HOW much could you do in Bournemouth in 15 minutes?

From Monday, parking meters will be operating along Bourne Avenue and Braidley Road, previously among the few places where shoppers could park for an hour for free.

It will cost £1 an hour to park – but prices will start at 20p for quarter of an hour.

But by the time you put the ticket on your car, what could you really achieve in a 15-minute trip into Bournemouth town centre?

I put it to the test.

Leaving my car, my heart was racing as I rushed into town checking my watch every minute. I only wanted to buy a magazine and also nip into Boots so I felt relieved as I arrived at Borders within just two minutes – and in heels. Impressive, I thought.

But just when I think I’m doing well, I realise I don’t have cash. Panic. Luckily there’s cash machine just minutes away.… with a queue.

I queue.

Just two people to go. One down, one to go. My turn. Job done, got cash but now I’m now nearly nine minutes down. What a waste of vital minutes.

Rushing past the crowds of people I head towards the magazine section in Borders and hastily scan the magazines on the shelves.

Or would I prefer a newspaper? No time to reconsider. So I grab Psychologies magazine and head for the till.

Luckily there’s no queue here, so I rummage around in my purse, wait for the change and I’m out on around the eleventh minute, feeling proud and heading straight towards Boots. I still have time. But I was wrong.

“Lucy!” I hear someone cry.

A flaw in the 15-minute time slot – it does not allow for bumping into people.

I make conversation for what seems like forever and make my excuses and a run for it.

Glancing at my watch I realise I’m now officially late – 15 minutes and around 50 seconds I guess.

I reach my car at 17 minutes, confirmed by the time on the meter, and am thankful I haven’t been issued a ticket at the same time as feeling awfully unsatisfied for not achieving all I wanted to.

So I’ve come to the conclusion that a 15-minute time slot is silly, because no matter how hard you try it is impossible to even grab a magazine without returning flustered.

Next time I will have to give in and opt for the half an hour slot.

Or maybe I should experiment again wearing flat shoes?