Westphalia on Sea

[matgb]

I concur with Adrian, The continuing saga of Westphalia-on-Sea (twinned with Pessimisme, France) is absolute genius. It might not actually be about Torbay, but if it's not, then I pity the poor gits in the other town that have just as bad a track record as us. The first chapter In which we learn how Westphalia-on-Sea went into terminal decline just rings so true:

Westphalia-on-Sea was once the most popular and prosperous seaside town in England. Hordes of visitors from the Midlands, the North and even Scotland would fill its hotels and guest houses every summer. By day the families would crowd onto the beach and gradually sit closer and closer together as the tide came in, not really minding that it was overcast, and ignoring the children when they said they felt little drops of rain. By night the younger revellers would crowd into the town's nightclubs and drink sensible amounts of Bacardi and Coke or Watney's Red Barrel. These were happy times, when locals and holidaymakers would bond with each other outside late-night kebab shops, and the odd dispute over a taxi or a girl was easily settled by throwing someone in the harbour.

westphalia_sea, naturally. Directly elected mayors=a Bad Thing for small to medium sized towns. Especially ones that went Unitary for stupid reasons and have been ungovernable ever since.

A very nice place to visit my hometown. Definitely wouldn't want to live there at the moment.