I remember years ago sprinting along the harbour wall on
the east quay of Paignton Harbour and leaping out into the rough easterly sea. Sailing
through the air and sinking deep beneath the waves was so exhilarating! At that
time there used to be a ladder at the end of the quay and we would wait for the
next big swell and excitedly clamber back up onto the harbour. It was high
summer of course and the water was almost warm.
Those years ago Paignton’s lovely little harbour seemed
to tingle in the summer as hundreds of tourists wandered happily around the
quaysides. We used to run a windsurfing school from here and provided endless
entertainment for tourists as luckless aspirant windsurfers bobbed on the board
briefly before tipping headlong into the ocean.
At that time Paignton Sailing Club had a very active
windsurfing section and on Thursday evenings over fifty windsurfers would race
around buoys off the harbour. During Regatta Week thousands of people would
watch windsurfers sail along the edge of the beach in fancy dress! Where else
would you see a giant carrot sailing a windsurfers being chased by an
overstuffed rabbit complete with large floppy ears?
Over recent years the harbour rather lost much of the
once famous ‘mojo’ as it adjusted to changing social trends and the economic roller-coaster that turned into a white knuckle ride for many. Various ‘plans’
offered all sorts of possibilities for the harbour estate. An eclectic mix
included the Mayor’s Vision, a Port Master Plan, various town plans and more
latterly the Torbay Retail / Tourism BID. The Harbour also seemed to have lost
direction as the local council attempted to balance recreational and business
development.
BUT having said all that next Saturday something quite
special is happening on Paignton’s picturesque harbour. A small group of dedicated
harbour people have been planning the first ever HARBOUR FESTIVAL DAY! Much of
this is due to the endless enthusiasm of Paignton’s new harbourmaster Simon
Pinder. Simon is a sailor with many years’ experience and natural enthusiasm
for making things happen. He has also managed to unite the community and must
be congratulated for that.
You can learn how to splice rope with
our local expert Andy Ricks. He will be with Mike Cornish the local supplier of commercial fishing and yachting supplies demonstrating how modern pots are made. Come and see Dave French construct a traditional Withy
Pot from scratch. The pot will be auctioned later with proceeds going to the
Fishermen's Mission. Bidding will be brisk for what will be a beautifully
crafted potential Christmas present!
The Oarsome Buoys Shaun Pedley and Ryan
Barter will be on hand to tell you about rowing across the Atlantic. Their boat
will be on the harbour for the day and so you can actually touch the craft and
feels its spirit. In December they will be competing in the Talisker Whisky
Atlantic Challenge rowing from La Gomera to Antigua! That is a tough challenge
and makes me shiver just thinking about it! Do have a look at their website and
the ‘countdown clock’ telling you how long there is left before the start of the
race.(http://www.weregoingrowing.co.uk/)
There will be live music from The Back
Beach Boyz and Fabulous 59 Ford, wonderful ‘Billet Doux – Lino Prints’ by local
artist Emma Higgins, a traditional Punch and Judy show and so much more! This
has to be one of the best events of the summer locally and I am really looking
forward to spending the day there.
This is Regatta Week in Paignton and that brings
the whole town to life. It is so easy to bang on about all the things that appear
not to work and for reasons I still don’t understand people seem to wallow too
often in self-imposed negativity. With so much good stuff happening locally
South Devon really should be tingling so why not join in the fun and tingle
too! You know it makes sense.
I’m almost tempted to have another crack at
leaping off the harbour wall when the tide is high and the east wind tumbles
the sea toward the beach.
Keep the smile.
Words from my column in the Herald Express 12th August 2015
