Agatha in Torquay
The new staute of Agatha Christie on Torquay’s harbourside
April 2025 With my hometown of Torquay being one of my inspirations and my love of 1950s style I thought I’d give this a mention. There is a new statue of Agatha Christie in Torquay and we visited it over the Easter weekend a few days after it was unveilled on the harbourside. Born in Torquay in 1890 Agatha took the publishing world by storm with her stylish murder mystery novels. We’ve visited her home Greenway, now National Trust, many times with mum and dad, with its beautiful 1950s interiors and I particularly liked taking a peek at Agatha’s wardrobe and clothes. The pretty gardens slope steeply down towards the River Dart, it’s a beautiful location. The bronze statue by local artist Elisabeth Hadley is sat with her favourite dog, Peter, and much like her books, there is plenty of detail for those who search for it. Residents were given the chance to vote for the book she holds in her hand - And Then There Were None was the winner. Rather controversially, Agatha is sat with her back to the harbour, keeping a watchful eye on Debenhams which will soon be demolished and a new harbour plaza built, but it is an undeniably a better background for photos and adds a little mystery and perhaps humour to this attractive statue. There is an Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay every year and this will be a welcome addition for visitors. Personally, I think The Pavilion, which used to be home to an indoor ice skating rink which we made good use of as kids, would make a wonderful space for an Agatha Christie museum. The Grade II listed building has been closed since 2013 and now it’s fully under the control of Torbay Council, the necessary repairs are being made to the structure to bring the building back to use. There are some lovely photos of Agatha as a young lady, in a long Victoiran dress, roller skating along the sea front and the pier with her friends and she would have known and loved the building as much as any Torquinian.
My English Riviera designer scarf was inspired by Torquay with sketches of fairy lights and palm trees juxtaposed with deckchairs and ice creams on a bright orange background. The design also features in an A5 notepad and a pack of A7 greetings cards.
The statue of Agatha Christie with her dog Peter at Torquay harbour