ON Monday, as the weather was still good, we thought we’d visit Boscombe beach for a couple of hours.

What a nightmare. There was a queue of people trying to get car park tickets from a machine which didn’t appear to be working. I am elderly and have no modern mobile, but I had cash ready in my hand which the machine will not take. I cannot be alone surely.

Another lady could not remember her pin number to use the app (I presume). Someone else could not get a phone signal. Two people tried to use their cards and kept getting “void” tickets, then a chap tried to use “contactless” which did not work either, and there was a middle aged couple from up north who just wanted to pay cash like us.

My partner tried to use his card and got two “void” tickets, then called the phone number shown on the board but got no answer and eventually had to download the ap on his mobile which cost him extra. We did not want to spend a whole day there, which would have cost us a shocking £12.

There must be a lot of people like myself who do not understand this gadgetry. Why make everything so difficult when the old system worked? Do they not want visitors at all?

I am guessing the machines in Bournemouth are the same now. Good luck visitors! I would stay away if I were you, or park in the Sovereign Centre where it is easy!

H RAWLES, Bournemouth Road, Blandford St Mary