The Society Meets Here2002, Torbay Civic Society's Own Blue Plaque

Originally unveiled and mounted at the entrance to the Redcliffe Hotel, Paignton, sometime during 2002, this smallest-ever blue plaque was fully funded by the society once it was agreed with the hotel owner that most of the events of Torbay Civic Society could now take place at the hotel while Ian Handford remained chairman.

This would include committee and general member meetings plus the occasional function during the day or evening. It obviously made sense to utilise the hotel being situated next door, which made any setting up or meeting guests very convenient. Having been elected as chairman of the society in April 2001, even that annual meeting was held at the Redcliffe, where the new chairman immediately set out his plans for the "Chairman's First 100 Days," a theme he was introduced to when serving as a small business lobbyist for the Federation of Small Businesses.

The plans for the society back in 2001 promised members that within the first 100 days, the office of past president would be established, only the second president ever elected by the society. Mrs Ena Hocking was duly elected, having stepped down from the role of chairman to make the position available. It was also promised that the society's blue plaque scheme, which for some reason had been inactive for a few years, would be re-established.

With nine more promises made, the main one concerned the introduction of what was to become the monthly "coffee mornings with a difference," always held in the hotel ballroom on the last Friday of every month. Nobody could have known that within the term of office the hotel would eventually be sold and even closed to social groups after the lockdowns of Covid had ended. Social events were never very profitable, yet for nearly twenty years the society supported the hotel by bringing up to ninety people on occasions to just its coffee mornings, involving a "mystery object" session, a quiz and various news updates, an agenda still followed today in the Palace Theatre at Paignton.

Other institutions, such as the Rotary association, also lost access due to the changes. The hotel had always hoped to benefit from functions like lunches, dinners or personal engagements organised by individual members or the institution creating an event. With the society's specially made plaque, reduced in size, this was originally erected on the entrance wall of the hotel for all to see.

The plaque stated simply "Meetings of the local civic society are held here," and, of course, over the years all committee meetings, annual meetings, and special daytime or evening events were mainly held at the Redcliffe until the pandemic struck, changing everything. Local groups were immediately banned due to lockdowns, and this eventually saw many membership-based institutions fail. Fortunately, most of the society's members remained loyal, and today it still retains about sixty per cent of its original membership.

Meanwhile, having been given notice by the Redcliffe, which was eventually sold, the society was fortunate to find the Palace Avenue Theatre Group, who immediately offered access to their Stage Left function room on the basis of a proper lease.

Today, the society meets regularly every month for its coffee morning on the last Friday of every month, when anyone can attend, member or not. The original small blue plaque now welcomes everyone at the side entrance to the Palace Theatre.

Written by Ian Handford, President of Torbay Civic Society