When people began to take an interest in visiting Torquay in the summer, many assumed it must get very hot as it was so mild in the winter. It is a mark of different attitudes that in the later 19th century great heat was a disadvantage. People did not disrobe on the beach and tans were not prized in Victorian times. Torquay worked hard to counter the “prejudice” that summers were hot and humid. Pupils might be asked to construct an advertisement or a piece of persuasive writing encouraging the wealthy to visit in the summer in the late 19th century as well as in the winter.