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.
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.
Protest signs in front of Bournemouth Town Hall
The Bishop of London may be ready to boot out the St Paul’s protesters, but the ‘Occupy Bournemouth’ campaign has just begun.
Protesters have been gathering at Bournemouth Town Hall since Saturday in what they claim is a wholly peaceful demonstration.
The idea had been planned around two weeks ago in direct response to the “Occupy London” campaign and in turn to the “Occupy Wall Street” revolt against capitalist greed and corruption.
Just like the London protesters they aim to stay indefinitely, but at the moment the Bournemouth movement has only 11 tents with the expectation of more to come.
Today the camp had its first general assembly to try and clarify its aims. The worldwide “occupy” demonstrations have been criticised for holding no clear policy positions and including too many ‘part-time’ protesters.
The Bournemouth protesters hold a wide variety of complaints. A supporter of the campaign, 37-year-old single mum Shelley Wilson from Canford Heath, is furious with the coalition government.
“It disgusts me how George Osborne can sit there and say how he is going to lose his child benefit when he is a multi-millionaire, she said.
“The government simply doesn’t care about the working-classes,” she added.
The camp cook, 40-year-old artist Stewart Macarthur from Poole, said: “Really I am passionate about trying to save the NHS from privatisation.”
He also said the support from passers-by has been mainly positive.
“A little old lady had come up yesterday morning to say I really support you and thank you, and then came back five hours later with a bag of groceries,” said Mr Mcarthur.
“It really touched me,” he added.
Also supporting the protest is Vice Chairman of the local Green Party, Ryan Cleminson, who is furious at the amount the bankers still get paid.
He said: “I asked my bank manager how much he gets paid and he said two and a half million, whereas a friend of mine who is a pensioner has to live off £90 a week. It’s obscene.
“The government keeps telling us we are in this together. No they are not. They should come out of their offices and come down here to meet these people.”
As it is, the Bournemouth Borough Council is letting the protesters stay until they may start to disrupt weddings at the town hall.
Judith Geddes, Service Director for Adult and Community Services, said: “We have met with the organisers of the protest and we are working with the Police regarding this event.
“We acknowledge local people have the right to protest and to have their views heard.”
The camp is just to the left of the town hall
The Sun Inn, Winchester Road, Romsey
A Romsey pub is set for an American makeover as its new owners fulfill a “childhood dream”.
The owners of ‘Carol’s Carvery at the Malthouse Inn,’ Timbsbury, hope to turn their new investment into a “classy but themed” bar and grill style restaurant along Romsey’s busy Winchester Road.
Martin and Carol Rickman bought the lease to the Sun Inn on September 23rd and are redecorating the empty pub in time for their launch of ‘Ricky’s Bar at the Sun’ on November 17th.
Mr Rickman said it was a “childhood dream” come true.
“My father lives out in America and I have always wanted to set up a friendly local bar with wholesome American food such as steak, fajitas and burgers,” said Mr Rickman.
“We are really looking forward to offering a memorable and fun place to eat and drink at a good site with good quality food with good value,” he added.
The new restaurant will be the only one of its kind in Romsey. The last American style restaurant, Lauderdales, was sold in the 1980s and stood on what is now the site of the Purbani curry house on Bell Street.
The Sun Inn had come into financial difficulties during the recession and after 18 years the then owners, Liz and Steve Stephenson, sold the lease to their chef in 2008. The pub was then bought by Enterprise Inns before it was snapped up by the Rickmans last month.
The Rickmans are confident, however, they will hold on to the Sun for many years to come. And there has already been substantial interest in the development.
Mr Rickman said: “If a tenth of the people who have said they would come turn up we will be a busy pub.”
The current Broughton Mottisfont bus with disabled access
Volunteers from two Hampshire villages are confident their bus service will stay on the road despite sweeping cuts to County’s bus budgets.
The wholly voluntary Broughton and Mottisfont (BM) bus service has, in fact, witnessed a rise in its usage over the last few years.
Chairman of the BM Community Bus Service, Michael Howe, said: “passenger usage is improving, and the proof is we now have a new Andover run in every fourth week.”
Last year 1130 people took their seats, a 21% increase on the 935 passengers in 2006.
Mr Howe, however, has some concerns for the future, he said: “I worry that we won’t get enough passengers as the financial ethnic mix keeps changing.”
He commented when new wealthy residents come in building expensive houses, they often spend little time using the local services. Although the numbers have risen recently, in 2001 we had 1510 passengers.
The BM bus service has now been running for over 30 years and has 27 voluntary drivers working on a rotary system. It runs frequent trips to surrounding areas such as Romsey, Salisbury, Winchester and now Andover. It is available for private hire, and also runs for annual excursions, “the jam on top of the bread and butter” according to Mr Howe.
Bus fare collector Pam Dawkins, said: “It’s a wonderful service. It does the whole area and what I’m really impressed with is that it is all run by volunteers.
“It’s wonderful particularly for the elderly who can go out as a social trip with their grandchildren.”
As a charity organisation the BM bus service should avoid the brunt of the cuts. In Hampshire County Council £3.4 million will be slashed from bus services this year and next.
During a Commons debate on the bus cuts last Tuesday, Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North, said: “I appreciate the opportunity to say that some very good rural bus schemes have been set up by villages in my constituency, and I would highlight Broughton.
“Local communities, which know their areas best and know the demand, need that flexibility and the ability to come together to form solutions that will be responsive to their needs, rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.”
By Francis Scott
The Bournemouth International Centre’s 6500 seat arena is bracing itself for the Steps reunion, 10 years after their breakup.
People in Bournemouth have set their diaries for April 16th when the band will hit the BIC. On twitter a local fan Cat Morrell said: “no fricking way are Steps coming to Bournemouth BIC in April. I could cry.”
Another fan, Joanna Stass, said: “I was a big fan of 90s pop when I was younger and obviously Steps were one of the big bands at the time.
I never got the chance to see them live so I can’t wait to see them and relive my youth. Maybe I’ll even have a go at a few of the dance routines I used to do in the playground again!”
Steps was formed in the late nineties and became famous for its cheesy pop covers such as “Tragedy,” “Chain Reaction,” and “Say You’ll Be Mine.” But after just four years they broke up to the shock and anger of fans when the announcement came just after Christmas.
The upcoming 14-day “Ultimate” tour coincides with the release of a new CD and a TV show which airs on Sky Living.
Miss Stass said: “I’ve been watching the Steps Reunion TV show but I never knew just how brutal their break up was. Let’s hope they can put their difference behind them and put on a good show at the BIC.”
A spokesman for the BIC, Adam Scholey, said: “we are absolutely thrilled that Steps are coming to the BIC as part of their reunion tour. We are expecting a high demand for ticket sales.”
The general ticket sale goes ahead this Friday.
Anne Sharples, 64, from Westbourne, said: “I think it’s difficult, because there is not a lot of space. We want tourists and when the weather is good we them flocking here, but it’s bound to have an impact on residents.”
Derek Young, 75, a pensioner from Charminster, said: “Some regard it as being excellent income for the local council.”
Abi Travers, 26 from Poole, said: “I think so, I only spend a couple of hours in Bournemouth because it’s a pain to park, so I’ll go park at the Winter Gardens for a pound.”
Bournemouth Positive Protection employee Matt Adams, 24, said: “Yes. It is too expensive. If you are a young lady it’s not good because it’s unsafe if you can’t park in town. One of our staff lives in Ringwood and has to leave an hour early to get the bus.”
Mark Freeman, 54, on holiday from Birmingham, said: “It’s not expensive compared to Birmingham, where it’s probably double the price.”
Bournemouth University Student Simon Roberts, 24, said: “I wouldn’t say that it’s that expensive here. Today I was going to use a paid car park but then I found some free parking three minutes from the town centre.”
Father of one Michael Lane, 38 from Dorset, said: “I visit Bournemouth regularly with the family and it doesn’t put me off.”
Rosemary Norris, 67, from Poole, said: “Well I think it is. When my husband and I drive in we park at Westbourne and then come down for a couple of hours. We keep our time brief because of parking.”
Sophie Asher, 25, from Poole College, said: “It’s a rip-off.”
Grandmother of five Yvonne Wright, 65, from Surrey, visits the area regularly in a large group with three cars. She said: “If we didn’t have guaranteed parking at the hotel, we wouldn’t come. It would hack me off trying to park. Horrible, horrible, horrible.”
Bournemouth fruit trader Paul West, 44 said: “Parking is as dear as it is in central London; people seem to think Bournemouth Square is like Buckingham place. The council don’t do anything around Christmas to improve trade. They need to do a lot more and parking is a big part of that. When people are spending money the last thing they want to do is fork out on parking. At Castlepoint it’s free.”
A new survey has predicted even more pain for Britain’s high streets today.
Accountancy firm BDO LLP estimates business failures in the retail sector will reach 3,104 this year.
Bournemouth is one of many places feeling the pinch.
Jukebox, a vintage clothing shop on Albert Road off the Old Christchurch high street, had to close its doors in July after only five months of trading in the town centre.
Commenting on the closure, Jasmine Darvell, Jukebox’s owner, said: “the rents were high and the business tax was a pain.”
This is no surprise, as renting the vacant Jukebox site will cost £14,000 every year with a business rate of £7794. A total of nearly £21,000.
However, since the July closure Jukebox has joined the ASOS online retailer and its profits have actually risen. With a much bigger customer base, more time to spend on branding, and without the hassle of running a shop with high rents and business rates, Jukebox has managed to survive.
Asked whether she would ever return to a high street shop, Miss Darvell said: “it doesn’t make good sense.”