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Being mixed race an living in poole

38 replies

Dunker31 · 14/03/2020 19:55

Hi,
Looking for advice thinking of moving to Poole in the summer for a better way of life for my children to grow up in however I’m a bit concerned as I know the community is mainly white british I have a mixed race daughter who is due to start secondary school in September and I was just looking for any advice regarding how it would be for her if there is a lot of racism or if the area is a bit multicultural.
Any advice would be great

OP posts:
Mockerswithnoknockers · 16/03/2020 09:45

The prospective city of BCP is all one place now, the largest place in the South of England after London.

Re Poole: Surely you've watched Harry Redknapp's Sandbanks Summer? It's always exactly like that all the time.

Needmoresleep · 16/03/2020 10:28

Poole/Bournemouth is surprisingly multicultural in some ways, despite a relatively low number of visible ethnics.

There are very long established Spanish and Italian communities dating from post WW2 migrations of people coming to work in care homes and hotels. And a later wave of east Europeans coming into take the same jobs. It is very very common to hear families speaking Slavic languages on the prom, and equally common to come across families where one partner is British and the other from Europe.

There is other diversity. One more obvious one is the large Jewish community, both Orthodox and non Orthodox, boosted in the summer by Jewish holiday makers, most noticeably by large Orthodox family groups. There is a very long established Armenian community. I was once in a cafe and every other table was taken by South Africans. Apparently at the point when it became obvious that they were never going to return to South Africa, families often made the decision to migrate from SW London to Bournemouth/Poole in search of a more outdoor lifestyle. Whilst in summer it becomes clear that British beach holidays and day trips have been adopted by more recent British groups, so it is very common to see extended Asian families or groups of West Africans on the beach enjoying picnics and with kids racing into the sea.

The Universities obviously add diversity, with students then staying on to work, and I have rented to Chinese, South Africans and a British Muslim students. The latter, who came from a deprived part of the East End, loves it and intends to stay post-graduation. A bit like my dad who was evacuated to Bournemouth during WW2 from New Cross and who retained a wonder for the beach and space. For him it was always paradise.

That said, Bournemouth/Poole is surrounded by low populated, rural areas and is more Dorset than many expect. If it offers the lifestyle you want, I would expect you will find most people welcoming, and some people are jerks. My own impression, as a white Londoner, who needed a lot of help and support during a decade when my mother was ill, was that most people were very kind, far beyond what I would have expected in London, and that these people were white, or Bournemouth Asian (the night my mother died I phoned our favourite curry house at 11.00pm asking if we could pick up a take away on our way to the hastily booked hotel, but instead they stayed open and insisted we ate there), Bournemouth Jewish, from central Asia, Chinese, mixed race, or whatever.

JingsMahBucket · 16/03/2020 11:19

@Brainengaged1 I’ve lived through this too and my post to your and views still stands.

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JingsMahBucket · 16/03/2020 11:20

“visible ethnics”. YIKES. Hope that was a typo. Also, are you talking about black South Africans or white ones?

Terralee · 16/03/2020 11:27

There is racism here in the South, no doubt.
My sister is of mixed race appearance & has had racial abuse recently on Bournemouth beach by a man.
My cousins husband was knocked unconscious in a racist attack in a small town nearby.

BUT Bournemouth is definitely more multicultural than Poole.
in certain areas of Bournemouth especially boscombe & coming out of the local Bournemouth schools you see a lot of mixed race kids.
Bournemouth hospital & the JP Morgan bank have a lot of staff from mixed ethnicity backgrounds & different nationalities. There's a nice estate opposite the hospital where my friend lives where there's a variety of people from different races.

There are lots of immigrants living in charminster & Boscombe especially.
A large variety of ethnic restaurants & cafes.
The university welcomes more foreign students than English!
There's a large Jewish population with several synagogues, a Mosque, many immigrants from Portugal, the Philippines, China, Thailand, African & Afro Caribbean countries, Poland & other Eastern European's, lots of local Romany & Traveller families.
In the summer there are lots of of black British & Asian families from other cities who travel here for their holidays.

Personally I'd choose to live in Bournemouth over Poole as a mixed race person & I wouldn't live in any of the surrounding small towns.

PostNotInHaste · 16/03/2020 11:34

I agree with Bournemouth over Poole and don’t touch the surrounding small towns .

vhs95 · 16/03/2020 13:22

I stand by my comment that the Isle of Purbeck is stuck in the 50s but it was not a criticism just an observation. Staying in the Studland area is like going back in time - people have time to chat and take an interest, the pace of life is much slower than North London and nobody seems to be in a rush. And yes, away from the tourist spots, 90% of the faces are white.

Needmoresleep · 16/03/2020 13:35

Jings...sorry. Please give me the correct language. When I worked for a, very right-on, Council housing department there was genuine acknowledge that ethnic minorities faced different issues depending on several factors, and visibility/invisibility was one. But language changes.

My very good Bournemouth plumber is Jewish. I did not know, or care, until he got an urgent call from the Jewish crematorium. I was happy to let him, leave and return to my job later, but he stayed and told me lots about both Jewish cremation rituals, and about the Bournemouth Jewish community more generally. The Orthodox Jewish families walking along the sea front are more visible.

The, significant South African community tends to be white and working in the financial sector.

My point was that there is a level of multiculturalism in Poole/Bournemouth, more than in many seaside towns. I also regularly watch the football team, and have yet to hear anything remotely racist. Apparently in stark contrast to other grounds and sets of fans.

gk6277 · 17/03/2020 21:46

I have lived in Bournemouth for over 35 years, and prior to this Poole for 15 years. I agree Bmth is more multi-cultural than Poole, but I would say most areas are fine locally, not racist. There will always be pockets of less enlightened / welcoming people in some areas of all towns. Lower Parkstone in Poole ought to be fine, some people might say some areas around Upper Parkstone or Rossmore less so, but imho generally not an issue. Hope the move goes well.

Greenmarmalade · 17/03/2020 22:52

I taught in what was Rossmore School, now st aldhelms academy, for a short while. Most openly racist students I have ever met. Also the worst school I have EVER seen, with the lowest results in the country.

My mixed race kids were called the n-word when they played with friends in Christchurch. My mixed race students faced racism every single day in school there too. Avoid!!

How about Manchester or Birmingham?

MrsJayMumof3 · 02/10/2020 14:13

Hi Dunker31

We are not mixed race but we are a young black british family moving to the poole/ bournemouth area this year from the midlands. So if you decide to take the leap you wont be alone many none white families have already done this.

Its sad that in 2020 you have to be concerned about whether you will be able to live somewhere because of the colour of your skin. The midlands is multicultural but not where we live my children are the only people that look like them at school now and so was i growing up.

If you like the area and you have done enough research dont let the colour of your daughters skin put you off enjoying a life style that white people are allowed to freely enjoy. I loved all people i and I dont tolerate racism , or only go where im ' allowed to' but Im open with my culture and im always happy to educate.

We have visited lots and met many non white people living in the area. while its not as mixed as a city like london you will find people that are black and mixed race more in bournemouth than Poole who have moved and are enjoying life there...and if you dont you have probably just come across your first friend!! All the best and feel free to keep in touch.

MrsJayMumof3 · 02/10/2020 14:25

@ greenmarmalade

Thanks for the summary of the school helps to cross the awful ones off the list!

Valkadin · 02/10/2020 15:23

I’m mixed race and live in an area that’s about 95% white probably more like 98%. Never had an issue. Did as a kid down South but it was the 70’s.

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