Good old Bournemouth! She’s been many things in her lifetime, a playground for royal society and rich Victorian’s. A haven for the olds seeking fun in the sun, a Mecca for groups of boozed up hen and stags, and a place of academia and foreign students.

Bournemouth has reverted to her old ways and is once again a playground for the rich thanks to Sandbanks, which has a reputation for being one of the most expensive places to live and love in the UK. But don’t fret you wont be put off your favourite tipple by your archetypal middle-aged man in his ridiculous sports car and his perma-tanned wag, Oh No! Bournemouth has developed a pleasant equilibrium that caters for all.

If the stag and hen scene is your reason d’être then the Old Christchurch Road is your place. You’ll find the usual line up of chains, all offering cheap drinks, loud music and late night licences. If you’re not part of a stag or hen party, then the Old Christchurch Road maybe best avoided - unless you fancy a laugh of course, and want to head down there at throwing out time where comedy and vulgarity can be witnessed simultaneously.

For your cooler independent establishments head towards the Promenade and be sure to check out Sixty Million Postcards on Exeter Road it’s an oasis of cool, but be warned you may not get in unless you have Regulars Card on busier nights of the week.

For your up-market stylish venues then head towards the Richmond Road, where you can rub shoulders amongst other things, with Bournemouth’s affluent residents and wannabe rich. The Ink Bar and her big sis The Print Room make a great starting point.

When the sun has got his hat on get down to the area around The Pier where café culture is very much alive 7 days a week, and be sure to take your shades and some sun cream as it get’s a little bit hot. It’s also an excellent spot to recover from a night of excess whilst people watching an absorbing a sea breeze!

Thomas Hardy affectionately described Bournemouth in his classic Tess of the d’Urbervilles as a “Mediterranean lounging place on the English Channel’’. Perhaps that’s because Bournemouth has seven miles of golden sands, sparkling sea and a microclimate that bucks the trend of traditional English weather.