POOLE - HENGISTBURY HEAD (roughly an 18 mile round trip)

Jennie and Debbie (who travel from Frome and Cheddar) to Weymouth for the Second Saturday Skate each month, thought it was time we experienced a more challenging, but fun, outdoor skate, so the idea to skate the lovely stretch of seafront from Poole to Hengistbury Head was born.  A cosy little group of nine turned up at the Shore Road car park at Sandbanks on a day that was supposed to alternate between sunshine and showers but, in fact, turned out perfect - sunny with an SW wind (easy one way - harder coming back!).  The first panic was Debbie's hair - too much of it, high wind and nothing to tie it back with.  Jennie saved the day with a Sainsbury's carrier bag, which made a stunning bow! 

The route, along the seafront, takes you past numerous eateries, kiosks, places of interest and plenty of public loos, as well as beautiful scenery.  You really don't notice the distance you are covering and we were surprised to discover (after calculations with an Ordnance Survey map) exactly how far we had travelled!   It is mainly reasonably smooth, but there is an area near the beginning that tests your shock absorbers!  Alex (11) and big brother Nick (13) joined us as novices in terms of outdoor skating - they generally skate indoors as keen roller hockey players - they not only kept up with us but often led, and made some of us look decidedly doddery (or do I mean dodgy? - no names mentioned!).  Well done guys!

A really good day out - and a bonus has to be the excellent Hot Rocks Surf Restaurant at Bournemouth Pier - a massive plateful of delicious food at a great price.

Getting ready for the off!	A dodgy geezer who turned up at the start.	Sandbanks gateway to - Poole!	Callum sleep skating!	Sandbanks & Canford behind us we reach the Poole marker about 1 mile into the skate.	Heads down - the tarmacs getting better.
Bournemouth Pier first stop at about 3 miles	On to Boscombe	Alex leads the way	Approaching Boscombe Pier	Alex testing lamposts!	Nick holding up Boscombe Pier, 4.5 miles into the skate.
On to Southbourne - the pace picks up	Approaching Southbourne about 2.25 miles from Boscombe	Drinks stop!	A quick break ready for the return	Gilly getting passionate with a lampost!	Everyones hungry and it's over 4 miles to the diner.
Hot Rocks surf diner - food at last!	Waiting for the beers!	Alex says he does'nt like chocolate.	Nick decides to join Alex with the 'chocolate junkyard'!	Debbie (I'm not having a pudding) polishing plates!!