🍰 Did somebody say Afternoon Tea? (Kids eat free...)

Good morning, Wycombe ☀️

It's the Wycombe Pulse. Your local newsletter that arrives as reliably as Léon Marchand to the top of an Olympic podium.

Check out these highlights from this week's edition:

• History on our High Street walking tour 🚶🏻‍♀️

• Kids eat free with an afternoon tea ☕️

• Sleeping Beauty at the Wycombe Swan 🩰

Plus an array of kids' activities, lots of live music, a few cultural events and some Olympics-inspired sport ideas…

Family Fun

• Kids eat for free with every Afternoon Tea booking at Air Raid Shelter Cafe and Tea Room -- an amazing offer for kids under 12 this Saturday and Sunday at the fabulous Air Raid Shelter. May Blossom, a vintage singer, will also be in residence for your entertainment from 12pm 🎶

• Neon Pandas Family Painting Workshop at West Wycombe Walled Garden -- on Wednesday 14th August at 3.30pm. Join Toni from Easely Does It for this fun painting workshop suitable for kids aged 6+ and their families 🎨

• Free Youth Events for 11-18 year olds -- a few of the town's charitable organisations have come together to offer 3 free sessions at Keep Hill today, 8th August, at 11am, 2pm and 5pm. Expect a summer BBQ, bushcraft, art making and hammocks. Meet at the Lido steps and bring your friends ⛺️

• Naphill Brick and Model Show 2024 -- calling all miniature toy fans! Come and see lego models, trains, dolls' houses, vintage toys, Bayko and much more at Naphill Village Hall this weekend (10am-5pm Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday).

• Little City at Great Missenden Memorial Hall -- if you've got kids under 6, they're sure to love Little City which is a role play extravaganza. Expect a vets, supermarket, hair salon, construction site and more to explore! Tickets are £10 and sessions are at 9.30am and 11am on Friday 9 August.

• LUSH X TMNT Pizza Party -- calling all Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans! Ticket are available every weekday next week at 12pm for LUSH's product-making event where you can make your own Green Machine bubble bar as well as a 'fun' pizza competition. Goody bags and "turtley awesome" samples are guaranteed 🐢

Up for a short drive?

• Emergency Services Day at Bucks Rail Centre -- head over to Quainton to the brilliant Railway Centre on 11th August at 10.30am. Expect vehicles, the heritage railway, museum, miniature railway, model trains and more. Tickets are £7 and under 3s go free 🚑

• Britain at War Weekend at COAM -- the Chiltern Open Air Museum in Chalfont St Peter are hosting a Britain at War event this Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Expect 10 living history re-enactment groups and camps; discover life on the home front; watch warbow, warhorse training, gun and catapult firing displays; and more.

Food, Drinks and Entertainment

• Open Mic Night at Wycombe Arts Centre on Friday 9th August 7.30pm -- they welcome first-timers all the way up to seasoned performers. All forms of expression are accepted! 🎤

• Back to the 80s Trivia Night at O'Neill's on Thursday 8th August at 8pm -- it's only £3 per person and a maximum of 6 per team. Cowabunga, dude!

• Italian Showcase Tasting at Majestic on 9th August at 6pm -- wine lovers with a taste for the old world are invited to a tasting of carefully curated Italian favourites. The tasting runs for 90 minutes and you can arrive at any time with no obligation to buy. You can book your place by emailing [email protected] 🍷

• These Certain People live at the Dashwood Roadhouse on 10th August at 8pm -- put on your dancing shoes for this band from Marlow.

• Cecoelia's Pop Up Shop in Wooburn Green on Saturday 10th August from 10am to 11.30am -- Cecoelia's is a beloved gluten-free bakery who occasionally runs very popular pop-ups. Some of the treats you can expect include Victoria Sandwiches, brownies, lemon cake and more 🧁

• Victoria Elizabeth live at The Beech Tree on Friday 9th August from 8pm -- the Beech Tree are bringing back their live music offerings with this set from Victoria Elizabeth.

• Legends Karaoke at The Chequers Tree in Prestwood -- 10th August at 8pm.

• Elton John Tribute Act at the Cherry Tree on Saturday 10th August at 8pm -- bring on the Rocketman 🚀

Culture Vulture

• History on our High Street Walking Tour -- a free walking tour on Sunday 11th August, starting at Pann Mill at 10am and ending up at Wycombe Museum at around 11.30am. A great way to learn more about the town we live in!

• High Wycombe Record/CD Fair -- head to Wycombe Arts Centre on Sunday 11th August between 9.30am and 3pm for a record fair. £1 entry free for adults.

• Sleeping Beauty at the Wycombe Swan -- English Youth Ballet are performing on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th August. 90 young local ballerinas will also be dancing 🩰

• St Lawrence's Day Tea Party on Sunday 11th August at St Lawrence Church from 1-5pm -- a cursory Google search reveals that St Lawrence was a Christian martyr in the 3rd century who refused to hand over the riches of the church of Rome to the empire, instead distributing as much as possible to the poor. The poor chap was apparently roasted on a grill for his sins, somehow retaining enough humour to declare, "I'm well done on this side; turn me over" as his final words. Anyway, head on over to St Lawrence's in West Wycombe for refreshments to celebrate his feast day.

• Killers of the Flower Moon -- Beaconsfield Film Society are screening the Leonardo DiCaprio flick on Saturday 10th August at 7.30pm. It's slightly out of town at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield but worth the drive for film aficionados 🎥

Olympian Inspiration

We're certain that we're not the only household in town that's captured by the spirit of the Olympics right now.

What with Wycombe's own Lauren Torley being part of Team GB for Paris 2024 (Rugby Sevens, finished 7th, natch), we thought we'd take a look at some of the ways you can get started with some of the more prominent Olympic sports right here in High Wycombe.

• Running -- we're big fans of the Wycombe Rye Parkrun, a weekly 5k event held every Saturday at 9am. It's very friendly and suitable for all paces so beginners are very welcome. There's also a Junior Parkrun on every Sunday at 9am for little legs between 4 and 14 years old that's shorter at 2km. Other popular running clubs include the Handy Cross Runners (meets at the Judo Centre), Wycombe Phoenix Harriers (meets Marlow Road) and Hazlemere Runners (meets Hazlemere Rec).

• Swimming -- if Adam Peaty and team have inspired you, there are plenty of local pools to start your swimming career at. Personally, we love the Wycombe Rye Lido -- what's better than an outdoor swim?!

• Gymnastics -- there are a number of different gym clubs for kids in Wycombe but the one we routinely hear great things about is Booker Gym Club. Their classes start from toddler age and go all the way up to the Competition Squad.

• Rowing -- we know it's not High Wycombe, but it would be remiss here not to recommend the Marlow Rowing Club, one of the best in the country, and perfectly positioned right on the Thames. They've actually got some taster sessions coming up during the Great British Rowing Weekend on 7th and 8th September. What are you waiting for?

• Trampolining -- anyone looking for trampolining classes will definitely want to see what's on offer at the Leisure Centre. They offer tuition for pre-schoolers all the way up to adults, as well as advanced training for those particularly adept at the sport.

• Wycombe Leisure Centre also have a host of other sports to try (alongside their 2 swimming pools), such as climbing, table tennis, badminton, fencing, football, squash, martial arts, basketball and much more. Definitely worth the membership fee!

Community Notes

• High Wycombe Shopmobility -- they offer a range of mobility aids, including electric scooters, powerchairs, manual wheelchairs and strollers, for both short and long-term hire to enable easier access to local amenities. After a simple registration process, you can book equipment in advance or on the day and thorough demonstrations are provided. Find them in the Eden Centre or contact the office on 01494 472277.

• The future of Bucks' libraries -- the council are proposing various changes to reduce the running costs of the libraries across the county. For High Wycombe, they are considering opening on Mondays and closing on Sundays (they are currently open Sundays, closed Mondays). Fill in the survey to contribute your views.

• Repair Café -- take along your broken household items for mending to help reduce waste and promote sustainability. They operate from All Saints Church on the second Saturday of the month from 10am to 1pm.

• Allotment Open Day -- Grow Together Bucks are hosting this at their community allotment on Sierra Road. You can meet the volunteers during your tour and learn how to make your own compost. Sunday 11th August from 11am to 3pm.

Volunteering

• Winter Night Shelter -- Wycombe Homeless Connection will be re-opening their winter night shelter from January 2025 and are looking for volunteers to help run the shelter and more. Current and new volunteers are welcome and training will be provided in the Autumn.

• Litter pick in Micklefield -- meet at the Jet Garage on Saturday 10th August at 9.30am. Equipment supplied!

Where In Wycombe Am I?

Wycombe has some beautiful woodland to wander through. Quick hint: if you walk all the way through this one, you'll end up in Tylers Green.

Last week's answer: I was at the bottom of the steps at the end of Bowden Lane, near Funges Meadow. The steps lead up to the old railway line between Bassetsbury Lane and London Road -- soon to be opened as a brand new cycle path.

Weather In Wycombe

Making plans for the weekend?

Sunday is shaping up to be prime BBQ-weather.

Expect to hear the whir of lawns being mown over Wycombians squabbling for the last cheap fan in Argos — soon to be found on FB Marketplace (Like New, Used Once).

Friday

🌤️ 23°C - 💨 15 mph - ☂️ 20% chance

Saturday

☁️ 24°C - 💨 12 mph - ☂️ 10% chance

Sunday

🌤️ 28°C - 💨 10 mph - ☂️ 10% chance

Thanks For Reading

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Have a great weekend.

Until next Thursday…

Steph
Publisher and Editor, Wycombe Pulse