Well they used to say Bournemouth is where all the old people come to die…..erm I think not. Bournemouth is where I live and it is so not like many people think or imagine I think it really is the most beautiful place in England.
Ok so where is Bournemouth? ------------------------------------------- Well Bournemouth is situated on the South coast of England. We are also within 15 minutes drive of the New Forest. Bournemouth is most easily accessible from London via the M3 and M27 and with good traffic this can be done in just over an hour and a half. We also have our own airport and my Mum flys home from Sunderland and it only takes her 50 minutes yet by car it takes about 8 hours. We are also a very quick ferry journey to the Isle of Wight. Our local main big town would have to be Southampton which is 45 minutes drive away and has superb shops. We also have a major train station just very slightly on the outskirts of town which commutes to most places in Britain. So whichever way you coming here you will find a route that is most suited to you.
What does Bournemouth have to offer then? ------------------------------------------------------------- Are you kidding it has stacks. Bournemouth has so much to offer I am not sure I have enough time in the week to write about it all. I will try to list as many as I can but hey a girl only has so much time.
Shops --------- We I believe are now a place to be reckoned with on the shopping front. Now being a girl who like s to shop I should know these things. We have all the major stores Beales, Debenhams etc. But we have stacks of unique little boutiques situated throughout Bournemouth some of these cater for the older woman but most cater for the young and carry brands such as D&G, Armani and trust me these dont come cheap either. I must also mention that Bournemouth Centre is shut of from traffic excluding buses and taxis which makes it a far more relaxing place to shop. We also have a massive shopping centre that has just opened up on the outskirts of Bournemouth called Castlepoint. It is easy to get to by bus or car and is well worth a visit. It has Gap and a huge Next there but my favourite shop has to be the biggest M&S shop there and it is great I spend a fotune in there especially in there homeware department.
Pubs and Clubs ------------------------ For a town that is usually associated with old peoples summer breaks Bournemouth is now one of the main destinations for stag and hen nights. The Bournemouth Town Centre has literally hundreds of pubs scattered throughout with all the usual regulars such as Wetherspooons and O neills. Most are these are great places to get lunch during the day while out shopping in the centre., although quite a few of these are not child friendly so be warned especially the bigger franchises such as O' neils. We have a Jumping Jaks night club on the beach front as well as a theatre and amusement arcade. There is also many brand new night clubs opened up in the centre which are fantastic i.e.: fish tanks in middle of bar with bar situated around. They really are fantastic looking bars but be warned the drinks are by no means cheap. You can expect to pay up to £4 for a Smirnoff Ice in one of the nightclubs so make sure you have plenty of ££££££.
For the kids? ------------------ We have 2 large indoor swimming pools and many leisure centres. All these leisure centres run holiday courses for the kids ranging from trampolining to football. My son has just done a weeks football course at one of these and it cost £30 for the week and was a 5 full days from 9.30 till 3.00. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and cant wait to do it again. We have a place called Alice in Wonderland which is a park that has some fantastic mazes and animals and similar attractions for the kids. It is about £6 to get in for adults and the kids love it although it is more for the younger kids. Then there is Moors Valley which is my favourite this is a big nature trail which consists of about 10 wooden animals situated around many acres and all the animals have slides and swings in and around them. There is also a tree top trail which is a high bridge which is a walk through the high trees and then there is pony rides and 2 magnificent parks one for older kids and one for younger ones. We take our dogs with us when we go and they also love it. The best part is there is no entrance fee you just pay £5 per car parking.
Aaah the beaches ------------------------- Yes there is our award winning beaches. They stretch for miles and miles of golden sand.. And most recently the council has introduced Kids zone which has reduced the amount of lost children by 50%. It works by each 2oom stretch of the beach is colour coded and kids are giving corresponding wrist bands which has been a huge success in reducing children going walk abouts any where they shouldn’t. There is also a train which runs from one side of the beach to the other offering 12 different dropping of and picking up points. And to top it all of we have just been awarded a blue flag for our award winning clear blue water and clean beaches. Also many of the different beaches on the long stretch have some fantastic play areas for kids and also small paddling pools for toddlers. And lets not forget there is the pier where there is an amusement arcade and there is always some sort of planned event going on there. And also situated on the pier is a theatre that puts on many summer shows. On the main Bournemouth pier there is also Oceanarium which the kids love and many different activities for the kids to do in there. Also from the pier you can catch a boat ride to many great places such as Poole Quay or Brownsea Island. I think it is around £5 each way. But a great idea is to catch the boat to Poole and have a look around then catch the boat back to Bournemouth later in the day. I reguarly walk my dogs on the beach throughout the year yet from March this becomes more resticted. Although there are beaches where the dogs are allowed on all through the year such as Durley Chine, but I still find I get filthy looks from the people sunbathing even although my dogs are allowed on there.
Bournemouth Gardens ---------------------------------- Also running through the centre of Bournemouth is Bournemouth Gardens which is a long stretch of gardens that are beautifully kept. If you walk along the gardens they basically take you all the way into Poole and it a very scenic way to walk to Poole. The gardens end bang in the centre of Bournemouth and our new attraction is a hot air balloon. Now being scared of heights I have not been up in this but have heard it is fantastic and you can see the whole of Bournemouth from up there. I think it is quite pricey though at £15 per adult.
AFC Bournemouth --------------------------- Now my son would not forgive me if I was not to mention his beloved AFC Bournemouth. The stadium is about 15 minutes walk from Bournemouth town centre. The ground holds about 8000 so it should not be to hard to get a ticket. They were promoted last year from Division 3 to Division 2 and are having a fantastic year so far and are about 9th in the table. I have to be honest there is a great feeling amongst the fans on a match day whether they win or lose. You can expect to pay £15 an adult for a ticket and £5 per child although my son is a junior cherry and only pays £3 per ticket which is great. For all you mums who worry like me there is a family stand for all the kids to go in as well.
Surrounding towns to visit ------------------------------------- We have some great towns surrounding Bournemouth. I think one of the most popular places outside Bournemouth would have to be the New Forest it is free to visit and has some really cute little quaint villages dotted throughout. It is also a fab place to walk your dogs. Then there is Ringwood and Salisbury which are lovely little towns with some great shops well worth a visit. Then there is Lulworth Cove a gorgeous little town where there is the most beautiful cliff top walks with spectacular views over the dorset bay. Both the New Forest and Lulworth Cove are great places to walk your dog and give them a good run out....and the kids. Then there is Southampton and Portsmouth and these are great places to shop. Portsmouth also has the historical maritime aspect as the Mary Rose is there and can be visited. And Portsmouth also has a fantastic retail outlet shopping centre called Gunwharf Quays where you get designer clothes and shoes at a fraction of the price. So if you get bored of Bournemouth these places are worth a look.
If you are interested in visiting Bournemouth then why not visit www.bournemouth.co.uk which is a fantastic site and full of useful information and if that is no help drop me a message and I am sure I will be able to help.
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