Agatha Christie themed twinning agreement signed

Two locations with links to crime writer Agatha Christie and one of her famous detectives have been twinned.

A ceremony held at Torre Abbey in Torquay, Devon, marked the occasion as Torbay and the Belgian town of Spa signed a twinning agreement.

Christie, who is recognised as the best selling novelist of all time, was born in Torquay and lived in Torbay while the character of Hercule Poirot - the star of dozens of her stories - was born in Spa.

Hazel Foster, Torbay's civic mayor, said the twinning was about friendship and uniting places together.

The signing of the twinning agreement was held during the Agatha Christie Festival, which celebrates the author's life and work.

Foster said both areas had many similarities and joining together had benefits while also celebrating Christie, who died in 1976.

"Here in Torbay we're a tourist town and a heritage site, which is similar to Spa," Foster said.

"It's also about friendship and bringing towns together who have a similarity, to bring forward friendship and move forward."

Christie said in her autobiography she was inspired to create Poirot after she met Belgian refugees in Torquay during World War One.

A reference to Spa is made in Poirot novel The Big Four as he visits a villa near the town.

Representatives from Spa included the town's mayor Nicolas Tefnin, who signed the twinning agreement with Foster and deputy mayor Alda Greoli.

The town, which is in the Liege province in east Belgium, is known for its natural mineral springs and has become a popular tourist destination, similar to Torbay.

"It's a beautiful [town], the most beautiful in the world," Greoli said.

"The word spa actually comes from Spa, so we are the original thermal town."

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