Walk in the footsteps of the “Queen of Crime”, Agatha Christie.
The tour begins by telling the storey of Agatha’s early years in Torquay, where she spent the first 30 years of her life, growing up in a large Georgian villa, with its views to the sea. You'll hear about the local people she met and the places she visited which inspired her plots and characters.
The route follows the beautiful English Riviera coastline, passing Torquay’s famous Pavilion. It's here, that Agatha and Archibald Christie, her first husband, watched a concert and afterwards he proposed to her. We stop at the Princess Pier where Agatha and her friends used to roller skate, alongside wealthy Victorians promenading in their finest clothes. It's here you'll have the chance to stand in exactly the same spot that Agatha stood in 1910!
Whilst strolling through the gardens at Torre Abbey, Torquay's oldest building, hear how a soiree arranged for Belgian refugees in 1916, resulted in Agatha meeting the man who provided the inspiration for Hercule Poirot. Guests will also discover how Miss Marple was created and why Agatha preferred to write about Miss Marple than Poirot.
It was never Agatha's intention to be a writer, but you will find out how a bet from her sister encouraged Agatha to write her first published Poirot novel.
When the first World War began, Agatha volunteered to become a nurse. She worked at Torquay's Town Hall. But when she moved to the dispensary, you will discover how this inspired her use of poison!
The tour recounts Agatha’s infamous 11 day disappearance that led to the biggest manhunt in British history at that time and how this incident forced her to flee this country and head to the Middle East, which would inspire novels such as Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. This chapter in her life also resulted in Agatha meeting her second husband Max Mallowan.
The tour ends near to the Grand Hotel, where Agatha and Archie spent their honeymoon. Here, we will discuss how her writing kept up the nation's morale during World War 2 and for which she would receive a Damehood.
Agatha's literary output was phenomenal and has touched the lives of billions of people. Even today she sells 5 million novels per year, with her popularity continuing to rise. Guests from across the world travel to Torquay not only to appreciate her contribution to crime writing, but also to admire her determination to overcome the barriers she faced to become a writer. Without doubt, and extraordinary lady who led an extraordinary life.
