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Does Wycombe have the worst festive lights in Bucks?
7:09pm Tuesday 28th October 2008
Comments (50)It’s now less than two months before Christmas arrives. How the past year seems to have flown by.
Already the shops are starting to fill with toys, wrapping paper, festive foods and other goodies ready for Christmas Day.
I was in the food section of a well known shop the other day and happened to look at the best before dates on some of their festive foods. Amazingly some of the items had a best before date that expires in the middle of December!
A week or so ago the usual six sets of Christmas lights were put up in Wycombe High Street. When I say usual I do mean usual. They are the same lights as last year, the year before that and as far as I can remember the year before that too.
Now Wycombe is in the top fifty shopping towns in the UK surely the town should have put on a spectacular light show rather than the usual drab effort that quite honestly is an embarrassment.
The lights in the High Street don't even cover the whole width of the Street. The lights in Frogmoor are not much better.
In my opinion a car parked with its hazard warning lights flashing makes a more spectacular display than Wycombe’s town centre illuminations.
From what I can see the best festive lighting display is in the department store in the complex. They have covered the area around the escalators with bright festive lights which I think works very well. Well done to them.
The main town centre lights will be switched on at 7pm on Thursday the 13th November. Quite honestly with the poor display we have in the High Street they might as well not bother.
I am wondering if the town centre lights in Wycombe are the worst in Bucks? Surely there isn’t another town in the County with such a poor display as we have in Wycombe?
Your Say YourBucks Free Press
ivor, says...
7:31pm Tue 28 Oct 08
I’m taken a back! I thought you would disagree with me but no!
Even though I noticed the lights had been put up a week or so ago I did not write a blog criticising them in the hope that some more were put up but alas, that seems very unlikely now.
I believe you once said that you travel to other towns in the country. Are their festive lights better than what we have in Wycombe?
Mince pies that expire in November! It’s total madness! I wonder how many they will have left?
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
7:45pm Tue 28 Oct 08
Although Harrogates last year were good and of course the big cities like London are fab!
BUT then to be fair we cannot expect London standard.
Perhaps just to change ours as they are getting a little tired!
ivor, says...
7:55pm Tue 28 Oct 08
Why shouldn’t Wycombe’s lights be like those in London?
They could easily put a new-fangled laser in the High Street so that it shone all the way down from the Guild Hall to Easton Street and we could have a spectacular display to be the envy of the other towns in Bucks.
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
9:56pm Tue 28 Oct 08
ivor wrote:Ivor - if you cannot work out why Wycombe's lights can not be as good as those in London's then I give up.
Re the comments of smiley cat at 7:45pm Why shouldn’t Wycombe’s lights be like those in London? They could easily put a new-fangled laser in the High Street so that it shone all the way down from the Guild Hall to Easton Street and we could have a spectacular display to be the envy of the other towns in Bucks.
It is a small nmatter of resources Ivor. London is the capital city and it has a thriving tourist industry.
Wycombe is a small market town in the suburbs.
Lets not ruin this debate before it starts eh..
ivor, says...
11:12pm Tue 28 Oct 08
Ok, so our lights may never be as good as those in Oxford Street because we are only a market town. But why can’t we think big rather than small?
If the lights went the whole width of the High Street that would be a start and surely a laser is not that expensive and it would certainly make a spectacle.
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
8:13am Wed 29 Oct 08
ivor, says...
9:26am Wed 29 Oct 08
From some quick research they appear to cost a few hundred pounds although I may be wrong.
If Oxford Street can have them then I’m sure Wycombe could.
Monkey King, High Wycombe says...
9:46am Wed 29 Oct 08
Anyway, they'll probably not get turned on this year under the streetlight costcutting programme!
ivor, says...
9:51am Wed 29 Oct 08
Well they certainly could have bought some better lights!
You make a valid point about the turning the lights on when there is a streetlight cost cutting programme. How on earth can the festive lights be justified when streetlights on busy roads are being turned off.
Perhaps we should have solar powered festive lights to be environmentally friendly?
Elmo, High Wycombe says...
9:53am Wed 29 Oct 08
ivor, says...
10:00am Wed 29 Oct 08
An interesting question. What other pagan festivals do you think we should celebrate?
Elmo, High Wycombe says...
10:19am Wed 29 Oct 08
ivor, says...
10:37am Wed 29 Oct 08
But we do celebrate Samhain (the sort of Festival of the Dead) on the 31st October. It’s called Halloween. So paganism still has some influences on our culture today.
Personally I would like to see some more impressive celebrations in Wycombe such as they have in Stonehaven with the annual fireball swinging procession on New Years Eve. Fireball swinging in the complex, now that’s something I would like to do and I promise to hold on to my fireball very tightly....
Elmo, High Wycombe says...
10:45am Wed 29 Oct 08
That being said, I'm not sure sending trainee ASBO's out to beg for sweets door-to-door is in keeping with calibrating your honoured dead.
ivor, says...
10:57am Wed 29 Oct 08
Indeed Christmas has sadly become the “Festival of Commerce”. This is a terrible shame. Perhaps we should all shun the commercial aspect then Christmas would go back to what it was intended to be.
You have a point about the youngsters begging for sweets. Sadly another festival has been polluted with the trappings of a greedy society. But rest assured they will not be getting any sweets from my house....
dooza, High Wycombe says...
12:38pm Wed 29 Oct 08
Whilst you could hire one for the turning on evening, and it would look impressive, it would still cost a fortune, thousands, and you would be the first to complain about it coming out of your pocket via tax.
ivor, says...
1:25pm Wed 29 Oct 08
I wonder how many thousands were wasted on the current lights we have in the town centre?
brachyura, says...
4:03pm Wed 29 Oct 08
Even the London lights look rubbish in daylight when they are off.
Anwar Mohammed Akhtar Ali, Castlefield says...
4:49pm Wed 29 Oct 08
ivor wrote:Probably not much. I imagine the expense lies with maintenance, electrical safety testing, storage for 9+ moths of the year, fitting etc.
Re the comments of dooza at 12:38pm I wonder how many thousands were wasted on the current lights we have in the town centre?
In some towns the local businesses will all contribute and have their own communal Xmas lights. Should the Council (i.e. rate payers) be footing the bill for lights anyway? I can understand lighting the Civic Centre, Council owned public buildings etc.
Ivor why don't you go to the other towns in Bucks and take some photo's there? Beaconsfield, Marlow, Denham, Amersham, Aylesbury etc.
I do think, with due respect Ivor, that you should not be recycling the topics from your blog year after year. I mean people might stop reading it. Last year in a blog about the potential for an ice skating rink in Frogmore (6:32pm Thursday 27th September 2007)amongst your normal ramblings you said
“I wonder if there are any plans to put some decent lights up this year?” and went on to point out deficiencies of Wycombe Town Centre lights.
And again I am doing some research for you using the search function – you really should try it only takes a minute. You can see earlier this year that an appeal was made to “save Christmas in Amersham on the Hill” (BFP headline). It mentions that the town's Business Association is unable to fund the Christmas lights and seasonal celebrations. Apparently Amersham town councillors were considering spending £7,000 on refurbishing the Christmas lights and associated equipment, and to install and remove the seasonal lights.
Reference “Appeal for Christmas lights help 3:11pm Tuesday 12th August 2008”
Also last year apparently only a fifth of Hillingdon Times readers are happy with the borough's Christmas lights according to our web poll. Twenty percent said the lights filled them with Christmas cheer, while a whopping 80 per cent thought they were a waste of money.
Hillingdon is only the other side of Denham. Why don’t you take a trip over there at the weekend and answer your own questions?
Reference “Christmas lights a waste of money 5:15pm Tuesday 25th December 2007”
ivor, says...
5:56pm Wed 29 Oct 08
I think we all know what the lights look like when they are switched on after all we saw them last year, the year before that, the year before that too and many, many years before that!
ivor, says...
6:02pm Wed 29 Oct 08
Indeed I did cover this very topics last year in the hope that something would be done to improve the lights but alas the same old lights have been put up and that still look just as awful as they did last year.
Perhaps the local businesses should be contributing to the lights this year. I believe the wonderful lights we had in Desborough road in the 1970’s were all paid for by the businesses.
If I happen to go to any of the other local towns then I will indeed take some pictures. Surely their lights must be better than those in Wycombe.
As for the lights in Hillingdon, well, from the responses/comments to my blog it would appear that 100% of the readers of this blog are unhappy with Wycombe’s lights so perhaps Wycombe really does have the worst festive lights in Bucks?
brachyura, says...
8:35pm Wed 29 Oct 08
ivor, says...
8:39pm Wed 29 Oct 08
This year’s lights are the same ones as last year. However I see this year there are no lights on the Guild Hall.
brachyura, says...
8:52pm Wed 29 Oct 08
The lights are not something I am particularly worried about.
My family have the same decorations every year in our house, can't say anyone has complained that they should be different, so see no reason why the town lights need to be different each year.
Still its nice to see you so positive about Wycombe.
ivor, says...
9:01pm Wed 29 Oct 08
Apologies for the spelling mistake.
Having the same decorations is not a problem if they are good decorations however the town centre decorations are hardly spectacular.
As I mentioned in the blog the best lights are in the department store. They have a “wall of light”. Take a look it will impress you!
faisal mahmood, sands says...
9:25pm Wed 29 Oct 08
Excellent blog:-)
Yes the lights are really old as the council can not get new lighting it is quite a shame that the lighting is never going to be charge in high wycombe.
A bet the council is going to use these lighting again,next year if i live that long to see them again!
I was in eden to day and my son said '' were going to have a lot of people unemployed and have a bad Christmas as a result of the credit crunch''
Ivor the council cannot get good lighting why not ask all your readers to donate to have the lighting charge every year!
Anyway Excellent blog:-)
Ivor can you do a blog on Eid Christmas, & unemployment in high wycombe!
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
10:04pm Wed 29 Oct 08
Smiley cat would like to know why you are so obsessed with unemployment in High Wycombe but agrees that it would be good to see something about Eid.
ivor, says...
11:00pm Wed 29 Oct 08
Nice to hear from you again. I am glad to hear that you liked my blog on the festive lights.
The powers that be could easily get some more lights as all they need to do is rotate the lights between the towns in the District.
Next year why can’t we have the lights from Marlow and give Marlow our lights in return. But then again would the people of Marlow consider it an insult giving them such a poor festive light display?
Indeed the credit crunch is beginning to bite. I shall definitely do a blog on unemployment in Wycombe. So watch this space!
ivor, says...
11:05pm Wed 29 Oct 08
Unemployment is a serious issue. It’s awful being without work at any time but loosing a job at Christmas time must be devastating.
I shall definitely do a job on unemployment.
Unfortunately I don’t know much about Eid but I could always ask my friends who celebrate it.
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
7:59am Thu 30 Oct 08
I am however prepared to be proved wrong.;)
Plus ça change..., Wycombe says...
9:18am Thu 30 Oct 08
Let's save on the cost of Christmas lights this year.
Considering...
Anwar Mohammed Akhtar Ali, Castlefield says...
9:39am Thu 30 Oct 08
Alternatively you could canvass the retailers in town? Do a bit more than sit at your PC typing a blog a couple of times a week and taking photos on your lunchtime walk?
"I did cover this very topics last year in the hope that something would be done to improve the lights but alas the same old lights have been put up and that still look just as awful as they did last year."
I think it is doubtful whether anything will be done by anyone following the topic being brought up in your blog.
Just think about how much time and money some of the retailers in the High Street for example spend on displays.
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
9:59am Thu 30 Oct 08
No it is far safer to sit behind a keyboard and moan but not actually do anything positive. He has a very small ( well one really) fan base who thinks everything he says is true and gospel but he will never actually do anything really proactive and blames it on the "powers that be!"
Thats Ivor - it used to irritate me beyond belief - now I just think it is funny that he believes in his own hype! And he will continue to do so whilst we answer him. And yet we continue to answer him cos he does write such silly things at times - not always, but mostly. And thus it continues.....
Anwar Mohammed Akhtar Ali, Castlefield says...
10:14am Thu 30 Oct 08
" Re comments of smiley cat
I am indeed a man of action and fear that the powers that be and their bureaucratic processes will not be able to handle the seriousness of my cause etc etc"
The thing that worries me is that "Ivor" is not a real life cantankerous old Wycombe resident / Victor Meldrew. It worries me that he is actually some spotty young early twenties journalist who might go on the occasional walk to Wycombe, see what there is to right about, do a quick surf on the net, come back, write a blog peppered with some generalisations / inaccuaracies typical of a Victor Meldrew character, then sit back and enjoy as us "mugs" respond. That is my main worry. Are there any other blogs about Wycombe where we can discuss similar matters?
Ivor Smallone, High Wycombe says...
10:15am Thu 30 Oct 08
Or perhaps they already know.....
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
11:56am Thu 30 Oct 08
he will not respond in here - he never does when people perhaps question him too closely.
He will just start another blog and back away when it gets a bit tough.. I have noticed this - actually he cannot answer because he knows we are right!
Ivor Smallone, High Wycombe says...
3:34pm Thu 30 Oct 08
ivor, says...
6:18pm Thu 30 Oct 08
And how exactly do you know that I have little knowledge of unemployment? You always say my blogs are ill-informed so I shall ignore your comment.
When I write my blog on unemployment I think you may be quietly surprised.
ivor, says...
6:23pm Thu 30 Oct 08
How do you know that I haven’t canvassed the retailers already or written a letter to the powers that be?
Over the time my blog has been in existence several topics that I have covered have miraculously been corrected. Perhaps it will be second time lucky with the festive lights?
ivor, says...
6:24pm Thu 30 Oct 08
How do you know that I am not doing anything positive? You are making assumptions without the full knowledge of the situation!
ivor, says...
6:29pm Thu 30 Oct 08
From your previous comments I can see that you don’t like this blog. Perhaps this is because I tackle the thorny issues like the festive lights which you perhaps would like me to avoid?
The issues that I cover are the issues that people are talking about on the streets, literally in the case of the festive lights. Surely it’s best that these issues are discussed rather then being swept under the carpet as they will not just disappear.
ivor, says...
6:33pm Thu 30 Oct 08
Indeed I do respond to as many of the sensible comments as I can possibly manage.
I haven’t responded to your comments until now because I have been busy with customers today.
ivor, says...
6:34pm Thu 30 Oct 08
Indeed for those who like the complex its bright lights and goodies on display in the shop windows are a sight far better than any festive lighting displays. I hope you enjoy your festive shopping trips in the complex.
Don’t forget to take a look at the lights in the department store as they are very good. Even I was impressed with them!
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
9:05pm Thu 30 Oct 08
ROTFPMSL
:)))))
The thorny issue of festive lights - LOL!!
Ivor - you make me roar!!
ivor, says...
11:03pm Thu 30 Oct 08
I notice that you haven’t joined me in congratulating the department store in putting on such a wonderful festive lighting display are you not impressed by it?
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
7:48am Fri 31 Oct 08
BTW-please tell me what changes your blogs have made to Wycombe - I am curious to know.
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
12:45am Sat 1 Nov 08
quelle suprise :))
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
7:09am Sun 2 Nov 08
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
1:22pm Sun 2 Nov 08
Hang on tho he has a new blog now so needn't bother about this one!
The festive lights in Wycombe High Street
The lights don’t even cover the whole width of the road
The lights are hardly spectacular
The lights in Desborough Road are not much better
smiley cat, High Wycombe says...
7:22pm Tue 28 Oct 08
Talking about food for christmas, I was in the co op in Hazelmere the other day and there was a huge stack of mince pies urging us to buy early for christmas.
Brilliant - except they expired in mid November!!!