#To a lesser extent than Bognor or Brighton, #Bournemouth is still one of those south coast seaside resorts #full of saucy post-cards, #and guest houses with matronly landladies, #and bawling sprogs with a stick of rock up their nose. #Bournemouth is the largest of 3 towns rolled into one, #with Poole to the west and Christchurch to the east and a collective population of more than 1/3 of a million. #The University campus is wedged between Poole and Bournemouth's town centre, #21/2 miles away and surrounded by modern housing estates and roundabouts #with a bit of wooded interference. #Among the campus's main buildings are New Weymouth House, #a kennel from the 60s and a more futuristic beehive. #Among the various little sites around town, there's the Business School In the centre, #which is flash and swish, but not the place to find any real students. #In fact, most of the University's courses have a business element and if you want to know what universities of the future will be like, #go look at Bournemouth. #Its a high-tech, high spec world, teeth gritted for the free market, #a more economic plastic substitute for the original ivory tower. #The fast-expanding student population is white and middle class and owns more cars per head than any other. #Often students (many from Surrey and London) #show more interest in their looks and clothes than the media, #PR and communications around which so many of their courses revolve. #There's a distinct hint of affluent conservatism and #the most radical thing most student would be likely to do is buy lead-free petrol. #The Students Union has just 3 active roles: #to run a few clubs and sports; to arrange entertainments; #and to agree with whatever plans the University puts forward. #The SU Building provides the Herb Garden for grabbing grub and #Dylans Joint for downing drink. #There's also weekly bops in the Sugar Mine and occasional bands. #Local entertainments are geared more for the tourists than the students, #although the clubs and expensive pubs suit all sorts. #The tourists do have their advantages. #In summer, Bournemouth becomes a bristling, bustling town with sandy beaches, sea and ice-cream melting down your wrist. #But in winter, its a colder place in every respect. #The urban village of Winton, 2/3 mile from the campus, #has all the shops necessary for daily desires. #Only about 10% of 1st years can be housed in the University's only accommodation - #the student village on campus. #What's more, the shared houses in the no-smoking village aren't cheap and a bit far from shops - #a bit far from anything except the campus for that matter. #Unfortunately, living in town isn't cheap either #although the University does help 1st years find their feet and their homes. #Many end up in local guest houses, hotels and B&Bs in Boscombe and Bournemouth, #which are more Faulty Towers than Ritz. #But by the time the holiday seasons over, #there is so much housing around that landlords sometimes have to advertise for student tenants.
