Look out for lots of lovely shots of the Bournemouth cliffs and sea on TV news during the Liberal Democrat conference this week.
The correct name for the bay is Poole Bay which is interesting considering that young Bournemouth and ancient Poole are considering amalgamating their councils into a super authority also embracing Christchurch to the east.
The view from the West Cliff slope where delegates will walk has been admired by many including Disraeli (who likened it to the Corniche), Henry James and Bill Bryson (who worked on the Bournemouth Daily Echo.)
The conference hall might be ugly but it is already historic. Here in 1985 Neil Kinnock saw off Militant.
The Highcliff Hotel, the main conference hotel, is where in May 1940 Labour’s eve of conference NEC meeting signalled that Churchill should become coalition war leader. That night Chamberlain resigned.
In 1994Â John Major came out to the steps and announced a ceasefire in Northern Ireland.
Over the next four days the Lib Dems are having an important post General Election conference which might also prove to be a political landmark.
