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American Pie In The Sky?
7:00am Thursday 10th July 2008
Comments (22)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.
Headline by 2CR listener Sarah from Blandford
Winner of the headline challenge on the Paul Bunker show
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.
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.
Your Say YourBournemouth Echo
landy, Dorset says...
10:48am Thu 10 Jul 08
michael carpenter, BOSCOMBE says...
10:55am Thu 10 Jul 08
Mark, Bournemouth says...
11:22am Thu 10 Jul 08
Yes, quite Mr Castle. For cosmopolitan read most of the scum in Bournemouth, and for artists.....well you make your mind up which type.
Gastines, St.Malo ex Bournemouth says...
1:21pm Thu 10 Jul 08
beachcomber, Toft zigzag says...
1:49pm Thu 10 Jul 08
silky, Bournemouth says...
2:05pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Christopher, Wallisdown & Winton West says...
3:47pm Thu 10 Jul 08
I can honestly say that none of them have anything at all in common with Boscombe or any part of the Bournemouth conurbation.
Just look on any website and look up these places and see for yourselves.
A lot more needs to be done to Boscombe or anywhere else in town before such twinnings can be made.
I remember meeting a contingent from Switzerland who were part of the twinning team with Bournemouth. Their comments on the town were not what one would expect.
Gastine is right, we need to look at places like France and see what they do to their towns, villages etc. It certainly opens ones eyes.
Try again councillors.
Yokel Focal, Bournemouth says...
4:01pm Thu 10 Jul 08
"Boscombe is not dull and boring and we have some fantastic, colourful people living in Boscombe thats one way of putting it, you could argue that Strangeways prison has some colourful people living in it, so why not twin it with that?
Aim lower guys, a lot lower
bea, winton says...
4:18pm Thu 10 Jul 08
the owl, bere says...
5:24pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Gastines, St.Malo ex Bournemouth says...
5:32pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Derf, Wallisdown says...
6:24pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Does that mean Kinson will be twinned with Hollywood??
Quakers, Poole says...
6:57pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Nigel Gillespie, Bournemouth says...
8:33pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Christopher, Wallisdown & Winton West says...
8:57pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Did he get kicked by one of those horses he ordered during the fire work display.
Sorry, nothing matches Boscombe or Bournemouth, now or ever. Even Magaluff, Faliriki, are better than our towns, and that is saying something.
hoppity, hamworthy says...
7:39am Fri 11 Jul 08
bea wrote:which they probably claim back in expenses
Councillors going on twinning visits pay their own costs
fiona, Bournemouth says...
9:08am Fri 11 Jul 08
Nigel Gillespie wrote:This is the Echo reporters interpretation of that meeting
I thought the Forums were mean't to discuss important issues.This is plain farcical and i cannot believe that Councillors Wakefield and Stanley Watts have been distracted away from the important issues surrounding Boscombe and its future.
Cllrs Wakefield & Stanley Watts probably just made 'thats a good idea' noises just to be polite and next thing you know they are strongly backing the idea
petercastle, boscombe says...
11:38pm Fri 11 Jul 08
But I am sadden by the usual serial Echo forum commentators.
Boscombe twining is a serious move. Not a utopian vision.
We have not the finance currently in this country to enhance the area to what it should be, the US and Turkish culture of enterprise and expertise in mass social and economic projects is what we require in Boscombe.
Let me clarify what socio economic twining is about in relation to Boscombe in 2008:
1. To seek foreign investment from key venture capital countries.
2. Find a solution by finding investors for Boscombe Train Station and put a conclusion to this on going saga with land deeds.
3. Find a environmental friendly approach to redesign Christchurch road leading up to Pokesdown. I believe a solution of a business centre, mixed with a similar design to West Quay shopping centre with a bridge linking both sides of the road with a new antiques shopping centre would make this section of xchurch road more appealing. I accept it will take some negotiation to get properties from existing freeholders but money talks.
4. Santa Monica with Boscombe is a perfect match because Bournemouth as a resort has failed to duplicate the beach front like Brighton with art galleries, sport areas, quality restaurants.
Landsdowne looks more rundown than Boscombe just by having for sales signs in the main road to the town centre which symbolises failure to new tourist, residents arrivals in our town and foreign students.
Many people speak of Boscombe failures and problems. But nothing gets resolved.
The new Boscombe Area Forum is not a talk shop my aim is to help the Council take paths
it should of have taken years ago.
With some modesty my business development background starts at CEO level that means things happen not the merry go around. Bournemouth as an area has been in the merry go round of endless consultation and poorly financed ideas that has damaged the town.
Boscombe has new life, changing its identity.
The pace from here goes from slow to fast. I have monitored this area for 17 years and seen areas in london develop like Tottenham and Stratford. Boscombe can to.
Please visit for news about the form and dates we meet:
boscombeareaforum.co
m from Monday 14th July 2008.
PETE WOODLEY, says...
7:34pm Sat 12 Jul 08
colin.mc, Proud to live in Bournemouth! says...
6:47pm Sun 13 Jul 08
Somebody with a bit of vision, ambition & positive intent always brings the above old (" ooh you can't do that- it will never 'appen") codgers out of the woodwork!!
This a superb idea- a bid for twinning Boscombe with another resort - especially a glamorous & prosperous one is a fantastic move. It is ridiculous to suggest twinning it with 'Beirut or Liverpool' incidentally fellow contributor - Liverpool is the European Capital of Culture for 2008 & also one of the UK's more prosperous cities so there would be no shame if this did happen - Get out of your safe little shell & visit Liverpool & you will come back with your eyes wide open to the world.
Again, surely any positive moves to re-generat an area, put it back on a map where it belongs & bring publicity to the area should at least be looked at before being immediately struck off as an unachievable pipe dream.
Before I get accused of an out-of-town rose-coloured glasses wearer - I have lived & run a business from the area for nearly 20 years so yes thanks, I am aware of the local council & its deaf ears,lack of investment, etc etc blah blah but I am also more than aware of the apathetic local people who voted ( or never voted as the case may be) these people in.I am also aware, certainly by the evidence in this very forum of the local whingers who are to quick to put projects & ambitions down but also too slow to open the front doors, step onto the street & actually do anything constructive for the area themselves.
Well done Peter Castle & co- let's hope this one makes progress & comes to fruition!.It's the 21st century so lets hope for decent surf, good times & a bit of glamour in Boscombe.
You never know - certain 'people' here might even join in & smile!
Steve (41dog), christchurch rd, boscombe says...
5:50pm Wed 13 Aug 08
Nigel Gillespie wrote:
I thought the Forums were mean't to discuss important issues.This is plain farcical and i cannot believe that Councillors Wakefield and Stanley Watts have been distracted away from the important issues surrounding Boscombe and its future.
The very idea of twinning Boscombe with Santa Monica or Bondi Beach is so obvious Im surprised no one thought if it sooner but why stop there? How about approaching St Lucia, or Cancun, or the moon?
"Boscombe is not dull and boring and we have some fantastic, colourful people living in Boscombe thats one way of putting it, you could argue that Strangeways prison has some colourful people living in it, so why not twin it with that?
Aim lower guys, a lot lower
Typical!!! There's always someone who wants to dampen our enthusiasm for Boscombe and Bournemouth generally!
Yes, Boscombe (and most places) have their problems but by twnning Boscombe with a town like Santa Monica, it increases investment opportunities, raises a town's profile and creates 'partnership working' with towns that historically haven't had the years' worth of 'neglect' and under-investment Boscombe has had - or rather hasn't had!
People like Yahoo and Google have money - stacks of it - and Boscombe needs jobs to get the 60% resident population on benefits into work they can do, not shelf stacking for Asda or Tesco's but real jobs with real prospects!
Without major investment opportunities for the poorest, most deprived and vulnerable citizens, Boscombe is going to be sold off and 'redeveloped' for those who can't afford Sandbanks' prices for housing!
Unless, of course, that's what this Tory, Thatcher-ite council wants?
Kill off the poor, deprived and vulnerable so that millionaires come and in and take over?
With people like Yahoo and Google coming to Boscombe those poor, deprived and vulnerable could become the nouveau riche of Boscombe!
Fairplay to Peter and the Boscombe Area Forum for raising the issue and kill off the detractors like Mr Gillespie - at least Peter came up with a positive idea, what has Mr Gillespie come up but bad breath?
Steve (41dog)
SANTA MONICA: Like Boscombe, the resort even has a pier Picture: Go Santa Monica CA
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Ed, Bournemouth says...
9:54am Thu 10 Jul 08
Then when I read all the other places that they were planning to twin with I started to remember The Vicar Of Dibley.
I think that we should twin with Disney World, after all that is also run by a Mickey Mouse organisation.