With just a few shopping days to go before Christmas, most people in Bournemouth were wrapped up against the cold and hoping to find to snap up a few bargains,
But as the waves rolled in around the pier, dozens of hardy souls had other ideas.
Francis Scott has more.
Wallis Edwards selling stockings in the run up to the big Christmas Shop.
Despite the latest unemployment and inflation figures, and amidst the backdrop of recession, people are enjoying the festive atmosphere and already starting their Christmas shopping.
Stallholder Wallis Edwards, 21, who runs a stall selling Christmas stockings and other festive gifts, said:
“This is our second year of being at the market. We’ve tried to keep more of a range of prices this year, to reflect the recession – but if people want something I think they’ll buy it anyway”.
The annual festive offering runs through until Christmas Eve.
John Simon preparing to fish at dawn.
If you go down to Bournemouth’s Durley Chine Beach at dawn you might be lucky enough to catch sight of one of Bournemouth’s fishermen.
John Simon waits for first light before pushing his small rowing boat out into the surf.
He then goes to the nets and collects the catch of the day, which takes him about an hour to do.
On his way back to shore, he likes to feed the sea gulls as it has become part of ritual.
Fisherman and his friends; John Simon feeds the seagulls.
‘Occupy Bournemouth’, who opposed cuts by camping outside Bournemouth Borough Council, have hit out at Vince Cable for claiming he sympathised with protesters.
The Business Secretary, talking about those protesting outside St. Paul’s Cathedral and all over the country, said: “I have sympathy with the emotions that lie behind it”.
This comes after protest group, ‘Occupy Bournemouth’, were evicted from the grounds of Bournemouth Borough Council late last week.
Cable had also said that a small few have done ‘extraordinarily well’ during the economic crisis, while the majority have suffered much, financially.
‘Occupy Bournemouth’ protester, computer support consultant John Tucker, said: “I think that the 1% do extraordinarily well, whilst the rest of us suffer. We bailed out the banks, when are they going to bail us out?
Mr Tucker added: “Would Cable like to join them? Ed Miliband, last week, said almost the same thing: looking for votes!”
Another protester, Kevin Smith, 47, Poole, added: “He doesn’t seem to realise he is the government. Makes promises then breaks them. Says he is against things, then votes the other way. The worst kind of politician”.
Talk that protesters could set up on the opposite side of the building without legally defying the eviction notice has also been dismissed.
Council spokesperson Carly Earnshaw, said: “I can confirm that the eviction warrant applies to the whole of the Town Hall grounds”.
FERNDOWN Royal British Legion Club peddled hard in a race against time to raise £2,531 for the Poppy Appeal.
Members geared up for the 24-hour indoor cycling event and peddled for 15 minutes at a time, to complete the virtual ride from John O’ Groats to Land’s End via Ferndown.
Two weeks ahead of remembrance Sunday, fundraisers cycled 1,009 miles between 8am–8pm on ten exercise bikes, six of which were donated from Ferndown Leisure Centre.
A steward at the club said nobody left the lounge bar until the mission was complete.
Anne Green said: “To raise over £2,500 is a great success and everyone who took part did so well.
“It was the first time we have ever held an indoor cycling event at the club so we were unsure how it would go. However, as we raised so much money there are talks of making it an annual event.”
People involved with the club paid an entry fee of £5 and gathered much sponsorship from their friends and family.
The money raised will go towards the poppy appeal and help support the upkeep of the Royal British Legion Club.
For more information about the RBLC poppy appeal visit http://rblferndown.org/cyclingevent.aspx.
Graffiti: Protesters use artwork to convey their anger towards the coalition government
ANTI-CAPITALISTS remain outside Bournemouth Town Hall following the eviction order issued at the Crown Court on Friday.
Bailiffs are expected to arrive at the ‘Occupy Bournemouth’ campsite this afternoon to remove the protester’s tents and other belongings.
During the ten days of being there, activists have put up banners to display their frustration towards the government including, ‘It’s Not Just us. It’s injustice’.
Chief Executive of Bournemouth Borough Council Pam Donnellan said: “We very much hope those occupying the land will leave peacefully today.
“We have applied for a warrant of possession should we need to undertake an eviction. We very much hope that this course of action will not be necessary.”
The protestors have insisted that when they are evicted they will set up a pitch on the opposite side of the Town Hall.
According to activists Bournemouth Borough Council has no way of kicking them off the other site.
Head cook of the camp, Stewart Macarthur said: “Around 1,000 people have walked past and donated money to support us living here. We are going nowhere.”
The artist added: “I most certainly do not need the thrills of modern life.”
An updated statement from the Council will be revealed this afternoon if immediate action to evict the protestors will take place.
Banner: A message from 'Occupy Bournemouth' campaigners
Protesters “occupying” land outside Bournemouth Town Hall plan to dodge their eviction order by moving their tents just a stone’s throw away.
They claim that when the bailiffs come they will move their tents to land on the other side of the Town Hall which they say the eviction order does not cover.
A protest sign made on the floor next to the Town Hall
Bournemouth Borough Council was the first to issue a UK eviction of an Occupy Movement last Friday.
Its statement read: “We are pleased that the Court has granted an order for immediate possession and very much hope that those occupying the land will leave peacefully today.”
However, the council has not yet acted to remove the current camp and protesters still wish to stay put indefinitely.
The camp has now been running for 10 days, and was set up in direct response to the “Occupy London” campaign and in turn to the “Occupy Wall Street” revolt against capitalist greed and corruption.
The site where the camp plans to move, some tents have already been put up
“Disgusting” Tactics
Protesters are angry at the way the council has dealt with their occupation.
One protester, Mandy, who did not wish to provide her surname, said that the last time the council spoke to the group was last Tuesday when they asked to speak to the leader of the camp.
When the protesters said they had no leader the council left and then applied for a possession order.
The council’s tactics were “quite disgusting”, Mandy said.
“We are a peaceful protest, some people have been going litter picking in the morning and public support has been really good.
“I just want some fairness. My grandad made a stand during the war and now I’m making a stand,” she added.
Effect on Weddings
The council has said it was concerned about the lack of sanitation on the site and the effect of the encampment on a number of forthcoming weddings.
Protesters say there was one wedding but Occupy’s organizers met the council and the police before they pitched, and their proposals to use portable toilets were rejected.
A man has died after falling from the top of Hengistbury Head cliff top on Saturday.
Police and Paramedics were called to the scene at 11.30am with the man lying at the foot of the cliff.
The man was flown to hospital where he later died.
This is the second incident in as many months at the Dorset landmark after a man was found dead at the bottom of the cliff in September.
Ranger of the Headland, Mark Holloway, said: “We have tried to make it as safe as possible for our visitors by designating footpaths away from the edge.”
He added: “Its not practical to have a fence on the cliff top edge because of the erosion it suffers.”
The cliff top does have certain areas which have been fenced off to steer people away from the dangers of falling.
A daily dog walker at the site Dennis Jones, 59, said: “There are clear warning signs when you get to the top of the Head.”
He added: “Unless he was chasing after his dog I cant understand why he would have got that close to the edge.”
Mr Jones does not feel there is any risk from walking on top of Hengistbury Head as long as people stick to the footpaths.
A premature baby’s plight has inspired her parents and friend to set up a charity to help the hospital which treated her.
Rebecca Williams and Tanya Broome decided to set up Preemie Babies after Rebecca’s daughter, Lyla, was born nine weeks early.
Little Lyla Vaz, who weighed 2lbs 8oz when born, was in Poole Neo-natal hospital for eight weeks where her recovery was aided by the hard work and dedication of Poole’s Neonatal staff.
Tanya Broome, 12, was so touched by what had happened to the family, she got a family friend to help her set up a website to make people aware of the care for premature babies.
‘It meant so much to me and Earl to be able to do something to give back for everything they did for us,’ said Miss Williams, 26, the co-founder of Preemie Babies. ‘You never know who may need the facilities there and the nurses and doctors work so hard’
A charity event held two weeks ago consisting of a 4star meal, auction, raffle and local music raised £4,760.58 which has helped the neo-natal to boost their equipment for a number of local premature babies.
Pamela Bell, fundraising co-ordinator for Poole Hospital, welcomed the donations from charities as it gives them an extra £60,000 each year.
‘It means a lot as the equipment is very expensive to buy and the charity donations can help the babies a little further.’
The charity will keep performing fundraisng events profiling other babies whilst Lyla’s family are planning to do a sponsored skydiving event in the near future.
Lyla is now a healthy weight of 12lb 5oz for a six and half month old baby as she continues her progress at home with her parents in Bournemouth.
If you wish to make a donation to Preemie Babies please visit www.preemiebabies.co.uk or make donations directly to Poole NICU.
A solar panel company in Bournemouth says it’s already feeling the impact of a Government plan to halve tariffs payable to householders who generate energy and sell it to the grid.
Andrew Burley, Managing Director (right), and Paul Younger, Operations Director, outside the Dorset Solar office. Thr company is already seeing the impact of the governement's announcement of cuts to solar feed-in tariffs.
Dorset Solar, based on St Michael’s Road, was launched at the start of 2011. Andrew Burley, Managing Director, says solar energy took off fast in the area.
He said: “Around 5,000 people in the Bournemouth and Poole area will be disappointed by this announcement. It’s a knee jerk reaction; but it has already affected the industry. Around 50 percent of companies will have to shut down.”
Greg Barker, Minister for Climate Change, yesterday announced that the amount payable to households who generate solar energy and sell it back to the grid will be halved on installations made after December 12.
The Government claims the cut in feed-in tariff is justified, because the price of installation has fallen.