So the council is inviting proposals for a tourist attraction at Durley Chine to include a Butterfly Farm and grazing area for goats (Echo January 29)?

Has April 1 arrived a little early this year?

Imagine a wet day in July, mum and dad and two children trying to decide what to do with their day.

It could go like this: “Mum, dad, where can we go today? It’s raining again and we want to go to the beach.”

“Well, children, we have a wet-weather plan for today.

“We are taking you to a butterfly farm and you may be lucky to see a goat or two.”

“Not fair. Can’t we go swimming or skating? What about a bowling alley?

“You could do all these things with us, we could spend the whole day doing stuff.”

“Come on, kids – you will have so much to tell your friends about the goats and butterflies and how you can’t wait to come back to Bournemouth because it’s so family friendly and even when it’s raining there is so much to do.”

Hear the kids moan: “How long will it take to see the butterflies and wander around in the rain looking at a couple of goats? What are we going to do for the rest of the day? We’re bored.

“Even people in our hotel are fed up. See, if they had all those things that we said we like everyone would be happy.”

l Just as a footnote, we were hoteliers in the town for over 30 years.

During off-season one year, we included complimentary coach trips to local attractions. Guess which one we had to cancel through lack of interest?

Yes, a trip to the butterfly farm. We couldn’t give it away.

May I therefore suggest flattening the site in question and developing at lower ground level a bowling complex, ground floor ice rink, first floor swimming pool with sliding roof taking in the fantastic, panoramic views.

This would create something for everyone, residents and holiday makers, all year round.

Perhaps the Daily Echo could do a vote. Butterflies and goats, or what the children want.

ANN KIRBY,
Bournemouth