UK Travel Blog

To celebrate the 120th anniversary of Agatha Christie on the English Riviera, a fiendishly fishy-themed treasure hunt has been created, which will run throughout the annual Agatha Christie Festival in September.

120 special Red Herrings will be hidden across the three towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, with a series of clues encouraging amateur sleuths to rise to the bait and discover their whereabouts.

The individuals or teams who find the most red herrings by the end of the week (noting down their location and the number on each of the fish) stand the chance of reeling in one of an amazing haul of prizes. These include a two night stay in the deluxe Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in London with tickets to see The Mousetrap, a trip aboard the British Pullman or Northern Belle Orient Express Train and a full series of Agatha Christie Interactive Games for your PC.

Christie’s books are littered with deliberately misleading literary red herrings aimed at putting the reader off the scent and organisers hope the competition will be both educational and fun. Many of the fish will be hidden in places that featured in both the life and works of Torquay’s most famous literary daughter, providing the perfect hook for visitors to explore Agatha Christie’s Riviera.

A clue sheet will be available to collect from Tourist Information Centres and libraries in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham from Sunday 12th September 2010. They will also be available to download from the website.

The treasure hunt is one of more than 50 Agatha Christie themed events that will be taking place across the English Riviera throughout the festival, which runs from 12th – 19th September 2010.

These include theatre productions, film screenings, walks, talks, a period fete, a tea dance, a cream tea day, a cocktail masterclass, a lunch at Burgh Island, a charity swim and a whole host of murder mystery events taking place in some unusual locations including Torre Abbey and the Dartmouth Steam Railway. Christie fans will also want to visit her former summer home at Greenway House, now run by the National Trust, either by boat or on the brand new vintage bus.

As well as being the 120th anniversary of Agatha Christie, this is year is also the birthday of two of her most popular creations. It is the 90 anniversary of Hercule Poirot appearing in her very first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, as well as the 80th anniversary of Miss Marple’s first appearance in a full length novel.

A very special fireworks display has been organised on what would have been Christie’s 120th birthday on Wednesday 15th September, with a special party from the bay’s best vantage point at the Grand Hotel in Torquay, where Christie spent her honeymoon in 1914.

Useful links:
Hotels in Torquay
Hotels in Brixham
Hotels in Paignton