Forget Silicon Valley, Bournemouth has found its mojo

It's not just football that has put the seaside town back on the map. It wants to be a digital global hub too

Friday afternoon, the day before the big day, and the crowds are out on the beach at Bournemouth, making the most of the sun and sand. Kids are doing the hokey cokey in the bandstand, Harry Ramsden's is enjoying a thriving trade in fish and chips, and the screams of thrill-seekers ring out as they plummet down the zip wire between the pier and the beach.

"I'm sitting here looking out of my window and I can see the seafront," says Mark Cribb, owner of Urban Guild, which runs restaurants and a hotel. "There are California-style lifeguard huts, swimming schools, surfers. It's got a vibe and an energy that most people don't know about."