Torquay's most famous daughter, Agatha Christie, was born in the town on 15th September 1890. To mark the Queen of Crime's birthday, a series of events is taking place across the country - with Torquay the main focal point of Agatha Christie Week. The week runs from 11-16 September 2006, and tourism bosses in Torbay are hoping it will extend the summer season. It's believed the crime writer's legacy is worth millions of pounds to Torbay's economy, 30 years after she died in 1976. This is the second Agatha Christie Week - the inaugural one was last year - and the event is organised by Agatha Christie Limited.  | | Agatha Christie spent her childhood in Torquay |
Among the things happening in Torbay are a staging of The Hollow at Torquay's Princess Theatre (see the separate feature which is linked from this page). The whodunnit has an all-star cast including Kate O'Mara, Tony Britton and Frazer Hines. Another of Dame Agatha's best known works, And Then There Were None, is being staged at the Little Theatre in Torquay the week before Agatha Christie Week, and on 11th September, a Mystery Event is taking place at the venue. There's a Murder Mystery Ball at the Grand Hotel in Torquay, where Agatha Christie and her husband Colonel Archibald Christie spent their wedding night in 1914. Guests will enjoy a champagne reception and three course dinner and, as the evening unfolds, a 'murder' will take place which the guests have to solve to win a prize. That's on Saturday 16th September. A 1920s tea dance is being held in the ballroom at Oldway Mansion in Paignton on 13th September from 5pm-8pm.  | | Greenway - Dame Agatha's family home |
And All Saints Church in Torre, Torquay, where a young Agatha was Christened, is holding open days on 15th and 16th September. At Torquay Museum, there are themed exhibitions all week, while the local libraries have an Agatha Christie display, with free books to borrow. For those who prefer to get out and about, there are a couple of organised walks. Agatha Christie's Riviera Walking Tour takes in many of the places she frequented in Torquay. It starts at 11am on 14th September at the Agatha Christie bust in Torquay. A guided walk at Dame Agatha's family home, Greenway, is taking place on 14 and 15 September. The walk takes in the magnificent gardens overlooking the River Dart at Galmpton, and a talk and lunch is included. The house and gardens are now managed by the National Trust, after the property was gifted to the charity by Dame Agatha's daughter Rosalind and her husband Anthony, both of whom died in recent years. For more details and to book any of these events, contact the English Riviera Tourist Information on 0870 7070 010. | 
