UNLESS something is done am I alone in having a genuine fear for the future of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch? I do not think I am, but fortunately we have now been presented with an outstanding opportunity to grasp and take hold of the unique opportunity that is now laid before us.

At a time when the three towns should be looking forward to a bright and prosperous future we seem to have a number of high profile figures who seem to be almost creating a sense of discord between the towns.

Indeed, as recently as this April one of our own local MPs, Sir Christopher Chope, even went as far as to say residents of the town (Christchurch) have a 'well established' and 'well founded' loathing towards the way Bournemouth council behaves (Bournemouth Echo, 30 April 2018), an almost unbelievable comment and for the record many of them do not!

Diversity is a word so often used in today's world but it is a word which really does encapsulate the area in which we live. The vibrant young culture of university students in the centre of Bournemouth, areas of hope and regeneration which we are now seeing in Boscombe, the slower pace of life with its renowned jazz and food festivals in Christchurch and the glamour of Poole with its many areas of natural beauty. We really have it all and it's all there for us all to enjoy, together we must all stop the perceived 'negative' influencers from ruining it all for us. Hope and goodwill always triumph.

It would now seem, whether people like it or not, that the creation of a new council for Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole is going to take place, it has that feel of inevitability about it. So now is the time for us all who live together, to work together for all our own and our children's futures. We all live in our conurbation, share its roads, its facilities. We live, shop, work and partner up with all its people. All of us now need to look at it as 'our area' and not as a 'them and us'.

Hull was last year's UK city of culture. Okay, we are not a city, but they have a smaller population than us of just 260,200 residents compared to our population of around 390,000. The way they all worked together to celebrate their area, their culture their feeling of togetherness was a lesson for us all and one I strongly suggest is something the three towns of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole can learn from. Indeed, I finish by asking a question. Shall we together celebrate our own three towns' cultural diversity by organising a joint event for next spring and celebrate the beginning of a new exciting era for us all? I'm in, who's with me?

BRIAN CASE

Springwater Drive, Christchurch