Numbers down, but still going up

Babbacombe Cliff Railway one of only 16 funicular railways still functioning in the United Kingdom. It leads down to the wonderful Oddicombe beach from the far side of the small cafe on Babbacombe Road and is the only way to travel, once you consider the steep beach road has a one-in-three gradient.

At its peak the cliff railway was transporting up to 250,000 people a year but nowadays fewer people want to spend a traditional seaside holiday in this country so numbers have dropped somewhat.

In March 2005 28 people attended the first meeting of the Friends of Babbacombe Cliff Railway, a support group in co-operation with Torbay Council, which formed to preserve protect and promote the Babbacombe Cliff Railway.

The Cliff Railway opening times are 9.30am to 5pm, seven days a week, and the last up journey is signaled by the ringing of 'Talca', an old ship's bell, 30 and 15 minutes before the railway closes.

Visit www.friendsofbabbacombecliffrailway.org.uk for more information, and be sure not to come to Torquay without at least one trip on this historical gem.

A big week for Torquay

A bonanza of fun on the sea and in the skies will mark the 196th Torbay Royal Regatta which starts this weekend. The Red Arrows and a major fireworks display will light up the night skies and hundreds of enthusiasts will take part in the regatta road race and regatta rowing championship.
The West of England Rowing Championship takes place on Saturday at Hollicombe Park and beach. High Society jazz band will be playing in the park from noon and refreshments will be available. Torbay Athletic Club is expecting more than 500 entries for the regatta 10km road race on Sunday at 7pm. On Monday Fantastic Fireworks is promising its best display yet.
More money has been added to the display to ensure the regatta can retain its claim to the title of best regatta fireworks show in the west. The display from Corbyn Head will start at 9.30pm.
Tuesday sees the Water Ski Spectacular by Torbay and South Hams Motor Cruising and Watersports Club. The best viewpoints are Princess Pier and Torre Abbey Sands. The display starts at 7pm.
On Wednesday members of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club will be parking up their impressive motors at Living Coasts, Beacon Hill, Torquay. The cars range from the early 1920s to present day and will be joined by several Bentleys and an Aston Martin.
The Red Arrows will be taking to the air at 6pm on Wednesday.
Don't miss it!

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Dem bones, dem bones...

Beware the locals when you arrive in Torquay, according to the Guardian, they are all descended from cannibals! (Read the full article here)
The article opens: Deliberate cut marks on a 9,000-year-old human bone excavated in a west country cave more than a century ago suggest that prehistoric Devonians may have been cannibals.
Scientists at Oxford University have examined a fragment of human bone from Kents Cavern, near Torquay in Devon, after a curator spotted it in a mass of animal bone in a museum store. They concluded that it was part of the forearm of a human adult, and that the seven cut marks were deliberately made with a stone tool around the time of death.
The marks suggest that either the flesh was stripped or the body chopped into pieces – perhaps for ritual reasons or to make it more convenient to handle. The arm appears to have been fractured around the time of death. The bone is on display in the Ancestors exhibition at Torquay museum

Really, if we weren't such a tolerant lot down here, it would be quite easy to take offence at something like that. And, rest assured wary traveller, the days of Devonians gnawing on arm bones are long gone.

Now we prefer leg bones.

Stay in the best self-catering holiday cottage in the whole of South Devon. With stunning views, a prestigious location and brand new interior, West Wing Cottage is the next level in holiday rental luxury. Visit www.torquay.uk.com for more details

Don't be Gorm-less...

If you haven't seen it, you must go. If you've already been, well, er, go again.
I am talking about the Antony Gormley installation which consists of 40,000 hand-sized terracotta figures which is on show at Torre Abbey's Spanish Barn.
Each of the figures that make up 'Field for the British Isles' was made by a community of families in St Helens, Merseyside. The sculptor, who is most famous for the The Angel of the North, directed the work.
Now the piece, which was instrumental in Gormley's Turner Prize victory in 1993, is the centrepiece of the abbey's year of contemporary art.
Amelia Marriette, keeper of art, said: "The exhibiting of Field for the British Isles is the start of a new era for Torre Abbey as a major centre for contemporary arts in the region. Field will create a strong impression on all that come to see it."
For more information visit http://www.torre-abbey.org.uk/

Stay in the best self-catering holiday cottage in the whole of South Devon. With stunning views, a prestigious location and brand new interior, West Wing Cottage is the next level in holiday rental luxury. Visit www.torquay.uk.com for more details

A ferry good day to you

You can't really come to somewhere so dominated by the sea as Torbay and then not get out on it at least once. One of the best local companies who will take you out there is Greenway Ferries, which operates from a number of locations throughout the area.
You can catch one from Torquay, Brixham, Dartmouth, Greenway and Dittisham and throughout the year they run a number of special cruise events including:
Agatha Christie Greenway Estate Special
Dartmouth Regatta
Sharpham Vineyard - Click Here
Fishing Trips (wreck fishing, mackerel fishing and rough ground)
Dartmouth Castle Cruises
Evening Illumination and Sunset Cruises
Firework Display and Red Arrow Trips
Private Charters

Whatever you are looking for Greenway Ferry Services are sure to have something for you and your family for a memorable great day out.
For all bookings and enquiries call 0845 489 0418, email: enquiries@greenwayferry.co.uk or visit www.greenwayferry.co.uk

Stay in the best self-catering holiday cottage in the whole of South Devon. With stunning views, a prestigious location and brand new interior, West Wing Cottage is the next level in holiday rental luxury. Visit www.torquay.uk.com for more details

Captain Cayman?

Stuck for something to do in Torbay? (You shouldn't be). Want to involve the whole family in a fun activity while at the same time enjoying some wonderful views of the bay? Then Cayman Golf is for you.
Cayman golf is a family run business, which has been cleverly designed to create a short 18 hole (par71) golf course, built in nine acres of land on the outskirts of Brixham.
It claims to be a new concept of the traditional game of pitch 'n' putt golf and is fun for all the family and golfers alike.
It uses unique 'Cayman' golf balls which rewards the player for accuracy rather than distance and offers a reduction in land area thus being a friend to the environment by contributing to land and water conservation and to the reduction of pesticides and insecticides.
The 2009 prices are: adults £6, juniors under 12 years £4, clubs and Cayman balls are provided but a charge of £1 will be payable per Cayman ball not returned
Family Tickets (2 Adults and 2 Juniors under 12) are £18.
For more information visit www.caymangolf.co.uk and tell them we sent you.

Stay in the best self-catering holiday cottage in the whole of South Devon. With stunning views, a prestigious location and brand new interior, West Wing Cottage is the next level in holiday rental luxury. Visit www.torquay.uk.com for more details.

Road map to peace? Nah!

A public inquiry starts today to decide the fate of a subject that has been under discussion for about 50 years - that's before man walked on the moon!
Supporters of the multi-million pound Kingskerswell scheme say it will ease congestion and boost Torbay's economy, but opponents claim a bypass could destroy the village and millions of pounds would be wasted.
If approved, 90% of the £123m cost will be met by central government, with the rest of the money coming from Devon County Council and Torbay Council.
Improvements on the A380 between Penn Inn and Kerswell Gardens are aimed at reducing congestion, improving air quality and road safety, with the new road bypassing Kingskerswell to link Newton Abbot to Torquay and Paignton.
Compulsory purchase orders were published in September 2008 for 11 properties which might have to be demolished to build the road.
The public inquiry, which is being held at the Passage House Hotel in Kingsteignton, is expected to last for 12 days. If you want to make your thoughts known - and it's unlikely you will sit on the fence on this one - you might want to get down there to register them.
When you come to Torquay stay in the only self-catering apartment to have its own sweeping lawn leading down to the sea. West Wing Cottage is located in a prime position overlooking the Bay and has been furnished to a high standard. Visit www.torquay.uk.com for more details