DAY 2

10:00 You may be feeling a little delicate, so head to Norwegian Wood (1 Glen Fern Road) for a humongous traditional English breakfast.

11:00 Escape the sun and browse around The Russell-Cotes Museum for £5pp. This museum holds artefacts collected during the 1800s by locals Merton and Annie Russell-Cotes on their travels around the world.

13:00 Take the M1 or M2 bus from Bournemouth Square to Poole bus station. From here, it’s a five-minute walk to Poole Quay, where you can sip an ale from one of the seafarer’s inns. The Poole Arms (19 The Quay, Poole) serves great locally caught seafood. Then, for a scenic view, hop aboard the Bournemouth Belle for £10.50pp return to see the world’s second-biggest natural harbour (after Sydney) taking in the mega-rich, celebrity hideaway of Sandbanks.

15:00 Catch the ferry to the pretty Brownsea Island for £9.50pp. The island is the last outpost of the native red squirrel.

18:00 Return to the throng of Bournemouth and shake your thing at Pavilion Dance. Lessons range from showgirl to west coast swing for £5pp.
 
20:00 Recharge your batteries at the top-notch Westbeach for sumptuous seafood. Mains start at £12.50, and wine from £19.95 per bottle. Chill out to soulful tunes as you watch the sun set. 

22:00 You may be feeling full so don’t stray too far. 1812 is the right side of grown-up cool with classy cocktails with live jazz at the weekends.

National rail from London Waterloo to Bournemouth from £16 one way with Southwest Trains: southwesttrains.co.uk. Coach from London Victoria with National Express from £4 each way: www.nationalexpress.com.