Bournemouth is well known for its miles of golden beaches and Premier League football team, but here are 8 facts about the Dorset town that you may find surprising:
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. According to the 2011 census, with a population just under 190,000, Bournemouth is 5th in the league of biggest town 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 4 years.
Average house prices below national average
Despite the area having a reputation for high house prices (largely thanks to expensive areas of its neighbour Poole), figures released in early 2014 showed average house prices in the area to be around £215,000, £35,000 under the national average of £250,000.
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 326mm below the national average of 1,126mm
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. Although, we’re not suggesting people are eating this many in the cold of winter, that’s still a lot of creamy frozen goodness consumed…and a lot of ice-cream headaches.
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
Sources:
1. http://www.lovemytown.co.uk/populations/TownsTable1.asp
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2004/10/13/celebrities_feature.shtml
3. http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/PeopleLiving/BournemouthStatistics/
KeyFactsaboutBournemouth/KeyFactsaboutBournemouth.aspx
4. http://www.afcb.co.uk/news/article/george-best-will-not-be-playing-today-51059.aspx
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bournemouth
6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/dorset/hi/people_and_places/history/
newsid_8497000/8497549.stm
7. http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10958498.10_things_that_will_
surprise_you_about_Bournemouth
8. http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2011/09/they-loved-it-yeah-yeah-yeah/