h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Wow! My grandma used to live in Bournemouth (and my great-grandma too) and somehow I don't quite remember seeing it like this when I went to visit her as a kid...

I did have a great time there, though. I still have fond memories of the ZigZag (a path down the cliff - not actually that exciting but great fun if you're under 10 'cos it leads down to the *beach*).

Oh, and talking about the beach... I heard somewhere that it's all fake - that Bournemouth town council imported huge amounts of sand from somewhere else! Does anyone know if this is actually true?

You're right about it being a retirement town, though. I remember calling the place "Zimmermouth" after the large population of walking frames.

Yeah, mate. The impression you get of seaside towns as a visitor is always so very, very far removed from perceptions you have as a resident. Most people come here for a weekend or a week at a time and have not got clue one about what to do when you get there. My aim is to get inebriated in every town in Britain and then let everyone know how I did it. I have another piece (as yet unapproved) on Poole which may be of interest, go to my page for the link. Watch out for a new piece I'm working on for Reading in Berkshire. Any anecdotes or info of your own will be gratefully recieved and included. Booyakka!

BTW...the area of beach you are referring to is Sandbanks...and you're right. Dunno where all the sand came from but it's a nice bit of coastline now...and always so packed that you couldn't stick a pin in the sand without injuring someone. The only way to get a pitch on Sandbanks is to turn up at 4 in the morning and watch the sun rise. Take lots of towels to mark your territory and lots of beer to pass the time.

Yeah, they dredged it up from Poole Harbour when they cleared a path for the ferry and put it on the beach after giving it a bit of a buff up. Sandbanks is actually in Poole but it's not usually that packed, I normally get there for about 7am and have breakfast on the beach.. Bournemouth beach is always packed though - you've never see so many pink, sunburnt people in your life!! It's the best place to live though.

Bournemouth in the summer time is absolutely packed out - the rest of the time we seem to accuire hundreds of foreign students - so I guess that we're a good education center too. Bournemouth is a good place to get pissed all year round tho - on another note, ignore what was said about the villa it used to be filled with underaged drinkers but they've cracked down on them now, and I wouldnt call Club x a new rock club, but maybe that's me being picky?