14/01/21 |
Bournemouth: 5 Surprising Facts
If you’re not from around here, what’s your impression of our town? ‘Sleepy’ or ‘God’s waiting room’ maybe? In fact, Bournemouth has never been that particularly sleepy, nowadays even less so, as Bournemouth University and the Arts University, draw in talented young people from across the globe. Koreti and our sister-company Quadrant2Design, have a close association with both institutions, offering 40-placements to students on the Industrial and Product Design, Marketing and Events Management courses. Upon graduation, many of these bright-young-things decide to start their careers in Dorset, often encouraged by a romance with a local boy or girl! Adding to this continuous transfusion of fresh talent, creative skills and ideas is the fact we’re (whisper it) actually not too far from London. Around 1 hour, 50 minutes, on the fast-train, straight into Waterloo to be precise.
So what can I tell you about Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch that might surprise and impress you?
We have some of the Best Beaches in the World
Really? I hear you say. Well, ask Trip Advisor’s Travellers’ choice list. In 2019 Bournemouth’s 7-miles of sand was voted ‘Best Beach in the UK’, the 6th Best in Europe’ and incredibly the ’20th Best Beach Worldwide’. Bournemouth can’t take all the credit, as it’s beach stretches around a large bay, shared by Poole to the West and Southbourne to the East.
Poole has one of the Worlds Largest Natural Harbours
Poole Harbour is a giant valley, drowned at the end of the last ice-age. Despite covering over 36 square kilometres, the average depth is only 48 centimetres, making it a perfect habitat for a large number of sea, wading and marshland birds. The harbour has several islands, including the famous Brownsea Island where Robert Baden-Powell held the first Boys Scout camp in 1907.
Sandbanks Peninsular is the Worlds most Expensive Coastline
Sandbanks is a sandy narrow peninsular separating Poole Harbour and the 7-miles of beach that leads eventually to Southbourne. Once a collection of beach-huts and holiday homes, it’s now 850 feet of the most expensive beachside real estate in the world, estimated recently to have a cumulative value of £93 million. Which must please residents Harry and Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness!
Grave of Frankenstein Author is in Bournemouth
Mary Shelley (yes, she was married to the famous poet) and who was the author of Frankenstein, is buried in St Peters Church, in Bournemouth Town Centre. Bizarrely her husband’s heart is also interred in the church after he drowned off the coast of Italy in 1822 at the age of 1929.
Winston Churchill almost Died In Alum Chime
Determined not to be caught playing tag, in 1892 an 18-year old Winston Churchill leapt from a bridge to a tree, over Alum Chime; missed, and fell 29-feet. For three days our future wartime-saviour’s life hung in the balance. Upon recovering his injuries left him bedridden for 3-months. Luckily Winnie survived otherwise we’d all be speaking German.
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