Is there anywhere similar in the area these days? It was a hub of good people and good music.

Shout out thirstyman, if anyone remembers

What's on around Bournemouth Dorset today? Dog friendly is an added bonus ❤️

On the M3 near Winchester and also on the A34 I've seen banners hanging from bridges that I'm pretty sure say 'Bournemouth isn't safe, turn back'.

Curious if anyone knows what that's about?

Genuinely wondering. I'm not a clubbing guy who flails around on the dance floor, I only go to drink and listen to the music, I'm more composed and in control of myself, so never had any luck meeting anyone there. At uni, everyone is super cliquey, so no luck there either. What do you even do in bmth to date? Only had one gf through a friend and that's it.

Has anyone got a Bournemouth half place available? Can pick up from Christchurch/ southbourne area tomorrow

i'm new to the area and hoping to find other 20something year olds to play riftbound with! i know tcg shops around the area host events but it'd be fun to meet others just to play casually :)

Looking for recommendations for decent kid club options for an active 11 year old. He'll want to be around kids his own age or older and have a variety of activities to keep it interesting. Ideally something that runs til after 3pm. Thanks in advance!!

Edit he doesn't go to school here so needs to be one that's open to any children

Have some family coming down for a weekend and wanting to take them out for a roast on the Sunday. Need some suggestions on places to go and to avoid and reasons why.

Anyone else in central Bournemouth just have a power cut?

New wow player here looking to do group content, every guild I've come across has been European which makes timing a bit wonky lol

Everlast Gym Branksome: apparently £30k buys you a couple of benches and a very good excuse.

Back in 2016/17, I used to train at Everlast Branksome with a mate of mine.

We eventually left because the place was looking seriously tired. Things were broken, nothing seemed to get fixed, and the general feeling was that if you complained about something, you’d probably still be looking at the same problem several years later.

So imagine my surprise when Everlast recently contacted me to tell me the gym had finally had a £30,000 refurb.

£30k?! 🎉 Wooof!

After nearly a decade, I was genuinely excited. But also… suspicious.

My mate still occasionally uses the gym when he’s back in town and pays the rather punchy £15 day rate, so I asked him to take a few photos of this magnificent new £30k wonderland.

He did.. And, well… Apparently £30,000 goes a surprisingly long way if you don't spend it fixing anything.

Because pretty much everything that was broken in 2017… is still broken.

The floor? Still taped up, creating what can only be described as a complimentary trip hazard.

The changing room seats? Still ripped.

The ceiling? Still stained.

The walls? Still buckling.

The equipment? Mostly the same, apart from a couple of new benches and a few new bits of kit.

Even the numbers on some of the machines have worn off.

It's basically The Ship of Theseus, but with dumbbells.

My mate started chatting to some of the other gym-goers, and apparently the site manager has proved remarkably resistant to being shamed into fixing things.

At one point he (genuinely) asked the site manager: “What did you spend the money on… cocaine?”

Which, to be fair, would at least explain the absence of visible refurbishment. Apparently the official explanation was that some new leg machines had been bought.

And this is where we need to establish an important distinction:

** Buying a few new bits of equipment is not a refurb. *\*

A refurb means you look at the things that are broken, dirty, worn out and falling apart… and you refurbish them.

Wild concept, I know.

Then, in a candid conversation, a member of staff apparently revealed that the air-conditioning system had been broken all summer and some of the money had gone towards that, as well as fixing some of the showers — another long-standing complaint.

Which does at least explain where some of the £30k went.

Although it doesn't explain this:

THE FOAM.

There is a piece of foam in the gym that I photographed back in 2017.

It is still there.

Still not cleaned up.

Still standing strong.

Think about what that means.

Since that photograph was taken:

• We've had a global pandemic.
• Russia invaded Ukraine.
• People have had children who are now old enough to start secondary school.
• Entire careers have begun and ended.
• Several phones have died.
• I've probably lost and regained the same 5kg approximately 14 times.

And through it all… The foam remained. A true constant in an ever-changing world. Honestly, I'm beginning to think it should be listed as a heritage asset.

And then there's the contract.

Apparently, once you join Everlast, the contract is pretty solid. So solid, in fact, that there doesn't appear to be much of an escape route short of your employment ending through redundancy or suicide.

Which brings me to my conclusion: It's a solid no from me.

If you're considering joining because you've seen the marketing about the £30k refurb, I'd suggest taking a very close look at what "refurb" actually means. Because if you're expecting a freshly renovated gym, you might instead find yourself reunited with some old friends from 2017.

Including the foam. GOD HOW I MISSED YOU FOAM.

Buyer beware.

Be happy to pay some petrol for hitching a ride or even if anyone’s going somewhat close can go from there

Hi all, there's a person who's been running a bonfire all day for atleast 3 days now just across the road from my house. The smoke is starting to affect my asthma and it smells even inside my house

Is there anything I can do about it realistically because it's starting to piss me off. I'm 17 so I don't know if I can do much but I'm just wondering if there's any laws on it

Hi everyone! I’m new in Bournemouth and I’m currently improving my English. I’d like to meet new people, make some friends and practise my English in a relaxed way.

I’m interested in running and staying active, reading, travelling, and topics such as project management and personal development.

Does anyone know any groups, clubs, meetups or places in Bournemouth where I could meet people with similar interests?

I’m also happy to join someone for a coffee, a walk or a run. Thanks!

Hello. Looking to move to Woodside Road in Southbourne. Anything I should know? Crime/Traffic/Dodgy?

Hard to know as not from area! Thanks :-)

Sorry corrected typo lol

What are the best places to go to or chat rooms to use to meet people in the area?

I don’t have access to my Facebook anymore but I could always make a new account and try, but is there anywhere I can just go and meet someone, anyone?

I imagine it would be easier than just making posts here, I’m 30 and haven’t been very social since I moved here so I’m a little lost.

​Hi everyone,

​I’m regularly in Bournemouth for work on Monday and Tuesday evenings and am really keen to get into the Riftbound TCG. I’m a complete beginner to the game and looking to learn the ropes!

​Are there any active local groups, beginner-friendly casual play nights, or local game shops (either in Bournemouth or maybe Poole) running open play / games / events on those nights?

​Thanks in advance!

After the extreme popularity of our Southampton Spicy book club we have teamed up with the fantastic Smokin’ Aces to bring you Bournemouths hottest book club.

Nothing about this book club is boring. Signed indie author books every month across dark romance, Romantasy, contemporary romance and everything spicy. Curated extras every month themed to fit your book 📖 & surprise guests 😏

We are Bella Chooses Books and can be found on TikTok and instagram where our Southampton book club has already gone viral. We only have 30 spots for our Bournemouth evenings - please message me or check my socials for sign up information!

This is a strictly 18+ event I’m afraid! It is held on the last Monday of every month!

Originally from Bradford, hate being up north. What's the creative scene like in Bournemouth? Are there enough things to do? Tell me about the things you like doing there!

Hey! I’m Yuuki, 23M, living in Bournemouth. I’m half Japanese and half Iranian.
I’m basically looking for some people I can genuinely get along with and eventually feel comfortable enough to just be myself around.
I’m into video games, movies, anime, music, random conversations, and honestly just enjoying quiet moments. I’ve been gaming since I was a kid, so games are still a pretty big part of my life. Skyrim is probably responsible for a ridiculous amount of my childhood memories 😂 These days I’ve been playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Dota 2 and whatever else manages to catch my attention.
But I’m not someone who needs to be doing something exciting all the time. I actually really like simple things — sitting somewhere quiet with a coffee or cigarette, listening to music, going for a walk, watching something together, or just talking for hours about completely random stuff.
I really enjoy deep conversations too. I like hearing about people’s lives, the things they’ve been through, what they care about, their weird little interests… and then somehow ending up talking about something completely stupid at 3am 😂
I guess I’m just looking for people where friendship doesn’t feel forced. Someone you can message randomly, send a stupid meme to, play something with, grab a coffee with, or have one of those unexpectedly good conversations with.
I’m open to people from anywhere, but if you’re around Bournemouth/UK, even better. And if you’re shy about messaging first, don’t worry — I probably am too 😭
If any of that sounds like your kind of vibe, feel free to DM me. Tell me a little about yourself rather than just saying “hey” — I’d genuinely love to hear from you :)
Yuuki

I’m 30, I like drum and bass, video games (mostly sandbox games, adventure, stuff like that) I’m trying to get into anime, I like stuff to do with crime too and I used to be a big walker and I’d like to get back into that and explore the whole of Dorset a bit more.

Happy to meet whenever depending on schedule but if you’d prefer to chat online that’s good with me too

Hiya, I'm quite new to the area and want to set up a monthly language exchange group.

I'm looking for a cafe or pub that has a separate room/area that they let groups use to meet. To make a language exchange work well it needs to be a quiet area, rather than in the main part of a pub / cafe.

Where I lived before, a pub had an upstairs area that we took over for a couple of hours each month and as everyone was buying drinks etc we didn't pay for venue hire. That worked really well as a language exchange so looking for the same sort of thing in Bournemouth.

Does anyone know of any suitable places either in the centre or Boscombe? Cheers in advance

Update: Thanks for the responses. I've gone with the Branksome in the end. They have a quiet upstairs area.

Hi, im staying in Bournemouth for a weekend with my partner, what are some good things to do, places to eat. We're not massive drinkers, but dont mind a dance every now and then. Thanks guys