Elaine Ormerod recalls fond memories of past holidays with a trip to Devon’s fabulous English Riviera resorts

A

A Brixham is a hilly town with pastel houses overlooking the harbour 

B

B You might spot the wild ponies grazing on Dartmoor 

C

C Historic Stoke Gabriel, on the River Dart, is famous for crab fishing 

D

D Completed in 1930, Drogo was the last castle built in the UK

E

E Bustling Torquay is ideal for watching the world go by 

F

F Many of the fine houses in Cockington have a thatched roof

G

G Great views over Oddicombe Beach from the clifftops

H

H Boats moored on the River Dart at Totnes 

I

I The fascinating Time Travellers Shop in Totnes attracts many visitors

Joe and Elaine Ormerod are keen caravanners who love to tour the UK

AS I GAZED down on Od dicombe Beach, Torquay, I was transported back to 1967, the ‘summer of love’ – more like the summer of A-levels for boyfriend Steve and me.

Then, we’d been snapped by a beach photographer. We both had long hair, and I was wearing short shorts, a sleeveless top and a big, wide-brimmed straw hat with white daisies adorning it. Oh yes, we looked the part!

Time for Torquay 

I’ve never been back to Torquay since then and Joe hasn’t visited the area, so it was time to make amends. As we turned into Ramslade C&MC Site, the sun was shining in a clear sky – but we’d seen the forecast and this wonderful weather was not likely to last.

We set off next day to Brixham and parked in the long-stay car park next to the sea. It was then a stroll to the fishing harbour, full of trawlers, and a café that proclaimed “Tomorrow’s fish are still in the sea”.

Brixham is a hilly town with pastel-painted houses overlooking the harbour. This reminded me of a photo I took years ago, of an artist painting the scene on the jetty. Now the artists all seem to have their own studio.

Neither were there any guitarists with a harmonica balanced on a bent coat-hanger – aspiring Donovans or Dylans. But the full-size replica of Sir Francis Drake’s Tudor galleon, the Golden Hind, was still there.

Further on, we came across the statue of the Prince of Orange, later William III, who landed in Brixham with his army in 1688, in the Glorious Revolution.

We continued walking towards the marina and found a more recent sculpture, which I really liked, ‘Man and Boy’, life-size figures of two men at a ship’s wheel. This honours the fishing heritage of the region.