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By Libby Galvin

PUBLISHED: 06:24 EST, 8 February 2013 | UPDATED: 08:00 EST, 8 February 2013

When most people think of Bournemouth, they think of retirement homes and windy beaches - not of Britain's very own version of sunny Orange County or LA.

But a hilarious new video produced by the Bournemouth Tourism Marketing Group could very well change all that.

Taking their lead from the 'Visit California' adverts that jokingly aimed to challenge misconceptions of the U.S. state, the Bournemouth video features football manager Harry Redknapp, Blur bassist Alex James and actress Debra Stephenson.

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The 54-second clip shows plenty of unexpected aspects of the seaside town - with everything from grannies surfing to Redknapp using a golf club to hit a football.

The advert parodies the 'Visit California' videos that feature stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Beckham and Kim Kardashian among others.

It begins with actress Debra Stephenson putting on a faux American accent, saying she wants to challenge 'misconceptions' of Bournemouth.

The ad goes on to show a granny rushing into the sea with a surfboard under her arm, a man enjoying fine dining while the Red Arrows fly overhead, and Blur's Alex James suggesting you visit Bournemouth - 'whatever the weather', as he sits under an umbrella and tucks into a picnic.

And football managing legend Harry Redknapp sends himself up as he is filmed swinging his golf club at a football on a Bournemouth golf course.

Redknapp said he was proud to be featured in the short film:

'I was more than happy to be part of the tourism video, it's no secret that I love the area. The beaches and views are just fantastic; it's a lovely place to live.

'Being filmed on a golf course hitting a football was just a bit of fun, I hope it does well for them.'

In contrast, the original American adverts - first launched in 2010 and now with several different versions recorded with various famous faces -  showed Arnold Schwarzenegger eating in a glamorous beachside restaurant, David Beckham playing football on the beach, and Kim Kardashian insisting:

'People have a lot of misconceptions about California, but none of them are really true,' as she reads a book on quantum physics while lounging by the pool.

And surprisingly the idea for the video came from a famous Californian visitor to Bournemouth - pop superstar Katy Perry.

Jasmine Connolly, of the Bournemouth Tourism Marketing Group, said:

'We were storyboarding some ideas for a social media campaign and remembered that Katy Perry had mentioned when she came to Bournemouth that it reminded her of her home town California.

'It was that which gave us the idea for a parody of the California video.

'We shot it over four days, with all the local stars keen to get involved and support the town.

'The reaction has been really positive - a lot of people from local business have contacted us and said its fantastic, that it's something a bit different.'

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