CHEEKY seaside postcards have been around for decades, but two published by a local artist over 30 years ago raised a few eyebrows in Teignmouth and Dawlish.

The naked bronzed beauties were the work of Sally Porch, and were condemned as shocking by some, but praised as tasteful and good fun by others.

The girls were depicted tanning themselves on local beaches, and went on sale in the summer of 1988 as a complete contrast from the traditional scenic cards of the two resorts.

With headlines such as ‘rude nudes on the cards’, a report at the time told how fans maintained they were helping to give the towns a sunny, sophisticated jet set image.

Sally was no stranger to controversy.

She had recently caused an upset in the local art worlds when she smuggled a fake Lowry painting into an Exeter exhibition to draw attention to the underfunding of the arts.

The girls on the beach were based on a series of Bondi Belles she did in Australia.

She transferred one to Teignmouth with the Ness headland at Shaldon in the background, and the other to Smugglers’ Cove at Holcombe, with the well known Parson and Clerk rock over her shoulder.

A couple of nice local touches were a book entitled Teignmouth Tan in one of the girls’ bags, and a copy of the non-existent Dawlish Sun being perused by the other sun worshipper.

Sally, who had just had the Porch Galleries in Dawlish named after her, said they would only be on limited sale to start with, but more could be distributed if there was a demand.

She maintained they were quite tame compared with many of the postcards on sale in other resorts.

Sally who is still living and painting in Dawlish said only a few hundred of the cards sold.

‘They were controversial at the time, and did give me a lot of free publicity. They are quite tame and tasteful by today’s standards!’