Eden celebrates fifth birthday (From Bucks Free Press)
Send your news, photos and videos by texting bucksfreepress to 80360 or email
Wycombe's Eden centre celebrates fifth birthday
7:05pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News By Simon Farr
Eden celebrates it's fifth birthday
SHOPPERS and Eden workers formed the number five to celebrate the High Wycombe shopping centre’s fifth birthday.
About 50 workers and shoppers, lured in by Krispe Kreme doughnuts, gathered outside Eden’s flagship store House of Fraser to mark the shopping centre’s fifth anniversary today.
Goodie bags and vouchers were also handed out to lucky shopaholics – who were full of praise for the positive effect Eden has had on the town.
Mica Lisk, 22, said: “It’s brilliant, it has got everything I could possibly need and I pop in every day in my lunchbreak.
“I wasn’t here pre-Eden but I’m told Wycombe was run-down and this revitalised the town, so it has done great things.”
David Griffin, who has been manager of Shopmobility for 20 years, said his organisation has been able to help double the amount of people since its office moved into the shopping centre.
He said: “Eden has put Wycombe on the map, unfortunately the timing with the economic climate isn’t ideal, but it is still doing well and is a major success story.
“I remember this area [House of Fraser] was old office blocks and a dirty bus station in which the diesel fumes choked you.
“Now, it looks good, the car-parking has more than doubled and it has rejuvenated High Wycombe – it’s what we were lacking.”
Clare Podbieleski, shopping with mum June and three-year-old daughter Pollyanna Richards, said: “I moved here about that time and it was rubbish – but I like Eden, it's a good shopping centre.”
Thousands of people lined the streets as Brazilian dancers and a brass band performed at Eden’s firework-filled launch on March 13, 2008.
Cllr Lesley Clarke, who was Leader of Wycombe District Council at the time, opened the shopping centre and hailed its impact.
She said: “I think it has given a lot to the town and it is not just the retail side, we have a new bus station which was desperately needed, we have a cinema in the town centre – it has been a big plus for Wycombe.
“I think Eden is better than I thought it would be. Some of the other shopping centres are boiling hot and Eden was never meant to be an enclosed space. I think it’s really nice.
“And hopefully it will only get better. We were lucky in the sense it came just before the credit crunch, but obviously that has had an effect on its growth.
“Now we have to look at Frogmoor and the High Street, which will be part of the council’s Masterplan.”
Click here to view a picture gallery of five years of Eden.
Comments(29)
gpn01
says...
9:10pm Wed 13 Mar 13
.
Worrying also that she says "“I think Eden is better than I thought it would be. Some of the other shopping centres are boiling hot and Eden was never meant to be an enclosed space. I think it’s really nice. ". I can only presume that she's never visited the shopping centres at Uxbridge (air conditioned), Westfield (air conditioned), Reading Oracle (air conditioned). Which centres has she been too which are boiling???
ImpeturbableLawrence
says...
9:12pm Wed 13 Mar 13
(Take no notice of igor - we were better off before the monstrosity was unleashed.)
ivor
says...
9:18pm Wed 13 Mar 13
ImpeturbableLawrence wrote:I can only think of one word beginning with the letter 'S' that could be used to describe the complex!
Isn't that amazing? I wonder if those people in the photo realised they were standing in a group that- from above - formed the shape of a letter 'S'.
(Take no notice of igor - we were better off before the monstrosity was unleashed.)
~
Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “Your say” then “Blogs” links at the top of this page.
ivor
says...
9:23pm Wed 13 Mar 13
~
One can feel a blog coming on about this topic....
~
Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “Your say” then “Blogs” links at the top of this page.
ImpeturbableLawrence
says...
9:33pm Wed 13 Mar 13
BOOKERite
says...
10:19pm Wed 13 Mar 13
ImpeturbableLawrence
says...
11:36pm Wed 13 Mar 13
ImpeturbableLawrence wrote:(I mean ivor - before he was unleashed.)
Isn't that amazing? I wonder if those people in the photo realised they were standing in a group that- from above - formed the shape of a letter 'S'.
(Take no notice of igor - we were better off before the monstrosity was unleashed.)
ImpeturbableLawrence
says...
11:39pm Wed 13 Mar 13
BOOKERite wrote:I wonder if it was the choice of Steve Hayes.
Very poor judgement by Lesley Clarke in choosing the design of the wind tunnel - if it was her choice?
ImpeturbableLawrence
says...
11:41pm Wed 13 Mar 13
1wycombe
says...
6:36am Thu 14 Mar 13
demoness the second
says...
8:26am Thu 14 Mar 13
1wycombe wrote:Why?
my friend use to have his own small shop in the old octagon bit the RATES killed him off. so he left and 5 other traders half of the OCTAGON is empty. wait till john lewis opens its fashion selection it be GOOD BYE TO HOUSE OF FRASER..
Are John Lewis going to be cheaper than the House of Fraser then?
Will they have more of a selection?
Will there be other shops moving in around it as well?
1wycombe
says...
8:54am Thu 14 Mar 13
gotanybiscuits?
says...
9:03am Thu 14 Mar 13
demoness the second wrote:Because I can drive right up to John Lewis door, & park there for free.
1wycombe wrote:Why?
my friend use to have his own small shop in the old octagon bit the RATES killed him off. so he left and 5 other traders half of the OCTAGON is empty. wait till john lewis opens its fashion selection it be GOOD BYE TO HOUSE OF FRASER..
Are John Lewis going to be cheaper than the House of Fraser then?
Will they have more of a selection?
Will there be other shops moving in around it as well?
.
Simples.
Garrob
says...
9:17am Thu 14 Mar 13
Ivor'sbestfriend
says...
10:04am Thu 14 Mar 13
Garrob wrote:*Waits for Ivor to praise the wonderful design of the old bus station*.
Yes it's better than what was there before (the dark, dingy and sometimes scary bus station), but the variety of shops is poor, great if you are a fashion concious caffine addict who changes their phone every month. Me, I just use Tesco's, M&S and the bus station, all of which we had before. Also great if you like getting dripped on, rained on or blown about, enjoy
johnmfritz
says...
10:47am Thu 14 Mar 13
demoness the second
says...
10:52am Thu 14 Mar 13
gotanybiscuits? wrote:Well personally I think that it is a horrible place full of rude women who drive 4x4s and people who are basically snobs that like to boast they bought things from "John Lewis" because to them it indicates that they are somehow higher up on the social spectrum.
demoness the second wrote:Because I can drive right up to John Lewis door, & park there for free.
1wycombe wrote:Why?
my friend use to have his own small shop in the old octagon bit the RATES killed him off. so he left and 5 other traders half of the OCTAGON is empty. wait till john lewis opens its fashion selection it be GOOD BYE TO HOUSE OF FRASER..
Are John Lewis going to be cheaper than the House of Fraser then?
Will they have more of a selection?
Will there be other shops moving in around it as well?
.
Simples.
I loathe the place - the car park is awful.
bennyfromtheblock
says...
12:16pm Thu 14 Mar 13
demoness the second wrote:AGREED!
gotanybiscuits? wrote:Well personally I think that it is a horrible place full of rude women who drive 4x4s and people who are basically snobs that like to boast they bought things from "John Lewis" because to them it indicates that they are somehow higher up on the social spectrum.
demoness the second wrote:Because I can drive right up to John Lewis door, & park there for free.
1wycombe wrote:Why?
my friend use to have his own small shop in the old octagon bit the RATES killed him off. so he left and 5 other traders half of the OCTAGON is empty. wait till john lewis opens its fashion selection it be GOOD BYE TO HOUSE OF FRASER..
Are John Lewis going to be cheaper than the House of Fraser then?
Will they have more of a selection?
Will there be other shops moving in around it as well?
.
Simples.
I loathe the place - the car park is awful.
readerabc
says...
3:55pm Thu 14 Mar 13
i dont want to buy new clothes and change my mobile evey week- i can't afford to !!
gotanybiscuits?
says...
4:37pm Thu 14 Mar 13
demoness the second wrote:dts: I agree totally!
gotanybiscuits? wrote:Well personally I think that it is a horrible place full of rude women who drive 4x4s and people who are basically snobs that like to boast they bought things from "John Lewis" because to them it indicates that they are somehow higher up on the social spectrum.
demoness the second wrote:Because I can drive right up to John Lewis door, & park there for free.
1wycombe wrote:Why?
my friend use to have his own small shop in the old octagon bit the RATES killed him off. so he left and 5 other traders half of the OCTAGON is empty. wait till john lewis opens its fashion selection it be GOOD BYE TO HOUSE OF FRASER..
Are John Lewis going to be cheaper than the House of Fraser then?
Will they have more of a selection?
Will there be other shops moving in around it as well?
.
Simples.
I loathe the place - the car park is awful.
I was merely stating the obvious reason for not visiting the hateful town centre.
John Lewis is convenient & readily accessible without penalty charges.
If you have half a day to waste, & don't mind the cost, inconvenience, etc., of going to HW, then carry on doing so.
It does not suit me.
1wycombe
says...
5:20pm Thu 14 Mar 13
johnmfritz wrote:not a bad idea it will stop the stabbings and car park jumpers. EDEN is well known for that..
The shutting of Eden would cause more celebrations in my case!
buser
says...
8:05pm Thu 14 Mar 13
Eden is lovely, lots of nice shops, but I hate the car park and for me personally, it is not very accessible, my problem, not the shopping centres fault, and in bad weather, it is jolly hard work!
Bounty8
says...
9:10pm Thu 14 Mar 13
Think Tesco rules WDC...
buser
says...
9:35pm Thu 14 Mar 13
demoness the second
says...
10:46pm Thu 14 Mar 13
buser wrote:Sorry Buser - the 4x4 remark was not aimed at you. There is definitely a place for them.. but not all people who drive them need them and do it to "keep up with the Joneses IMO"
Big feet as usual! Severely physically disabled, all I can say is, 'I love John Lewis'! They are very kind and helpful, if it is raining/ blowing a gale, I telephone in from my car and bless, someone will come out, get my trolley and walk me in. I do apologise for the 4x4, if I could actually get into a smaller car and fit wheelchair, walking trolley etc. in, plus drive it safely, I really would, for me it isn't a status symbol or a posing machine, it is my legs and my bit of independence.
Eden is lovely, lots of nice shops, but I hate the car park and for me personally, it is not very accessible, my problem, not the shopping centres fault, and in bad weather, it is jolly hard work!
I still hate JL though :D
ImpeturbableLawrence
says...
11:23pm Thu 14 Mar 13
Ivor'sbestfriend wrote:He’s praised it in his latest blog - so silly, hackneyed, and predictable.
Garrob wrote:*Waits for Ivor to praise the wonderful design of the old bus station*.
Yes it's better than what was there before (the dark, dingy and sometimes scary bus station), but the variety of shops is poor, great if you are a fashion concious caffine addict who changes their phone every month. Me, I just use Tesco's, M&S and the bus station, all of which we had before. Also great if you like getting dripped on, rained on or blown about, enjoy
Elmo
says...
8:24am Fri 15 Mar 13
ImpeturbableLawrence
says...
11:19am Fri 15 Mar 13
Elmo wrote:I moved to New Zealand because of the decimalisation of the coinage (see: http://www.bucksfree
All I know is the Eden signified the end of Uncles student burger. It's why I moved to Sunderland.
press.co.uk/yoursay/
opinion/blogs/885490
1.Remembering_D_Day/
)
(I came back again. )
ivor says...
8:01pm Wed 13 Mar 13
~
There is no doubt the complex killed off the High Street and resulted in a multitude of 'To Let' boards hanging like albatrosses above some of the towns most historic buildings.
~
We were better off before the monstrosity was built!
~
Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “Your say” then “Blogs” links at the top of this page.