual intrigue, as well focussing on sexuality and subjectivity in the frame of social media. During lockdown, Vaci has continued in this vein. ‘Domestic Nudes’ explores the power balance of the home, interweaving issues of gender identity and sexuality, domesticity and the body. The dichotomy of domestic and sexual, male and female, passive viewer and active participant are all running threads throughout The Power and The Glory and a diverse and intriguing range of textile art, photography, sculpture and insects awaits. Artizan Gallery, 7 Lucius Street, Torquay, TQ2 5UW art-hub.co.uk/ex/powerandglory20

46 | August/September 2020

Hommage to Georg Trakl Keith Frake Having studied Fine Art at Newcastle and the Royal College of Art in London during the 1970s, Frake has previously been known for his work in film, video and performance art. Now, his desire to paint and draw again has grown. A journey of rediscovery has seen a range of influences combine, including a small work by the expressionist painter Chaim Soutine, Le Mas Passe-Temps, Ceret 1920-21. This became a pivotal image in informing Frake’s new works, attracted to its swirling foray of thickly applied paint, darkness, distorted trees, and buildings. These allusions resonate through a series that is dark in tone. A heavy bitumen base forms the substrate for most pieces from which, a process of removal, often competed over many days, reveals common motifs and themes through sanding, inscribing, and peeling techniques. Angels, trees, ladders, mountains, and tiny stick figures are revealed in negative against this thick, textural layer, emerging from darkness or perhaps immersed in it. Artizan Gallery, 7 Lucius Street, Torquay, TQ2 5UW art-hub.co.uk/ex/frake20

The English Riviera Summer Open 22 August-27 September This well-established show now welcomes around 200

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Arts artists each year, including many Devon Open Studios participants, to offer an unparalleled showcase of South West art. This is a must-see, vibrant event with a wealth of artistic talent from across the Bay and South Devon, as well as national and international submissions to celebrate Torbay as a destination for visual arts. The event runs for a full six weeks, kicking off in the middle of August before running through to the end of the Devon Open Studios period. Artizan Collective Unit 5, 74 Fleet Street Torquay TQ2 5EB art-hub.co.uk/ex/erso20

Devon Open Studios featuring William Mills 12-27 September The announcement that Devon Open Studios 2020, a keystone event will be going ahead is exciting news for the region. As with previous years, the event promises to showcase a diverse range of talented studios artists from across the county, but the signiﬁcance of the opportunity for artists this year is felt even more strongly after the monthslong closure of the sector. On the English Riviera, this year’s programme looks particularly exciting, with a heady combination of bursary winners, sculptural showcases, professional studios, and open exhibitions. At Artizan Gallery the key exhibitor will be William Mills. With works described as Turneresque, his showstopping, large abstracts have deservedly won him the acclaim of this year’s Joanna Radford Award (see main feature on Will in this issue).

Roses Will Mills englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

Artizan Gallery will also host works of esteemed Devon artists Richard Slater R.I. and Arthur Homeshaw R.W.A, as well as a sculptural event with ten accomplished artists. Artizan Gallery, 7 Lucius Street, Torquay, TQ2 5UW art-hub.co.uk/ex/dos20 For more information: juliebrandon@artizangallery.co.uk 07522 509642 artizangallery.co.uk

James Murch Exhibition at Cockington Court 8 August-27 September, Thursdays-Sundays 10am-4.30pm

James Murch is an emerging, self-taught artist based in Paignton. Working in oils he specialises in landscapes and seascapes around Torbay with a focus on working directly from life in the ‘en plein air’ tradition. Inspired by the natural world around him, James explores the connection between colour and light, using intriguing compositions with a bold and painterly approach. Don’t miss his solo exhibition in the Kitchen Gallery at Cockington Court in Torquay. The exhibition starts on 8 August (Thursdays-Sundays) before running into the Devon Open Studios period from September 12-27. Workshops are planned on Sundays during Devon Open Studios. James is a Devon Open Studios bursary winner in , was semi ﬁnalist at ky rts andscape rtist of the Year and took part in #Portraitsfornhsheroes during lockdown. With a growing number of collectors worldwide, he was also shortlisted for the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and Royal Institute of Portrait Painters and had a sell out show in ayfair for the ﬁnals of andscape rtist of the ear. jamesmurch.com August/September 2020 | 47

BusinessBreaks... BusinessBreaks... Bu Premier Inn Torquay Midas has restarted work to build a 120-bed hotel for Premier Inn, on part of Terrace Car Park. The first few months of work on site will involve demolition of part of the car park and below groundwork to prepare the site for construction of the new hotel. It is expected that the development will be completed in early 2022. Councillor Swithin Long, Torbay Council Cabinet Member said, “This is good news for Torquay, as we start the economic recovery process from COVID. The hotel will generate new employment of around 30 permanent jobs and over 150 jobs during construction. It will attract an estimated 64,000 guests each year and bring in an additional £3.3M of tourism spend.” He further explained, “The Council worked hard to ensure the construction contract with Midas includes requirements to employ local people and contractors, provide training for apprentices and support entrant trainees in key professions.”

Exciting Shift in Holiday Patterns In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, one of Devon’s largest holiday letting agencies, Coast & Country Cottages, has reported an encouraging shift in booking patterns, meaning regional businesses could enjoy a greatly extended 2020 holiday season. The company, which has over 450 self-catering cottages in the area, has seen an influx of bookings not only for the peak summer weeks, but also for the autumn and early winter months. October Half Term occupancy is already 12% up, when compared with the same point last year. News of an elongated 2020 holiday season will come as a relief to the many local travel and tourism businesses affected by the coronavirus. The agency is also receiving high levels of enquiries for 2021, with record advanced bookings confirmed for next Easter. With such high customer demand, the agency is looking for new properties to add to its portfolio. If you are interested in letting, please call New Property Consultant Rachel Farley on 01803 227990 (option 3) or visit coastandcountry.co.uk 

48 | August/September 2020

Cavanna Homes Award Award-winning Site Manager Gary Gregory

Westcountry homebuilder Cavanna Homes is celebrating the success of one of its Site Managers who has been awarded the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) Pride in the Job Award. Gary Gregory has received industry recognition for Cavanna @ Wolborough Hill, the firm’s development in Newton Abbot, gaining him the coveted title of Quality Award Winner for the South West Region. Gary Gregory, who has been with Cavanna Homes for six years, commented, “I’m incredibly proud to receive this award, but it wouldn’t have been won without the superb support from the team and sub-contractors here at Cavanna @ Wolborough Hill.” Out of the 11,000 Site Managers who entered this highly competitive competition, just 450 have been selected for their excellent standards. Gary will now go forward to represent Cavanna Homes in the final round of the competition later this year. 

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.. BusinessBreaks... BusinessBreaks... Waffle Inn Launch The Waffle Inn, Newton Abbot opened its doors to the public in mid-July. Owner James Phillips held an opening ceremony with an official ribbon cutting by the Mayor, Councillor Richard Jenks. The opening event marked a big milestone for James Phillips, as he opened his second dessert takeaway business within the past year. Staff members plus close family & friends of the owner also attended the ceremony. Paris from Waffle Inn said, “We are over the moon with the turnout from our first day. We were unsure how the business would be received particularly with opening in these unprecedented times; however it was a huge success.” Waffle Inn makes hand-made waffle, crepe, cookie dough and bubble waffle desserts with a variety of unique homemade ice creams and sweet toppings. The Mayor complimented the waffles saying, “The desserts

are absolutely delicious.” Get them directly from the store on 54 Queen Street or via waffleaway.co.uk 

Networking Directory Get involved with Torbay business networking continues with a variety of online opportunities to keep up to date.

Hands up if your business is missing out on OFF-LINE potential customers Reach OFF-LINE customers who your competitors may be missing out on by advertising in English Riviera Magazine. Advertise your local business in English Riviera Magazine and reach 15,000 homes and businesses throughout Torbay

Call Anita or Julian on 01803 850886/842893 for a friendly chat about advertising options or email sales@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

Torbay Breakfast Bytes Online every fortnight Tuesdays, 8.30-9.30am Next date: 4 August Contact: Angela George 07717 316641 info@torbaybusinessforum.org.uk torbaybusinessforum.org.uk @TorbayBusiness Paignton Chamber of Commerce Virtual Business Breakfast (check Facebook page for times and dates) Contact: Dean Kelly 07399 611643 paigntondistrictchamberofcommerce Brixham Chamber of Commerce Virtual Open Meetings, via Zoom Visit: brixhamchamber.co.uk for event dates Contact: chair@brixhamchamber.co.uk @lovebrixham

August/September 2020 | 49

At Abbeyfield people are at the heart Supported Housing for Independent People of everything we do

Supported Housing for Independent People

ABBEYFIELD SOUTH WEST SOCIETY

Sheltered Housing for Independent People over 55

ABBEYFIELD SOUTH WEST SOCIETY staff, consisting of a Manager, cooks and a cleaner oth Abbeyfield houses are situated in lovely areas, oasting their own beautiful grounds. Park House in who all work together to ensure residents are happy staff, consisting of a Manager, cooks and a cleaner Both Abbeyfield are situated in lovelypark areas, and content. aignton is situated directlyhouses opposite a beautiful boasting their own beautiful grounds. Park House in who all work together to ensure residents are happy nd is a five minute walk from the beach. Sanders and content. are various activities, events and entertainment Paignton is situated directly opposite a beautiful park There ourt in St Marychurch, Torquay, hastheabeach. wonderful and is a five minute walk from Sanders that take place throughout the year which the There are various activities, events and entertainment Court in St Marychurch, Torquay, has a is wonderful that take place throughout the wish. year which the ge private courtyard and the local precinct just a residents can join in if they large private courtyard and the local precinct is just a residents can join in if they wish. e minute walk away, with all the amenities you would five minute walk away, with all the amenities you would Traditional home cooked meals are provided in the Traditional home cooked meals are provided in the pect. Both sites offer public transport services expect. Bothgood sites offer good public transport services dining room every day and breakfast dining room every day and breakfast provisions areprovisions are by,and so it iseasy nice and easyand to goexplore. and explore. ose by, so it isclose nice to go provided for for residents to haveto in their rooms. provided residents have in their rooms. At our Abbeyfield houses residents find friendship The weekly charge covers all utilities and food, so our Abbeyfield houses residents find friendship Allsupport bills arelosing included, except telephone line &all calls and without their independence The charge utilities there weekly are no bills to worry covers about, other than a BTand food, so nd support and without dignity. losing their independence telephone line which is necessary for the residents, there are no bills to worry about, other than a BT nd dignity. The rooms are unfurnished with en-suite facilities and telephone 24hr emergency pendant to work, so all concerns line which is necessary for the residents, a kitchenette area. The houses have a communal

e rooms arelaundry, unfurnished withlounge en-suite and dining room, and facilities beautiful garden. kitchenette Each area. The houses have a communal house has a small and friendly committed undry, dining room, lounge and beautiful garden.

about running a house are taken away.

24hr emergency pendant to work, so all concerns Each room has its own 24hr emergency call system about running for residents peaceaofhouse mind. are taken away.

Each room has its own 24hr emergency call system for residents peacetelephone of mind. ach house has a To small and friendly committed arrange a visit or for more information

the Manager at: Park House, Paignton 01803 557732 or a forvisit Sanders Court, Torquay 01803 316164. arrange or for more information telephone Or visit our website: www.abbeyfield.com

To the Manager at: Park House, Paignton 01803 557732 or for Sanders Court, Torquay 01803 316164. Or visit our website: www.abbeyfield.com Registered Society No: 23413R under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014

Registered Society No: 23413R under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014

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23/07/2020 18:09

English Riviera Magazine August/September 2020

Articles inside

Torquay’s ornamental gardens

Test your knowledge of Torbay’s past

Art exhibitions and events

Galmpton Creek to Maypool

Can you spot where we’ve been?

The widow whose kindness changed Britain

Kayakers clear up

Exploring the D’Oyly Cartes’ family cove

Join the navy...or else

Jenny Ridd unlocks some family secrets

Devon Open Studios Bursary Winner

Life at the Meadfoot Bay Hotel

Inventor of the Christmas card