Non - Bournemouth Illuminations

Sorry Roger

Sorry Roger

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Had a barbecue yesterday and, because it gets dark relatively early, I rigged up some tea lights in jam jars. That lead to talk about Bournemouth Illuminations back in the day.

My memory is of 1000s of tea lights in what looked like fish paste jars. If so, where were they kept in the winter and how many people went round replacing the tea lights and lighting them? Did people really travel to see the show? As I’m sure someone on here probably had a casual job lighting them I thought I’d ask if anyone could shed some light on it (I do like a pun, sorry).
 
They were magic, like bloody fairyland to me as a kid.


This is a bit before my time though.

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Found this:

Candle Illumination in the Lower Pleasure Gardens, Bournemouth, Dorset​


A unique event originating in 1896, during the visit to Bournemouth of Princess Eugenie of Austria, and subsequently developed in 1897 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the illuminations continue in Bournemouth as an annual summer event.​

 
Ken Baileys Ghost said:
They were magic, like bloody fairyland to me as a kid.


This is a bit before my time though.

www.ebay.co.uk

Hants Hampshire BOURNEMOUTH Centenary Fetes Gardens illumination used 1910 RPPC | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hants Hampshire BOURNEMOUTH Centenary Fetes Gardens illumination used 1910 RPPC at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk


Found this:

Candle Illumination in the Lower Pleasure Gardens, Bournemouth, Dorset​


A unique event originating in 1896, during the visit to Bournemouth of Princess Eugenie of Austria, and subsequently developed in 1897 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the illuminations continue in Bournemouth as an annual summer event.​

Click to expand...

They stopped calling it the 'lower pleasure gardens' because it is disgusting. 'lower gardens' fine, 'pleasure gardens' ok but 'lower pleasure' is not something we want associated with Bournemouth thank you very much.
 
When I was young my family would go down for the lighting.By the time it was our turn all the tapers had been given out,due to the (always) dreadful timing of family getting ready to go out(always last to arrive and missed the start of many events).
I think the lights were part of Reggata week ,would imagine LEDs being used these days
 
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Sorry Roger said:
Had a barbecue yesterday and, because it gets dark relatively early, I rigged up some tea lights in jam jars. That lead to talk about Bournemouth Illuminations back in the day.

My memory is of 1000s of tea lights in what looked like fish paste jars. If so, where were they kept in the winter and how many people went round replacing the tea lights and lighting them? Did people really travel to see the show? As I’m sure someone on here probably had a casual job lighting them I thought I’d ask if anyone could shed some light on it (I do like a pun, sorry).
Click to expand...
We travelled from Corfe Mullen when I was little; does that count?
 
When I was a nipper and staying with my gran in Ensbury Park ( presumably my parents were away somewhere ), we hopped onto a Yellow Bus and headed over there to take a look. I'd completely forgotten about the whole experience until you opened this thread Sorry Roger, so thanks for the memory !

I don't recall being super excited or impressed by the whole experience but it was certainly an interesting little excursion and broke up the monotony of staying with my gran, away from all of my friends.

Didn't they used to store the jars over by the aviary or did I just imagine seeing a load of empty ones over there the rest of the year ?
 
Article from 6 years ago.

This year the Candlelight Event is going back to its original roots with a candlelit procession through Bournemouth’s historical Lower Gardens. We are looking for volunteers to embark on a journey to the seafront just as the Empress Elizabeth did over a hundred years ago.
www.bournemouth.co.uk

Be part of Bournemouth's Candlelight Procession

This year the Candlelight Event is going back to its original roots with a candlelit procession through Bournemouth’s historical Lower Gardens.…
www.bournemouth.co.uk www.bournemouth.co.uk
Then a month later.
Echo
BOURNEMOUTH'S traditional candle-lighting evenings are at risk as the council struggles to balance its books.

The events attract thousands of people to the Lower Gardens and date back more than 100 years.

But this summer's candlelit processions could be the last unless a sponsor can be found.
 
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Unfortunately, any additional tea lighting in Bournemouth lower gardens will be quickly vandalised or destroyed within the first few hours of installation by the Armies of high as a kite drug addicts and silly faced drunks that haunt the town.
 
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Reality and Realism said:
Unfortunately, any additional tea lighting in Bournemouth lower gardens will be quickly vandalised or destroyed within the first few hours of installation by the Armies of high as a kite drug addicts and silly faced drunks that haunt the town.
Click to expand...
How would you know? You're too scared to go out in the gardens, or Boscombe, or Winton, or Charminster, etc.

Nothing real in your made up nonsense again Schminto.
 
Reality and Realism said:
Unfortunately, any additional tea lighting in Bournemouth lower gardens will be quickly vandalised or destroyed within the first few hours of installation by the Armies of high as a kite drug addicts and silly faced drunks that haunt the town.
Click to expand...
He's at it again, Doom and Despondency full of his usual B/S..:poop: and NEGATIVE comments.
 
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