Holiday or second homes always make me raise an eyebrow
when I see potential first time local buyers being priced out of the market. For
so many of our young that first rung in the housing ladder is simply out of
reach. Of course it can be argued that
the second home owners bring new revenue to the area and the subletting can
boost local business. The debate can and often does get very emotional. That is
a debate for another time because one former holiday home caught my eye
recently.
Whilst I mention the first time buyer market for housing
and holiday homes there are some properties that stand in a league of their
own. Last week I went to visit a onetime holiday home that is now open to the
public. I’ve been meaning to visit for a long time which given the fact that I
don’t live that far away is ridiculous. It’s been on my ‘to do list’ for far
too many years and now at last I can tick it off!
The Greenway Estate was at one time the holiday home of
Agatha Christie and is now under the protection of The National Trust. I gather
that Agatha Christie never lived there for any length of time and simply used
it for holidays. The gardens and house seemed atmospheric in the early autumn
late afternoon. I’ve seldom seen so many different trees, shrubs and plants in
one place. The large house is surprisingly cosy and all the furniture actually
belonged to the family which gives the place a ‘lived-in’ feel. It is almost as
though the occupants have simply nipped out for a while and expected back for
high tea at any moment.
Whilst walking to Greenway I paused for a while at the
top of a hill. To my left were the tranquil waters of Galmpton Creek on the
River Dart and to my right the distant choppy waters of Torbay. We live in a
magical place and it is all too easy to miss the beauty as we rush busily
around. Of course the whole Agatha Christie culture is very big business for
South Devon and brings thousands of tourists annually to the area.
Recently two Swiss lads came to stay with me and they
were very ‘Christie conscious’ and said how popular her books were in their
country. Sadly I am not a reader of her books but suspect that is my loss. I
remember Carolyn Custerson of the English Riviera Tourist Company returning
from a trade show in Berlin and commenting on the enthusiasm for ‘Agatha’s
Riviera’ holidays. So much of our tourism offer is themed around Agatha
Christie and that certainly is something to celebrate. The uniqueness of many
small hotels and guest houses add atmosphere for visitors wanting to touch the
spirit of Agatha. One such guest house if the Villa Marina in Torpark Road
Torquay where the rooms seemed to link the modern with the elegance of a former
time free from mobile phones and wall to wall wi-fi. The Villa Marina does of
course have wi-fi!
Anyway before heading down the hill to Greenway I spent a
little more time thinking about this world of ours. We take so much for granted
locally and although we jump up and down about local issues the wider world can
be a scary place. As I meditated a fresh north east breeze ruffled my hair and
I simply took as much of that lovely wind into my lungs whilst thanking God for
the moment. Far below me boats chugged up and down the Dart. In the distance I
could see the puffing smoke from the Dartmouth Steam Railway and listened to
the whistle blast echo across the estuary.
Daily news bulletins bring the chaos of our world into
our living rooms. The conflict in Syria, the bomb blasts in Baghdad, the broken
villages still rebuilding in the Philippines after that dreadful storm and many
other epics must make us appreciate how lucky we are. So let us be aware of
that when we want to moan about the small things and at least look for
something nice to say each day.
Keep the smile!
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