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Booming in Boscombe

7:00am Monday 19th November 2007

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BOSCOMBE is becoming the area's boom town.

Trade in the Boscombe shops is this autumn is up by a 25 per cent compared with the same period 2006, council figures have revealed.

The area is reaping the benefits from regeneration schemes, the £1.8 million facelift at Boscombe Chine Gardens and the £2 million renovation of the Opera House. A surf reef and new leisure attractions are expected to draw more visitors in the coming years.

Local people were delighted with the latest good news.

Jon Burdge, 39, from Café Bugaloo, said: "It's excellent news. We expect to see the resurgence going onwards and upwards. We've had a wonderful six months."

Cllr Chris Wakefield said: "There's definitely a recovery from the darker days. The perception was you would not come here because of the drug problems and that it was quite a dingy place to be.

"Now it's seen as a place where you live, work - and shop."

The Thursday and Saturday market has benefited less from the resurgence, thought assistant market manager Pete Bonnar believed it had a "rosy future".

Trader Debbie Hill has run JHM Carpets for 13 years and she said: "Boscombe has cleaned up a lot and I think it's a attracting a bitter clientele than we used to get.

"I find I am selling more expensive goods. I find it easier to sell a £50 rug than the cheapest one at £18," said the 43-year-old from Hurn Village.

Cllr Wakefield also said the council was "looking to do something on the high street to make it a more pleasant shopping experience" but did not disclose what it was.

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Your Say YourBournemouth Echo

johnathan livingston seagull, wallisdown says...
8:17am Mon 19 Nov 07

THE OPERA HOUSE MUST BE THE MOST UNDER-USED FACILITY IN BOURNEMOUTH ,ITS RARELY OPEN ,HOSTS OVERPRICED SHOWS BY HAS-BEEN ARTISTS AND PEOPLE SAY ITS EXPENSIVE.NOT A MARKETING SUCCESS ,I WOULD HAVE SAID

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alumchineboy, Alumchine says...
8:56am Mon 19 Nov 07

I really want Boscombe to get better and improve - it has great shops and lots to go for it but........druggies and drinkers around the Crescent, Rehab clinics, hookers and Dave wells properties tar the chance of it ever recovering.

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Phil, Poole says...
10:13am Mon 19 Nov 07

Debbie Hill: “I think it's a attracting a bitter clientele…”

I take it that's a typo!

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johnathan livingston seagull, wallisdown says...
10:35am Mon 19 Nov 07

developments in the boscombe area lull you into a false sense of security ,as part of my job i am very well versed in how things are in that area and i would say that the seedy side of boscombe is as bad and getting worse than ever it is ingrained and its going to take some changing ,to say it is on the up is a joke - it definately is not

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Davey Gilmour, Boscombe,Bournemouth says...
10:47am Mon 19 Nov 07

So the traders say its getting Better.None of them live round here.Walked down St Clements Road at night then your see the real Boscombe,Prostitutes
,Drug dealers and Addicts and as for Councillor Wakefield what does he know,too interested in his own agenda.Boscombe has got worse and i live here!!

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JLC, here says...
10:55am Mon 19 Nov 07

Why not legalise prostitution in some parts of Boscombe. This works well in other cities such as Amsterdam and Las Vegas. It means you could regulate what goes on and attract a better clientelle. You can't bury your heads in the sand and pretedn it isn't going to happen anyway. It is, after all, the oldest profession in the world.

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fedupwithjobsworths, Moordown says...
11:50am Mon 19 Nov 07

JLC wrote:
Why not legalise prostitution in some parts of Boscombe. This works well in other cities such as Amsterdam and Las Vegas. It means you could regulate what goes on and attract a better clientelle. You can't bury your heads in the sand and pretedn it isn't going to happen anyway. It is, after all, the oldest profession in the world.
Good idea - remember if the Council controlled them they would make a loss and go bankrupt so Boscombe would finally be rid of them :-)

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michael carpenter, BOSCOMBE says...
11:59am Mon 19 Nov 07

YES BOSCOMBE HAS IMPROVED BUT BOSCOMBE WOULD BECOME MUCH BETTER IF THE POLICE SHOWED THEMSELFS A BIT MORE OFTEN INSTEAD OF HIDING DOWN AT THE STATION.

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Markmag, Boscombe says...
1:00pm Mon 19 Nov 07

The only thing letting the precinct down is the pavement surface which is an eyesore at best and dangerous at worst. It was never designed to cope with market veichles and is in desperate need of replacement.

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Davey Gilmour, Boscombe,Bournemouth says...
1:18pm Mon 19 Nov 07

The only thing booming in Boscombe is drugs,prostitution and crime.

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why am i allways right, boscombe says...
3:04pm Mon 19 Nov 07

It is time to stop putting boscombe down.Ten years ago i moved out of boscombe.There was no way that i was going back.Two years ago i had to come back.I noticed that it was cleaner and safer.A local taxi driver said something to me recently.That was that he has lived in boscombe all of his life and never had any trouble.As for drug dealers and drug users.They are still there but you never see them.Most users have mobil phones and they stay at home..BUILD UP BOSCOMBE AND BUILD IT HIGH............

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Ashley Miller, Bournemouth says...
8:32pm Mon 19 Nov 07

The Boscombe area might have had a facelift recently but it still houses the same problems and issues.

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PETE WOODLEY, says...
3:29pm Tue 20 Nov 07

why am i allways right wrote:
It is time to stop putting boscombe down.Ten years ago i moved out of boscombe.There was no way that i was going back.Two years ago i had to come back.I noticed that it was cleaner and safer.A local taxi driver said something to me recently.That was that he has lived in boscombe all of his life and never had any trouble.As for drug dealers and drug users.They are still there but you never see them.Most users have mobil phones and they stay at home..BUILD UP BOSCOMBE AND BUILD IT HIGH............
Take off your dark glasses,and keep you eyes open,most people can see the problems still there,i bet Terry Colins can,whats happened to him ?.Do you know Ashley.

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PETE WOODLEY, says...
3:57pm Tue 20 Nov 07

why am i allways right wrote:
It is time to stop putting boscombe down.Ten years ago i moved out of boscombe.There was no way that i was going back.Two years ago i had to come back.I noticed that it was cleaner and safer.A local taxi driver said something to me recently.That was that he has lived in boscombe all of his life and never had any trouble.As for drug dealers and drug users.They are still there but you never see them.Most users have mobil phones and they stay at home..BUILD UP BOSCOMBE AND BUILD IT HIGH............
Take off your dark glasses,and keep you eyes open,most people can see the problems still there,i bet Terry Colins can,whats happened to him ?.Do you know Ashley.

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seven year itch, says...
6:18pm Tue 20 Nov 07

johnathan livingston seagull wrote:
THE OPERA HOUSE MUST BE THE MOST UNDER-USED FACILITY IN BOURNEMOUTH ,ITS RARELY OPEN ,HOSTS OVERPRICED SHOWS BY HAS-BEEN ARTISTS AND PEOPLE SAY ITS EXPENSIVE.NOT A MARKETING SUCCESS ,I WOULD HAVE SAID
I would hardly call Brian Wilson a has-been, behind Elvis and Dylan he's probably he most important musician of the twentieth century and widely recognised as significant in the development of popular music and a genius. Boscombe is improving but it will take time and a positive attitude would go a long way. Don't knock Cllr Wakefled he works non-stop for Boscombe - I live here too and I see him always doing his bit.

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Rose, Bournemouth says...
9:56pm Wed 21 Nov 07

Is this the same Boscombe that I drove through this afternoon, to see (in Sea Road by the old bus station) 4 police vehicles, 2 ambulance vehicles and a collapsed person on the ground covered in blankets? My immediate thoughts were that this was another victim of drugs. I hope I'm wrong. I never feel safe walking though the pedestrian shopping area. I always hold my bag tightly. The only shops that seem to be doing well are the many pound shops that seem to be springing up there. I'd love to see Boscombe re-invent itself. I'm not sure a surf reef will bring in the tourism the area needs. Fingers crossed that it will improve.

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johnathan livingston seagull, wallisdown says...
7:36am Thu 22 Nov 07

seven year itch wrote:
johnathan livingston seagull wrote: THE OPERA HOUSE MUST BE THE MOST UNDER-USED FACILITY IN BOURNEMOUTH ,ITS RARELY OPEN ,HOSTS OVERPRICED SHOWS BY HAS-BEEN ARTISTS AND PEOPLE SAY ITS EXPENSIVE.NOT A MARKETING SUCCESS ,I WOULD HAVE SAID
I would hardly call Brian Wilson a has-been, behind Elvis and Dylan he's probably he most important musician of the twentieth century and widely recognised as significant in the development of popular music and a genius. Boscombe is improving but it will take time and a positive attitude would go a long way. Don't knock Cllr Wakefled he works non-stop for Boscombe - I live here too and I see him always doing his bit.
BRIAN WILSON - WAS - NO LONGER.COULD YOU TELL ME HIS LATEST ACHIEVEMENT ? LONG LONG PAST HIS SELL BY DATE BUT I GUESS WITHOUT A PENSION YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING NO MATTER HOW RUBBISHY YOU BECOME

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Mike Pickering, Bournemouth says...
8:41am Fri 23 Nov 07

I don't think RUBBISHY is a real word, to be honest - Mr Wilson has much in his favour, an innovator, multi multi million-selling artist spanning several decades. Many of the 'artists' that might fill the BIC hall one time on their tours will not be back the next year, the music/performance/en
tertainment industry is in a turmultuous period at the moment, and it's just not generating the 'stars' and the level of fame that it did. The only real guaranteed house-fillers are 'legacy' acts such as Mr Wilson.

Rubbishy - I can't believe you actually wrote that and expected anyone to take your opinion seriously..
Have you actually read Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, and if so, how have you represented/promoted any of the values in that piece in your infantile rantings ?

Rubbishy...hahaha, you sound about 12.

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