Wyn

I'll be traveling to Bournemouth for a few days at the end of November. Is anyone familiar with the city and there is to see and do?

Windy

I do believe that Soames Forsyte is thinking about an investment property there, although he does find it exceedingly boring with nothing much to recommend it except for the lovely Irene.

Teresa

My son studied there during one year and I visited him once. It's a nice city but like Windy said, with nothing to do or see, a little boring.

Devon or Cornwall is

It is where working-class English people go for their holidays. Sorry to be brutally honest but it is true!!!!!!!

Local

The town (NB, not a "city") of Bournemouth has long been a gentile English seaside resort favoured by well-off elderly British vistors and families with small children. I can't really recognise the "working class" reference - much more true of Blackpool or Clacton. Like any seaside place, November is hardly the best time to visit, since the number one attractions (the famous long sandy beach, and the gardens) will be strictly off-limits to all but the most hardy individuals.<BR><BR>However, there are some other things to see in the area. There is a fine Aquarium, IMAX cinema and the particularly interesting Russell-Cotes gallery - a rambling treasure chest of items collected by an Edwardian traveller who lived there. Visit www.bournemouth.co.uk for more details.

PatrickW

Before any flaming starts, I think Local meant to type 'genteel' rather than 'gentile' (!!!!)<BR><BR>Bournemouth is trying very hard to reinvent itself as a rather more youth-oriented and night-clubby sort of place than its older image. It certainly looks a lot less stuck in the 1960s or 70s than some smaller seaside towns. It's a large local centre for shopping and commerce, with a university and lots of language schools, but inevitably it's busier in the summer. <BR><BR>It would be a good base for exploring the countryside in Dorset and the New Forest, as well as other seaside towns, if the weather allows!<BR><BR>

Geoff Hamer

I visit Bournemouth regularly as my mother lives there. The town grew in the 19th century as a holiday resort for the rich - there were just a few fishermen's cottages before then. It has adapted by attracting young people through a university and language schools. It still has attractive parks and promenades, but go elsewhere if you want to see old buildings or visit quaint pubs. Christchurch and Poole are both ancient towns served by frequent buses from Bournemouth. Poole Quay is lined with pubs, trendy cafes and restaurants. Slightly further afield are the New Forest, the Isle of Wight and rural Dorset.

dick

Portsmouth is near by. The Isle of Mann (sp) is just a short ferry ride away. The New Forest area is close. Have stayed many times a t Chewton Glen Resort and that is only about 1/2 hour drive away. Winchester, Salsbury, and Stonehenge are only about an hours drive away also. There are many things to see and do. Good luck and have a safe trip.

Dick

It is not the Osle of Man. It is the Isle of Wight(sp). Sorry. <BR>Queen Victoria use to spend time there. Nice little village and castle high on a hill.

julies

we use to say it was where the old people went to die and then forgot why they came...<BR><BR>it's known to be a very boring place

Geoff Hamer

Bournemouth used to be known as a boring place full of old people, but that has not been true for a long time, thanks partly to the university.

julies

we use to say it was where the old people went to die and then forgot why they came...<BR><BR>it's known to be a very boring place