Bournemouth

Bournemouth Pier

Bournemouth is a seaside town in Dorset (in Hampshire until 1974). It has perhaps a more "genteel" atmospher than some other seaside resorts, and the many pine trees, planted when the town was being developed in the 19th century, give it a salubrious atmosphere. Bournemouth had its own unitary authority until 2019, when it became part of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

LGBT history

There was a Bournemouth CHE Group.

Bournemouth has long had an active gay scene, with a number of gay pubs and clubs centred round The Triangle. Wikipedia referred at one time to "the Bondi (the South's only exclusively GLBT Hotel)". But there certainly are and have been other LGBT hotels and guesthouses in the town itself, including St Michael's Guest House in the 1970s and 80s and the men-only Hamilton Hall at the present day.

Over the Rainbow, supported by the NHS, offers advice, support and information for the LGBT community.

Silver Moments is a group for older LGBT people, run by Over The Rainbow, and there is a coffee morning for older gay men every Wednesday at Hamilton Hall.

Bournemouth's annual pride festival, celebrated since 2004, is Bourne Free.

Gay Bournemouth is a local website published by Bournemouth Publishing Ltd.

There are two gay saunas, Bournemouth Spa in Westbourne, and Saunabar near The Triangle.