• 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe

    The suburb of Boscombe, a mile to the east of its more illustrious neighbour Bournemouth, doesn’t always get a good press – in the past it’s been voted one of the ten worst places to live in Britain. Most visitors head straight for the beach and don’t get to see what else Boscombe has to…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – O2 Academy Bournemouth

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – O2 Academy Bournemouth

    The O2 Academy Bournemouth is actually in the suburb of Boscombe. This Grade II listed Victorian venue has been entertaining people since 1895. A bit like a cat, it seems to have had nine lives, having served as a theatre, circus, music hall, disco and now mainly as a live music venue. How to get…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Pier to Pier Swim

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Pier to Pier Swim

    As Bournemouth has two piers just 1.4 miles apart, a popular challenge is to swim from one pier to another – either just for the sake of it or as part of an organised event. Each year, the British Heart Foundation puts on the Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim. Billed as one of Europe’s biggest…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe Arts Trail

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe Arts Trail

    Most people come to Boscombe for the beach. And why not? It’s a beautiful beach. But there is more to Boscombe than just the seaside. If you can be tempted away from the golden sand, take the half a mile walk up the hill into the centre of Boscombe. This will bring you past the…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Go Shopping at a Market

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Go Shopping at a Market

    I love wandering around a street market checking out the merchandise. Whether it’s in some exotic far flung location or doing my weekly shop on a Monday morning at Christchurch Market Selecting the plumpest, juiciest strawberries while a cheery stallholder tells me they were grown in Lymington, just 10 miles up the road. In fact,…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe Chine Gardens

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe Chine Gardens

    Boscombe Chine is one of four chines along the Bournemouth coast. A chine being a deep, steep-sided ravine originally formed by a river flowing through to the sea. Boscombe Chine runs down from the cliff top to the coast just to the west of Boscombe Pier. It was converted into a garden during the Victorian…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Park Yoga

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Park Yoga

    There are several parks in the Bournemouth area where you can take a free Park Yoga class on Sunday mornings during the warmer months. Park Yoga is a charity which provides free community yoga at venues across the UK. Sessions are advertised as being suitable for all regardless of age, background or ability. Dates Park…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Watch Premier League Football at the Vitality Stadium

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Watch Premier League Football at the Vitality Stadium

    With its 11,300 capacity stadium on the outskirts of a town with half a million inhabitants, AFC Bournemouth may be considered to be punching well above its weight in the English Premier League alongside footballing giants such as Manchester United and Liverpool. To put it into perspective, AFC Bournemouth has an annual wage bill of…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe Pier

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe Pier

    Just over a mile from Bournemouth Pier with its amusements, fun fair and restaurants is Boscombe Pier. Here, there are no such attractions, but the iconic 19th Century structure makes for a pleasant stroll. You can walk along the pier, following the heritage trail and playing a musical instrument or two along the way. At…

  • 101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe Street Art Trail

    101 Things to do in Bournemouth – Boscombe Street Art Trail

    When you tell people you live in Boscombe, it conjures up conflicting images. Either of a lovely sandy beach, multi coloured beach huts and a Victorian pier. Or of a rather seedy town populated by junkies congregating around the ugly concrete jungle of a town centre. Once ranked as one of the worst places to…