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.

I'm so relieved and heartened to hear that the further west region of Dorset might be ok by mid July. We go for a week every year in Swanage (caravan site - at the mo they are bending over backwards to keep our booking) and love walking to dancing ledges and down to Kimmerage ect. DD is now getting to the right age to appreciate Arne wildlife reserve and the walks around corfe. Crabbing at Osmington. We DO like a day or two with her and a bucket and spade on Shell Bay (or on the other side facing brownsea) but i'm thinking those last two might be too near dreaded Bournmouth :( You can see Bournemouth from shell bay cant you .... eeek.

@BostonCheers

Sorry but that is totally wrong. None of the seaside economy down here in Bournemouth is really open yet. Hotels, restaurants etc.... all open on July 4th. So all the people today are not really helping locals. They are helping the linked of Tesco's et al.

And saying visitors shitting in peoples gardens and on the beach is far from ideal, what planet are you on? Can we all come and shit in your garden and say it's because we have been cooped up too long? I am one of the people who live in a flat with no garden. So today I couldn't go to Bournemouth beach that I pay to upkeep all year round due to the hoards of others being there. So we stayed in our flat with no garden.

@gulabjamoon

Agreed. OP describing Bournemouth as small?

@BostonCheers

You see I must be a boring old fart bc without schools fully back and people's jobs and livelihoods still hanging in the balance, I can't see what's exciting about restrictions being lifted and I struggle to have wholehearted carefree fun. If it turns out that hospitality can function safely with 1m distancing from 4th July and people do come back to spend money in a safe and responsible way, great. But based on what Bournemouth residents are reporting here this seems less than likely.

I live in a market town, no where near the sea. I dream of going to Cornwall, but have postponed my holiday in mid July until next year, purely because of the scenes recently. I imagine by July Cornwall will be full along with all other seaside resorts. I just dont feel safe enough to want to mix. So we forfeit our holiday for our own safety.

Our town is already suffering the rubbish everywhere, our local volunteer litter pickers have posted appalling photos of all the rubbish left behind on all our spaces. Our local police have now got an order that they can clear people from them but I bet the rubbish will still be left behind despite this.

I do despair that this seems to have brought out the worst in people, I thought we were in this together, but it seems to be everyone for themselves. And I don't mean the locals, who frankly I agree with, no one wants to catch this or actually pass it onto someone else and maybe kill them. I thought we were trying to protect our NHS and vulnerable, not overload it with more cases and the accidents that happen.

@CurlyhairedAssassin I'm delighted to tell you that, just before you arrive at your holiday location, you will drive though a village/hamlet called ... wait for it ... Shitterton

It's a lovely part of Dorset, hope you enjoy your holiday

@BostonCheers

Right now it is likely that the negatives are over-shadowing the potential positives. Only supermarkets and take-aways and off licences will be reaping any reward here, the police force have had to ask for potential back up from out of area and I'm waiting to see how our hospitals have fared....

Personally it's only exciting if it doesn't come with a large amount of fear and anxiety and stress. Did all the people here hell bent on having a good time achieve that, or are some of them suffering sunstroke, alcohol effects, injuries from various activities, taking home parking tickets etc? Did the people working to serve them find it a mutually satisfactory exchange? Judging by what I've seen reported by other residents and local media, perhaps many on both sides will be wondering if it was indeed worth it after all......

I was on the Lincolnshire coast today and it was clean, toilets open beach not at all crowded , car parks half full .

[quote BostonCheers]@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![/quote]
Of course the locals don’t want people turning up and leaving litter and shit all over the place.

Also many uk seaside towns don’t rely on tourism.

@Bostoncheers not everyone that lives in or near Bournemouth work in hospitality. We have plenty of people working in normal everyday jobs, so yes there is vitriol from locals who just want to go about their lives and can’t because they are caught up in the ridiculous traffic jams these selfish idiots are causing. We have had comparatively few cases of COVID compared to other areas, with a larger then average retirement population that is very worrying

It's because they're all normally living it large in Benidorm and Ayia Napa at this time of year, eating their full English breakfast and drinking English lager.

Got love a Brit when the sun comes out

I'm pleased they've given out tickets. 550 odd. I hope they use the money wisely to create better ways of controlling the numbers on the beach and letting the locals have their lives back.

I also saw that a beach in Exmouth (think that's where) had a huge fight with 200 people.

A 7yo got shoved during it

People are absolute selfish gits at time.

CurlyhairedAssassin, I'm sure the Puddletowners will be happy to see you and you'll have a great time. Loads of lovely places to visit, most of which haven't been anywhere near overwhelmed. Lulworth and Durdle Door have had well-publicised issues, but if you head to the beaches west of there you shouldn't run into any trouble .

So today we set off early from Surrey to a beach not far from Bournemouth.

We've been told we can drive and enjoy the outdoors, car parks are open (and we found a space easily).

We managed to stay 2m from anyone else at all times.

So I am confused, I fully fully understand the issues caused by the influx of people in B'mouth today. I feel a little bad we were possibly part of that but I must say we encountered no unusual traffic or anti social behaviour whatsoever.

If local councils don't want visitors it should be made explicit and the government should be lobbied to create a one hour drive rule (or similar) so that people don't leave their own counties. It's a hot day, kids are off school, it's natural that people would go and enjoy the beach if they've been told it's ok to do so.

First image. OMG
Second image... 🧐

Both taken from today's news, the drone one, a capture from a video

[quote BostonCheers]@morethanafortnight

Well, there'll be one less family at the seaside in the U.K. this summer as me and DH will not be giving a penny to the NIMBYs who have been complaining about tourists visiting.

We'll be more than happy to give the thousands we would have spent to the hotels, bars and restaurants in Spain, where they will welcome tourists with open arms [/quote]
Sorry but with close friends & family living in touristy areas in Spain I can tell you, you won't be welcomed there with open arms either. People are quite conflicted and reluctant to open up their country. But the economy is struggling so they have to. So not quite open arms. No one really wants incomers.

Laiste, we too have a caravan in the middle of Dorset, and am hoping to get to it in July.

@BostonCheers visitors defecating in gardens and being abusive to litter pickers is not ideal
no it's really not "ideal", is it...It's revolting and shameful.

@wanderings you mention all your sacrifices but little of what you have been protected from.

However, good news. I have spoken to Covid and explained that all you are wanting to do is enjoy yourself, and luckily it has agreed you have earned a break. It's going to go away now. You're welcome.

That second image doesn't look as bad. It appears some people are distancing. The first picture makes it look worse.

I also heard loads of people travelled by train?

I'd be more worried about that and spread of virus than in beach in high UV.

Totally agree that people should park sensibly though and blocking emergency services is unforgivable.

My daughter lives in Brighton and she has confirmed it was a hell hole today.Full of sunburnt ,pissed individuals with their screaming kids...hideous!!

That first picture came up on FB yesterday and was then called out as a stock photo from when the air show was on. Not actually from yesterday.
The angle also makes it seem no social distancing.

I don't know if that's the case but I do know that it was horrid there to say for people working and who live there with cars etc.

@Gulabjamoon

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

I haven't even ventured to the shops yet (apart from supermarket) but these whiny laments like OPs really do my head. You're preaching to the mostly converted, and sound very holier than thou.

I have no interest in being Bournemouth now, it sounds like hell.

1/2 million people don’t agree with you though - they came to Bournemouth today! That’s sort of the point. And that’s why the council, and the police have asked people not to come.

I’m sorry you think I sound “very holier than thou”. It’s been quite a distressing few days as you can imagine - stuck in a small house with toddlers, unable to move the car because of so much traffic, worries about elderly parents who only live a couple of miles away but who I can’t easily get shopping to because of traffic, etc. Distressed because friend who works in the police has had such a nightmare day. Upset to hear of two ambulances which couldn’t get through.

But yeah, it’s MY attitude that’s wrong.

[quote whenitalkaboutsexnobodylistens]@gulabjamoon

Agreed. OP describing Bournemouth as small?[/quote]
Again with this being an issue. The town has a population of around 180k. It is bigger than some places, yes. But smaller than lots of big towns which have more integrated infrastructure.

Today we had 500k visitors. Can you really not see that this is an issue?