The Queen of Crime's Torbay (Part Two)

Leaving the Princess Gardens and the Pavilion behind us, our next destination is Torquay Museum, home of the only Agatha Christie-dedicated gallery in the world.  It's strictly no-photos in the gallery (apparently due to copyright), but in its cabinets visitors can see photographic collections, original manuscripts, handwritten notes, books, plays and memorabilia from her famous characters Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.  In a temporary gallery, an exhibition has been put on to coincide with the festival, entitled Agatha Christie - Cover Story, Original Book Cover Artwork by Tom Adams.  This exhibit presents a series of original book cover paintings by the American born, British artist Tom Adams, who produced more than 100 paperback cover paintings for Christie's books, many of which are very iconic. 

Tom Adams covers for Agatha Christie.  Top Left: Death in the Clouds.  Top Right:  Murder at the Vicarage

Torquay Museum

If it's mid afternoon, it's definitely time for a Devonshire cream tea, and we leave the museum ready to sit down and indulge.  All over the bay, local businesses have been getting into Christie spirit, and Torquay's Living Coasts is no exception - they've spruced up their Room with a View to offer guests a taste of 1930s afternoon tea.  Dotted around the room are various Christie novels for us to dip in and out of before delicious tea, scones, and finger sandwiches arrive at our table.  The view over the bay is exceptional, the company delightful, the experience entirely sophisticated and very tasty.

Tea on the Terrace at Living Coasts

Just around the corner from Living Coasts lies a lovely little beach called Beacon Cove.  Hardly ever frequented by tourists (I imagine due to its hidden location) I always enjoy a little time here to sit and watch the waves lap onto the shore.  In Agatha Christie's day, this was the ladies bathing cove, and she frequently came here to swim.  One day, a teenage Christie fell into trouble in the water and nearly drowned.  Fortunately, she was spotted and rescued by a boatman.

Beacon Cove

Opposite the entrance to Beacon Cove, and overlooking it, is the Royal Torbay Yacht Club where Agatha's father, Frederick Miller, was a prominent member. Scandalously, the men of the early 20th Century yacht club would frequently gather at the front window, to try and catch a glimpse of the female bathers in the cove. 

The Royal Torbay Yacht Club (note the naughty front window)

The final port of call on the Agatha Christie Mile is the Imperial Hotel.  One of Torbay's grandest hotels, the Imperial features in several Agatha Christie novels.  In the opening chapter of Peril at End House, Captain Arthur Hastings apparently describes the hotel as "In its own grounds on the headland overlooking the sea.  The gardens of the hotel lay below us freely interspersed with palm trees.  The sea was of a deep and lovely blue."  The hotel is also the setting for the final chapter of Sleeping Murder and The Body in the Library.  Agatha also attended many social events at the hotel.

We have completed the Agatha Christie Mile, but our day is not yet over.  Back at the harbourside, the tourist information centre has got itself into fine Agatha Christie form, a decorated window seeing Hercule Poirot looking over a roadside murder. Inside, a Christie corner has been put into place, selling novels, guidebooks and postcards, a whole host of crime for the Christie enthusiast!

The window of the Tourist Information Centre

Inside the Tourist Information Centre

Our day on the Agatha Christie trail is nearly done, but it would surely not be complete without witnessing a murder mystery unfold before our eyes.  For this, it has to be the Princess Theatre which, for one week only, is entertaining the Agatha Christie Theatre Company and their production of Murder on the Nile.  What follows is two hours of murderous suspense mixed with just the right amount of comedy, a brilliant and fitting way to end a day discovering Agatha Christie, her life, time and work.

Torquay's Princess Theatre

Murder on the Nile poster

The cast take a bow