We are extremely lucky to live on the English Riviera. On the whole - our little micro-climate experiences better weather than many other parts of the UK - which resulted in the Victorians naming the area when it first became a popular holiday resort all those years ago. It rains in Spain too occasionally and Julian and I have seen rain in Gran Canaria on more than one occasion.
It happens to be raining today as I type, but then I understand no where in the UK is going to miss this particularly miserable spell of weather so I'm not all that upset. However, I thought some of you might be interested in some ideas of things to do in the rain in Torquay.
We do occasionally have the hardier guests who are quite happy to wander round in a little wet weather - afterall, "it never hurt anyone" or so we're told.
If you're of a more delicate nature, or you've just paid a small fortune for your holiday hair-do then you'll be looking for some indoor activities.
Pictured above is Bygones. You can see a typical Victorian street scene here but there's lots more to see. It's the type of place where people of a certain age will be commenting "I used to have one of those when I was young". It's well worth a wander round and there's a car park just a few yards away.
Why not stay local and visit Torre Abbey? We'd suggest you walk as it's only five minutes away at the next set of traffic lights on the way to the seafront. There is also a carpark opposite if it's bucketing down. Here you'll find 800 years of history to keep you occupied for a good few hours. It's seen many changes over the years so this varied site offers you the original abbey ruins, the stately home of the Cary family, the Mayor of Torbay's official reception rooms, a museum, a poison garden, glass houses and much more. After you've done all that you'll be ready for a traditional Devonshire cream tea (jam on top!) at the on-site café. Hopefully by then the rain will have stopped and you can sit outside enjoying the views of the sea.
Another idea is Torquay Museum. This isn't massive but has been open for over a hundred years and has an ever changing and varied set of displays including an interesting one on local girl Agatha Christie. Once you've done the museum, cross the road to the bowling alley and have a quick game before wandering back into town to hit the shops.
Instead of heading indoors, why not go underground? Kents Cavern was lived in as far back as prehistoric times and is an important part of our global Geopark status in Torbay and includes a museum explaining more about it. If the rain clears up afterwards, there's a circular walk you can do from their carpark.
I could go on, but the list of Things to Do in Torquay and the surrounding area is a pretty big one. The English Riviera tourism site is a good one to explore for further ideas.
Whatever the weather, we hope you have a great time in Torquay whilst staying at The 25 Boutique B&B.