High Wycombe - A Beautiful Town (From Bucks Free Press)

High Wycombe - A Beautiful Town

10:39pm Saturday 31st January 2009 in Sport By James Morley-Smith

As January ends, so does my first month of training for the London Marathon.

Over the past 31 days I have managed to clock up 122.29 km over eleven and a half hours. Naturally I’ve varied my routes as treading the same roads, or worst still, treadmill for this much time would become extraordinarily boring.

I try to run five days a week, four of those in Wycombe and one in Chineham, Basingstoke where our office is (I work from home, but commute to the office once a week; I hate the commute!).

My routes include laps of the Rye (which for those of you who are interested, is just a stride or two over one mile per lap), various streets of the town, back and forth to West Wycombe or my favourite and the one I use for my Sunday long-run, Hughenden Rd, up Cryers Hill along to Widmer End, up through Hazlemere, down Amersham Hill and around the town.

Whilst running these routes, I am reminded how beautiful our town is. The Rye with its fantastic green playing fields, children’s play areas, gardens along the London Road. The water along the top with its hugging trees, swans guarding and men fishing. I just love running along the path within the trees at the top, there is a fabulous view of the town.

Then there’s Hughenden Park which is simply stunning. There are the numerous varieties of trees, the seemingly endless rolling lawns, and of course Hughenden Manor.

How about the brilliant architecture? Hamilton School on Priory Road, the Town Hall, the Chair Museum or Frogmore (look up above the shop fronts). The Abbey School, the sad looking Woolworths building and dare I say it, (in my opinion Ivor), The Eden Centre…what can I say, I like it!!

Then there are the people of Wycombe. Before I started running I was under the misconception that everyone kept themselves to themselves and stayed shut off in their own little world. Perhaps this says more about me than everyone else. However, it’s refreshing to see that this is not true. When I pass people on the pavements, almost everyone makes room to pass, smiles or says “good morning”.

It’s brilliant that this still happens.

Of course, there are parts of our town which are in need of a bit of care and attention, but many of these are being taken care of. I’m really quite excited about “Bucks New University” and the building works that’s going on at the old Compair Broomwade site. However I am confused about the strange concrete and blue structure that seems to have eluded the demolition ball (see picture).

Can anyone shed any light on this?

I feel very lucky that I get to traverse our beautiful town so often. I urge you to go for a walk in one of our parks. Visit the museum with the kids…it’s free after all. When you’re in town, look up once in a while. When you drop the children off for school, stop for a moment and consider where they spend all day. But above all, feel lucky that you live or work in High Wycombe.

And as for the one day a week I spend in Basingstoke, well…

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At just four months old, my youngest son was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer called retinoblastoma.

I am running the 2009 Flora London Marathon in order to increase awareness of the disease and raise money for the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust.

Please sponsor me at www.justgiving.com/jamesmorleysmith

For more information on retinoblastoma, go to www.chect.org.uk, email info@chect.org.uk, or call 020 7377 5578.