I thought I’d dedicate this blog post to a few facts about my hometown, Bournemouth in the UK.
Bournemouth is the 5th largest town in the UK
Having failed with its bid for city status back in 2012, Bournemouth remains one of the largest towns in the UK. With a population of just under 190,000, Bournemouth is fifth in the league of biggest towns in the UK, just below the likes of Bolton and Luton.
Batman studied in Bournemouth
A-list Hollywood star Christian Bale might be well-known as being originally from Wales, but Bale was a Bournemouth resident in his younger days and attended Bournemouth School for Boys for four years.
House prices above national average
With the Bournemouth area having a reputation for high house prices (largely thanks to expensive areas of its neighbour Poole), it’s no surprise that figures released (by Zoopla) showed average house prices in the area to be around £305,000, £70,000 more than the national average of £235,000
George Best played for AFC Bournemouth
Despite being famous for his time at Manchester United, George Best played his last ever competitive football matches in England for AFC Bournemouth. Aged 37, Best donned the Cherries shirt for a brief 5-game stint in 1983.
It doesn’t rain as much as they say
Although Bournemouth might be somewhat renowned, by residents and visitors, for experiencing some wetter than usual weather, average rainfall is actually well below the national average. With annual rainfall in the area measuring 800mm per year, this 354mm below the national average of 1154 mm.
Frankenstein author buried in Bournemouth
English novelist Mary Shelley, most famous for her Frankenstein novel, is buried at St Peter’s Church in Bournemouth. Buried alongside her husband, father and mother (all writers in their own right), Shelley’s place-of-rest has become a tourist attraction for fans of her cult novel.
Over 2,000 ice-creams served in Bournemouth every day
Bournemouth sells around 750,000 ice-creams every year, that equals around 2055 ice-creams per day.
Infamous Beatles cover photo taken in Bournemouth
The Beatles had somewhat of a special relationship with Bournemouth, playing 18 shows in the town over a 14-month period between August 1963 and October 1964. Despite its shadowy background not providing any clues of its location, the iconic cover photograph for album ‘With The Beatles’ was actually taken on the balcony of the Palace Court Hotel.
We have hosted a Comic Con
Back in 2019, Bournemouth played host to the first ever Coastal Comic Con. The online magazine I work for, HQB News (back then known as HQB Media) had the honour of covering the event. You can check out our coverage below.
It is home to the podcast Bournemouth Backchat
…Okay this one is a bit self-serving, and another thing that has come out of HQB News. Our official podcast, Bournemouth Backchat. A satirical discussion series revolving around issues, both local and national. We have just started our fourth season, which added a new feature in which we discuss the local news. Check out the first episode of that season below:
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