Bournemouth businesses blown away by weather (From Thisisdorset)
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Bournemouth businesses blown away by weather
9:00am Saturday 23rd March 2013 in Latest By Alex Winter
Two girls brave the wet and windy weather in Bournemouth
LASHING rain and blustery wind in Bournemouth has hit town centre businesses, traders say.
An unseasonal blast of wintery weather despite the official arrival of spring on Wednesday has taken its toll on the town, with below-average numbers of tourists paying a visit.
And the sunglasses will have to remain stashed away for some weeks yet, with some forecasters predicting the skies will remain miserable and grey past Easter.
Fiona Perry-Symes, who owns Sam and Sebastian in The Arcade with Nigel Higinbotham, said: “You can just stand here and look out and there’s nobody.
“When you think about Easter this time two years ago, it was a completely different story. But that in itself was tough on traders, because when the weather’s so beautiful, people want to go straight to the beach.”
She said the bad weather is forcing many people indoors.
“People end up staying home,” she said.
“Visitors come to Bournemouth for the beach, and when there’s bad weather, what else is there to do?”
Kevin Donaldson, who owns Donaldson Locksmiths, said the problem is about more than the wet weather.
“People just haven’t got the money anymore, so that’s a factor,” he said.
“I think it will get better eventually and in its own time. I have been here for five years, and I think the footfall around here has halved in that time – not in the shop, but generally. But the weather doesn’t help. When it’s cold, people don’t want to come out, and I can’t blame them.”
But Gary Hamilton-Warn, who works in Parkwood Florists, was more optimistic about the current wintery weather.
He said: “There’s not been many people around, but Easter is around the corner, so that’s good news.
“The clocks will change and people start to feel better. I think good weather is on the way.”
The New Forest has also been badly affected by the wet weather.
Several campsites were forced to close yesterday as a result of the rain.
Comments(11)
High Treason
says...
10:36am Sat 23 Mar 13
Baywolf wrote:"" Imagine an indoor shopping centre with restraints """
Imagine an indoor shopping centre with restraints cinemas pubs and big stores and outlets, imagine a state of the art bus terminal with coaches and train links, imagine free parking facilities and road networks to Castlepoint and airport..sigh.
Oh deary me, do tell me who you have in mind to restrain.
muscliffman
says...
11:10am Sat 23 Mar 13
Phixer
says...
11:46am Sat 23 Mar 13
Baywolf wrote:You'll need to go to a "third world" city in Asia to find all of that.
Imagine an indoor shopping centre with restraints cinemas pubs and big stores and outlets, imagine a state of the art bus terminal with coaches and train links, imagine free parking facilities and road networks to Castlepoint and airport..sigh.
Whoever decided to build an outdoor 'mall' with sloping smooth tiles, slippery when wet, and an undercover car park, where you get wet & dirty when it rains - and the top is closed if the sun isn't shining - needs to be tied to the end of the pier.
Phixer
says...
11:50am Sat 23 Mar 13
Talk about a bunch of whingers! If they don't like the English weather - wind and rain is not uncommon at any time of year - then perhaps they should set-up business somewhere else.
How about Bangkok where the temperature averages 30c every day of the year - and the rain is warm.
retry69
says...
12:20pm Sat 23 Mar 13
Azphreal
says...
2:20pm Sat 23 Mar 13
muscliffman
says...
4:03pm Sat 23 Mar 13
Phixer wrote:...."needs to be tied to the end of the pier."
Baywolf wrote:You'll need to go to a "third world" city in Asia to find all of that.
Imagine an indoor shopping centre with restraints cinemas pubs and big stores and outlets, imagine a state of the art bus terminal with coaches and train links, imagine free parking facilities and road networks to Castlepoint and airport..sigh.
Whoever decided to build an outdoor 'mall' with sloping smooth tiles, slippery when wet, and an undercover car park, where you get wet & dirty when it rains - and the top is closed if the sun isn't shining - needs to be tied to the end of the pier.
So that will be Bournemouth Pier then. The 'end of the Pier' that used to be at Boscombe, complete with wet weather amusements, disappeared during a shoddy refurbishment - and has never been seen since!
Astrium
says...
5:41pm Sat 23 Mar 13
muscliffman wrote:Why couldn't we create our very own Eden project and cover the town and parts of the beech with bio domes?
Phixer wrote:...."needs to be tied to the end of the pier."
Baywolf wrote:You'll need to go to a "third world" city in Asia to find all of that.
Imagine an indoor shopping centre with restraints cinemas pubs and big stores and outlets, imagine a state of the art bus terminal with coaches and train links, imagine free parking facilities and road networks to Castlepoint and airport..sigh.
Whoever decided to build an outdoor 'mall' with sloping smooth tiles, slippery when wet, and an undercover car park, where you get wet & dirty when it rains - and the top is closed if the sun isn't shining - needs to be tied to the end of the pier.
So that will be Bournemouth Pier then. The 'end of the Pier' that used to be at Boscombe, complete with wet weather amusements, disappeared during a shoddy refurbishment - and has never been seen since!
That would be a real vision for the town!
billm
says...
11:45pm Sat 23 Mar 13
If what I read in the Echo is correct they'll soon be back.
jeebuscripes
says...
7:47am Sun 24 Mar 13
Baywolf says...
10:27am Sat 23 Mar 13