“WHEN I pay for a view, I expect something more interesting than that,” exclaims hearing aid refusenik Mrs Richards, one of Fawlty Towers’s most difficult customers. “That is Torquay, madam,” Basil Fawlty replies.

My impressions of the Devon seaside town have largely been directed by the classic comedy series along with a vague association with Agatha Christie — until my arrival there for the first time on Thursday.

At the RMT LGBT+ conference, which I was in town for, I heard a fascinating presentation of “Gay Torquay” from Kevin Dixon of the Torbay Trades Council. A bit of research turned up other famous residents include Emperor Haile Selassie and Aleister Crowley.