Seaside Town

Neil Thomson once again plays the role of amanuensis to perfection in his portrayal of a community seen through the eyes of one of its inhabitants. The seaside town is Brixham, and our 'guide' David Hurford is both owner and skipper of a fishing boat and coxswain of the lifeboat.

His sense of humour permeates a lively and informative text. Brixham, we learn, is a very friendly town where visitors may face delays at checkouts because 'that's where the locals catch up on the gossip'. He also reveals that shopkeepers prefer 'shuffley weather' to hot sun, since it encourages holidaymakers to keep on the move and spend their money.

On a more serious note, current issues and concerns are voiced: the pros and cons of tourism, traffic pressures on a town that was built for access from the sea unemployment (no longer just a seasonal problem), lack of entertainment facilities for young people, and the dilemma of fishermen needing to make a living without depleting the very fish stocks they rely on.

The end result is a fascinating, affectionate and astute local study presented in an attractive, well-illustrated format. One minor blemish is that our first view of the harbour appears to have been reversed in the printing process.