Poole:big harbour,big property pricesPoole can be divided into four areas:the harbour,Sandbanks,The Quay and the commercial centre around Kingland Road.
Getting hereThe town has good rail access from London Waterloowith South West Trains or coaches with National Express By car the town is reached using the M3 and M27 from London then the A31 once you reach the New Forest in Hampshire.If you arrive by train head towards the unremarkable Dolphin Shopping Centre which fronts Kingland Road The road is only of note in that you will find the Lighthouse the Poole centre for arts. The LighthouseThis recently underwent a major refurbishment to improve the acoustics.This was a wise move given that the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra have this place has their home.Founded in 1893 the orchestra plays in the Lighthouse most Wednesdays.I heard them play Mahler Symphony No 8 last year, a fine performance. The Lighthouse also hosts plays,films,lectures and exhibitions of visual arts. It houses a 669 seat theatre,a 1500 seat concert hall,a 105 seat studio and 105 seat cinema. For more information go to the Lighthouse website here 
The QuayFrom the Dolphin Shopping centre head south down the High Street over the railway line until you reach the Quay.This area holds the entertainment district of the town,with many bars and restaurants to choose from.During Thursdays in June & July there will be live outdoor bands from 7pm followed by fireworks at 10pm. For all you motorbike enthusiasts every Tuesday from April to September from 6pm bring your bike down to the Quay,to show off to other riders,and on 29th September all the weekly winners compete for the Bike of the Year title. Don't worry you car enthusiasts as on Fridays at 6pm from May to August the Quay is closed so classic car owners can bring down their machines to show off.Open tops,Minis,Capris and Beetles will be on display,with a car of the week prize similar to that for the bikes. History
This has been recently refurbished and now holds a log boat on the ground floor which dates to about 300BC. On the upper floors you will find displays of Pottery a big industry in the town,Poole was an important port in repelling the threat of French and Spanish invasion,later a launching port for the Normandy Landings in 1944. There is as a roof terrace which provides fine views of Poole.There is also a shop on the ground floor where books on local history can be purchased. Attached to the museum is the local history centre open Tuesday to Saturday 100am to 5pm.If your ancestors come from these parts then here is the place to track them down. The museum itself is open 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and Sunday 12 noon to 5pm,from April to October.Hours are 10am to 4pm November to March The Harbour
If you want to go further afield, there are regular ferries to the Channel Islands, and St Malo that leave from the commercial docks opposite the Quay. Condor Ferries operates a fast boat taking you to Jersey in 3 hours or 4 hours 35mins to St Malo. Brittany Ferries operate a slower boat to Cherbourg which takes 4 hours 30mins during the day or 6 hours 30mins overnight.
SandbanksThe other part of the town that is so well know is Sandbanks, which I have written about here For the second year the British Beach Polo Championship will be held at Sandbanks from 10th to 11th July 2009.If you want to be close to the rich and famous then this is the place to be.A standard ticket which includes entry to a party is £70.To book go here
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