Southern Spas (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1841 edition. Excerpt: ...resided here for upwards of a year, or two winter seasons, and found their bills to amount to something like a quarter less than they would have been in London. A dinner for 3: . 6d', tea for ls. 911., and a bed-room for 2s., are charges not to be grumbled at in a fashionable watering-place; and such were those at the Royal Hotel in my case. ' The knowledge of something like this fact has probably induced persons of all classes, provided they are in good circumstances, to come to Torquay in the winter for the benefit of their health; for certainly, although Torquay is at that season full of strangers, it is by no means full of people of condition. This was proved by the attempt made, in November 1838, by one of the booksellers, to publish a list of visiters, which attempt, however, did not and could not suc ceed, for there are not the elements for such a fashionable luxury. The place is too limited in its number of new visiters; and there is scarcely ever any fluctuation among them, as is the case at summer watering-places or spas. Nay, it is the very nature of the place to have, as it were, a permanent residentiary set of invalids, who hurry thither on the coming on of winter, distribute themselves in all the houses and lodgings that can possibly be had, and there remain stationary and ensconced until the warm sun of June again permits them to run up to the metropolis, or return to their country-houses. The analysis of the attempted list (No. 1.) given me by a good-humoured gentleman from Wales, who recognised me on the " Fryingpan-walk," as having consulted me in town, and gave me an account of the company that generally congregate in Torquay, was rather amusing. He reckoned by his fingers the number of visiters, whom...