Visitors take a shine to Agatha Christie statue

So much so that running repairs are required

So many people have fallen in love with Torquay’s new harbourside tribute to the Queen of Crime that she has had to have running repairs.

People anxious to hold the hand of the world-famous author and pet her beloved dog have caused a new statue to become shiny in crucial places.

In April the wraps were taken off a statue of Torquay-born author Dame Agatha Christie as part of a new waterfront pedestrian area.

The statue, created by local artist Elisabeth Hadley, was unveiled as part of a special weekend festival event devoted to the works of the writer who was born in the resort in 1890.

It shows Dame Agatha and her dog Peter sitting at one end of a bench, with room for passers-by to sit alongside her.

The statue is positioned so that photographs show the harbour and marina in the background, and it has proved a massive hit with locals and holidaymakers, appearing hundreds of times across social media.

But it has proved such a hit that repairs were needed.

A Torbay Council spokesperson confirmed: “Peter the dog and slightly corroded parts of the bench and Agatha had to be washed before the whole piece was re-waxed. Peter has also had his ground fixings – steel beams going into the ground – reinforced. 

“These works are only minor, and there will be continued maintenance by SWISCo every six months to keep the statue in its best condition.”

Dame Agatha died at the age of 85 in 1976 after writing 66 detective novels, 14 short story collections and more than 20 plays.

More than a billion of her books have been sold in the English language and a billion in translation.

The 2025 International Agatha Christie Festival, which draws fans from around the world, opens in Torquay on September 13.

Nine days of events will include talks, exhibitions and performances around Torbay. A sea swim, a garden party and events for children will also be included as part of a ‘fringe’ festival.

Click iacf-uk.org for details.