Sandcastles and speeches: A Lib Dem's guide to the joys of Bournemouth
Bournemouth beach (Paul.Biggins / Alamy)
4 min read
Seaside towns like Bournemouth can feel quiet in September – after the children’s sandcastles have washed away but before students return to its three buzzing universities
That’s why the arrival of Liberal Democrat Conference is always a welcome boost, bringing thousands of delegates to fill hotel rooms and restaurants, many sneaking out between sessions for a dip in the sea or an ice cream with old friends.
As towns go, Bournemouth is a relative newcomer, having only celebrated its 200th birthday in 2010. It sits in the middle of Poole Bay, flanked by its older neighbours – and council partners – Poole and Christchurch, both dating back over a thousand years.
The UK’s first municipal beach hut stands proudly on the promenade between Bournemouth and Boscombe – marked with a plaque at hut 2359, in case you fancy a selfie with seaside history, before it’s demolished to make space for safety works on the pier.
Bournemouth has long been associated with healing, thanks to its pine trees and sea air. The Victorian fashion of sea-bathing helped grow the town’s reputation as a health tourism destination, and Bournemouth’s Royal National Sanatorium – built to treat tuberculosis – was among the first of its kind. During the First World War, the neighbouring town hall was converted into a hospital for Indian soldiers.
While the sanatoriums are long gone, Bournemouth’s reputation as a place to recharge – whether with sea air or a ‘99’ ice cream – still holds strong.
Bournemouth also has a rich literary legacy. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living here, and it is the final resting place of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley.
Bournemouth’s beaches are regularly voted among the best in Europe, and even the world
Dorset is known as ‘Thomas Hardy country’, though Hardy was careful to fictionalise place names in his novels. In Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Bournemouth appears as “Sandbourne”, where the character Angel Clare is struck by the contrast between this “fashionable watering place” and the wild heathland elsewhere in the county – a contrast that still rings true today.
Bournemouth’s beaches are regularly voted among the best in Europe, and even the world, thanks to their golden sands, sheltered bay and calm waters. Whether you want to read a book in a deckchair, zip-line from the pier to shore, or play a round of smugglers cove-themed crazy golf, the central beaches are right outside the Bournemouth International Centre.
But if you fancy venturing further, you’ll find chilled vibes at Sobo Beach Bar (based in a double-decker bus), a beach sauna at Sandbanks, and surfboard hire at Boscombe Beach – all easily reached by bike along the seven-mile promenade.
Like many towns, Bournemouth has felt the impact of changing shopping habits, and some mourn the loss of its big department stores. But look a little deeper and you’ll find brilliant independent shops. For beauty products, head to the former Debenhams – now Bobby’s – which also houses The Botanist restaurant. Or explore the Victorian Arcade on Old Christchurch Road and Westover Road for vintage clothes, art, and jewellery.
For a cultural fix, the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum on the seafront offers a glimpse into the town’s Victorian roots. And if you’re staying on after conference, don’t miss Arts by the Sea festival – one of my favourite events of the year – with light projections, drama, and flash mobs popping up across the town.
Someone once told me they don’t like coming to business conferences in Bournemouth because the beach is too much of a distraction. Personally, I think that’s the best reason to come back year after year. We all love a political conference – but where else can you step out the back door onto the sand, breathe in the sea air, and find TV cameras capturing the very best of the south coast?
Vikki Slade is the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole. She previously served as leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council
