Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a vibrant all year round tourist destination appealing to young and old with traditional amenities such as theatres and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) to trendy nightclubs and cool new water sports.  Famous for its glorious 7 mile sandy beach and envied for its mild winter and warm summer climate, this late Victorian town, located on the south coast of England in the county of Dorset, is picturesque in every way.

The town centre straddles the Bourne brook and the well laid out pleasure gardens, incorporating theatres and quality entertainment venues.  Adjacent to the pier approach is an Oceanarium and the Bournemouth International Conference (BIC) centre, where many national conferences and live music events are held throughout the year.  In the town, Victorian shopping arcades house specialist jewellery shops, boutiques and department stores around the main square.  The nearby Russell-Coates museum is a great example of a grand Victorian home and an education into Victorian living.

Bournemouth has a good selection of quality and budget hotels.  Many of the larger hotels have their own entertainment programmes as well as the modern amenities of swimming pools and fitness centres.

You will find many hotels on the cliff top overlooking the beach and some have magnificent views across Poole Bay to the Isle of Wight in the east or Swanage and the isle of Purbeck in the West. There are numerous paths through pine wood trails (known as Chines) that lead onto the award-winning fine sandy beach.

On any given day the beach is alive with activity with people of all ages having fun.  The more adventurous try their hand at water sports such as kite surfing, surfing and beach-volley ball, while the RNLI lifeguards keep a careful eye on the children swimming or returning lost youngsters to their families.  A not-to-be missed attraction in August 2010 (19th to 22nd) is the stunning Bournemouth Air Show, it’s free but get there early. 

Many families take a beach-hut during their stay and enjoy the traditionally English seaside life of a good book, sandwiches and a nice cup of tea.  Beach huts are available up and down the beach and in the warm evenings neighbours get together over a barbeque and a bottle of wine.

In recent years the beach has been modernised with more continental style cafes, good fish restaurants and shops specialising in water sport tuition.  Due to its southerly aspect visitors to the beach enjoy a very long sunny day but if you come by car make sure you grab that elusive parking space before they are all taken.

Bournemouth town centre has evolved from its late 19th century beginnings into a modern seaside town with strong commercial roots in the banking and insurance business sectors.  Bournemouth University is highly rated by The Guardian newspaper’s university guide (No1 new university) and many of the university buildings can be seen around the town.  Bournemouth is famous for its tree-lined avenues and parks that link the interesting areas of Westbourne and Canford Cliffs, with their upmarket shopping boutiques and chic pavement cafes.  Hidden within the border area with Poole lie some super private golf courses where you might bump into a visiting celebrity from nearby Sandbanks.

Adjacent to Bournemouth are the delightful areas of interest of Poole harbour in the West and Christchurch Priory in the East. Beyond Bournemouth is the New Forest National Park where animals roam free and a hearty meal is waiting from some fine country pubs. 

Transport links to Bournemouth are very good with direct train links to London and the Midlands.  A good dual carriageway links Bournemouth to the M27 via the New Forest and Southampton and Bournemouth International Airport is currently undergoing a multi-million pound expansion phase.