Dawlish historians Jimmy Hill and David Force will be bringing the town’s past to life at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Friday, September 25, with a light-hearted evening of stories and fascinating facts about days gone by.

David, who had a career in Dawlish as an estate agent, has long been fascinated with the town’s history and has written a book called ‘Dawlish Through the Ages – The Story of a Seaside Town’, as well as two volumes of ‘Eavesdropper, Dawlish Tales from Long Ago’. The books are available to buy at Dawlish Museum or Presents in the Strand.

As 2026 is the 180th anniversary of the opening of the railway through the town, David will be exploring the benefits it brought to Dawlish. Thanks to Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s foresight and engineering brilliance, Dawlish became part of the Victorian rail network in 1846, leading to a huge increase in visitors, along with an expansion in housebuilding and employment . It’s a captivating story that still rings true today, and will be illustrated with a selection of photos and prints.

Jimmy, who is Dawlish born and bred, will take a look back at what the town was like during the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s, before the arrival of supermarkets, housing estates and traffic lights. Jimmy has given many talks previously, but - for those who have heard him before - this time he has plenty of new illustrated stories, including run-ins with his teachers and the local constabulary. Plenty of laughter is guaranteed.

This is the pair’s fourth show at The Shaftesbury Theatre. Once again all proceeds are going to local charities. This year they have chosen Assist Teignbridge and Dawlish Action for Youth, both of which do so much for the local community.

Tickets are available at £10 from The Shaftesbury Theatre website shaftesbury-dawlish.co.uk, Facebook or Theatre Box Office 01626 863061.