BBC Radio 2 presenter and author Jeremy Vine has been returning to the Devon seaside town of Sidmouth every summer for more than 20 years. The 61-year-old broadcaster first visited the town ahead of his wedding to Rachel Schofield, when he went to meet his future in-laws. The couple later married at the church of St John the Evangelist in Tipton St John, Devon, and began spending their holidays in Sidmouth.
Family Tradition by the Sea
In a piece for The Guardian last year, Vine described how the town became a family staple. "Over the years we came down summer after summer, Christmas after Christmas, for R&R in the muddy Devon air," he wrote. The couple's two daughters, Martha and Anne, joined the annual trips, and the town became their "go-to bucket-and-spade location."
Literary Inspiration
Sidmouth also features prominently in Vine's fiction. His debut novel, Murder On Line One, the first in the Sidmouth Murder Mysteries series, opens with a "massive wave" sweeping two characters out to sea along the town's coastline. The setting along the Jurassic Coast plays a central role in the whodunnit.
What Makes Sidmouth Special
Vine praised the town's authentic character, saying: "It feels like a town going places. It's chintzy in places, drab in others, but it feels real; and real by the sea is a different kind of beauty." He noted that the beach is not classic sandy coastline: "A single triangle of brown sand is revealed at low tide, and that's your lot." However, he added: "But you feel you're facing proper sea, with heavy weather triggering waves that crash against rocks by the promenade."
Bathing Water Quality
The Environment Agency has awarded Sidmouth an "excellent bathing water quality" rating, making it suitable for swimming. Residents and tourists alike can enjoy refreshing dips in the English Channel waters off the Devonshire coast.
