Single dads love famous Devon town but fear system is 'broken'

Paignton is a jewel of the English Riviera - a famous seaside town loved by generations of holidaymakers. For the people who live there it is treasured for its golden beaches, quaint harbour, rural surroundings and pockets of community full of character and characters.

Like everywhere else it has its issues and is always changing. In the last few years some of the country's largest hotel operators have moved in along the seafront, the old Crossways shopping centre has gone, so has the town centre Lidl, while plans are yet to get off the ground to breathe new life into historic Oldway Mansion.

Lack of parking is a gripe for many, the sight of drug users openly dealing, the blight of homelessness. These are all the trappings of life in modern Britain and familiar in town centres up and down the country.

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Torbay Council has big plans in the pipeline which aim to meet the challenges and attract new investment. More housing, sprucing up the seafront and improving the area around the railway station to name just a few.

But what are the people of Paignton talking about? Where better to test the pulse of the town than at the local Wetherspoon emporium - aptly named the Talk of the Town. It's a place of straight-talking with no spin.

DevonLive visited the pub in search of honest and mostly sober opinions from local people and visitors about what makes Paignton a great place to live and what issues are driving them mad. As you might expect some of the conversation drifted slightly off-topic but that's what happens when you're in the pub.

Single dads James Barry and Jason Thorp are warming up again to stave of hypothermia after a swim in the freezing sea. They have a page on TikTok and are enjoying a coffee while filming updates from their table.

"We do cold water therapy every day," says James. "Eight to 15 minutes in the ocean depending on how cold it is. It's all about mindfulness - mind, body and soul."

"It's the healthiest thing you can do," adds Jason. "If you swim in the sea every day it's good for your blood pressure and mental health, weight loss, natural dopamine. Swimming in the sea basically the healthiest thing you can do. I was seventeen and a half stone last year and I'm down to thirteen and a half now."

"All we ever talk about lately is what's going on in world politics," says James. They are both supporters of president-elect Donald Trump and have a MAGA cap on the table next to the refills. "I'm a freedom supporter," says James. "We're chained down all over the world. The UK is becoming more of a dictatorship."

"People want a bit of freedom back in their lives," says Jason. They say the "biggest elephant in the room" is bombing Russia and fear World War 3. The council's social services department is also "absolutely shocking."

They both love Paignton but recognise problems in the town. Jason says it's impossible to get on the social housing ladder and says the emergency housing system feels broken. They've both been through hard times themselves in the past but the benefits of living near the sea have helped them pull through. They support the council's efforts to spruce-up the seafront.

"Drugs are a problem you get anywhere but Paignton and Torquay are very bad for it," says Jason. "It is getting better. The last couple of months I've actually seen more police doing the street bobbying which is good. But it is a shame to see Torbay and Paignton and when you've got all these homeless and druggy types in doorways it isn't good for the town's image."

Sheila and Paul Vear are in town to watch Paddington 3 at the Vue cinema on the seafront. They moved here from Southampton. It's hard to tell precisely how many people in Paignton moved here from other parts of the country on retirement but it is a legacy of the British seaside boom.

"The heyday of British holidays has gone," says Paul. "It's now more short trips and I think that affects the overall wealth of the area.

"Paignton does seem to suffer very badly from 'Whatever it is I'm against it'. They always moan and they never go 'That's a good idea'.

Rebecca Bailey and her friend Lucie Dart have just finished lunch. Rebecca is from Kingswear and Lucie Newton Abbot. Paignton is the ideal meeting spot between the two.

"I've driven in today because you can never rely on the buses," says Rebecca. "They don't show up when they are supposed to. I would like to meet Lucie here and have a drink but I can't do that because I've had to drive because the buses aren't reliable.

"So the local trade is losing out on having people coming here to have a drink with their lunch. The buses stop at 8pm anyway and nobody wants to go out for dinner and have to leave before eight o' clock."

"I don't really want to have a car and I would rather be a green person but I couldn't have a life at all if I didn't drive. I have a disability badge but to actually find disability parking without the pressure of time isn't easy. I've had to park today right at the top of the old town (Palace Avenue)."

Meeting up has always been a treat but the costs of modern life have become extortionate, they say. This is part of the reason they have chosen the budget Wetherspoon (they recommend the Christmas brie and bacon burger).

When asked if they felt safe in Paignton at night, Lucie said: "Absolutely not, not in Paignton or Torquay. Torquay and Paignton are probably the worst. I feel a lot safer in Newton Abbot than I do in Paignton and Torquay.

"A lot of people say why do you want to go to Paignton because it's such a dump these days," says Rebecca. "It's a beautiful place it just needs an injection of something. Flower beds to give people a bit of pride in the town.

"If businesses were not charged huge business rates you could get little independent shops to come in and have lovely old-fashioned tea shops. Not everywhere wants to go to a greasy dive. It used to be a lovely Victorian seaside resort and I wish we could get a little bit of that back. Or for people just to be able to park their car without stressing about the cost of it."

"It's like the hotels on the seafront," says Sheila. "They say they are not in keeping with the area but would they have rather kept the derelict hotels that were there? That's not going to improve it.

"Town centres have become very run down, but it's not just here. Southampton town centre was just the same. It's not just this area. This area is better than some.

"Personally I'd like to see more housing and more independent shops rather than chains. Bring people into the town centre. If there's nothing here they're not going to come here."

Paul adds: "We have no regrets about moving down here at all. Generally speaking it's a very nice area. I'm still staggered by the number of people who complain continuously. It's a nice part of the world to live. Things could be so much worse. We'll probably live here the rest of our lives and some people will think we're incomers."

Sue and Mick Sarjeant are down from Sheffield. They were frequent visitors with the kids during the 1980s and 90s and wanted to see if anything had changed.

"I personally don't think anything has changed much at all," says Sue. "The trip was a last minute thing and we are so happy we came. We spent last night on the campsite looking up at the stars as it was a lovely clear evening."

They recall the family holidays 30 years ago and have been back to the beach to see if it is how the remember it. They are sure there used to be more steps but think their memories might be playing tricks.

"The town centre here has the same problems as Sheffield," says Mick. "The same problems with parking. The lack of parking makes it really awkward. We just remember being able to park anywhere and there were endless sunny days back then, it was always so beautiful."

Daniel Kidd and Stephanie Mayo are locals. Daniel has noticed an increase in shoplifting, often witnessing it with his own eyes.

"I've seen them just helping themselves in the Co-op. The shops don't seem to do anything about it. You do see drug dealing going on too." They think Paignton has been used as an overspill area for some of Torquay's homeless. They worry about the image of the town for holidaymakers during the summer.

Amy Chadney, runs a successful web designing branding company called Indiebrandbuilder which is based on Winner Street. She encourages independent shops and would like to see more in the town. Next year she will be opening a shop.

"There are so many community based business on Winner Street and independents," she says. "Traders are really pushing for it to be a creative hub. We've got heritage funding and it's a really vibrant space."

Winner Street is known as one of the town rougher areas but, as Amy says, it has an incredible history and is now being reclaimed as a place of character with a creative artisan-type vibe.

Amy and husband met in Glasgow and were looking to move the business out of their home. They decided on a "grand experiment" and moved to Devon even though neither had any particular links.

"We had not visited down here but just decided okay we're going to move down here and give it a go. My husband is a Californian and one thing that California and Torbay have in common are palm trees and cypress trees." She says she was looking for little things to make him feel at home. "There are aspects of being in Torbay that are quite American, Californian. That's what got us down to Torbay and it was just good fortune we came across Winner Street.

"There are really lovely pockets of community. There's always that gorgeous, sparkling seaside vibe that's just great. It's people that make the community and I've met a lot of people who are working really hard to create spaces for people in the Bay. We've met some incredible people."

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