Three Wycombe stores close but Toys R Us to open (From Bucks Free Press)

i loved la tasca, brilliant chain.

i wonder where toys r u s will be.
I see the other toy store is moving

I heard toys r us is going to be a 'pop up store' so might only be around up until Christmas.

“However, Eden still enjoys strong footfall, bucking the national trend and producing positive growth figures" ..... whilst the rest of the town suffers through lack of proper investment and any significant help from the local councils.

I bed Eden are charging Toys r us close to zero rent.

What Wycombe really needs is something big to attract more people into the town. I know a new sports stadium. Oh no Wycombe doesn't want that it's doing really well with its flourishing hospital and vibrant Eden Centre.

Having lived here for 8 years now the town is a mixed bag.

When I arrived we had the awful Bridge Street car park and other drab areas including that disgusting bus station - now the area looks fantastic and has a vast array of shops.

The negative of the area is that security seem to think its ok to let large gangs of youths hang around the place intimidating shoppers - sort it out!

The other negative - The town centre itself. Another charity shop has just opened up next to Greggs. The whole town looks awful. When the market is on there is a really good atmosphere but when its not...........horrib
le place. No shops, even Pizza Hut cut their losses. Gutted.

The problem is Wycombe is like any other Greater London town - full of people who live and work in the capital and dont invest in the town itself. Hemel, Gillingham, Slough, Maidenhead, Stevenage etc etc - all the same.

Yet there are an equal number of Greater London towns which are quite pleasant & have popular & successful town centres.......Watfor
d, Uxbridge, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City etc. And i disagree about Hemel, its loads better/nicer than HW, in my opinion at least. Well, not that I've been into HW since 2010, but it doesnt sound like much has changed.

So HW (and the others listed in previous post) must be doing something wrong. We cant blame it on London!

Well all the people who live in Wycombe and hate it should really move to Uxbridge , Watford etc.
.
Then everybody will be happy - all the complainants will then be happy in their new homes and the rest of Wycombe will no longer have to listen to all the moaning about how horrible it is.
.
Also why not try Scunthorpe too ; or Oldham or Rochdale or Middlesborough or Hull or Torbay or Cardiff or Nottingham or parts of Brum or Coventry or Sunderland etc . Or anywhere.

realist_highwycombe wrote:
Having lived here for 8 years now the town is a mixed bag.

When I arrived we had the awful Bridge Street car park and other drab areas including that disgusting bus station - now the area looks fantastic and has a vast array of shops.

The negative of the area is that security seem to think its ok to let large gangs of youths hang around the place intimidating shoppers - sort it out!

The other negative - The town centre itself. Another charity shop has just opened up next to Greggs. The whole town looks awful. When the market is on there is a really good atmosphere but when its not...........horrib

le place. No shops, even Pizza Hut cut their losses. Gutted.

The problem is Wycombe is like any other Greater London town - full of people who live and work in the capital and dont invest in the town itself. Hemel, Gillingham, Slough, Maidenhead, Stevenage etc etc - all the same.

agree 100% with this post.
Moved to wycombe in 2007 and it was dreadful. Eden has improved things - but I stil do not feel the footfall in Eden is strong enough (since it opened in addition to the above shops i can think of richoux, goldsmiths, joy, lk bennett, triumph, hawkins bazarr, rons frames, west one, past times that have all closed their eden outlets).
the atmosphere in town (except on a market day) is a bit flat and full of chuggers.

The night life is poor too, with so many students (doing their meaningless degrees at the 118th best uni in the country) you would expect it to be alot better

J B Blackett wrote:
Well all the people who live in Wycombe and hate it should really move to Uxbridge , Watford etc.
.
Then everybody will be happy - all the complainants will then be happy in their new homes and the rest of Wycombe will no longer have to listen to all the moaning about how horrible it is.
.
Also why not try Scunthorpe too ; or Oldham or Rochdale or Middlesborough or Hull or Torbay or Cardiff or Nottingham or parts of Brum or Coventry or Sunderland etc . Or anywhere.

i tried nottingham for 3 years

The council should offer incentives/reduced rates for independent/small/lo
cal businesses to operate in the area. Would create a far better vibe/impression to the area then the endless charity shops.

J B Blackett wrote:
Well all the people who live in Wycombe and hate it should really move to Uxbridge , Watford etc.
.
Then everybody will be happy - all the complainants will then be happy in their new homes and the rest of Wycombe will no longer have to listen to all the moaning about how horrible it is.
.
Also why not try Scunthorpe too ; or Oldham or Rochdale or Middlesborough or Hull or Torbay or Cardiff or Nottingham or parts of Brum or Coventry or Sunderland etc . Or anywhere.

Luckily I dont live in HW, its just my nearest town. Are you suggesting anywhere would be a better place to live than HW? I wouldn't quite go that far, but from your list, Birmingham, Nottingham & Cardiff have amazing city centre shopping & nightlife but cant really be compared to HW as they are much bigger. I've lived in all 3 (as well as Coventry, which IS a dump) but I agree - if people live in HW & dont like it........move.

Sad to see La Tasca go, they did lovely food.

Slacker wrote:
Sad to see La Tasca go, they did lovely food.

Ditto Mona Lisa, ditto Richoux, ditto Deanos...ho hum!

Slacker wrote:
Sad to see La Tasca go, they did lovely food.

Ditto Mona Lisa, ditto Richoux, ditto Deanos...ho hum!

fishyfingerz wrote:

J B Blackett wrote:
Well all the people who live in Wycombe and hate it should really move to Uxbridge , Watford etc.
.
Then everybody will be happy - all the complainants will then be happy in their new homes and the rest of Wycombe will no longer have to listen to all the moaning about how horrible it is.
.
Also why not try Scunthorpe too ; or Oldham or Rochdale or Middlesborough or Hull or Torbay or Cardiff or Nottingham or parts of Brum or Coventry or Sunderland etc . Or anywhere.

i tried nottingham for 3 years

Likewise - but in Birmingham. And then in Scotland for 2

I think it is a little sad that people are not allowed to criticize the town they live in.
At the moment it is fair to say that Wycombe is a wretched place to visit - Eden is fab but it is not enough.
We do need the small shops as well and actually Wycombe would benefit from a town council.

What the Hell is "strong footfall?" Customers with size 18 boots?

ArnyP_HW wrote:

Slacker wrote:
Sad to see La Tasca go, they did lovely food.

Ditto Mona Lisa, ditto Richoux, ditto Deanos...ho hum!

mona lisa was excellent

richoux and deans were the same company.

maybe if la tasca had some staff that cared not uninterested eastern europeans then it would of been as sucessful as the other branches in the chain.

la tasca went into administration in 2008, and was sucessfully brought out - so that is not a reason for it closing.

fishyfingerz wrote:

ArnyP_HW wrote:

Slacker wrote:
Sad to see La Tasca go, they did lovely food.

Ditto Mona Lisa, ditto Richoux, ditto Deanos...ho hum!

mona lisa was excellent

richoux and deans were the same company.

maybe if la tasca had some staff that cared not uninterested eastern europeans then it would of been as sucessful as the other branches in the chain.

la tasca went into administration in 2008, and was sucessfully brought out - so that is not a reason for it closing.

The one is Aylesbury is superb but the location is slightly better I think.

fishyfingerz wrote:

realist_highwycombe wrote:
Having lived here for 8 years now the town is a mixed bag.

When I arrived we had the awful Bridge Street car park and other drab areas including that disgusting bus station - now the area looks fantastic and has a vast array of shops.

The negative of the area is that security seem to think its ok to let large gangs of youths hang around the place intimidating shoppers - sort it out!

The other negative - The town centre itself. Another charity shop has just opened up next to Greggs. The whole town looks awful. When the market is on there is a really good atmosphere but when its not...........horrib


le place. No shops, even Pizza Hut cut their losses. Gutted.

The problem is Wycombe is like any other Greater London town - full of people who live and work in the capital and dont invest in the town itself. Hemel, Gillingham, Slough, Maidenhead, Stevenage etc etc - all the same.

agree 100% with this post.
Moved to wycombe in 2007 and it was dreadful. Eden has improved things - but I stil do not feel the footfall in Eden is strong enough (since it opened in addition to the above shops i can think of richoux, goldsmiths, joy, lk bennett, triumph, hawkins bazarr, rons frames, west one, past times that have all closed their eden outlets).
the atmosphere in town (except on a market day) is a bit flat and full of chuggers.

The night life is poor too, with so many students (doing their meaningless degrees at the 118th best uni in the country) you would expect it to be alot better

If you do your research , you may find your '118th' is a bit incorrect and out of date. The actual position is currently 93 and rising.
.
It is after all 'New' University and was obliged to start at the bottom like Oxford and Cambridge probably did - but they've be at it for hundreds of years now.
.
They do not provide the established 'hard sciences like Physics , Biosciences , Medicine , Anatomy etc as provided by older establishments . Or any of the Engineering degrees like mechanical , chemical , civil or electrical.
.
However the Engineering Materials course scores well - as does Nursing , Social work , Art/Design etc.
.
Early days. Prospectuses and facilities take a while to get build up and get funded.

demoness the second wrote:
I think it is a little sad that people are not allowed to criticize the town they live in.
At the moment it is fair to say that Wycombe is a wretched place to visit - Eden is fab but it is not enough.
We do need the small shops as well and actually Wycombe would benefit from a town council.

bluebanana wrote :
.
Luckily I dont live in HW, its just my nearest town.

This is article is the third from top one of the ‘Most popular Most read’ articles on the BFP website - under this heading there are ten articles. Eight of them have been posted on the BFP site within the last 48 hours since 25 September.

The article on the man who was airlifted to hospital after what must have been a right-on confrontation at Downley was posted one day earlier on 24 September.

The other article more than 48 hours old is is ‘1. Wycombe's inspiration for The Mighty Boosh’ - apparently the most read article on the site. This has been the most read article in the BFP since it was posted at lunchtime on Saturday 10th September – seventeen days ago and comments are no longer allowed on it. The Mighty Boosh is the name for a two-man comedy team – I wonder if one of them is the one has a close relation at a senior level of management in Newsquest – possibly at Loudwater.”

dont worry about shops closing down in high wycombe the news is its going to be the new...... las vegas.... well the amount of betting shops in high wycombe is frightning ive counted 10 at least and more to come so wait for the bright lights at christmas may be not lol or drive thru weddings.???

Not Das Kebab Kapital then ?

realist_highwycombe wrote:
Having lived here for 8 years now the town is a mixed bag.

When I arrived we had the awful Bridge Street car park and other drab areas including that disgusting bus station - now the area looks fantastic and has a vast array of shops.

The negative of the area is that security seem to think its ok to let large gangs of youths hang around the place intimidating shoppers - sort it out!

The other negative - The town centre itself. Another charity shop has just opened up next to Greggs. The whole town looks awful. When the market is on there is a really good atmosphere but when its not...........horrib

le place. No shops, even Pizza Hut cut their losses. Gutted.

The problem is Wycombe is like any other Greater London town - full of people who live and work in the capital and dont invest in the town itself. Hemel, Gillingham, Slough, Maidenhead, Stevenage etc etc - all the same.

If you think that 'the area looks fantastic' you're easily pleased. Walked through the wind tunnel today - there is hardly any light coming in, natural or otherwise, and it was a sunny day. There are very few seats to encourage people to linger, there were very few people around, and it was lunchtime. I bet Uxbridge or Watford had a much better 'footfall' today.

ImpeturbableLawrence wrote:
This is article is the third from top one of the ‘Most popular Most read’ articles on the BFP website - under this heading there are ten articles. Eight of them have been posted on the BFP site within the last 48 hours since 25 September. The article on the man who was airlifted to hospital after what must have been a right-on confrontation at Downley was posted one day earlier on 24 September. The other article more than 48 hours old is is ‘1. Wycombe's inspiration for The Mighty Boosh’ - apparently the most read article on the site. This has been the most read article in the BFP since it was posted at lunchtime on Saturday 10th September – seventeen days ago and comments are no longer allowed on it. The Mighty Boosh is the name for a two-man comedy team – I wonder if one of them is the one has a close relation at a senior level of management in Newsquest – possibly at Loudwater.”

It was posted on 10 Sept 2011, so that is 382 days ago (I guess it has been a slow year for news).

wearywasp wrote:
What Wycombe really needs is something big to attract more people into the town. I know a new sports stadium. Oh no Wycombe doesn't want that it's doing really well with its flourishing hospital and vibrant Eden Centre.

A new stadium miles from the centre and close to the motorway would have brought in very few people into the town centre. Easy to get to also means easy to get away from.
.
Nobody would come by train and walk through the town, it's too far away.
.
We know that building out-of-town shopping centres has destroyed the centres of many towns across the UK. Why would an out-of-town stadium do the opposite?
.
Sore you didn't get a free new stadium you may be, but don't try and tell us that it would have made a big difference. It would not.

BOOKERite wrote:

realist_highwycombe wrote:
Having lived here for 8 years now the town is a mixed bag.

When I arrived we had the awful Bridge Street car park and other drab areas including that disgusting bus station - now the area looks fantastic and has a vast array of shops.

The negative of the area is that security seem to think its ok to let large gangs of youths hang around the place intimidating shoppers - sort it out!

The other negative - The town centre itself. Another charity shop has just opened up next to Greggs. The whole town looks awful. When the market is on there is a really good atmosphere but when its not...........horrib


le place. No shops, even Pizza Hut cut their losses. Gutted.

The problem is Wycombe is like any other Greater London town - full of people who live and work in the capital and dont invest in the town itself. Hemel, Gillingham, Slough, Maidenhead, Stevenage etc etc - all the same.

If you think that 'the area looks fantastic' you're easily pleased. Walked through the wind tunnel today - there is hardly any light coming in, natural or otherwise, and it was a sunny day. There are very few seats to encourage people to linger, there were very few people around, and it was lunchtime. I bet Uxbridge or Watford had a much better 'footfall' today.

Yes, I prefer to go to the Harlequin Centre in Watford IF I ever go shopping. Much better facilities, shops and places to eat than in High Wycombe.

fishyfingerz wrote:

ArnyP_HW wrote:

Slacker wrote:
Sad to see La Tasca go, they did lovely food.

Ditto Mona Lisa, ditto Richoux, ditto Deanos...ho hum!

mona lisa was excellent

richoux and deans were the same company.

maybe if la tasca had some staff that cared not uninterested eastern europeans then it would of been as sucessful as the other branches in the chain.

la tasca went into administration in 2008, and was sucessfully brought out - so that is not a reason for it closing.

Administration is the reason for it closing down. Several are closing down in the local area, including a couple up in Leicester.

This town clearly doesn't have an actual planning department. I think they just roll dice to see whats in and whats not. That's why there's no cohesion. No real appeal to the place. No sense of safety. Poor public transport. Poor road network. Poor facilities & shops. Just a general lack of dynamism from the authorities, and when they do have a big idea, it's something completely inappropriate like the stadium plan.

brachyura wrote:

ImpeturbableLawrence wrote:
This is article is the third from top one of the ‘Most popular Most read’ articles on the BFP website - under this heading there are ten articles. Eight of them have been posted on the BFP site within the last 48 hours since 25 September. The article on the man who was airlifted to hospital after what must have been a right-on confrontation at Downley was posted one day earlier on 24 September. The other article more than 48 hours old is is ‘1. Wycombe's inspiration for The Mighty Boosh’ - apparently the most read article on the site. This has been the most read article in the BFP since it was posted at lunchtime on Saturday 10th September – seventeen days ago and comments are no longer allowed on it. The Mighty Boosh is the name for a two-man comedy team – I wonder if one of them is the one has a close relation at a senior level of management in Newsquest – possibly at Loudwater.”

It was posted on 10 Sept 2011, so that is 382 days ago (I guess it has been a slow year for news).

It's probably linked from another site or through Google. Interesting to note that a story from over a year ago draws more traffic to this site than anything that is supposedly newsworthy in this area.

The hits from that story is probably what's keeping the BFP afloat.

I have also lived in Wycombe for 8 years and I never understand why so many people are so eager to slate it. Personally I love living here. Yes, the town centre is struggling a bit. Sign of the times - go to most market town centres and you will find the same thing. I grew up in a market town in Leicestershire and the place is a ghost town. Wycombe is faring better than most places I've visited in recent years - and that in includes Uxbridge, my previous residence. Utterly soulless place. I was originally against Eden in terms of the perceived detriment to the rest of the town but I now think that the town would be poorer still without it. Eden gives people both from Wycombe and beyond a reason to come in to the town centre rather than somewhere else - Reading, Watford or wherever. Previous comparisons to Birmingham, Cardiff etc are nonsense. We're talking about a small market town, not a major city. My perception of the university is that, whilst not recognised as a pinnacle of traditional academic excellence, it has a reputation as creative and progressive and that surely has to be a good thing for the town. In essence, whilst there will always be lots of things that our council could do better to support the town fundamentally it's actually, for me, a great place and the grass is not as green elsewhere.

geoffW wrote:

wearywasp wrote:
What Wycombe really needs is something big to attract more people into the town. I know a new sports stadium. Oh no Wycombe doesn't want that it's doing really well with its flourishing hospital and vibrant Eden Centre.

A new stadium miles from the centre and close to the motorway would have brought in very few people into the town centre. Easy to get to also means easy to get away from.
.
Nobody would come by train and walk through the town, it's too far away.
.
We know that building out-of-town shopping centres has destroyed the centres of many towns across the UK. Why would an out-of-town stadium do the opposite?
.
Sore you didn't get a free new stadium you may be, but don't try and tell us that it would have made a big difference. It would not.

You are right.It looks like the club will build their new stadium away from the Wycombe area now. What a massive economic boost it will be to the town when they go!!!!!

People talking about Hemel, Aylesbury and Watford like they are 'destinations' is just hilarious - talk about a poverty of aspiration. HW is fine for a mid-range, 'pop down the town' shopping experience: if you want something bigger and better then go to London - guess what, it's just 27 miles up the road! Just 9 miles further than, er, the less exciting prospect of Aylesbury which has a lot less to offer than Wycombe. If you don't like HW then move.

YorksDavey wrote:
This town clearly doesn't have an actual planning department. I think they just roll dice to see whats in and whats not. That's why there's no cohesion. No real appeal to the place. No sense of safety. Poor public transport. Poor road network. Poor facilities & shops. Just a general lack of dynamism from the authorities, and when they do have a big idea, it's something completely inappropriate like the stadium plan.

But it does have a property department that is pushing for a new out of town foodstore to be built.

gpn01 wrote:

YorksDavey wrote:
This town clearly doesn't have an actual planning department. I think they just roll dice to see whats in and whats not. That's why there's no cohesion. No real appeal to the place. No sense of safety. Poor public transport. Poor road network. Poor facilities & shops. Just a general lack of dynamism from the authorities, and when they do have a big idea, it's something completely inappropriate like the stadium plan.

But it does have a property department that is pushing for a new out of town foodstore to be built.

I think the wrong design was chosen for the Eden Centre. It was a complete missed opportunity, not to bring the river to the surface, not to put a proper roof over the whole area etc. Correct me if I am wrong but I suspect that the property department were responsible for these misjudgements, not the planning department.

Speins wrote:
People talking about Hemel, Aylesbury and Watford like they are 'destinations' is just hilarious - talk about a poverty of aspiration. HW is fine for a mid-range, 'pop down the town' shopping experience: if you want something bigger and better then go to London - guess what, it's just 27 miles up the road! Just 9 miles further than, er, the less exciting prospect of Aylesbury which has a lot less to offer than Wycombe. If you don't like HW then move.

I live in Aylesbury but previous to that I lived in HW for most of my life. I therefore think I am qualified to make a comparison.
As a town Aylesbury is cleaner and more attractive. It has a town council which is always organising events - I would love to see that in HW. It has a wonderful market and Kings Square has an almost continental feel about it as there are loads of cafes where people can sit outside.
The High Street has a lot of interesting shops in it still.
It has a cinema which is easily accessible and the most wonderful theatre. It also has a great range of restaurants.
It will be getting a Waitrose and also a larger Sainsburys soon,
It's out of town shopping facilities are great - a large TKMaxx, and Next being particularly good.
There is a real community feel about Aylesbury - that is sadly lacking in HW.
However I think the difference is that HW has been allowed to get in the state that it is by poor planning and by a lackadaisical council. It desperately needs its own voice - I am not going to run it down for the sake of it,but a recent visit there made me realise just how shabby it is.
Aylesbury is absolutely drenched in colour at the moment - hanging baskets and floral arrangements are everywhere - it makes the town look wonderful.
Where is Wycombe's?

And yes I know what the crime rate is like in my part of the world but any large town has similar problems and that is not what we are debating.

if the toys r us store is a pop up store, i am sure they are paying very little (if any ) rent.
shows great support from eden for its current tenants - 2 toy shops which are here long term and probably pay alot more rent that toys r us will do

Wycombe needs a good bookstore. The Waterstones is utterly dire.

Patch290 wrote:
I have also lived in Wycombe for 8 years and I never understand why so many people are so eager to slate it. Personally I love living here. Yes, the town centre is struggling a bit. Sign of the times - go to most market town centres and you will find the same thing. I grew up in a market town in Leicestershire and the place is a ghost town. Wycombe is faring better than most places I've visited in recent years - and that in includes Uxbridge, my previous residence. Utterly soulless place. I was originally against Eden in terms of the perceived detriment to the rest of the town but I now think that the town would be poorer still without it. Eden gives people both from Wycombe and beyond a reason to come in to the town centre rather than somewhere else - Reading, Watford or wherever. Previous comparisons to Birmingham, Cardiff etc are nonsense. We're talking about a small market town, not a major city. My perception of the university is that, whilst not recognised as a pinnacle of traditional academic excellence, it has a reputation as creative and progressive and that surely has to be a good thing for the town. In essence, whilst there will always be lots of things that our council could do better to support the town fundamentally it's actually, for me, a great place and the grass is not as green elsewhere.

Absolutely right. I've lived in Wycombe for 30 years (since I was born, in fact), and it's immeasurably improved in that time.

Those citing Uxbridge and Watford as nicer places must have a slightly skewed view of what is "nice"!

Also, there's nothing wrong with the design of Eden - the lack of a proper roof is, in my opinion, a feature rather than a flaw - I'd much rather have fresh air and feel that I'm shopping in a "street" than horrible stuffy air conditioning and feel hemmed-in; you can get that shopping experience in Uxbridge, Slough, Watford, Reading, Hemel, etc. etc. etc.

wearywasp wrote:

geoffW wrote:

wearywasp wrote: What Wycombe really needs is something big to attract more people into the town. I know a new sports stadium. Oh no Wycombe doesn't want that it's doing really well with its flourishing hospital and vibrant Eden Centre.

A new stadium miles from the centre and close to the motorway would have brought in very few people into the town centre. Easy to get to also means easy to get away from. . Nobody would come by train and walk through the town, it's too far away. . We know that building out-of-town shopping centres has destroyed the centres of many towns across the UK. Why would an out-of-town stadium do the opposite? . Sore you didn't get a free new stadium you may be, but don't try and tell us that it would have made a big difference. It would not.

You are right.It looks like the club will build their new stadium away from the Wycombe area now. What a massive economic boost it will be to the town when they go!!!!!

"..... looks like the club will build their new stadium....."

Oh - they're building their own stadium now are they? Not found another Council to build it for them?!

gajcook wrote:

Patch290 wrote:
I have also lived in Wycombe for 8 years and I never understand why so many people are so eager to slate it. Personally I love living here. Yes, the town centre is struggling a bit. Sign of the times - go to most market town centres and you will find the same thing. I grew up in a market town in Leicestershire and the place is a ghost town. Wycombe is faring better than most places I've visited in recent years - and that in includes Uxbridge, my previous residence. Utterly soulless place. I was originally against Eden in terms of the perceived detriment to the rest of the town but I now think that the town would be poorer still without it. Eden gives people both from Wycombe and beyond a reason to come in to the town centre rather than somewhere else - Reading, Watford or wherever. Previous comparisons to Birmingham, Cardiff etc are nonsense. We're talking about a small market town, not a major city. My perception of the university is that, whilst not recognised as a pinnacle of traditional academic excellence, it has a reputation as creative and progressive and that surely has to be a good thing for the town. In essence, whilst there will always be lots of things that our council could do better to support the town fundamentally it's actually, for me, a great place and the grass is not as green elsewhere.

Absolutely right. I've lived in Wycombe for 30 years (since I was born, in fact), and it's immeasurably improved in that time.

Those citing Uxbridge and Watford as nicer places must have a slightly skewed view of what is "nice"!

Also, there's nothing wrong with the design of Eden - the lack of a proper roof is, in my opinion, a feature rather than a flaw - I'd much rather have fresh air and feel that I'm shopping in a "street" than horrible stuffy air conditioning and feel hemmed-in; you can get that shopping experience in Uxbridge, Slough, Watford, Reading, Hemel, etc. etc. etc.

I concur.
.
Also a good wide-ranging book store for more discerning readers as Edna W wrote . Ottokars wasn't too bad - pity it got taken over by HMV then Waterstones in quick succession - then was shut down soon afterwards.
.
There was a good long established one in Princes Risborough but that closed nearly a couple of years ago.
.
People should be able to read whatever they like or prefer and given some choices as well. But if the pure pursuit of money and profit is the sole aim in a business , then lowest common denominators come into play.

demoness the second wrote:

Speins wrote:
People talking about Hemel, Aylesbury and Watford like they are 'destinations' is just hilarious - talk about a poverty of aspiration. HW is fine for a mid-range, 'pop down the town' shopping experience: if you want something bigger and better then go to London - guess what, it's just 27 miles up the road! Just 9 miles further than, er, the less exciting prospect of Aylesbury which has a lot less to offer than Wycombe. If you don't like HW then move.

I live in Aylesbury but previous to that I lived in HW for most of my life. I therefore think I am qualified to make a comparison.
As a town Aylesbury is cleaner and more attractive. It has a town council which is always organising events - I would love to see that in HW. It has a wonderful market and Kings Square has an almost continental feel about it as there are loads of cafes where people can sit outside.
The High Street has a lot of interesting shops in it still.
It has a cinema which is easily accessible and the most wonderful theatre. It also has a great range of restaurants.
It will be getting a Waitrose and also a larger Sainsburys soon,
It's out of town shopping facilities are great - a large TKMaxx, and Next being particularly good.
There is a real community feel about Aylesbury - that is sadly lacking in HW.
However I think the difference is that HW has been allowed to get in the state that it is by poor planning and by a lackadaisical council. It desperately needs its own voice - I am not going to run it down for the sake of it,but a recent visit there made me realise just how shabby it is.
Aylesbury is absolutely drenched in colour at the moment - hanging baskets and floral arrangements are everywhere - it makes the town look wonderful.
Where is Wycombe's?

And yes I know what the crime rate is like in my part of the world but any large town has similar problems and that is not what we are debating.

Ah ! Now Ivor Bigun (who always scorns and sneers at Wycombe) now reveals his/her/its true identity.

demoness the second wrote:

Speins wrote:
People talking about Hemel, Aylesbury and Watford like they are 'destinations' is just hilarious - talk about a poverty of aspiration. HW is fine for a mid-range, 'pop down the town' shopping experience: if you want something bigger and better then go to London - guess what, it's just 27 miles up the road! Just 9 miles further than, er, the less exciting prospect of Aylesbury which has a lot less to offer than Wycombe. If you don't like HW then move.

I live in Aylesbury but previous to that I lived in HW for most of my life. I therefore think I am qualified to make a comparison.
As a town Aylesbury is cleaner and more attractive. It has a town council which is always organising events - I would love to see that in HW. It has a wonderful market and Kings Square has an almost continental feel about it as there are loads of cafes where people can sit outside.
The High Street has a lot of interesting shops in it still.
It has a cinema which is easily accessible and the most wonderful theatre. It also has a great range of restaurants.
It will be getting a Waitrose and also a larger Sainsburys soon,
It's out of town shopping facilities are great - a large TKMaxx, and Next being particularly good.
There is a real community feel about Aylesbury - that is sadly lacking in HW.
However I think the difference is that HW has been allowed to get in the state that it is by poor planning and by a lackadaisical council. It desperately needs its own voice - I am not going to run it down for the sake of it,but a recent visit there made me realise just how shabby it is.
Aylesbury is absolutely drenched in colour at the moment - hanging baskets and floral arrangements are everywhere - it makes the town look wonderful.
Where is Wycombe's?

And yes I know what the crime rate is like in my part of the world but any large town has similar problems and that is not what we are debating.

Hopefully the new BID company will address some of these issues, they already have to a certain degree, the planters in Frogmore were their initiative, as are some of the hanging baskets, guess which ones are mantained by the Bid Company and which are maintained by the council.

J B Blackett wrote:

demoness the second wrote:

Speins wrote:
People talking about Hemel, Aylesbury and Watford like they are 'destinations' is just hilarious - talk about a poverty of aspiration. HW is fine for a mid-range, 'pop down the town' shopping experience: if you want something bigger and better then go to London - guess what, it's just 27 miles up the road! Just 9 miles further than, er, the less exciting prospect of Aylesbury which has a lot less to offer than Wycombe. If you don't like HW then move.

I live in Aylesbury but previous to that I lived in HW for most of my life. I therefore think I am qualified to make a comparison.
As a town Aylesbury is cleaner and more attractive. It has a town council which is always organising events - I would love to see that in HW. It has a wonderful market and Kings Square has an almost continental feel about it as there are loads of cafes where people can sit outside.
The High Street has a lot of interesting shops in it still.
It has a cinema which is easily accessible and the most wonderful theatre. It also has a great range of restaurants.
It will be getting a Waitrose and also a larger Sainsburys soon,
It's out of town shopping facilities are great - a large TKMaxx, and Next being particularly good.
There is a real community feel about Aylesbury - that is sadly lacking in HW.
However I think the difference is that HW has been allowed to get in the state that it is by poor planning and by a lackadaisical council. It desperately needs its own voice - I am not going to run it down for the sake of it,but a recent visit there made me realise just how shabby it is.
Aylesbury is absolutely drenched in colour at the moment - hanging baskets and floral arrangements are everywhere - it makes the town look wonderful.
Where is Wycombe's?

And yes I know what the crime rate is like in my part of the world but any large town has similar problems and that is not what we are debating.

Ah ! Now Ivor Bigun (who always scorns and sneers at Wycombe) now reveals his/her/its true identity.

I am not running down Wycombe - I am merely saying that it could be a lot better - I am not sneering or being scornful JBB. I am allowed to comment on why I think Wycombe could be better.
Have I been rude about it's people? No.
Have I made ridiculous remarks like Bigun? No,
Have I said that the crime rate is worse in Wycombe and wonderful in Aylesbury? No.
I have just said that IMO Aylesbury is ( at the moment) a nicer place to live.
But apparently according to the patron saint of Wycombe you are not allowed to do that.
JBB you need to really read what people write before attacking them.

sai-diva wrote:

demoness the second wrote:

Speins wrote:
People talking about Hemel, Aylesbury and Watford like they are 'destinations' is just hilarious - talk about a poverty of aspiration. HW is fine for a mid-range, 'pop down the town' shopping experience: if you want something bigger and better then go to London - guess what, it's just 27 miles up the road! Just 9 miles further than, er, the less exciting prospect of Aylesbury which has a lot less to offer than Wycombe. If you don't like HW then move.

I live in Aylesbury but previous to that I lived in HW for most of my life. I therefore think I am qualified to make a comparison.
As a town Aylesbury is cleaner and more attractive. It has a town council which is always organising events - I would love to see that in HW. It has a wonderful market and Kings Square has an almost continental feel about it as there are loads of cafes where people can sit outside.
The High Street has a lot of interesting shops in it still.
It has a cinema which is easily accessible and the most wonderful theatre. It also has a great range of restaurants.
It will be getting a Waitrose and also a larger Sainsburys soon,
It's out of town shopping facilities are great - a large TKMaxx, and Next being particularly good.
There is a real community feel about Aylesbury - that is sadly lacking in HW.
However I think the difference is that HW has been allowed to get in the state that it is by poor planning and by a lackadaisical council. It desperately needs its own voice - I am not going to run it down for the sake of it,but a recent visit there made me realise just how shabby it is.
Aylesbury is absolutely drenched in colour at the moment - hanging baskets and floral arrangements are everywhere - it makes the town look wonderful.
Where is Wycombe's?

And yes I know what the crime rate is like in my part of the world but any large town has similar problems and that is not what we are debating.

Hopefully the new BID company will address some of these issues, they already have to a certain degree, the planters in Frogmore were their initiative, as are some of the hanging baskets, guess which ones are mantained by the Bid Company and which are maintained by the council.

That would be good :))

I do think people that are saying the whole "if you dont like it move thing" are a bit wrong.

I have said there are areas of the town that I dont like but that does not mean that I am not happy here.

Transport links are excellent, Eden on a good day (without the gangs) is a good place to shop and as long as you stay away from Frogmore on a night out and go to some of the more respectable place in the town for a drink you can enjoy a good night out.

As for the uni, I think it does an awful lot of good for the town. The students spend an awful lot of money in the shops and bars and without them this towns economy would really suffer.

I agree 100% with the other posters comment about the Eden designers missing a trick by not bringing the river back into the open air. I think that would have made the place look fantastic. Also they should have got rid of the Tescos in town, big blot on the landscape.

On the whole its not a bad place to live but the town could do with a makeover - reduced rents maybe in the centre for retailers instead of the abundance of charity shops, betting shops and takeaways?

demoness the second wrote:

J B Blackett wrote:

demoness the second wrote:

Speins wrote:
People talking about Hemel, Aylesbury and Watford like they are 'destinations' is just hilarious - talk about a poverty of aspiration. HW is fine for a mid-range, 'pop down the town' shopping experience: if you want something bigger and better then go to London - guess what, it's just 27 miles up the road! Just 9 miles further than, er, the less exciting prospect of Aylesbury which has a lot less to offer than Wycombe. If you don't like HW then move.

I live in Aylesbury but previous to that I lived in HW for most of my life. I therefore think I am qualified to make a comparison.
As a town Aylesbury is cleaner and more attractive. It has a town council which is always organising events - I would love to see that in HW. It has a wonderful market and Kings Square has an almost continental feel about it as there are loads of cafes where people can sit outside.
The High Street has a lot of interesting shops in it still.
It has a cinema which is easily accessible and the most wonderful theatre. It also has a great range of restaurants.
It will be getting a Waitrose and also a larger Sainsburys soon,
It's out of town shopping facilities are great - a large TKMaxx, and Next being particularly good.
There is a real community feel about Aylesbury - that is sadly lacking in HW.
However I think the difference is that HW has been allowed to get in the state that it is by poor planning and by a lackadaisical council. It desperately needs its own voice - I am not going to run it down for the sake of it,but a recent visit there made me realise just how shabby it is.
Aylesbury is absolutely drenched in colour at the moment - hanging baskets and floral arrangements are everywhere - it makes the town look wonderful.
Where is Wycombe's?

And yes I know what the crime rate is like in my part of the world but any large town has similar problems and that is not what we are debating.

Ah ! Now Ivor Bigun (who always scorns and sneers at Wycombe) now reveals his/her/its true identity.

I am not running down Wycombe - I am merely saying that it could be a lot better - I am not sneering or being scornful JBB. I am allowed to comment on why I think Wycombe could be better.
Have I been rude about it's people? No.
Have I made ridiculous remarks like Bigun? No,
Have I said that the crime rate is worse in Wycombe and wonderful in Aylesbury? No.
I have just said that IMO Aylesbury is ( at the moment) a nicer place to live.
But apparently according to the patron saint of Wycombe you are not allowed to do that.
JBB you need to really read what people write before attacking them.

I am not really 'attacking' anybody. I was really remarking about the characteristic writing of a fictitious made-up person who says he/she/it is proud to be from Wycombe but constantly and continually runs the town down on this site every week.
.
Never fails to hammer the point home - and he/she/it says he/she/it loves the town. Even if his/her/its writings are liberally sprinkled with smears , fabrications and absolute lies.
.
He/she/it always makes unfavourable comparisons between Wycombe and various other places and says how wonderful it would be to live these havens of calmness , culture and 'community'.
.
Marlow for instance which has a crime rate per person over twice that of Wycombe (2 serious stabbings in the last few weeks plus a gang fight in the Spittal St car park and unsocial behaviour at the shops just off the High St and special 'yob' patrols in S Marlow estates).
.
Some people may say I am a saint. But patron ? No - I don't think so.
.
I have no wish to upset anybody or am I looking for a fight (you have a lot more posting experience) but I do know that Aylesbury has a murder rate between 3 to 4 times that of Wycombe - or even Marlow.
.
Sorry about that. You appear to be aware of some aspects of crime around the area at the moment.
.
Wycombe has also lots of flowers - in some of the best places too. Especially round the Council offices. Even Bigot notices them. Pity about the traffic though - lots of noisy smelly noxious traffic which are permitted (encouraged ?) to speed through the middle of the town on their N to S , E to W rat-runs through the middle of the town.
.
You don't get all that in Aylesbury - allegedly.

J B Blackett wrote:

demoness the second wrote:

J B Blackett wrote:

demoness the second wrote:

Speins wrote:
People talking about Hemel, Aylesbury and Watford like they are 'destinations' is just hilarious - talk about a poverty of aspiration. HW is fine for a mid-range, 'pop down the town' shopping experience: if you want something bigger and better then go to London - guess what, it's just 27 miles up the road! Just 9 miles further than, er, the less exciting prospect of Aylesbury which has a lot less to offer than Wycombe. If you don't like HW then move.

I live in Aylesbury but previous to that I lived in HW for most of my life. I therefore think I am qualified to make a comparison.
As a town Aylesbury is cleaner and more attractive. It has a town council which is always organising events - I would love to see that in HW. It has a wonderful market and Kings Square has an almost continental feel about it as there are loads of cafes where people can sit outside.
The High Street has a lot of interesting shops in it still.
It has a cinema which is easily accessible and the most wonderful theatre. It also has a great range of restaurants.
It will be getting a Waitrose and also a larger Sainsburys soon,
It's out of town shopping facilities are great - a large TKMaxx, and Next being particularly good.
There is a real community feel about Aylesbury - that is sadly lacking in HW.
However I think the difference is that HW has been allowed to get in the state that it is by poor planning and by a lackadaisical council. It desperately needs its own voice - I am not going to run it down for the sake of it,but a recent visit there made me realise just how shabby it is.
Aylesbury is absolutely drenched in colour at the moment - hanging baskets and floral arrangements are everywhere - it makes the town look wonderful.
Where is Wycombe's?

And yes I know what the crime rate is like in my part of the world but any large town has similar problems and that is not what we are debating.

Ah ! Now Ivor Bigun (who always scorns and sneers at Wycombe) now reveals his/her/its true identity.

I am not running down Wycombe - I am merely saying that it could be a lot better - I am not sneering or being scornful JBB. I am allowed to comment on why I think Wycombe could be better.
Have I been rude about it's people? No.
Have I made ridiculous remarks like Bigun? No,
Have I said that the crime rate is worse in Wycombe and wonderful in Aylesbury? No.
I have just said that IMO Aylesbury is ( at the moment) a nicer place to live.
But apparently according to the patron saint of Wycombe you are not allowed to do that.
JBB you need to really read what people write before attacking them.

I am not really 'attacking' anybody. I was really remarking about the characteristic writing of a fictitious made-up person who says he/she/it is proud to be from Wycombe but constantly and continually runs the town down on this site every week.
.
Never fails to hammer the point home - and he/she/it says he/she/it loves the town. Even if his/her/its writings are liberally sprinkled with smears , fabrications and absolute lies.
.
He/she/it always makes unfavourable comparisons between Wycombe and various other places and says how wonderful it would be to live these havens of calmness , culture and 'community'.
.
Marlow for instance which has a crime rate per person over twice that of Wycombe (2 serious stabbings in the last few weeks plus a gang fight in the Spittal St car park and unsocial behaviour at the shops just off the High St and special 'yob' patrols in S Marlow estates).
.
Some people may say I am a saint. But patron ? No - I don't think so.
.
I have no wish to upset anybody or am I looking for a fight (you have a lot more posting experience) but I do know that Aylesbury has a murder rate between 3 to 4 times that of Wycombe - or even Marlow.
.
Sorry about that. You appear to be aware of some aspects of crime around the area at the moment.
.
Wycombe has also lots of flowers - in some of the best places too. Especially round the Council offices. Even Bigot notices them. Pity about the traffic though - lots of noisy smelly noxious traffic which are permitted (encouraged ?) to speed through the middle of the town on their N to S , E to W rat-runs through the middle of the town.
.
You don't get all that in Aylesbury - allegedly.

OMG!!!

Did I not say at the end of that post that I was not talking about crime - I bloody KNOW what the crime is like in Aylesbury. WHERE did I mention that Aylesbury had less crime than Wycombe? YOU are the one making the issue here re crime - not me.
I simply said that I had lived in both towns and prefered Aylesbury - MY OPINION!!!!
I feel for Wycombe - it is not as it should be and perhaps if you weren't so defensive about it you would realise that I am fond of the old place and would like to see Frogmore revamped to look like Kings Square in Aylesbury.
Everywhere I look in Aylesbury, I see flowers - I do not see that in Wycombe and that is a shame.
When I lived in Wycombe I never saw local newsletters in the shops listing all the events, I never saw Wycombe have weekly activities in town - perhaps that is my fault, perhaps I did not go to the right shops. But all I can tell you is that Aylesbury always has a lot going on.

Comparing me to Bigun is childish and petulant IMO.
You have an opinion different than mine? Fine but don't resort to name calling JBB

Well if Aylesbury had a long noisy toxic-fumed double dual carriageway (only traffic permitted) running 8 metres in the air across the centre of the townscape , perhaps communities , flowers , trees and business etc would not flourish and survive as robustly as you describe it in that town you say you now reside in.
.
Wycombe does the best it can in spite of the very poor planning and mess and vandalism and over-population and destruction and greed of successive political parties and motley councils have haphazardly imposed on the town.
.
Most of it against the people's wishes.
.
If Aylesbury council is so very different , then Aylesbury is very lucky. I have had various assorted bad experiences in that town over recent years, so perhaps I may be a bit biased.

J B Blackett wrote:
Well if Aylesbury had a long noisy toxic-fumed double dual carriageway (only traffic permitted) running 8 metres in the air across the centre of the townscape , perhaps communities , flowers , trees and business etc would not flourish and survive as robustly as you describe it in that town you say you now reside in.
.
Wycombe does the best it can in spite of the very poor planning and mess and vandalism and over-population and destruction and greed of successive political parties and motley councils have haphazardly imposed on the town.
.
Most of it against the people's wishes.
.
If Aylesbury council is so very different , then Aylesbury is very lucky. I have had various assorted bad experiences in that town over recent years, so perhaps I may be a bit biased.

Is there not a town that you have not had bad experiences in? That seems to be your stock reply to anyone who dares big up any town that is not Wycombe.

And if you looked at my post you would see that was what I was saying. I agree with you. I was merely commenting that in my opinion, Aylesbury had got it right - at least from what I can see.

I have had bad experiences in every town I have dwelt in for more than 3 hours , including Wycombe.
.
But they are all different bad experiences of variable quality.

J B Blackett wrote:
I have had bad experiences in every town I have dwelt in for more than 3 hours , including Wycombe.
.
But they are all different bad experiences of variable quality.

So you don't like Aylesbury?
Fine - your opinion.
But the difference is that I am not going to start squawking in an outraged fashion and accuse you of being the biggest troll on the internet because you dared to dislike my town :)

demoness the second wrote:

J B Blackett wrote:
I have had bad experiences in every town I have dwelt in for more than 3 hours , including Wycombe.
.
But they are all different bad experiences of variable quality.

So you don't like Aylesbury?
Fine - your opinion.
But the difference is that I am not going to start squawking in an outraged fashion and accuse you of being the biggest troll on the internet because you dared to dislike my town :)

Not my opinion, I'm afraid as I said - experiences.
.
Those experiences could be different from my opinion.
.
I do not dislike Aylesbury , by the way. There are many worse places than Aylesbury. All my bad experiences relate to people and their behaviour.
.
Some very scenic and idyllic places are made undesirable by the people who live in them or frequent them. No matter how many flowers and trees are planted.

wearywasp wrote:
What Wycombe really needs is something big to attract more people into the town. I know a new sports stadium. Oh no Wycombe doesn't want that it's doing really well with its flourishing hospital and vibrant Eden Centre.

The present stadium is excess to the local audience for football and rugby.

I see that this article is of such interest to local people that it has actually knocked 'Wycombe’s inspiration for The Mighty Boosh' off first place in the ‘most read’ article in the online BFP.


‘Mighty Boosh’ – apparently a ‘’hilarious’ wacky’ ’zany’ team with ‘’trademark’ clothes has been there or in second place for almost three weeks for almost three weeks - since 10 September.

ImpeturbableLawrence wrote:
I see that this article is of such interest to local people that it has actually knocked 'Wycombe’s inspiration for The Mighty Boosh' off first place in the ‘most read’ article in the online BFP.


‘Mighty Boosh’ – apparently a ‘’hilarious’ wacky’ ’zany’ team with ‘’trademark’ clothes has been there or in second place for almost three weeks for almost three weeks - since 10 September.

The Boosh is legendary so I am glad it is still there :)

demoness the second wrote:

ImpeturbableLawrence wrote:
I see that this article is of such interest to local people that it has actually knocked 'Wycombe’s inspiration for The Mighty Boosh' off first place in the ‘most read’ article in the online BFP.


‘Mighty Boosh’ – apparently a ‘’hilarious’ wacky’ ’zany’ team with ‘’trademark’ clothes has been there or in second place for almost three weeks for almost three weeks - since 10 September.

The Boosh is legendary so I am glad it is still there :)

Legendary!?!
Are you sure that's the right word, DTS??

gotanybiscuits? wrote:

demoness the second wrote:

ImpeturbableLawrence wrote:
I see that this article is of such interest to local people that it has actually knocked 'Wycombe’s inspiration for The Mighty Boosh' off first place in the ‘most read’ article in the online BFP.


‘Mighty Boosh’ – apparently a ‘’hilarious’ wacky’ ’zany’ team with ‘’trademark’ clothes has been there or in second place for almost three weeks for almost three weeks - since 10 September.

The Boosh is legendary so I am glad it is still there :)

Legendary!?!
Are you sure that's the right word, DTS??

YES!!!
The pie sketch is arguably comedy at it's finest :))

Wow! All this wonderful publicity for businessess that have closed down!! If only they had had this type of coverage when they were trading in the town then they might still be here!!! I felt the BFP were almost gloating with this news especially by putting it on the front page!! By the way BFP I am an independant trader in Wycombe still going strong after nearly 3 years trading.Kitsch Me Kwik in Queen Victoria Rd.Care to mention this positive news on your front page? I thought not!!

Surprised no one has mentioned the growing parasite that blights Wycombe town center that is.....charity shops. Oh yey yet another charity shop to clutter up our depressing miserable town. And no, i don't give to charity before you ask, i would rather donate my time than to give any of them money

demoness the second wrote:

gotanybiscuits? wrote:

demoness the second wrote:

ImpeturbableLawrence wrote:
I see that this article is of such interest to local people that it has actually knocked 'Wycombe’s inspiration for The Mighty Boosh' off first place in the ‘most read’ article in the online BFP.


‘Mighty Boosh’ – apparently a ‘’hilarious’ wacky’ ’zany’ team with ‘’trademark’ clothes has been there or in second place for almost three weeks for almost three weeks - since 10 September.

The Boosh is legendary so I am glad it is still there :)

Legendary!?!
Are you sure that's the right word, DTS??

YES!!!
The pie sketch is arguably comedy at it's finest :))

I emailed Steve Cohen about it and he said he had noticed it and asked their IT person if that was right and was told it was though he was having another look - I wonder if BNU people are clicking on it as an in-joke.

kitschme wrote:
Wow! All this wonderful publicity for businessess that have closed down!! If only they had had this type of coverage when they were trading in the town then they might still be here!!! I felt the BFP were almost gloating with this news especially by putting it on the front page!! By the way BFP I am an independant trader in Wycombe still going strong after nearly 3 years trading.Kitsch Me Kwik in Queen Victoria Rd.Care to mention this positive news on your front page? I thought not!!

Don't expect any thing positive from the bfp Juliet, good news does not a front page headline make. There's a lovely independent shop celebrating 14 years of trading in the town this week, but there wont be an article mentioning that!

kitschme wrote:
Wow! All this wonderful publicity for businessess that have closed down!! If only they had had this type of coverage when they were trading in the town then they might still be here!!! I felt the BFP were almost gloating with this news especially by putting it on the front page!! By the way BFP I am an independant trader in Wycombe still going strong after nearly 3 years trading.Kitsch Me Kwik in Queen Victoria Rd.Care to mention this positive news on your front page? I thought not!!

Carry on regardless.
.
Your type of businesses are the backbone of the nation but do not get the publicity or recognition that they deserve.
.
Be not downhearted.

sai-diva wrote:

kitschme wrote:
Wow! All this wonderful publicity for businessess that have closed down!! If only they had had this type of coverage when they were trading in the town then they might still be here!!! I felt the BFP were almost gloating with this news especially by putting it on the front page!! By the way BFP I am an independant trader in Wycombe still going strong after nearly 3 years trading.Kitsch Me Kwik in Queen Victoria Rd.Care to mention this positive news on your front page? I thought not!!

Don't expect any thing positive from the bfp Juliet, good news does not a front page headline make. There's a lovely independent shop celebrating 14 years of trading in the town this week, but there wont be an article mentioning that!

And I know the exact shop you mean!!! Well worth a mention!