LIKE your correspondent from Christchurch who remembers the Winter Gardens, I too saw Paul Anka, the Beatles and Cliff Richard there in the heady days of our youth.

But I totally disagree with the assertion that today’s young ones have less to do than we did then.

Bournemouth today is unique in providing a huge variety of activities for youngsters, many of which are totally free.

The Wheels Festival at the end of May, the Air Festival at the end of August both provide three days of thrilling action.

The new centre at Hengistbury Head offers a variety of interesting activities from pond dipping to moonlight owl spotting – all fascinating and educational.

The Coastal Activity Park, which stretches between the piers, offers an amazing opportunity to taste different sports, from table tennis and climbing rocks, to beach volleyball and water sports.

And the Waterfront entertainments space offers a superb and mostly free programme of entertainment throughout June, July and August.

We didn’t have a well-equipped aquarium to entertain and inform us, nor could we enjoy the challenging Rock Reef climbing centre, with its terrifying zip wire.

The delightfully dated Pier Approach baths couldn’t provide youngsters with the varied programme of physical activities that the Littledown and Pelhams Park sports centres offer such as swimming, floodlit football, tennis, high ropes, gymnastics and much more.

As someone who was born and raised in Bournemouth, and with children of my own, I know that today’s young people enjoy much greater opportunities than we ever did – so I guess that the rosy glow of nostalgia must have distorted the viewpoint of the person who wrote to you.

COUNCILLOR ANNE FILER,

Bournemouth council