Bournemouth rather unkindly has been describe as the town where one can see zimmer frames parked in driveways!!! This is not only untrue but blatantly unfair: for the truth is Bournemouth is a lovely vibrant seaside town. Bournemouth historically was located in Hampshire however in 1974 local government reorganization considered it desirable that the whole of the Poole/Bournemouth urban area should be part of the same county. As a result Bournemouth lying on the Hampshire, Dorset border was incorporated in to Dorset. This area of Dorset has been the site of human settlement for thousands of years. Although up to the 1800s, the area was largely a remote and barren heathland. No-one lived actually lived in the area then called Bourne Mouth and the only regular visitors were a few fishermen who fished the Dorset coast.

In 1802 due to an act of parliament the Commissioners' Award of 1805 transferred hundreds of acres of land into private ownership for the first time. Ans a large area around present day Bournemouth was purchased by Sir George Ivison Tapps in 1810. An retired Army Officer Capt Tregonwell brought land from Sir George Ivison Tapps who became the Lord of the Manor of Christchurch. Tregonwell decided to build a house near Bourne Heath which became his summer residence. It was not however till 1835 that the son of Sir George Ivison Tapps. Sir George William Tapps-Gervis, began to develop the land left to him by his farther. He developed the small seaside village into a resort similar to those that had already grown up along the south coast such as Brighton, and Weymouth.

All these resort towns were to benefit greatly from the advent of the railways. For with the railways came people and with the people came prosperity. Victorian gentry built fine seaside residences, and the working class traveled to the area in their thousands to escape from the grime and noise of the industrial revolution to the clean, healthy sea-side air. And Bournemouth before long was transformed in to the vibrant holiday resort it is today. So what of modern day Bournemouth? With seven miles of golden sands and sparkling sea, the vibrant cosmopolitan town of Bournemouth has it all. It  boast an large variety of shops, and restaurants, vibrant night-life, beautiful countryside, offering peace and relaxation, plus beautiful award-winning gardens, and water sports galore. The main shopping area is pedestrianized, and is located just behind the seafront. It has relaxing courtyards and enclaves, swathes of gardens with benches which all serve make it a pleasurable shopping experience. So be prepared to "shop till you drop".  As one would expect in such a shoppers paradise, most of the big retail outlets are represented here M&S, BHS, and Debenhams, to name a few. Modern shopping malls mingle with the more attractive architecture of the Victorian shopping arcades. The area known as Westbourne is Bournemouths answerer to Canaby St, for here all the designer clothes and interior designer shops, can be found.. Bournemouth  is rightly acclaimed for its beaches with seven miles of golden sand. This year alone Bournemouth was awarded 4 yes, 4 four prestigious Blue Flag awards. These awards confirm not only the cleanliness of the beach but all so the care that the council & tourist board put into maintaining it, thus ensuring all holiday makers can enjoy a happy. carefree holiday.

The beach has provisions for disabled visitors with free use of land trains, which run from Alum Chine and Boscombe, cliff lifts and no pier tolls. There are also beach wheelchairs for ease of access on to Bournemouths beaches, just another demonstration of the thought that all concerned put in to ensuring your holiday is trouble free. Deck chairs, sun beds, windbreaks and parasols are all available for hire to make sure you enjoy the day in comfort. For the more adventurous among you Boscombe beach will soon see the introduction of the first artificial reef in Europe, see the surfing section for more details. Bournemouth along with near-by Poole share several chimes the most notable being Branksome and Alum chimes. Chimes are valleys formed over the  centuries by water action and make the coast line a very attractive place indeed to view.

What doesone do after the sun goes down?  Well Bournemouth has a plethora of pubs and night clubs. Witherspoons is represent along with Yates Wine Lodge ( being a Liverpudlian I know all about Yates Wine Lodges lol for the uniformed Liverpool is where Yates Wine Lodge originated from ) There are many nightclubs in Bournemouth to cater for all age groups and musical tastes. Do you know as I said earlier, somehow Bournemouth got the reputation of being a resort for the retired. And I can not see for the life of me why this should be so. I personally found Bournemouth welcoming,  lively, outgoing, and above all fun. And I would like to congratulate all concerned with tourism in the town for the obvious effort they all take to assist the visitor and ensure they take home happy memories of their holiday.!

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