New-York tribune., 1909-02-07
DULL WINTER RESORTS
BOU9nemOuth and It's PiRes-4
Gray RiWera.
Bournem0l1th January 2l

taintles of semi-tropical climate. Bourne
mouth, embowered in luxurant pine woods is
one Of the most beautiful and attractive of
these winter hayeps for invaIids and people of
leisure, and there are scores Of excellent hotels
! competing for patronage. yet it is a depressing
town in spite Of the salubrious climate and the
natural beauty Of the chimes and the surround
ing country Nowhere do the English take their
pleasures more sadly than in these south coast
resorts in midwinter.- They breakfast late in
the morning, they take short strolls around their
hotels, they NOPE during the afternoon, and they
dress for dinner with the consciousness of hav-
ing wasted a day without getting any pleasure
out of 1t. After dinner there is a feeble drone of
violin and piano in the central lounge, and men
exchange condolences in the smoking
the dulness Of the place and the superior attraC
tiOns of winter resorts in Southern Europe.
where there IS something to do and no lack of
either sunlight jollity. Discomfort prejudices
| invalids and pleasure seekers against delightful
conditions of BournemOuth Nature and
have done everything for them but there is not
fun enough at the fair.
Bournemouth admirably illustrates the prac-
teal English habit Of thought. Seventy years
ago there We're farnhoUses in the clearings Of
pine woods between the ancient village OF
Christ Church and the bustling fishing port.
Poole. There was a series of ravines opening
upon the sea, and resembling the chimes the
Il
| sheltered shingle OF beach where the Bourne
7 dribbled into the sea With the tracts of fra
grant pine forest there seemed an ideal site for
q health resort, and time went on the
sources Of what was originally insignificant
hamlet BY the sea have been systematically de-
! veloped. The hills fanking the little stream
| were cleared and gradually covered with hotels
and villas; iron pier was sent out into the
/ sea. winter gardens and pavilions for concerts
were laid out on the cliffs; the beach was i'm
proved for bathing; one sanatorium for con-
sumptive patients followed another; public
library was founded and science and art schools
were opened, and the chimes were converted into
lovely residential quarters. There is now a per
manent population Of nearly fifty thousand from
Christ Church to Poole, and there golf
courses, parks and fragrant woodlands around
! the town. Bournemouth is not, however, de-
| pendent upon hotel traffic and lodging houses.
| It has been converted, decade by decade. into
beautiful residential town for people Of wealth
and leisure. From Southbourne and Boscombe,
/ in the east, TO Branksome and Westbourne'
toward Poole there well planned suburbs
with broad streets, shaded pleasure grounds
and comfortable houses. While faded pleasure
! seekers and anemic invalids may find Bourne
/ mouth dull and wearisome from lack Of pleasur-
able excitement it is most delightful place Of
| residence all the year round
/ F3ournemouth apart from being a refuge for
( patients with weak lungs and troublesome
throats, represents the home loving English
spirit The hotels are numerous, spacious and
/ thoroughly modernized; there are assembly
rooms music paviIions theatres. baths, hydro
/ pathic hospitals and all the conventional acces-
sories of q health resort. Yet It makes the
| deepest impression upon casual visitors mind
as a town where people know how 10 live with
| the maximum degree Of comfort The slopes OF
the wooded hnlsidas have been thinned ana
! artistic and shapeIy houses built among them as
/ IN q park with undulating ravines. Even In
: winter there are soft dull greens in the color
! setting and the air IS s1veetened by the breath
J of the nine plantations. II is a wooded para
! disc where one forgets the time Of year, SO rev
are the rusty giints in lawns and hedges Many
OF the tall pines have been sacrificed In building
oDerations but there are thousands of them
within the circuit Of the enlarged city, and IN
/ every suburb there luxuriant clumps OF
| rhododendrons storing up energy for blossom
ing in June one may ramble by the
/ ro7,r among handsome streets and pleasure
grounds and find II hard TO believe that ne Is IN
a large fiourishing city. which has gradually an
4 nexed au the territory between Christ Church
and the Dorset line, and shot out spurs toward
Ivimbourne and Ringwood- Everywhere Is the
sense Of rustic beauty and well ordered refine
roent There are no town shows for attracting
/ +~s,,,ars There are no signs Of the hustle and
. ,,,Igarity Of a seaside resort. one must hunt
4 for The sea and follow the sloping trend OF the
1 hines before he can find it. 1t IS city OF ar
,,stfr homes and tasteful gardens by the sea
side
The problem Of nndtng occupation Tor SO
. 1o,,rners at hotels and lodging houses has not
4 been undertaken seriously and with inventive
mower. The town corporation has considered 1t
r Ear more important to attract permanent resi-
. dents than 20 entertain transient guests II has
+ r4o,llated the orderly enlargement and adofh-
r7ent Of new suburbs and has linked them To-
/ sretber lJv an electric tram service when Keeps
/ +tAr, in close touch one with another. There Is
,,,,eic isI payilions and winter gardens, ana
,,srz, ,youinent hotel has its string orchestra,
nth nianlst 10 accompany II. 1t may Dc tfl8t
/ .bs vnusictans have instructions 70 promote
t.~,.vs sptrtt by the choice of rattiing wAltSss
/ "a 6ysnktng choruses from operas, precisely "a
A.. ..-,,snts are ordered to open windows morn
e. noon and night TO support tho reputation or
/ e.. tour, as geni- tropical. where one has 10
! -. sp EFFORT 10 keep cool IN midwinter Ihe
= of artificial gayety in the hotel lounges
/ - only 10 multiply yawns and TO deepen De-
/ .ss,on of spir4ts. Women read noVels ana
/ -, s,.ak off into quiet corners where they can
| -. ato,,t the Riviera, where something Is a.
/ - ,,,,, on and wish that they were there.
- - are es comfortable and even as lux
/ - = ,,,, in the kingdom. and the air Is as
/ = H. C,uIr Stream and pine forests can
r,,at,e Il. hut Bournemouth. with ali IT'S natural
60. nd advantages of situation and climate
| is not a gay pleasure resort IlS A-S O''-'' -'-
| ,,r.s ara as mild sA the Temperature.
gasxs ka@ssssa saagk. 80