h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Spot on with your description of this anomaly of the East Devon coast but you failed to mention the abundance of strange sand dwelling creatures at the far end of the beach under the cliff, that have an uncanny resemblance to hypodermic needles.

Also, the close proximity of Lympstone Royal Marine Training base means the clientele of "Sam's" tends to be that of the beered up "squadie", banned from the few bars and clubs that allow such beings in the nearby city of Exeter.

Incidentally it would be interesting to know if the Duke of Wessex, Prince Edward, who trained at Lympstone himself, ever participated in the said "Foam Party".

Couldn't agree more with the succinct, to the point, and amusing write up of the town I used to call home.

The only piece of useless information I could possibly contribute here is the furore that erupted when it was discovered (by the fearlessly investigative Exmouth Journal if my memory serves) that an 'adult' movie had been shot at A La Ronde, the local National Trust treasure.

Don't know why I remember that fact, I'm sure its got nothing to do with the fact that I was around fifteen when the news came out ...

Oh, and let us not forget the Summer language schools. This is where 'entrepeneurs' ship hundreds of European (French and Italian mainly) school children to England for a couple of weeks each and try and get University students to teach them English. The whole summer used to be blighted by these hordes. They didn't know what they had done to be sent to Exmouth and we didn't know what we had done to have to put up with them. Who said the prospects for European harmony are slim?

Spot on. Exmouth seems to be the perfect place for a weekend drinks soiree!!! Been there the last three maydays with my Sunday league footy team and had a cracking time every year. Cheap beer, naff clubs, great footy matches and lots of scantily clad women. What more could life hold? In remedies there is a list of people who are barred. Perfectly normal till you look closer and see that one of them is only barred on Sunday's! Intrigued as to what he does on Sundays that he doesn't on the other six days of the week! Top Karaoke in the Irish pub (Molloys?) as well. Never seen a selection of punk records before. Love to hear someone try 'Ca plan pour moi'!

Back in the late 80s there was another nightclub, Oscars, at the side of the Deer Leap pub on the seafront. This club comprised a dance floor approximately 10' by 10', sticky black carpets and mirrored walls. On Thursdays it had an alternative night at which point all of Exmouth's goths would appear and see how much snakebite and black could be downed and how long it's possible to dance to the Sisters of Mercy. As well as plotting our escape at least as far as Exeter.

When the Leap was refurbished, Oscars was rebuilt as the bamboo cane furnitured "family area", thus denying the nu gen of goths the thrills of beachside gloom and doom.