you're all stars
ok we go on saturday
i have distilled your advice to date thus:
beaches
blackpool sands
bigbury-on-sea
gara rock (quieter?)
batham (ditto?)
avoid paignton and torbay beaches
river/boat/etc trips
river boat from dartmouth to totnes
steam train totnes-buckfastleigh
car ferry dartmouth-kingswear
steam train kingswear-paignton
boat trips from salcombe
other things to do
sea tractor to burgh island
totnes castle
powderham castle
woodlands adventure park
watching cars embark/disembark ferry from promenade in dartmouth
food/shopping
kendricks and alfresco's in dartmouth
white hart pub at dartington hall
riverford
farm shop nr stokenham church
anything else?
as you can see, i am anal about organising such things