It was once so beautiful SO, the Imax building has finally gone, no doubt to the great delight of many Bournemouth residents who missed that wonderful view of the bay from Bath Hill. However, I feel extremely upset that the enormous amount of money which was wasted on its unnecessary construction and ultimate demolition could have been put to far better use!

We once had a superb concert hall – the Winter Gardens. Acoustically, this was one of the best concert venues in England, with a huge stage, large enough to accommodate our world-class Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. So many residents tried to save this building, but to no avail, and our orchestra has now been forced to make its home in Poole.

If only the money wasted on the Imax and the Boscombe Surf Reef could have been used to save this building and to give it the face-lift which, I admit, was badly needed.

We have lost our ice-rink, our Criterion Arcade and seen an enormous number of bars and nightclubs appear in the town, inevitably raising the crime rate.

I feel extremely sad to see the deterioration of what was once a beautiful place to live.

Please, let it stop now!

JILL GUNN,

Surrey Road,

Bournemouth