Speaker Eric Walkom talking about – Old Torquay

At our meeting on 6th September,Eric Walkom used old sepia photos, taken in Torquay between 1880 and 1912, to illustrate his talk about Old Torquay. The photos were taken by professional photographers, many of whom carried mountains of 8” by 6” glass plates in boxes stored in carts drawn by horses from one venue to the next. The resulting photos were often sold for one penny each (the price of a loaf) to the public, virtually none of whom owned cameras in those days. People put the photos onto postcards and sent them with messages to friends and family, who received them quickly because there were up to seven deliveries each day.

At the time, Torquay was very popular with tourists, most of whom came by train from Paddington.

Some of his old photos look virtually the same today as they did when they were taken, especially those showing Cockington Court and his photo of a horse and cart in Cockington village.

Photos of beaches in the area, including Anstey’s Cove and Meadfoot in the 1880s, showed bathing huts on wheels into which people could enter one end when it was on the beach, change into swimwear and the hut would be rolled into the sea where people could step down from the hut into the water.

An old photo of Babbacombe prompted an opportunity to remember a true story about John Lee, who in 1884 murdered his employer in Babbacombe, was convicted of murder, but survived three attempts to hang him.

Eric’s collection of old photos include timber being delivered from America and Sweden by ship to Torquay harbour, photos of local hotels including the Imperial, and photos of Royal Navy ships including the Plymouth Division of destroyers visiting in 1905 and Combined Fleets of British warships amongst 170 vessels accompanying King George V to Torquay in July 1910.

Dr.Nigel Darby, Press Officer, Bishopsteignton Probus Club

ATTACHED PHOTO shows Eric Walkom (right) being thanked by Probus Club member Roy Staniforth.