Comments on: Greenway House - At Home With Agatha Christie http://www.historynet.com/greenway-house-at-home-with-agatha-christie.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sun, 19 May 2013 02:58:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Chris King http://www.historynet.com/greenway-house-at-home-with-agatha-christie.htm#comment-810703 Chris King Sat, 30 Jun 2012 08:03:54 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681286#comment-810703 Like Agatha Christie, I was also born in Torquay and I have many happy childhood memories of various locations around Torbay which are associated with Agatha's life ... for example, I often played cricket on the pitch in front of Cockington Court, where Agatha performed as a child (I still remember the fantastic Torbay ice cream that I enjoyed there as a child, 'the most delicious and yummy ice cream in the world')... also Torre Abbey, another of Agatha's favourite places around the Bay, my father worked there as a Landscaper/Painter for Torquay Town Council and I'd often go there after school and in particular, I enjoyed fossicking through his musty old sheds and workshops, and like Agatha, I really enjoyed the architecture and beautiful gardens of this place, I especially remember the beautiful red ivy that adorned most of the exterior, especially all over that beautiful South Eastern facade that overlooks the bay. Just like Agatha, I enjoyed many social times at the beautiful Imperial Hotel and I actually played Squash for the Grand Hotel Squash Team where Agatha spent her honeymoon. Mention of local villages around the outskirts of the bay and down around The Dart and South Hams brings back so many happy childhood memories, Accombe, Daccombe, Coffinswell, Edginswell, Berry Pomeroy, Dittisham, Galmpton, Churston Ferrers, Salcombe, Kingswear etc., are all nostalgically etched into the hearts and memories of us locals, just like they were with Agatha. I'm now living in Australia, but my beautiful, precious memories of Torbay are as strong and as vivid as ever... maybe there's something in the water of South Devon, something that produces exceptional literary talent because I also remember another local who was also a famous writer... can you remember Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh? Well, he also lived down by the River Dart, (not far from Agatha Christie) he not only owned a beautiful old bookshop, but also became a fairly famous author, not quite as famous as his father Alan (A. A. Milne) but nevertheless a successful published Author, Christopher Robin Milne. I never actually met Agatha Christie which is a good thing (see below for more info) but Christopher Robin was a friend of mine when I was a young kid, I'd often pop into his bookshop after school or on weekends and if he wasn't busy with customers, he'd sit me on the stool and tell me lovely little make up stories... more very happy Torbay childhood memories... The reason I'm glad that I never came face to face with Agatha Christie is that if she had ever caught me, she may well have written me into one of her whodunnits as a victim, you see, I'm the little kid who used to sneak over her garden wall at Greenway, nick her fruit off the trees and find a nice quiet spot in amongst the bushes or go and hide down by the river to enjoy the fruit... I did get spotted once or twice and shouted at from a distance, but never actually caught... hehehe. P.S.Whenever anyone in Australia asks me where I'm from, I always say "Torquay, it's just a sleepy little seaside place in Devon, you probably haven't heard of it, there's only 3 people from there who are famous, Agathy Christie the Mystery writer, John Cleese from Fawlty Towers... and me" hehehe P.P.S. If anyone would like to read more about this wonderful part of England known as South Devon, there are so many interesting places... search South Hams, Dart Estuary, Dartmoor... and if you like spooky legends have a look at The Legend of Babbacombe Lee or The Legend of Jays Grave... spooky but true... Like Agatha Christie, I was also born in Torquay and I have many happy childhood memories of various locations around Torbay which are associated with Agatha's life … for example, I often played cricket on the pitch in front of Cockington Court, where Agatha performed as a child (I still remember the fantastic Torbay ice cream that I enjoyed there as a child, 'the most delicious and yummy ice cream in the world')… also Torre Abbey, another of Agatha's favourite places around the Bay, my father worked there as a Landscaper/Painter for Torquay Town Council and I'd often go there after school and in particular, I enjoyed fossicking through his musty old sheds and workshops, and like Agatha, I really enjoyed the architecture and beautiful gardens of this place, I especially remember the beautiful red ivy that adorned most of the exterior, especially all over that beautiful South Eastern facade that overlooks the bay. Just like Agatha, I enjoyed many social times at the beautiful Imperial Hotel and I actually played Squash for the Grand Hotel Squash Team where Agatha spent her honeymoon.
Mention of local villages around the outskirts of the bay and down around The Dart and South Hams brings back so many happy childhood memories, Accombe, Daccombe, Coffinswell, Edginswell, Berry Pomeroy, Dittisham, Galmpton, Churston Ferrers, Salcombe, Kingswear etc., are all nostalgically etched into the hearts and memories of us locals, just like they were with Agatha.
I'm now living in Australia, but my beautiful, precious memories of Torbay are as strong and as vivid as ever… maybe there's something in the water of South Devon, something that produces exceptional literary talent because I also remember another local who was also a famous writer… can you remember Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh? Well, he also lived down by the River Dart, (not far from Agatha Christie) he not only owned a beautiful old bookshop, but also became a fairly famous author, not quite as famous as his father Alan (A. A. Milne) but nevertheless a successful published Author, Christopher Robin Milne. I never actually met Agatha Christie which is a good thing (see below for more info) but Christopher Robin was a friend of mine when I was a young kid, I'd often pop into his bookshop after school or on weekends and if he wasn't busy with customers, he'd sit me on the stool and tell me lovely little make up stories… more very happy Torbay childhood memories…
The reason I'm glad that I never came face to face with Agatha Christie is that if she had ever caught me, she may well have written me into one of her whodunnits as a victim, you see, I'm the little kid who used to sneak over her garden wall at Greenway, nick her fruit off the trees and find a nice quiet spot in amongst the bushes or go and hide down by the river to enjoy the fruit… I did get spotted once or twice and shouted at from a distance, but never actually caught… hehehe.

P.S.Whenever anyone in Australia asks me where I'm from, I always say "Torquay, it's just a sleepy little seaside place in Devon, you probably haven't heard of it, there's only 3 people from there who are famous, Agathy Christie the Mystery writer, John Cleese from Fawlty Towers… and me" hehehe

P.P.S. If anyone would like to read more about this wonderful part of England known as South Devon, there are so many interesting places… search South Hams, Dart Estuary, Dartmoor… and if you like spooky legends have a look at The Legend of Babbacombe Lee or The Legend of Jays Grave… spooky but true…

]]> By: History Roundup 08-31-2009 « Great History http://www.historynet.com/greenway-house-at-home-with-agatha-christie.htm#comment-115772 History Roundup 08-31-2009 « Great History Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:10:55 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681286#comment-115772 [...] Agatha Christie fans might be interested to learn more about her private life in Greenway House – At Home With Agatha Christie. [...] [...] Agatha Christie fans might be interested to learn more about her private life in Greenway House – At Home With Agatha Christie. [...]

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