Is Wycombe town centre in terminal decline? (From Bucks Free Press)
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Is Wycombe town centre in terminal decline?
8:16pm Thursday 22nd July 2010
Oh dear.
I arrived home yesterday and went straight to the news section of this site only to be greeted with the news that John Hearn's shoe shop had gone into liquidation.
After reading the news article I sat shocked in my arm chair and started crying. It felt like I had lost a close friend.
It was only a few weeks ago that yours truly was in there buying some boots and now the shop has gone bringing to a close a 150 year presence in Wycombe.
As a child my mother would take me there to buy shoes. They always sold top quality shoes that were kind on my feet.
Only a short time ago while on one of my regular lunchtime walks around the town centre I stopped to look in their window and marvel at the impressive range of quality shoes on display.
Surely the loss of such an established and respected business must raise serious questions as to the viability of Wycombe as a credible shopping town.
But I hear you say that economic conditions are bad and that's the reason why businesses fail. Well I am afraid that I have to disagree.
It is my view that Wycombe is in terminal decline and the powers the be are either unable or incapable of creating an atmosphere in which business can flourish.
With a broken fountain now filled in with cement and bleak expanses of concrete the once lovely Frogmoor has been all but abandoned and allowed to fester. Is it any wonder that businesses nearby are closing?
Other towns would be rejuvenating Frogmoor with a working fountain and flower gardens while encouraging business and enterprise. Sadly Wycombe is doing exactly the opposite of what is required.
The fatal mistake of building an oversized shopping complex dealt a body blow to the established retail heart of Wycombe which I fear the town will never recover from.
If the current policies continue surely things can only get worse in Wycombe.
Wycombe desperately needs shops selling quality products like John Hearn did. The influx of shops knocking out cheap goods is slowly killing Wycombe and depriving us of the few shops that remain selling quality products.
No doubt the empty shoe shop will be converted into a take away, charity shop, pound emporium or even worse just boarded up after all that's all Wycombe's shops are good for these days.
John Hearn is up there amongst the greats like Murray's, Hull Loosley & Pearce, Brazil's and Jones & Rivett. They may have ceased trading but the memories will never die.
What do you think?
Comments(71)
ivor
says...
10:30pm Thu 22 Jul 10
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What is wrong with crying at such terrible news?
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Think of the people who have lost their jobs. Think of the fact that a long standing and respected business has been lost. Think of the fact the future generation will never experience the marvel that was Hearn's shoe shop.
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I think the closure of the shop shows just how dire Wycombe is. Surely something could be done to keep the shop trading?
demoness
says...
10:39pm Thu 22 Jul 10
BUT ( and this is the tragedy). Hearns clearly did not supply what the customer wanted.
Had they done, they would still be trading.
ivor
says...
10:42pm Thu 22 Jul 10
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I think they supplied exactly what the customer wanted however the main issue was probably lack of customers due to the terrible state that part of town has been allowed to get into.
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It is a shocking thing that a business that has been in the town for so many years has suddenly folded. I still do not believe it has happened indeed a tear is coming to my eye as I write just thinking about it....
demoness
says...
10:55pm Thu 22 Jul 10
ivor wrote:Ivor - they should have had a good loyal customer base but they didn't.
Re the comments of demoness at 10:39pm ~ I think they supplied exactly what the customer wanted however the main issue was probably lack of customers due to the terrible state that part of town has been allowed to get into. ~ It is a shocking thing that a business that has been in the town for so many years has suddenly folded. I still do not believe it has happened indeed a tear is coming to my eye as I write just thinking about it....
No one can fault the children's section but the adult ( well the woman's bit) did leave a lot to be desired - well in my opinion.
ivor
says...
11:21pm Thu 22 Jul 10
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Well, I never had any problems with the men's section. They had a good choice of the top names.
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If only there was some way to keep the shop going.....
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The shops will be missed. It's a terrible shame that it closed.
Abdul Muhammed
says...
11:51pm Thu 22 Jul 10
-
3/10.
ivor
says...
12:05am Fri 23 Jul 10
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What good can be said when one of Wycombe's most famous shops has closed?
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I am trying to raise awareness of the problems in the town in the hope that something is done to put things right. Would you rather that the problems are swept under the carpet and we pretend they don't exist?
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Something needs to be done quickly before Wycombe closes completely....
demoness
says...
6:19am Fri 23 Jul 10
John Hearns could not keep up with the times.
Sad but true.
Mizzy10
says...
7:43am Fri 23 Jul 10
Geoff Gill
says...
9:11am Fri 23 Jul 10
rooneytheking
says...
11:09am Fri 23 Jul 10
It clearly doesn't otherwise they wouldn't have closed down.
Times change, people don't want to shop in small locally owned shops any more - they want brand names from national chains which is why the Eden centre is so busy.
It is sad that people have lost their jobs but it obviously was not a viable business.
The Eden centre may have taken trade away from the traditional shops, which I am sure was its main aim, however the alternative would have been to lose the shoppers to other nearby towns and shopping centres.
People will not be forced to shop in old fashioned local shops just because there is no alternative, they will just go somewhere else. Like I said earlier, times change, lets stop crying and get on with life!
Craig....
says...
12:37pm Fri 23 Jul 10
Geoff Gill wrote:Percy Priors and Keens are both shops I miss. Although going back further I have fond memories of Taylor and McKenna (I think thats what it was called) which later became Beatties.
Let;s add in some of the great shops High Wycombe once had,Davy's toy shop,Aldridges the fruit store,Keens Model Shop, Percy Priors Music shop,International Stores,Imperial Stores,many little businesses in White Hart Street,and my favourite "Ducies"the fish and chip shop demolished for road widening.
I must be getting old if I've started to reminisce about old shops!!
clairabella
says...
3:05pm Fri 23 Jul 10
can i shout and its very rare for me to do this.
we have independants in high wycombe and new ones opening at present.
we need you to support us.
i expect you can all mention some but i list just a few i can think of at this time.
moths jewellers, linda jane florist, rons framing, one stop shop, hull loosley and pearce, ruby moon, tailors in frogmore,kitsch me kwik,wrights, trinity,opening soon computor shop and framing shop in white hart street plus shops unstairs in octagan part of shopping centre, and shops up road by church
we need positivity and fun to help us all through this hard time.
demoness
says...
4:52pm Fri 23 Jul 10
John Hearn, sadly was just out of date.
ivor
says...
7:20pm Fri 23 Jul 10
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Some parts of Wycombe are busy but sadly other parts are no so.
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The traders in the Frogmoor area are at a disadvantage because the area has been left to rot therefore I do not think the closure had much to do with them not keeping up with the times.
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Actually they sold exactly what I wanted. The styles of shoes suited me down to the ground.
ivor
says...
7:20pm Fri 23 Jul 10
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As you say John Hearn was a proper shoe shop that you could rely on. Sadly shops like that are few and far between these days.
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The failure of the water feature is a great handicap for that part of town. Some desperately needs to be done to restore Frogmoor to its former glory.
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Not only are the powers that be unable to sort the water feature but they also seem unable to rid the area of the pigeons. While they dither and bungle the businesses are collapsing all around....
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You are not boring me at all. I would like to hear more of your comments. I agree that Wycombe is in a terrible mess. We need new leaders to guide the town back to prosperity.
ivor
says...
7:21pm Fri 23 Jul 10
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Thank you for that list of shops. I remember them well. Don't forget “The Sound Of Music” in Castle Street, Pat's Flowers, Brighter Homes in the Octagon or GA Wood in Church Square.
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Sadly so many of the good shops have closed only to be replaced with chain stored operated by faceless shareholders.
ivor
says...
7:21pm Fri 23 Jul 10
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I am afraid that I have to disagree. Wycombe really did need a shop like John Hearn. I don't know where I will get my shoes from now....
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I want to shop in a locally owned shop and I think there are an awful lot of people like me in the town.
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The complex was a disaster for Wycombe. We did not need it and it does not fit in with the architecture in our town centre. The sooner the complex is gone the better....
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Nobody will cry when the chain stores go however the small family run businesses have a place in everyone's heart.
ivor
says...
7:21pm Fri 23 Jul 10
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Yes, Percy Prior's and Keens Model shops were shops that always had what you wanted. Sadly with their demise the town has been deprived of their wide range of goods indeed some of the items they sold you can no longer get in the town.
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There is nothing wrong with reminiscing. I do it all the time....
ivor
says...
7:22pm Fri 23 Jul 10
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Indeed the independent shops are exactly what we need in Wycombe. Thank you for that list of independent shops in Wycombe I never realised that we had so many in the town.
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In the near future I intend to do a special blog on independent shops in Wycombe and the vital role they play in our town as it is something that I feel very strongly about and I wish to support the traders who are, in my opinion, the backbone of the local economy.
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Thank you for your valued comment.
ivor
says...
7:22pm Fri 23 Jul 10
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I would rather support an independent shop than a chain store.
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I do not think John Hearn was out of date at all. They sold exactly what I wanted. I will miss the shop dearly just as I miss GA Wood menswear shop when I used to get a lot of my clothes from.
iworld
says...
10:34pm Fri 23 Jul 10
Wycombe also needs a leisure centre - we need to compete with Reading, Watford
ivor
says...
1:22am Sat 24 Jul 10
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Based on what they have done to Wycombe in recent months/years I question if the powers that be in Wycombe are capable so sorting the town centre and High Street. If it hadn't been for their madcap policies the town would not be in the state it is today. For example hoe many years have they been trying to eradicate the pigeon problem in Frogmoor and still haven't succeed?
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For many years I have been saying on this blog that the High Street and Frogmoor needs attention. Sadly those in control seem incapable of seeing what is really happening in the town.
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Indeed we do need a leisure centre capable of competing with other towns however it seems a new sports stadium is the priority in Wycombe at the moment. Once again the town is doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. Is there any hope for Wycombe?
demoness
says...
7:01am Sat 24 Jul 10
Sadly that does not seem to be the case. No one has any pride in the place. Now the one thing that I will say about Marlow is that it does have a real sense of community - there really are 'townspeople' there.
Wycombe is now a transcient commuter town. Yes there are pockets of people who care but really it does not have a lot of people who live in Wycombe itself and those that do tend to be students etc.
There isn't even anyone to run the Wycombe Show anymore.
It is no longer a sleepy little market town, it is just a rather ugly sprawling metropolis. In my opinion the 60's was when the rot started to set in. You moan about Eden - fair enough.But the Octagon was no better.
But I digress. I have lived in Wycombe all of my life. I moved away last year. I do not miss it at all and nothing would ever compel me to go back.
I now just go back for the shopping ironically.
J B Blackett
says...
1:15pm Sat 24 Jul 10
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Who does it help ?- except perhaps in a weird way the people who appear to need besmirch others' towns and living areas down in order to justify / boast about their own lifestyles and environments.
.
There's been lots of nasty remarks from places like Marlow , Penn and Risboro etc. We don't need it and don't want it. Why do it ??????
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Please attack the guilty people NOT the innocent citizens. I mean please have a go at the terrible useless Councils and planners and politicians who are hell bent in wrecking everywhere.
Wycombe too was a pleasant town with a worthy and ancient history. It still can be put right - anywhere can with the right resources . But not with the awful nasty selfish sort of people running the town or the country for the last 50 years.
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We need a good clear-out to get rid of all the entrenched political rogues and their accumulated rotten piles of rubbish - Chicago and New York took a while to start getting rid of their gangsters and corrupt politicians - but it needs a will. In the end these greedy people harm everyone - that includes you detractors also - the ones that keep sneering at poor old abused hard-treated Wycombe.
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Some of you may despise Wycombe, but the smugness may disappear overnight when those despicable gangs of politico-planners and opportunist speculators barge into your area. And they will .
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This is a polite wake-up call ; sorry.
ivor
says...
1:18pm Sat 24 Jul 10
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Indeed I do live, breathe and sleep Wycombe. It's no coincidence that my friends call me “Mr Wycombe”. There is nobody more passionate about the town than myself!
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I disagree about there not being any more community in the town. I think the issue is that the townspeople desperately want there to be a community but the powers the be are doing their best to ruin what we have and destroy the town and the townspeople’s morale.
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Maybe the Wycombe Show should be resurrected. Why don't the powers the be run it?
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I have no intention of moving away as Wycombe is my home. I wish the powers the be would start running the town properly and for the benefit of the people of the town.
ivor
says...
1:22pm Sat 24 Jul 10
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If a few changes were made in Wycombe we would have a town to be the envy of all the other nearby towns. Sadly the powers that be seem to want to destroy Wycombe and all that it stands for.
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Perhaps the people of Marlow are jealous of what we have in Wycombe?
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I agree that those who have cause Wycombe to degenerate should be the ones in the spotlight and not the general population.
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So how do you propose that we get rid of “all the entrenched political rogues and their accumulated rotten piles of rubbish”?
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I can assure you that I do not need a wake up call. I have seen the future and it's not nice....
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Thank you for your valued comment.
demoness
says...
1:54pm Sat 24 Jul 10
I have lived in Wycombe all my life and I feel justified to make the remarks I have. I have not been rude about the people as such - just commented that there is no such thing as a "townsperson" as Ivor seems to think and there is no sense of community.
That is my opinion and I am entitled to it.
I am also entitled to say.. IN my opinion that there are far nicer places to live.
I think you have actually been far more derogatory about people who do not live in Wycombe -you seem to almost have a bee in your bonnet about people daring to say they do not like the town.
I look out of my window everyday and I see woods.
The roads are less populated and people are much more friendly.
Sorry these are facts. I know you would love to see all of us who dare to say anything negative about Wycombe hung drawn and quartered and also lose our way of life but that is just petty IMO.
Ivor the whole point of the Wycombe show is to bring back a sense of community which means that the community would run it. much like they do in all the towns JBB takes great delight in running down.
ivor
says...
2:20pm Sat 24 Jul 10
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I too have lived in Wycombe all my life and my ancestors have been in the area for many hundreds of years so I also feel justified in my comments.
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To bring back Wycombe show it needs an organisation to kick start the process to guide the members of the community who step forward in how to run a show. I am sure the show would be viable all it needs is the impetus to resurrect it.
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I too look out my window on to woodland albeit in the distance not to mention the extensive gardens of my ancestral home with neatly manicured lawns, formal borders, neatly clipped box hedges and outbuildings. Who could want more and it's all in the town of Wycombe!
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There is no need to move we just need to get the town centre sorted so it is a thriving place where business can flourish....
Morag
says...
3:10pm Sat 24 Jul 10
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A letter to the BFP from the President of Wycombe Show "Thanks to supporters after Wycombe Show committee wound-up" states
"Unfortunately we can no longer raise the large number of voluntary helpers required to stage the show".
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Am I missing something? There was an organisation to run the show but not enough volunteers. Did you volunteer, Ivor or like most of us did you not have the time or the inclination? I believe it is the same reason so many community events have declined in towns and villages all over the country. That is why so many Cubs and Brownie packs have been discontinued.
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Many people lead busy lives and do not wish to give up their time in this way.
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Ivor says "the townspeople desperately want there to be a community but the powers the be are doing their best to ruin what we have and destroy the town and the townspeople’s morale". In this instance you cannot blame the powers that be. If you want there to be a community then you have to volunteer to do something to draw people together. You are in an ideal position to do this with your blog.
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I don't mean sit there moaning because someone else hasn't organised something for you. Write a blog, ask your readers what sort of event they would like to see, ask them what skills they can contribute, ask them if they have the spare time, ask them if they would be willing to take part, see if you can get anyone involved.
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If you have extensive, well-kept gardens then why not throw them open to your local community one afternoon? Invite a local group to have a get together........ just think, they might provide free refreshments for you.
J B Blackett
says...
3:58pm Sat 24 Jul 10
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I was in Wendover twice last week - it's OK but it is not Paradise ; I have known that place and some of its people for a long time. That is all I wish to say about Wendover.
And it is people who make places not structures, wooden benches and views. I know some beautiful places over-populated by nasty-minded selfish sanctimonious self-important residents who spoil such places for others.
The fact someone used to live in a place sanctions no-one a 'right' to abuse that place. I am not aware of any statuary obligations in that arena. I was brought up in a small nondescript village but would not dream saying uncalled things about it as that may cause unneeded offence to people who still there live there.
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Say what you like , but be aware there are people who live in Wycombe who think people, who ever they are, who say things like 'what a dump' consider it not very nice or sensitive.
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For example just like the 3 or 4 lovely characters and usual suspects (under-educated) from Marlow or Penn who do so on a monotonously regular and boring basis.
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I really do not want to fall out with you and converse in this way but I wish that Wycombe wasn't continually and cruelly 'bombarded' with insults or even if they are from ex-Wycombians and long-term residents at one time.
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In the meantime - say what you like - but please be aware that other things besides sticks and stones do cause hurt.
J B Blackett
says...
4:24pm Sat 24 Jul 10
Morag wrote:Well said, Morag. Wycombe is now a collection of individual areas / villages /communities that have over the years, inadvertently , or even stupidly planned to be melded and forcibly joined together.
Ivor said "To bring back Wycombe show it needs an organisation to kick start the process to guide the members of the community who step forward in how to run a show. I am sure the show would be viable all it needs is the impetus to resurrect it."
~
A letter to the BFP from the President of Wycombe Show "Thanks to supporters after Wycombe Show committee wound-up" states
"Unfortunately we can no longer raise the large number of voluntary helpers required to stage the show".
~
Am I missing something? There was an organisation to run the show but not enough volunteers. Did you volunteer, Ivor or like most of us did you not have the time or the inclination? I believe it is the same reason so many community events have declined in towns and villages all over the country. That is why so many Cubs and Brownie packs have been discontinued.
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Many people lead busy lives and do not wish to give up their time in this way.
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Ivor says "the townspeople desperately want there to be a community but the powers the be are doing their best to ruin what we have and destroy the town and the townspeople’s morale". In this instance you cannot blame the powers that be. If you want there to be a community then you have to volunteer to do something to draw people together. You are in an ideal position to do this with your blog.
~
I don't mean sit there moaning because someone else hasn't organised something for you. Write a blog, ask your readers what sort of event they would like to see, ask them what skills they can contribute, ask them if they have the spare time, ask them if they would be willing to take part, see if you can get anyone involved.
~
If you have extensive, well-kept gardens then why not throw them open to your local community one afternoon? Invite a local group to have a get together........ just think, they might provide free refreshments for you.
.
Even now each area still has its own character and sense of itself - that's what a community is. When it comes to whole town - E to W and N and S between Sands and Loudwater and then Downley to Daws Hill it is difficult get that feel of a 'community' because that sense resides in the areas where people live. It's a big area, 5 miles (at least) at its longest point along the valley
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The WDC has a lot to answer for because it appears to militate against these 'town communities' , and gives them no sense of belonging to a large town. It the way the politicos play it - it's called divide and rule. If the people came together collectively as a town we would get rid of these charlatans in sheeps clothing.
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So good luck with your plea Morag ; it may encourage and revitalize a more cohesive movement in Wycombe from all these disparate separate wide-spread areas to do something for the greater good. Regards
demoness
says...
5:03pm Sat 24 Jul 10
Now it is a clean bright place and Eden on a Saturday afternoon is full of people enjoying themselves.
I do agree that the rest of the town needs some work but I also maintain that it is a commuter town - and it does not have townsfolk as such.
To sum up if you look at Wycombe as it is now - not as it was 20 years ago it is far better. However I prefer to live somewhere that is quieter and has less people . That's my choice. Wendover is no paradice but I have lived here nearly a year now - I live near the Halton camp and near a pub.
As yet there has been no trouble at all with either.
sticksandstones
says...
5:06pm Sat 24 Jul 10
Take a look at the high street, or should I say lack of High Street.
Frogmoor has nothing to offer either.
I have lost count of the people who think Wycombe is the pits and only go in to shop if they have no other choice.
Thank god for online shopping.
demoness
says...
5:12pm Sat 24 Jul 10
sticksandstones wrote:Well some people must be really fussy about what they buy.
Does it really take the closure of a shoe shop to realise Wycombe is in a terminal decline? Take a look at the high street, or should I say lack of High Street. Frogmoor has nothing to offer either. I have lost count of the people who think Wycombe is the pits and only go in to shop if they have no other choice. Thank god for online shopping.
Personally I find Eden and also the new Sainsburys more than fulfils my shopping needs. :)
J B Blackett
says...
6:12pm Sat 24 Jul 10
demoness wrote:s & s - The Centre of Gravity of Wycombe has shifted westwards away from the High St. This what happens in evolutionary civic development - for good or bad reasons but it happens.
sticksandstones wrote:Well some people must be really fussy about what they buy.
Does it really take the closure of a shoe shop to realise Wycombe is in a terminal decline? Take a look at the high street, or should I say lack of High Street. Frogmoor has nothing to offer either. I have lost count of the people who think Wycombe is the pits and only go in to shop if they have no other choice. Thank god for online shopping.
Personally I find Eden and also the new Sainsburys more than fulfils my shopping needs. :)
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The alternative is what they started doing in the 50s and 60s - knock the old historic and build glass and concrete shopping 'malls'. Did you wish that to happen ?ple looking for casual farmin
. Wycombe HIgh St used to be full of horses (and their manure) , other animals (and their manure), carts and lots of out-of-work people looking for casual farming, labouring or furniture factory jobs. The good old days.
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Compare with other similar towns up and down the country - old industries die , businesses fold and other things start up and people move out or move in. Things only stay the same in Ground Hog country. Sorry about that.
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demoness - thank you for those quite kind words of shopping praise for Wycombe.
demoness
says...
6:40pm Sat 24 Jul 10
The trouble is our resident blogger looks upon the rape of Wycombe by the sixties and seventies planners as the Halycon days of Wycombe..
And it really wasn't:(
J B Blackett
says...
7:08pm Sat 24 Jul 10
demoness wrote:I concur totally.
JBB - I think that is why I am so cross - the town centre does need reviving.... but as a compliment to the new part.
The trouble is our resident blogger looks upon the rape of Wycombe by the sixties and seventies planners as the Halycon days of Wycombe..
And it really wasn't:(
ivor
says...
1:46am Sun 25 Jul 10
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Surely there is the impetus to resurrect the Wycombe show? I feel that is should start out small and be allowed to grow however an established organisation needs to kick start the process. Surely it would be the ideal platform for the powers that be to show us that they are actually capable of organising something?
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No. I did not volunteer as I was unaware of the need for volunteers at that point in time. I too lead a busy and full life.
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I wonder how many people would volunteer if I were to call for help organising an event?
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If I were to open the gardens at my home then what about public liability insurance if someone were to hurt themselves? I fear the health and safety culture of today prevents such impromptu events?
ivor
says...
1:46am Sun 25 Jul 10
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You may be pleased to know that my latest blog is about my recent visit to Wendover....
ivor
says...
1:46am Sun 25 Jul 10
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May be I should do a blog exploring the breakdown of community in Wycombe?
ivor
says...
1:47am Sun 25 Jul 10
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Wycombe is only a commuter town because the powers the be allowed the industry to disappear. Houses are more important than factories these days....
ivor
says...
1:47am Sun 25 Jul 10
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Indeed Wycombe has been in decline for years but it brings it home when such an established shop a John Hearn closes....
ivor
says...
1:47am Sun 25 Jul 10
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There should be more to the shopping heart of a town than a large shopping complex and a supermarket....
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Where is the choice of buying from a independent trader or a supermarket?
ivor
says...
1:48am Sun 25 Jul 10
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At least there was work for those looking for casual farming jobs....
ivor
says...
1:48am Sun 25 Jul 10
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Indeed the 60's and 70's were the halcyon days of our town. The town was modern yet quaint. Sadly too much of our architecture has been lost since then and things are getting worse by the year....
ivor
says...
1:48am Sun 25 Jul 10
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So when do you think the halcyon days of Wycombe were then?
sticksandstones
says...
12:32pm Sun 25 Jul 10
ivor
says...
3:00pm Sun 25 Jul 10
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I fear you a perfectly correct when you say that by sprucing up the western sector it would have an adverse effect on the rest of the town.
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The whole of Wycombe needed sprucing up not just part of it.
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How could anyone be so stupid to allow something like this happen.
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As you say shops are closing and being boarded up in the complex. I have said since the outset that the complex will fail and I don't think the failure is too far away now....
Abdul Muhammed
says...
3:55pm Sun 25 Jul 10
ivor wrote:You horrible miserable man. I'm not going to read your blogs anymore- I thought they were good at first, how wrong I was.
Re the comments of sticksandstones at 12:32pm
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I fear you a perfectly correct when you say that by sprucing up the western sector it would have an adverse effect on the rest of the town.
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The whole of Wycombe needed sprucing up not just part of it.
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How could anyone be so stupid to allow something like this happen.
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As you say shops are closing and being boarded up in the complex. I have said since the outset that the complex will fail and I don't think the failure is too far away now....
demoness
says...
4:31pm Sun 25 Jul 10
Eden is prospering and Ivor please stop saying otherwise - you have now lost another regular reader by your nasty and unfair remarks.
I don't take any notice of them anymore but others do.
ivor
says...
7:17pm Sun 25 Jul 10
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If you stop reading my blog you will never know what I am saying! Hiding your head in the sand and pretending things aren't happening is not a good thing to do.
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I can assure you that by blogs are good however we cannot run away from the problems of the town. If only the powers that be have the impetus to put things right....
ivor
says...
7:18pm Sun 25 Jul 10
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If the complex is thriving how come shops are closing down there?
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Is it sensible to stop reading a blog simply because you do not like the facts in it?
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Why don't you take any notice of my blogs any more? Simply because someone does not hold the same view as yourself it does not mean that the other person must be ignored....
demoness
says...
7:32pm Sun 25 Jul 10
We will never agree on Eden but as I don't live in Wycombe anymore, I don't get quite so het up. :)
ivor
says...
7:35pm Sun 25 Jul 10
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I am very disappointed to hear that the subjects on which I write and thus my opinions no longer matter to you. Surely the important topics on which I write are of concern to everyone?
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Indeed I doubt if we will ever agree on the complex however it will be interesting to see how things turn out.
demoness
says...
7:43pm Sun 25 Jul 10
Does that make sense?
ivor
says...
7:49pm Sun 25 Jul 10
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I understand what you are saying however as I have always said my intention was never to get anyone irritated.
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I was only looking for passionate debate on subjects and surely everyone has their own viewpoint and that is was creates debate and leads to lively discussions.
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I always welcome your opinions and look forward to hearing them indeed quite often you have pointed out that I am wrong and corrected me....
walking_the_dog
says...
2:32pm Mon 26 Jul 10
Since Eden opened I think Wycombe has been transformed. I cannot remember seeing Wycombe as busy as it has been since Eden, and not just at weekends.
We can't keep harping on about the 'old days'. If we are honest I don't think they were any better than now.
Esidara
says...
8:02pm Mon 26 Jul 10
Our stock fulfilled the needs of those customers which came in; few left unable to find something in the store and for those that were unable to find something in stock, we were frequently able to place an order for something to fit their needs.
The problem was lack of foot traffic.
When the Eden center opened, the focus of the town shifted and we lost a lot of incidental foot traffic - something which earned us a lot of income.
Also, a lot of those customers who were considered 'life long' customers ceased to come to us unless they really needed to, staying instead in the Eden/Octagon with Clarks and Jones Bootmakers unless these two establishments were unable to find something for them.
demoness
says...
9:00pm Mon 26 Jul 10
Esidara wrote:Well the fact that you lost established customers when Eden arrived should tell you something..
I worked in John Hearns before it went into liquidation, and did so for the past five years. Our stock fulfilled the needs of those customers which came in; few left unable to find something in the store and for those that were unable to find something in stock, we were frequently able to place an order for something to fit their needs. The problem was lack of foot traffic. When the Eden center opened, the focus of the town shifted and we lost a lot of incidental foot traffic - something which earned us a lot of income. Also, a lot of those customers who were considered 'life long' customers ceased to come to us unless they really needed to, staying instead in the Eden/Octagon with Clarks and Jones Bootmakers unless these two establishments were unable to find something for them.
Sorry to sound so harsh but there simply wasn't the choice that you get in either Jones or House of Fraser.
Sad but true.
ivor
says...
9:38pm Mon 26 Jul 10
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No. Towns do not have a Frogmoor festering away in the backwaters somewhere.
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Wendover, Princes Risborough, Marlow and Aylesbury do not have areas of the town that have been left to go to ruin. The Frogmoor problem is a Wycombe thing.
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If the powers the be had promoted Wycombe properly then the old town would have been just as busy without the need to build the complex.
ivor
says...
9:43pm Mon 26 Jul 10
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Indeed John Hearn always had what I wanted too. It was an excellent shop and its passing will be a terrible shame for Wycombe.
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Well, I personally have vowed never to buy from shops in the complex. I prefer to support the proper local businesses.
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I have never purchased from the two alternative shops you mention because I am not happy with the levels of service they provide. John Hearn was a proper shop selling proper shoes with proper service.
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Maybe there is hope that John Hearn can be saved? It's a long shot but I pray for it every night since the terrible news of the closure became public.....
ivor
says...
9:44pm Mon 26 Jul 10
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I am afraid that I have to disagree.
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The men's shoes department in the so called department store in the complex doesn’t compare when it comes to John Hearn which had a better range of shoe by a long way.
demoness
says...
9:55pm Mon 26 Jul 10
ivor wrote:Which of course is why John Hearn closed down because the choice was so good!!! :)))))
Re the comments of demoness at 9:00pm ~ I am afraid that I have to disagree. ~ The men's shoes department in the so called department store in the complex doesn’t compare when it comes to John Hearn which had a better range of shoe by a long way.
paradise.relost
says...
9:55pm Mon 26 Jul 10
ivor wrote:Someone has already told you that these towns are incomparable. Aylesbury has its fair share of empty premises too. Marlow and Wendover are small country towns. Please stop your constant wingeing. It is becoming tiresome. If John Hearn had such a wonderful selection and service, it wouldn't be closing down. You're insulting your readers' intelligence by pretending otherwise.
Re the comments of walking_the_dog at 2:32pm
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No. Towns do not have a Frogmoor festering away in the backwaters somewhere.
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Wendover, Princes Risborough, Marlow and Aylesbury do not have areas of the town that have been left to go to ruin. The Frogmoor problem is a Wycombe thing.
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If the powers the be had promoted Wycombe properly then the old town would have been just as busy without the need to build the complex.
ivor
says...
10:00pm Mon 26 Jul 10
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No!
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Read Esidara's comment (above). It quite clearly states that footfall was the problem. The customer mostly found the shoes they wanted.
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I do wish they would open the shops again. I desperately hope that a buyer can be found and we can be allowed to have a proper shoe shop in Wycombe again.
ivor
says...
10:00pm Mon 26 Jul 10
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Aylesbury may have a few empty shops but Wycombe is littered with them! Frogmoor is festering away in desperate need of rejuvenation but alas nothing is done.
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But John Hear did have a wonderful service. I really enjoyed shopping there and seeing the shop standing there empty still brings a tear to my eye as I pass by. Let's hope it opens again....
demoness
says...
10:46pm Mon 26 Jul 10
ivor wrote:Yes!
Re the comments of demoness at 9:55pm ~ No! ~ Read Esidara's comment (above). It quite clearly states that footfall was the problem. The customer mostly found the shoes they wanted. ~ I do wish they would open the shops again. I desperately hope that a buyer can be found and we can be allowed to have a proper shoe shop in Wycombe again.
If the customers like the products they would have not left.
If John Hearn had supplied what people wanted they would still be there.
Why on earth are people going to walk all the way over there for a small choice of shoes when they have all the choice they need in Eden.
It IS sad but it is an economical fact of life.
Consumers vote with their feet. :))
ivor
says...
11:03pm Mon 26 Jul 10
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As you know we don't always see eye to eye on some subjects and I fear this is one such example.
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It doesn't matter what range of goods you are supplying if the trade is diverted away from your door and the area of town you are located in is left to rot then trading will become difficult.
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I do hope the business can be saved. I really do. We can only live in hope....
faisal mahmood
says...
11:25pm Thu 5 Aug 10
The John Hearn shop in Frogmoor.
In this section
- The cost of car insurance
- Welcome to Nature Connections
- The writing is on the wall for the traditional bookshop
- 'Snowmaggedon' – I Don’t Think Snow
- What can you do on a cold day in Wycombe?
- Are you worried about the cold this Winter?
- Airbrushing – what of it?
- The snow has arrived
- The lights are on but everyone’s at home
- Numbers!
demoness says...
10:27pm Thu 22 Jul 10
That is what I think.