Reaching Bournemouth's Richmond Hill Would Feel Like the Summit

Walking down Bournemouth's Richmond Hill on the way to catching the bus can be an exhilirating feeling. This might sound like a slightly strange observation but it's a notion that has stuck with me since moving to the town, three years ago. Upon embarking on that first job hunt on one beautiful September morning in 2007, the bustling open space of Bournemouth Square greeted me. This was quickly followed by a trip 'up the hill'.

The towering offices, dominated by Portman House, home to Nationwide, were a gargantuan sight. Bristol and West House, situated opposite, carried an unmistakable air of importance. The Daily Echo offices added further to a sense of metropolitian grandeur. What else is it about this calf-busting hill that appeals?

Could it be the nicotine high one passes through as the hill's transients puff away relentlessly? Is it the historic Norfolk Royale Hotel, a reminder of the charm exuded by memories of the golden age of the British seaside? It is a curious place, casting an almost aloof gaze upon the rest of the town centre. To work here would surely indicate my own arrival into the exclusive club inhabited by those lucky enough to be there every day. I could even have a swift half after work at the trendy Ink Bar. All of these thoughts and emotions have combined, every time I've walked up or down this most enigmatic of hills.