American Pie In The Sky? (From Bournemouth Echo)

American Pie In The Sky?

7:00am Thursday 10th July 2008 in

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SOME people might think it sounds a bit far-fetched, but a bid is being made to twin Boscombe with Santa Monica in the USA.

Boscombe Area Forum is writing to civic chiefs in the Californian resort to suggest twinning the two communities because they have so much in common.

The idea was the brainchild of Area Forum business portfolio holder Peter Castle, who had the idea after visiting California.

He says Santa Monica's regeneration - which brought internet firms Yahoo and Google to the city - has much in common with Boscombe's regeneration and developments like the Boscombe Spa Village Project.

Headline by 2CR listener Sarah from Blandford

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The idea has received enthusiastic backing from Boscombe councillors including Chris Wakefield and Phil Stanley-Watts.

Mr Castle, who previously worked in business development, said: "I have been to Santa Monica and it has become a mini Silicon Valley.

"Like Boscombe, it is very cosmopolitan and has got a lot of artists.

"Boscombe has the new surf reef and a lot of opportunities for investment."

Mr Castle refuted suggestions that Santa Monica was a world away from Boscombe.

Part of the twinning vision also includes a plan to rename Roumelia Lane Roumelia Village, in a bid to encourage artists to live there and open an art gallery.

The plans could bring in vital investment and tourism for Boscombe, he added.

The Forum is also looking at twinning Boscombe with a number of other places, including Bondi Beach in Australia, Serra da Estrella in Portugal and Bodrum in Turkey.

Backing the plans, Boscombe West councillor Chris Wakefield said: "Why shouldn't Boscombe have a twin town?

"I think that twinning Boscombe with another town in another country would be very beneficial, especially with recent developments with the surf reef.

"I have heard that Santa Monica is a colourful place.

"Boscombe is not dull and boring and we have some fantastic, colourful people living in Boscombe.

"Why can't we have glamour in Boscombe?

"We also have tremendous community support which I also believe Santa Monica has. And we have our own unique identity.

"I would be very keen to investigate the possibilities."

Boscombe resident Katherine Edgar, who moved here from Agoura Hills near Malibu in California - just 20 miles from Santa Monica - agreed that Santa Monica has similarities to Boscombe.

But she suggested that Bournemouth would be a better twin for Santa Monica, with Boscombe more suited as a twin for its more bohemian neighbour Venice.

"Bournemouth is a bit similar to Santa Monica and Venice is similar to Boscombe," she said.