Murder, Mystery & Mayhem on the English Riviera
Written by Lara on 12th July 2010
Despite having grown up very much aware of the writings and characters of Agatha Christie (Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Tommy & Tuppence…) I realise as I come to write this blog that I never fully appreciated the extent of her achievements.
This marvelous woman has been referred to as the best-selling author of all time, selling over 2 billion books worldwide. She is well known not just for her novels and short stories but also for her plays The Mousetrap being one of her most famous.
This Torquay-born writer and dramatist lived a very full and varied life. Born in 1890 Agatha was home educated and wrote her first book from a challenge set by her sister Madge. She travelled the world and wrote many of her books during those travels, drawing from her experiences and observation of the world around her.
Christie was in fact a very accomplished musician and might have pursued a career in that rather, had it not been for her being too shy to perform. She did qualify as a dispenser which is where she got her knowledge of poisons, knowledge which is of course prominent in her works.
A note aside -for all you budding authors it’s comforting to know that Christie’s first book was rejected by 6 publishers over the course of 5 years before it was finally published.
It is because of all of this that we in Torquay, on the English Riviera, are celebrating the 120th anniversary of her birth this September, with the Agatha Christie Festival. A week full of ‘Murder, Mystery & Mayhem’.
Enjoy a cream tea, dress up in period clothes and whirl around the dance floor to the sound of live music in the grand setting of Oldway Mansion where Agatha Christie herself once danced. Explore Greenway House by night and sample wine and canapés in the house kitchen, the vintage bus will be running for a tour of ‘Mystery and Discovery’ and will run to Greenway for the Twilight Tour.
There are of course also Murder Mystery evenings happening at various venues around the Bay, including here at the Toorak hotel, TLH Leisure Resort. Join us at Torre Abbey for welcome drinks, a mini tour and then ‘Murder Most Foul!’ Then it’s across to the Toorak Hotel for 3 course dinner, concluding scene and whodunit – will you solve the mystery?
Discovery the mystery and some of the history and life of the great Queen of Crime at this fun-packed week-long festival.
