We’re really excited about the Queen’s Drive Space in Exmouth this summer

Have you been to the Queens Drive Space in Exmouth yet? 

When we first moved to Devon, people constantly made comments about how close we’d be to the coast, how I’d finally learn to surf and how my children would be spending long, idyllic days on the beach. We’d all have sun-bleached hair and sandy toes would be a permanent feature of life…

The reality is (and I’m sure it’s not only us), that daily school and work life does a really good job of keeping us in-land, and we have to grab the chances to take the children to the beach where we can. Especially tragic given that it’s only about a 20-minute drive away, or an even shorter train journey!

Our closest beach is Exmouth, where we were introduced to the new Queen’s Drive Space, a fantastic new addition to the seafront.

This area used to be an old boating lake and ‘pay to enter’ play area.  It’s now been transformed into an area that reminds me of a French or Spanish seaside resort. Certainly not something that I’d expect to find in Exmouth.

Brand new and free, shiny dinosaur-themed play park – tick. Trendy local bar which is open from midday into the late evening – tick. A multitude of food and drink sellers – tick. Open air theatre, cinema and live screenings from arguably the UK’s most fabulous venue (The Royal Opera House) – tick. View of the waves rolling in as you sit, drinking your cider on comfy, contemporary wooden furniture – tick! Long, sandy beach – tick!

After all, the only thing missing from many of our beautiful British seaside towns was just a bit of love (and investment). Exmouth is being given a makeover, and slowly but surely the result is something that locals like me, as well as tourists, can really embrace and enjoy.

We’re off to see the open-air screening of The Greatest Showman in a couple of weeks’ time. The children will have only just broken up from school and having looked at the programme, I figured that this would be a perfect treat for them. This kicks off six weeks of Friday film nights.   Book in advance online here, but get in quick – I’ve heard that tickets are going quickly.

Weather permitting (of course, this is Blighty and not aforementioned France or Spain), we’ll go down to Exmouth early by train, we’ll play, eat and then enjoy the show. And we can’t wait!

The week after, there are free circus skills workshops and a live theatre production of As You Like It by the brilliant local Sun and Moon Theatre company (which I quite fancy taking my Mum along to). They are also showing E.T (if you fancy introducing the kids to a childhood favourite while having a bit of a cry).

For more information and the full listings, head here.

For more ideas of things to do in and around Exeter this summer head here.

Read about soft-play in Exmouth here.

Are you going to a show? We’d love to hear all about it!