Writing weekend in Poole, Bournemouth

I am a writer (amazing isn't it?) I write ghost stories and historic fantasy, I may be lucky and get something published one of these days.  One of my teachers Angela Street who teaches at Salisbury Arts Centre e-mailed me a writing seminar, the lighthouse (arts centre in Poole) are running.  I was very interested and rang up my support worker for advice, after booking a ticket I turned to the bus station as I don't drive; I probably drive people up the wall but Hell who cares har har!!

The first bus wasn't until 10am and the lesson starts at 11am!  No good as it takes an hour to get to Bournemouth, let alone Poole.  Just as well I wasn't attending a funeral, person would be gone into the ground by the time I got there.  So through my support worker I got the train at 8.20am, after dragging myself out of bed the sun was shining and I had a feeling this was going to be a good day, or was it?  Nothing exciting to report during the ride, caught the train just in time.  Passed Tesco's and towards Southampton where I had to change, Saw a goat standing on a box in a field and

Bournemouth station is bigger then I thought, you can imagine the holiday makers arriving in the fifties and sixties all expectant, sea front is a bit of a walk away.  I discovered  I could get a train to Lymington if I changed trains at Brockinghurst, you can get to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight from Lymington.  I'm reading a book by Gay Baldwin about ghosts on the Isle of Wight, should be called the Isle of Fright as some of the stories are scary.  The one about the scary vicars seen standing with their eyes closed in a lane is frightening enough.

Got to Pool and made for the Dolphin shopping centre.  Not too many people in there, had to go through a subway to get to the lighthouse, doesn't look like a lighthouse but more like a theatre, also has a cinema inside.  Arrived a bit early so they told me to buzz off for thirty minutes, phone started playing up and wouldn't respond to anything I pressed so went round the 02 shop.  Was told to update the software, seeing as my tower was being upgraded I couldn't do this.

The lesson at the lighthouse was good and got lots of good info, the lighthouse is a lot bigger then our arts centre in Salisbury which is in a church.  There's three floors, Boy George has played at the lighthouse so has Jools Holland.  I am in a writing class at the arts centre, but none of them came with me so I was on my lonesome, but I did get some input which is important.  Next year I will try and do the whole weekend if I can get some of the others in the group to go with me, preferably women as I am a bit weary of men and you can have a laugh with women.

Plan was to walk back from Poole along sea front through Sandbanks to Bournemouth.  I walked down to the quay and sat to have a snack, lots of motorbikes turned up because bikers like to visit Poole and every Tuesday they have bike nite at one of the pubs.  Asked at tourist Info and changed mind about walking as it would have taken too long, so I got the bus.  I see that Poole hospital overlooks the bay, views a bit more nicer then where I work.  Most of the bus drivers are polish, there's a strong Jewish community in Bournemouth.

The guy who used to work on the pier collecting money for the deckchairs is in spirit, he died of a brain hemorrhage in December which is sad.  Makes me wonder if there are other dimensions we go to when we die, I believe there are.