Bournemouth beach - “Major incident”

[BebeGlazer]

The local police and council have now declared that Bournemouth beach is scene of “major incident” because people will not stay away. Overcrowding, littering, desperately dangerous parking.

www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18541911.bournemouth-beach-bcp-council-declares-major-incident/

Please, please, think kindly before travelling to small seaside towns at the moment. We cannot cope.

This is what we are up against as locals. One windsurfer had a heart attack coming off the beach a couple of weeks ago. The defibrillator was locked in the pub and the ambulance took nearly an hour.

The FB post is from yesterday.

People should take a look at this article, and some of the rated comments beneath. It does not just address the pandemic but, well, everything. While the UK is a country that fantasizes itself as “world beating” with a clownish braggart journalist PM who considers himself “world beating”, it is all distinctly second rate. Or, actually, 2nd from worst in the world as far as the pandemic is considered.

Meanwhile, Germany - quietly, pragmatically, modestly - actually is “world beating” .

“On different planets: how Germany tackled the pandemic, and Britain flailed”

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/24/germany-coronavirus-britain-health-spending-test-trace

Apologise for what?

Well, @EnlightenedOwl perhaps for what you said on one or other of the several posts of yours which have now been deleted by MNHQ?

Or this .....

Jeez it was pretty empty here today
People are idiots. That's disgusting!

Sorry, didn't attach.

In terms of crowds it's no worse. People have been cooped up and now on a nice day, they've went to a beach. Are crowds only allowed only for political reasons?
If you are against the crowds then you should be against all crowds not just the 'right' crowds

What an unintelligent, ridiculous argument. There's a big difference between making an ethical judgement call to join a community-minded BLM protest, and selfishly heading to a packed beach for your own interests.

We have nine million people on furlough and millions of children & young people not in education. Its not exactly surprising that the beaches are rammed, or that young people are congregating & partying illegally. Most people don't want to sit in their houses or flats indefinitely, especially given their homes might be a bit less spacious than a fair few MNers'. Its exactly why we do actually need to reopen more widely soon

@SomewhereEast No. I live in a city flat, with no garden and you wouldn't catch me doing this, or any of my friends who also live in blocks. It's a choice about whether people want to be entirely selfish or do what's best for society in general. Unfortunately too many are of the former mindset.

And it seems Whitty agrees

It's the mess that people make that is so frustrating

Just take your litter home of the bins are full

Im not really sure a daytripper coming to the beach, having a shit and leaving rubbish actually contributes anything to the local economy do they? Not when everything is closed, they arent gonna be buying fish and chips in this weather!

I live in a seaside location and the roads were some of the busiest they have ever been coming home from work. Cars just jettisoned everywhere, people were driving really dangerously as well maybe because they were hot and tired, or maybe drunk. Weve had lots of massive campervans

I really dont have a problem with tourists, but be sensible. If a beach is full dont go.

Please can someone reassure me. I have just this week booked a cottage in Dorset after cancelling our holiday in Tenerife. We are going end of July. I've never been to Dorset in my life, we love Cornwall and Devon but as DS has shown an interest in the geological features of the Jurassic Coast thanks to GCSE Geography, and I am keen to go as it's one of the few coastal counties I've never explored, other DS and DH like walking and outdoors stuff. So we were really looking forward to it. We are staying inland in a little village near A35 which looks like it has very little there (suits us!) so we can get to everywhere along the coast fairly quickly. And then I see this!

Are we going to be hated by the locals wherever we go? Are WE going to hate all the daytrippers filling up the beaches like barbecued sardines? We want to walk and look for fossils and enjoy the scenery, not sit and bake and get drunk and spit at people. It's just not at all how I pictured Dorset....

I realise how very pearl-clutchy Mumsnet this sounds by the way....

I don't get the attraction to be honest. People worship the sun too much.

Why can't they just shut the beaches?

We're very close to the Witterings, the traffic from people wanting to get there tails back for hours, even the pre booked car park tickets hasn't stopped them, early morning until late at night. It's bloody miserable if you love here. Everything has to be planned around that bloody traffic jam.

Dorset is absolutely beautiful, there is not a bad word to say about Dorset. I am from London, and I would go to Dorset every opportunity I got.

However the Durdle door is a no no for me at the moment because of the nature of the stairs. I don’t know how they’ve been doing one way systems on rocks carved in to the cliff

How is Christchurch? I went there once for a girls weekend and I stopped for a while on my own there to have an quiet moment alone. It was lovely. I do hope there isn’t tonnes of rubbish and people fighting there too, it was the best part of the trip!

I’m a nurse and I have been working on a covid ward all through this pandemic . I tested covid positive on April 24th . Now recovered and back at work . I’ve experienced some awful things over the last few months . I’m not going to talk about them on here but these pictures today have really upset me . It’s like a massive kick in the teeth . And tomorrow I’m going to do another shift in full PPE because this isn’t over yet despite what those selfish arseholes on the beaches think .

I back on to the road to a beach, I can see if it's jammed and don't bother driving that way. I can go the other way into the small town for any shops, banks, petrol, etc. And at the moment am not visiting friends or businesses closer to the sea.

I can see now (7pm) traffic is light and flowing freely.

I don't hate people just because they happen to live somewhere else.

One thing I'll note.....

Everyone doing the essential jobs to run the country are in work and have been since the start of lockdown or went back beginning of June, or just starting to go back. None of these will be in Bournemouth, or anywhere else today as they are in work. I personally don't know anyone on furlough now. They're either in full time, or working FT from home. Even the ones I know on furlough eg in car sales etc have now gone back. Retail has started back. So I wonder who actually is left at home to go to the beach during the working day?

@CurlyhairedAssassin

I certainly wouldn't be booking UK breaks at the moment after the way many locals have behaved!

I'd suggest you cancel and take your business to Spain! Much better weather and the residents are begging tourists to visit rather than telling them to fuck off!

@CurlyhairedAssassin

The problem area is Bournemouth / Boscombe Beach close to the town centre, not the area you describe necessarily, and by then maybe the giddiness of sudden freedom will have died down a bit - hopefully!

It sounds like you'll be fine and as a resident I would encourage you to come and enjoy the loveliness on offer - keep an eye on local news and maybe the more factual FB local pages to see what's going on closer to the time of your trip - and by then maybe enough places will be open to stop the crowding - we do welcome visitors warmly - it's just been a bit bizarre today and not at all normal - I hope you have a lovely holiday :) .

@laurely, I've heard so many people say this. There is so much hypocrisy. A TA I work with told me today about a joint birthday party to be held at her house (she lives with family) at the weekend, with loads of people coming, by the sounds of it. I was so shocked I actually said nothing. It's as if people don't realise that despite a lot more people being back at work, life has actually not gone back to normal and there are still restrictions in place.

@BostonCheers

@CurlyhairedAssassin
You will be welcome. Most local businesses are keen for people to be allowed to come.

There are lots of wilder bits where you can get away from the crowds.

(Now wondering which village)