Jeremy Vine's favourite UK seaside town that he's visited for 20 years
Devon has long been a beloved hideaway for famous faces, with comedian Jennifer Saunders, property expert Kirstie Allsopp, and artist Damien Hirst among those with homes in the area.
Broadcaster Jeremy Vine is another high-profile fan, having frequented the charming seaside town of Sidmouth for over 20 years, describing it as his 'summer place'.
In an article for The Guardian, the 60-year-old BBC Radio 2 host revealed how, following his 2002 wedding to Rachel Schofield in nearby Tipton St John, he keeps returning to Sidmouth.
Vine's love for the town is such that he features a scene set on its coastline in his debut murder mystery novel, Murder On Line One, where a character saves his manager after a "massive wave" sweeps them out to sea.
Describing Devon as "a place to leave the real world behind", the father-of-two also name-checked Budleigh Salterton, Ottery St Mary, Newton Poppleford and Branscombe Beach among his favourite spots.
But he said: "It's Sidmouth I come back to. After getting married close by, it became our summer place."
Among Vine's go-to spots in Sidmouth are the historic Jacob's Ladder, the world-famous Donkey Sanctuary, and the Clock Tower Cafe, where he treats himself to a 'supersize-me cake', reports the Express. "
Over the years, we came down summer after summer, Christmas after Christmas, for R&R in the muddy Devon air," he said.
"Our two kids arrived. It became their go-to bucket-and-spade location: I recently heard a psychologist explain how a regular family holiday location is 'good for children's mental health', and wondered why she never mentioned adults.
"What I love most about Sidmouth is that it feels like a town going places. It's not a classic sandy beach - a single triangle of brown sand is revealed at low tide, and that's your lot - but you feel you're facing proper sea, with heavy weather triggering waves that crash against rocks by the promenade."
He added: "It's chintzy in places, drab in others, but it feels real. And real by the sea is a different kind of beauty.
"Brits need proximity to the ocean. In Sidmouth, you're virtually in it."
Jeremy Vine's latest novel, Murder On Line One, is currently available on Amazon for £10.
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