Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Bournemouth beach - “Major incident”

999 replies

BebeGlazer · 25/06/2020 15:07

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
21
PastMyBestBeforeDate · 26/06/2020 00:15

Gulab how do you stop letting people in exactly? It's not one road into the town centre that isn't used by anyone but tourists.

jasjas1973 · 26/06/2020 00:19

Councils aren't the military and without a TRO, they can't just shut a highway.

It does, however, go to prove that local lockdowns are pie in the sky thinking, it cannot be done.

rosinavera · 26/06/2020 00:19

@Time2Change2 Exactly and that's how it should be. I hope you had a good day too x

Gulabjamoon · 26/06/2020 00:19

@Past maybe stop letting people into car parks if they’re full? Tow illegally parked cars away?

Makes more sense than expecting ‘visitors’ to have forethought as a collective when they’re fresh out of lockdown.

As mentioned, I’m still in lockdown as have shielding family so not something I would have done.

OldQueen1969 · 26/06/2020 00:19

I mean, stopping half a million people from enjoying their rights to public land would be a breeze.

Especially given these police figures for the area:

As of September 2019, the force had a headcount of 1,272 police officers, 1,160 police staff, 123 police community support officers, 71 designated officers and 111 special constables.

OldQueen1969 · 26/06/2020 00:22

Oh, and I think there are legalities that have to be covered.

And I'm pretty sure the over-stretched police were trying to do all you suggested.

HeIenaDove · 26/06/2020 00:23

Why didnt personal responsibility come into it for those going on ski trips/Cheltenham?

Personal responsibility only for the plebs?

OldQueen1969 · 26/06/2020 00:24

Being "fresh out of lockdown" shouldn't mean people lose their collective minds and shit in people's gardens.

pallisers · 26/06/2020 00:25

We cannot have a get off my land situation where residents of beauty spots think they have a right to private use of land that is for the public good of the whole nation.

And yet you think the residents should be volunteering to go out and clean up after those who use the land.

How does that work logically?

This land is your land and as a local I have no greater right but but this land is my land when it comes to cleaning up the shite people leave behind?

At least try for being a bit logical.

Gulabjamoon · 26/06/2020 00:32

Being "fresh out of lockdown" shouldn't mean people lose their collective minds and shit in people's gardens.

Of course not Hmm

Is it a collective? Were 500k people shitting in gardens?

Just googled it and there a story of one woman in Somerset who saw someone shitting behind her back garden because the National Trust toilets had closed.

Hardly a collective, unless you have statistics.

IAmTheBFG · 26/06/2020 00:33

Confession: I took my two daughters to Bournemouth yesterday. We left London at 6 in the morning so we were at Bournouth by 8, then left Bournemouth at 4. As we were leaving the beach was getting very busy, which is partly why we left when we did. The reasons why we went were:
a) we didn't expect it to be as busy as it was
b) we were prepared to leave as soon as it got too busy for social distancing to be possible
c) My eldest daughter has had her A-Levela cancelled and my youngest daughter has had her GCSEs cancelled so they have nothing to be doing bar preparing for their next academic steps and they are going insane with boredom.

It goes without saying that even in normal times you shouldn't leave rubbish on the beach - we took ours home with us in a couple of carrier bags.

There are ways to visit places like Bournemouth and be sensible - it's a shame that not everyone is willing to take those precautions.

SquirtleSquad · 26/06/2020 00:39

@IAmTheBFG out of interest why did you choose Bournemouth Beach?

Smallsteps88 · 26/06/2020 00:39

Surely it’s poor planning by the council? Stop letting people in if you’re full.

Oh yes. Just shut the tourist gate. Sorted.

OldQueen1969 · 26/06/2020 00:41

Goddamn there must be something in the Bournemouth water.... can't think why the Studland ferry operators had to officially warn via social media that they have CCTV and for people not to use the land around the slipway as a toilet.......

Human sanitary waste has been cleaned up from our local beaches yesterday and today. We're not making this shit up........nor is it one over-egged pooh in a burger box.

Why the determination to deny the truth?

OldQueen1969 · 26/06/2020 00:42

And to those who have visited and behaved responsibly, we thank you - you are not the problem Flowers

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 26/06/2020 00:42

[quote Gulabjamoon]@Past maybe stop letting people into car parks if they’re full? Tow illegally parked cars away?

Makes more sense than expecting ‘visitors’ to have forethought as a collective when they’re fresh out of lockdown.

As mentioned, I’m still in lockdown as have shielding family so not something I would have done.[/quote]
They weren't parking in car parks. That's part of the problem. News footage showed lines of cars parked on double yellows. There are reports of people accepting fines as part of their day out, splitting it between 4 adults.
I have no idea whether they were towing cars.

SquirtleSquad · 26/06/2020 00:44

Shitting and pissing in a bucket and leaving it behind someone's beach hut in 30 degree heat is pretty vile. There's are so many examples of this sort of behaviour on our local community groups, it's disgusting.

Bournemouth beach - “Major incident”
Smallsteps88 · 26/06/2020 00:45

Goddamn there must be something in the Bournemouth water.

There is now Envy

Gulabjamoon · 26/06/2020 00:46

@OldQueen1969

Where have I denied the truth? I googled it and invited you to provide information Hmm Why are the facilities so dire?

What do you want people on MN to do? In London people were pissing and shitting in the streets before the pandemic.

OldQueen1969 · 26/06/2020 00:46

It absolutely boggles my mind that we are having to have this conversation at all......

SquirtleSquad · 26/06/2020 00:49

And as for the parking this is the sort of arsehole behaviour that's going on - it's not just busy car parks or on double yellows. There were over 550 tickets issued yesterday.

1st pic .. This is Studland blocking an emergency access in a high fire zone.. weeks after the devastating Wareham fires.

2nd pic .. uploaded by the police showing the inconsiderate parking that meant people weren't able to get off or onto the ferries because it became gridlocked.

Bournemouth beach - “Major incident”
Bournemouth beach - “Major incident”
OldQueen1969 · 26/06/2020 00:53

I don't think the council's Scatalogical Division have had time to collate actual statistics yet......

The facilities aren't that dire normally..... half a million come for the air show - they have access to open hotels and pubs and portaloos are brought in. This did not happen today. Half a million people ignored the fact that until July 4th facilities are reduced and ignored advice to stay away, for their own safety as much as anything else.

Nobody is asking MN to do anything - it's a discussion board and quite a few locals have had a chat about a situation that has arisen. That's all. I'm hot, bored and suffering from insomnia and this has been a welcome distraction.

IAmTheBFG · 26/06/2020 00:53

[quote SquirtleSquad]@IAmTheBFG out of interest why did you choose Bournemouth Beach?[/quote]
We would normally go to West Wittering (in fact, that's where we are planning to visit on Friday), but you have to book car parking in advance and there weren't any spaces left on Wednesday - it was rather a spur-of-the-moment trip. After West Wittering, Bournemouth is the next nearest beach to where we live that I know how to get to - I'm not a massively confident driver so I prefer to go to places I've been to before and we've been to Bournemouth about once a year or so for a long weekend for the past five years.

Plus, the coverage of how busy Bournouth was didn't really break until the evening news on Wednesday, which was after we visited so we didn't expect it to be as busy as it was.

SisterAgatha · 26/06/2020 01:15

I am always shocked when I see people say they don’t expect Bournemouth to be busy.

It is consistently the main beach shown on the “hottest day of the year” photos.

On the news, “Bournemouth beach saw thousands of sun seekers enjoying the hot weather”. It is NO1 top beach for day trippers on hot days, it seems.

It’s like saying I did not expect Church to be busy on Christmas Day.

OldQueen1969 · 26/06/2020 01:21

If half the town wasn't shut because virus we wouldn't sweat it......ha ha..... it's unusual to have half a million on one day in June, and for events like the air show we cater for extra visitors and it's planned months in advance...... this has been ridiculous really given "the virus".......