The Seagull Hotel is Kirstine Richards’ account of how, in 1945, she and her German friend Gerdy, both war widows, opened a hotel in Exmouth that became famous for its high-quality cuisine and for the hordes of children who scrabbled in the extra-large sandpit in the front garden. It’s a charming account and YouCaxton are very pleased to have been involved in the publication. The Exmouth launch was held last Saturday and the picture shows Dr Nick Richards, Kirstine’s son who discovered the manuscript, speaking to Louise Hocking, a great niece of the Exmouth boatman who taught Nick to row in the channel opposite the hotel many years ago.