Jim Parker: Can Torbay do with Dame Agatha what Stratford-upon-Avon has done with Shakespeare?

The tourism and hospitality industry is absolutely crucial to the English Riviera’s economy, generating millions of pounds and creating thousands of jobs.
We must do all we can to protect and promote a sector which sits at the heart of a prosperous future for the Bay. Above all, we must move with the times and make sure the industry is fit for that future.
Business, tourism and council leaders are looking at updating the resort’s Destination Management Plan which will strategically drive and lead tourism and hospitality through to 2030 and beyond.
The aims are to try to recover from the smashing handed out by Covid and find ways of sustaining and growing the sector and making the Bay more of a year-round offer rather than relying solely on the main summer months.
The English Riviera BID Company does a great job promoting and selling the English Riviera and plays a huge part in trying to reach these goals in a hugely competitive UK and international market.
One thing is for sure, the days of thousands of holidaymakers heading over the hillocks with hankies on their heads are long, long gone.
Events, attractions and other magnetic draws in our armoury will be essential to complement the beauty of our natural environment and UNESCO Geopark, which in itself needs a huge dollop of promotion.
And then we have Dame Agatha.
 in that new, modern world of tourism — even, ironically, if it means taking a step back in time.
She was born on September 15 in 1890 and lived in a large Victorian house called Ashfield on Barton Road in Torquay.
She grew up there with her family and the house and gardens are often said to have strongly influenced her imagination and later writing. Christie described Ashfield fondly in her autobiography as a happy, comfortable home.

You would have thought the house would have been looked on and looked after as a ‘shrine’ for locals and especially holidaymakers for years to come.

What happened to her house? She sold it in 1938 and in the early 1960s the house was demolished to make way for new development and a residential housing estate, now known as Ashfield Court.
It has a Torbay Civic Society ‘Dame Agatha lived here’ blue plaque on site but that is it?
Can you imagine Shakespeare’s house being bulldozed in Stratford, where the great playwright and poet is celebrated in any way he can be celebrated to attract a worldwide audience just like Dame Agatha should be?
To be fair, we are slowly but surely waking up to the potential Christie phenomenon. We have her house at Greenway, a bust of her and a ‘Christie Mile’ as well as an Agatha Christie Festival, which is growing in stature and popularity since it was first launched a few years ago.
And last but not least we have that brilliant statue of Dame Agatha and her pet dog Peter sitting on Torquay harbour. The sheer number of people having their photograph taken with the bronzed Dame again shows what a draw she is and could be even further.
That brings me on to Dame Agatha and the Pavilion and a future idea, which would breathe new life into the waterfront building and put the Bay on the worldwide map as the true home of the Whodunnit Queen.
Intensive work is being carried out to identify the damage and repairs that are needed to bring the Pavilion back into use and now Torbay Council is asking for ideas, suggestions and proposals of what that long-term use may be.
Matt Newbury, programme director at the Agatha Christie Festival, has his mind made up and he is asking for support.
He has posted an appeal on social media asking for followers to back his idea.
Matt says: “We’d love it to be an International Agatha Christie Centre, with exhibitions, performance space, dining, retail, etc — but all under a themed Agatha Christie umbrella.
“This beautiful building deserved to be a centre for arts and culture, rather than a shopping mall or ice skating rink — both ideas that have failed in the past.”
He added: “We have long advocated for the Pavilion to become an Agatha Christie–themed arts centre. The building has a direct and compelling connection to Christie’s life: it was here that she attended a Wagner concert with Archie Christie, shortly before his proposal. This tangible link makes the Pavilion an ideal anchor for both celebrating Christie’s legacy and securing a sustainable future for this important historic building.
“Our proposal is to establish the Pavilion as a vibrant cultural destination centred on Agatha Christie’s life and work, with a particular focus on her Devon roots.
“At its heart would be an exhibition space featuring a permanent interpretive display alongside rotating exhibitions developed in partnership with the Agatha Christie Archive and Torquay Museum. We would love this part to be open access, with no charge for entry.
“The Christie theme would extend throughout the visitor experience. The food and beverage offer would include afternoon high teas — drawing inspiration from successful models such as the Pump Room in Bath — alongside themed daytime and evening dining.

Pavilion Palm Court setting Picture Torquay Museum

“The atmosphere would evoke a Palm Court setting, referencing the Pavilion’s own historic use while offering an elegant and accessible hospitality experience.
“The building would also accommodate a performance space for talks, readings, theatre, and live events, as well as curated retail spaces offering high-quality, thematically appropriate merchandise.”
And there is more: “An education and learning programme would form a key strand of the offer, again supported by the Agatha Christie Archive. This could include opportunities for university-level research, as well as workshops and activities for local schools and colleges.
“Such an approach would complement the Agatha Christie Festival’s existing aims of engaging young people, improving literacy, and fostering a lifelong love of reading.
"In addition, the Pavilion could house the town’s Visitor Information service, with the Agatha Christie story placed at the heart of the local tourism offer — positioning the town in a manner comparable to Shakespeare’s central role in Stratford-upon-Avon.
“We believe that transforming the Pavilion into an inclusive, high-quality arts centre anchored in the Agatha Christie legacy would provide a fitting, viable, and sustainable future for this landmark building.”
The Christie family, including grandson Mathew Prichard and great grandson James, are good friends of the Bay and are known to have a liking for the Pavilion.
It is no secret that they, along with Torbay Council representatives on the Arts Council, have visited the building and conversations about its future have been held and are still continuing.
Matt says: “I was trying to find a sustainable way of how it might work. It is my personal opinion. It should be more than about a festival. It should be how Stratford is with Shakespeare.”
Council leader Dave Thomas confirmed: “We have had conversations with the Agatha Christie family and those conversations are continuing.”
He added: “I would not look to rule anything in or out at this stage.
“We have had a number of ideas come forward from different people and organisations.
“It shows there is huge interest in this building.
“The next big step forward is to find out exactly the results of the intensive work being carried out. It is a great time for people to get involved and have their say.”
Torbay Council says: “We are calling on the public to help shape the next chapter of the iconic Torquay Pavilion, as a major new options appraisal gets under way. (Consultation runs until January 25 with details on their website)
“Led by a small team of local consultants and backed by funding from us, Arts Council England, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this work marks a significant step toward securing a sustainable, long‑term future for one of the Bay’s most treasured heritage landmarks.
“The options appraisal will explore viable, sustainable uses for the Grade II listed Pavilion, ensuring it can operate as a financially resilient, year-round visitor attraction while preserving its historic and cultural significance.
“The Pavilion plays a key role in our wider vision for cultural and heritage-led regeneration across the Bay.”
You perhaps need look no further….