Is Torquay still the English Riviera?

[Dockhead]

A tricky entrance?

I go there a lot and love the place so maybe I'm just familiar with it, but I've never thought of Dartmouth as being tricky.

I love it too. It's gorgeous. But in a storm especially at night the entrance would be tricky. Torquay would be much safer.

 

[doug748]

..........reading cards for nervous passengers before they caught the ferry that used to run - but where did it run to? That has slipped my memory.

Well apart from Brixham, there used to be a ferry to Guernsey.

Took about 10 hours, I think Coleridge has been on it:

Day after day, day after day
We struck nor breath nor motion
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

 

[Seajet]

I've never thought of Dartmouth as tricky in any normal conditions either.

I think you'll find the amusing account of cards being read for nervous passengers was by Boreades.

Philthy,

that Torbados video is brilliant ! Thanks - recommended to anyone who hasn't seen / heard it !

 

[longjohnsilver]

I'd rather tackle Dartmouth in bad weather than Torquay, Torquay harbour entrance is tiny by comparison.

 

[Xskipper]

I'd rather tackle Dartmouth in bad weather than Torquay, Torquay harbour entrance is tiny by comparison.

Astouding- Torquay, Brixham, Dartmouth or any other "major" harbour should be a breeze for anyone that can read a chart, take a bearing and use a sounder..

Never mind getting "beaten up" some people sound as if they are lucky just to make it through the harbour entrance..

 

[PeteE]

I can only think you chaps and chapesses don't get out very much.

The description of Torquay fits virtually every Saturday night town centre in England.

Its what modern yoof think of as fun !

I'll second that. Having (not so) recently moved from Nottingham, Torquay was tranquil by comparison - I didn't hear a single gunshot when I was there last week. And the harbour entrance was a VERY welcome sight after an overnight run across Lyme Bay with a freezing easterly up my ar**. There has been recent development - new(ish) pontoons at Town Quay (although facilities are a bit basic) and with a bit of imagination the Haldon Quay development could be seen as a tiny bit Riviera-ish........ As for chewing gum, it didn't look too bad to me - there were a couple of cleaning units on the case while I was there so at least they are doing something about it (pity they can't ban it or the chavs chomping it).

Trouble with Torbay is, it puts a lot into attracting visitors (eg planting schemes etc) but then suffers the consequences...........

 

[Lakesailor]

English Riviera was wonderfully successful marketing scheme which had little to do with the reality. It traded off peoples' perceptions of the Med.

 

[Ubergeekian]

Points were to be scored for spotting fights, vomit, white stilleto heels, police cars with blue lights etc etc. We had ticked all the items off within the first few minutes.

Sounds like the competition I used to run in Liverpool - 1 point each for dodgy 'tache, shell suit and footballer's perm, 2 bonus points for all three on one person. We never failed to get a 5 within a minute of leaving Lime Street station, la.

 

[jhr]

English Riviera was wonderfully successful marketing scheme which had little to do with the reality. It traded off peoples' perceptions of the Med.

I thought it earned the title during the Napoleonic Wars, when British aristos couldn't scoot off to the Cote d'azur and had to make do with the West Country instead?

Not many stripey-shirted Marketing wallahs around in those days

 

[Lakesailor]

More recently, within living memory.

 

[Ubergeekian]

More recently, within living memory.

The Great Western Railway used it as a marketing slogan in the 20s.

 

[Lakesailor]

...and the area has been re-inventing itself ever since.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

No - it's the other way round. The Riviera is the French Torquay.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Astouding- Torquay, Brixham, Dartmouth or any other "major" harbour should be a breeze for anyone that can read a chart, take a bearing and use a sounder..

Never mind getting "beaten up" some people sound as if they are lucky just to make it through the harbour entrance..

Have you read the thread? Someone said that Dartmouth is a difficult entrance in bad weather. I begged to differ! Hope you're now somewhat less astounded!!!

 

[Ubergeekian]

No - it's the other way round. The Riviera is the French Torquay.

I have a recording of "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue" in which Humph's introductions contains something along the lines of "We're coming to you today from Manchester, which is called 'The Venice of The North' ... about as often as Venice is called 'The Manchester of the Adriatic'."