FORGET about Bournemouth, Wales' beaches are now becoming the mecca for the over-50s crowd.

In an online poll to find the UK's top beach for the baby boomer generation, four Welsh resorts figured in the top six, beating Bournemouth into seventh place.

Throughout June and July Brighton received 1,088 votes, narrowly beating Llandudno in North Wales (851 votes) to the top spot.

Blackpool was third with 721 votes but Newgale Sands in Pembrokeshire was fourth with 560.

And there was further good news for Wales as Portmeirion, made famous as the film location for iconic sixties series The Prisoner, came in fifth with 435 votes and Brandy Cove on Swansea's Gower peninsula came sixth with 397.

The poll was carried out by over-50s website www.50connect.co.uk.

Rachael Hannan, editor of 50 Connect, said the votes suggested the over-50s of today are a lot different to those of previous generations.

Reaching Brandy Cove near Bishopston on Gower for instance involves a difficult, steep climb and Ms Hannan believes Bournemouth has been shunned largely because of its "elderly" image.

She said, "We suspect Bournemouth may be unpopular with our members - who are mainly 50-60 year old baby boomers - because Bournemouth has a reputation for catering to pensioners, whereas our members certainly don't think of themselves as over-the-hill just yet.

"It could well be that Bournemouth is synonymous with their parents' generation."

50Connect believe this is why Brighton - with its notoriously lively buzz - topped the poll to become Britain's Best Beach.

And Llandovery-born Dale Lovell, spokesman for 50Connect, says the Welsh beaches represent a new kind of over-50s person who is prepared to combine a visit to the beach with long country hikes or to do water skiing or even surfing.

He said, "As some of our voters commented, they want nice scenery, beaches which are not packed out and which have things to do like sailing or water skiing.

"And the over-50s of today do not mind a steep climb or long walk to get to a good beach like some of the more remote stretches of sand in Wales.

"Baby boomers think of themselves a lot differently to over-50s in previous generations.

"The last thing they want is to be bussed to somewhere like Bournemouth and to sit on a deckchair all day.

"They want to move around and take in the sea and country air."

The site invited young people to e-mail their perception of an over-50s person, with surprising results.

Mr Lovell said, "The idea began after we received an e-mail from a 25-year-old, describing the over-50s generation as, "spoilt and over-privileged with more money than fashion-sense " and with a " warped memory of how great the sixties and seventies actually were ."

He said, "Steve Coogan's character Tommy Saxondale (a sad former roadie always harping back to the glory days of 70s rock much to the boredom of youngsters around him) in the hit BBC2 comedy Saxondale summed up the over-50s for quite a few respondents.

"But one of the common perceptions of the over-50s was as energetic powerbrokers like PM Tony Blair or balloon flying entrepreneur Richard Branson. And when it comes to women actress Kim Basinger and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were seen as good, powerful examples of what women can be like after reaching the big five-o.

"Baby boomers are comfortable with their place in history and still like to think of themselves as a 'dynamic generation'.

"However what baby boomers think about themselves may differ considerably from how they are perceived by the younger generation, which is why we want more younger people to get in touch."

A Swansea council spokesman said, "We are all familiar with Rhossili and Three Cliffs and other popular beaches receiving awards and recognition so it is great that another beach has been recognised this time.

"Brandy Cove, once a popular beach for smuggling, offers an interesting alternative to other more frequented beaches."

A spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government said yesterday, "The only surprise in this survey is that two of the top six beaches are NOT in Wales! With some 750 miles of coastline - most of it unspoilt with sparsely populated rural Wales in the hinterland - Wales has some of the best beaches in the United Kingdom."

The top 10 British beaches for over-50s

1. Brighton: 1,088 votes

2. Llandudno, North Wales: 851 votes

3. Blackpool: 721 votes

4. Newgale Sands, Pembrokeshire: 560 votes.

5. Portmeirion: 435 votes.

6. Brandy Cove, Gower Peninsula, South Wales: 397 votes.

7. Bournemouth: 120 votes.

8. Woolacombe Bay, Devon: 83 votes

9. Whitby, Yorks. : 64

10. Southwold, Suffolk: 45

What's the best beach in Wales?