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The 20th century 1902 saw the first advertising campaign to bring healthy visitors to Torquay - rather than people recovering from illnesses. Torquay changed in character from being a winter holiday resort to being a summer holiday resort. follow this link Rail traffic increased steadily until WW1. (During WW1 soldiers were brought to Torquay to recover from their injuries.) After the Great War an effective advertising campaign by The Great Western Railway Company was responsible for making Torquay a major resort. The busiest day was on August Bank Holiday in 1938, just before the outbreak of WW2, when 20,000 passengers arrived in Torquay station, followed by 50 trains the next day.

After WW2

Since the war tourist patterns have changed considerably. Many more people have the money to travel abroad for their holidays and nearly everyone has a car. This means that fewer visit British holiday resorts but when they do they do usually travel by car. The British holiday has become a touring holiday with visitors staying only one or two days in each place. The visitor does not bother to book a hotel, but prefers to stay at one of the numerous cheap bed & breakfast establishments instead (b&b's). The Beatles song 'Daytripper' is about this form of holidaymaking.

In recent years Torquay has become better known abroad and we have received more foreign tourists who usually tour in cars like the British holidaymakers. In fact, many students at TIS return with their families in subsequent years to tour the area.

Quality of Life

But the tourist has been replaced in importance by a new kind of visitor - the one who comes to stay. The Westcountry in general has become an area of strong net immigration. People move from all parts of the country to live in a mild climate in an area surrounding by beautiful countryside and largely free of the crime and social problems of the cities. Many of the new residents are retired folk, but many others are of working age who have simply come to escape city life. The infrastructure is good, the healthcare system excellent, and communications with other parts of the country are also good. So many people have come (including myself, I am from London) that it can be difficult to find an adult born locally.

At the end of the 18th century communications throughout Devon were improving rapidly. Trewman's Exeter Flying Post was the newspaper for the whole of the county and turnpike trusts were improving roads and making travel between towns easier. In 1785 the Keyberry Turnpike Trust opened the road from Barton to Newton Bushell (Abbot). It was at this time that John and Charles Wesley went on their preaching tours in the West Country.

So it was that two brothers, Edward and John Henley, travelled to Exeter to hear John Wesley preach. Subsequently, Wesley stayed with them and preached at both West Hill and Pavor Meadow. It appears that Edward lived in Swan Street (behind Fleet Walk) and John lived at Barton. In 1788 they began to preach in accordance with Methodist principles from a room in George Street and, after objections from neighbours, used Edward's home in Swan Street. Edward and his wife still attended Matins at St. Saviour's, Torre, and trotted out to Barton, on one horse, for an afternoon service at brother John's and returned for an evening service at home.