March | 2010 | Dominika Eureka

Sweet Thoughts, established 1937

Sweet Thoughts – easily the best sweet shop in Bournemouth.

Sandwiched awkwardly between Pizza Hut and Wagamamas, this cute little sweet shop sticks out like a sore thumb; it looks as if it has been lifted straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Established in 1937, this authentic pre-war nook will definitely take you down memory lane, seducing you with its sweet, musty aroma and periodic features.

I remember chancing upon it once when coming out of the Odeon cinema and now I don’t go anywhere else to satiate my sweet tooth!

So how is this place unique and different to all the other look-alike wannabes out there?

Sweets already tempt you from the window

1. The selection is astounding. Endless rows of tightly crammed jars, tubs, bottles, boxes, containers and cabinets overflow with the most unusual and familiar mouth-watering delicacies you have ever seen (and tasted). The little shop almost heaves from the sheer weight of it all. For a trip back to your childhood, try the Caramac bar, now rarely sold in mainstream sweet shops. For another blast from the past try the rhubarb and custard bon bons – bon appetit!

2. The price. Unlike most sweet shops nowadays, the prices are very reasonable and are not there to rip you off! Depending on what you choose, you can get a huge bag of sweets from 80p – £2! Sweets range from 1-5p each. Chocolate bars are around the usual asking price, if slightly less. But be warned; although you may leave with a full purse, you may not leave with a full set of teeth!

3. Opening times. As you can see below from the photos, Sweet Thoughts is open everyday ‘Til 9 Oclock’ – how amazingly convenient when you’d like something sweet and cheap for the cinema right next door!

4. The staff. There is a lovely guy with floppy brown hair, kind eyes and a warm, if not slightly goofy smile who works there full time. He never fails to say hi and always makes you feel welcome – even if you are a 21 one year old who still gets embarrassingly excitable at the prospect of sweeties! My 23-year-old sweet-obsessed boyfriend is no better. Although it’s nice to be acknowledged, it doesn’t help when your visiting friend makes a ridiculously inappropriate comment about the somewhat phallic shaped sweet you are purchasing at the time. Next time I will be sure to wear a wig.

As you can see, I was only allowed to photograph the outside for copyright reasons. I hope this will only entice your curiosity more…

So if you’re sweet on the idea then visit 26 Westover Road, Bournemouth BH1 2BZ
(next to the Odeon cinema, Wagamamas and opposite The Pavilion).

You won’t be disappointed.

Good for a nice stroll under the cypress trees

Have you ever wandered around Bournemouth and looked up at the buildings, past the shops on eye-level? I didn’t think so. It’s easy to overlook what’s above us when we are thrust in the face with endless streams of brightly coloured consumerism.

As a lover of architecture and classic period features I often look up and admire the often beautiful, if not slightly dilapidated, buildings hiding away above the typically tacky plastic shop signs.

Out and about in Bournemouth town centre, I took a few shots to depict the vast array of different architectural styles. They range from Victorian to Tudor, Art Deco to pre-war and tacky to contemporary.

Next time you venture the streets, make sure to look up, look down, look all around. You may never see Bournemouth in the same light again.