Signing out from the Summer Hols 👋

Good morning, Wycombe!

It's the Wycombe Pulse. Your local newsletter that's in disbelief that it's September next week...

Check out the highlight from this week's edition:

• Jason Donovan treading the boards at the Swan 🎭

• Big ol' beer festival at the Full Moon in Little Kingshill 🍺

• Up for exploring? We've found some brand new walking routes around town and beyond 🚶🏻‍♀️

Plus crafts and parties for the kids, street food night, quizzes, comedy, live music and much more.

Family Fun

• Street Food Evening at the Walled Garden on Friday 30th August from 5-9pm - head to West Wycombe for their latest food truck night, featuring burgers, pizza, Greek and Caribbean cuisine. It's dog and family-friendly, and kids' portions will be on offer too 🍕

• Back to School Party at The Bricklayers Arms on Sunday 1st September at 12pm - say 'so long' to the Summer Holidays at the Brickies with karaoke, games, a kids' raffle and a meat raffle.

• Peachy Under 5s Day at the Roald Dahl Museum on today, Thursday 29th August throughout the day - take your toddlers to the museum for messy play and storytelling based on James and the Giant Peach. It's free to attend with museum admission 🍑

• Children's wool embroidery workshop at Patch the Old Library on today, 29th August from 1-3pm - Laura and Liz from Create Your Happy will teach you how to create a summer-themed card using embroidery techniques. Tickets are £7.50 each.

• Best Buds Dog Workshop at Hazelmere Library on today, 29th August from 10.30-11.30am - kids aged 7 to 11 are invited to this fun workshop in partnership with Dogs Trust that will help them understand dogs and learn how to be their best friends. It's free but you will need to book in advance, either directly with the library or by emailing [email protected] 🐶

• Explore the Archive at the Roald Dahl Museum on Friday 30th August at 11.45am and 2.15pm - join the Collections Manager and see behind the scenes of the Museum. Suitable for kids aged 8 and over, and priced at £4 (in addition to museum entry).

• Draw a Cat Workshop at Grounded Kitchen on Sunday 1st September from 12-2pm - led by local pet portrait artist Mel Cairns, this is a great class suitable for everyone aged over 10 (or under 10 if accompanied by an adult) no matter your artistic ability. Mel will be teaching you how to draw a fluffy cat in her own inky style. Tickets are £20 and include all materials 😻

Up for a short drive?

• Bucks County Show at Weedon Park, Aylesbury today on Thursday 29th August from 8am-6pm - the 155th county show is a must-visit for anyone interested in agricultural life. There'll be cattle, sheep and equine classes, including showjumping and Horse of the Year qualifiers, a home & garden marquee, 200 trade stands, food hall and a Countryside Area.

• Parkfest at Wooburn Park on Saturday 31st August from 12-5pm - its the annual family funday in Wooburn Park. Expect food trucks, a car show, dog show, live music, kids' rides, face painting, zorbs and much more. All money raised will be going to local charities.

• Wing Day Cookham on Cookham Moor on 31st August from 11am to 9pm - calling all chicken wing enthusiasts! There'll be an array of local vendors showing off their flavoursome wing offerings, alongside live music and DJs, a wing eating contest and much more. Under 4s are free and kids between 4 and 17 will need a child's ticket 🍗

Food, Drinks and Entertainment

• The Rocky Horror Show at Wycombe Swan from 27th to 31st August at various times - starring everyone's favourite Neighbour, Jason Donovan, the legendary rock-n-roll musical is hitting the Swan this week. Unmissable!

• Beer Festival at The Full Moon in Little Kingshill from 31st August to 1st September -- there'll be over 20 beers and ciders on offer, a gins and spirits bar, live music, bouncy castle, face painting and BBQ 🍺

• Get Rosé Ready at Waitrose on Wednesday 4th September at 6pm - budding sommeliers will love this rosé tasting at Waitrose High Wycombe where you'll sip your way through 5 different styles. Tickets cost £15 and the event will last for an hour 🍷

• Marvel Quiz at O'Neill's on tonight, Thursday 29th August at 8pm - put that superhero knowledge to good use! It's just £3 per person with a max of 6 in a team. Prizes for the winners 🦸🏻‍♂️

• Brewery Comedy at the Mad Squirrel on Wednesday 4th September from 8-10.30pm - hosted by James Lillis with a trio of comedians doing live stand-up at the taproom.

• Pizza & Live Music Night at the Bricklayers Arms on Friday 30th August from 12-9pm - The Brickies are laying on a special pizza menu and you can enjoy live music from Victoria Elizabeth from 7 to 9pm 🍕

• Beer & Beyond Festival at the Flint Cottage on Saturday 31st August -- there'll be a full-line up of guest beers to choose from, food trucks and live local musicians playing throughout the day. Tickets are £10 and the event is 18+ 🍻

Something a little different...

• The Revive & Thrive Exhibition is launching this Saturday 31st August from 10am-4pm and will be showcasing a treasure trove of local creativity, art and heritage at The Wheatsheaf on the High Street. It will also be open from 10am-4pm on the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 8th of September. There'll be interactive displays, never-before-seen photos, and it'll be a great way to experience the creative passion of Wycombe's vibrant community. Plus you'll able to see inside The Wheatsheaf - the oldest secular medieval building in the town!

These Boots are made for Walkin'...

Some of the most popular events we share are walks, and it's no wonder. Walking around the town and the surrounding area is one of the best ways to get to know the place where we call home - even if you've lived here forever.

There are plenty of regular history walks through the town and god knows the Chilterns are full of well-trodden paths, but we thought we'd share a couple of brand new, unique walks we've spotted recently.

• Local cartographer and keen walker Rachel Marsh has created 12 walking route maps all around South Buckinghamshire and North Berkshire. They vary between 5 and 10.5km and contain ratings for difficulty, dog friendliness and muddiness and she promises they all have cafés or pubs en route or nearby. They're on sale on Etsy for just £2.40 each - we've got an eye on the 9.5km Wycombe Rye route for this weekend...

• The High Wycombe Society has released two brand-new self-guided heritage trails of the town centre - a great way to uncover the backgrounds, buildings and characters of our town. Plus, they're totally FREE. One is a simple heritage trail which you can read as you walk, while the other is a historical walking quiz, whereby all the answers are contained within the environment as you follow the walk -- very interactive and great for kids and those who are new to the town. Don't worry - the answers can be found on their website if you're stumped!

Community Notes

• GET Free Books reopening in High Wycombe - the Global Educational Trust are reopening their free bookshop on Octagon Parade, next to Travelodge, today 29th August at 11am. Essentially, they're like any other secondhand bookshop except it's totally FREE. You're allowed 3 free books per person, per day and there is a donation box (purely optional) if you want to pay it forward. They're also looking for volunteers.

• Tabletop Sale at Stokenchurch Dog Rescue - always popular, the dog rescue jumble sale promises great bargains. It's on Saturday 31st August from 10am-12pm and entry is £1 🐶

• Refresh Wycombe Quiz Night at The Riverside on Wednesday 4th September at 7.30pm - all profits will go towards Refresh Wycombe's local community projects such as the Repair Café and the Refresh Upcycling Shop. Entry is £5 each and there's a max of 6 in a team.

Volunteering

• Lunchtime Train Station Transformation on Wednesday 4th September from 12-2pm - join the Chiltern Rangers at High Wycombe Station to help transform it, with the overall aim of the project to add biodiversity and create artwork and signage.

Where in Wycombe am I?

Where am I standing today? And which town landmark can you spot?

Last week's answer: I was overlooking the pond in Funges Meadow, our incredible local nature reserve.

Weather In Wycombe

September is just around the corner, but this weekend looks set for some late summer sunshine. Why not try one of the walking routes above?

Failing that, we’ve got our eyes on those Beer Festivals… 👀

Friday

🌤️ 22°C - 💨 8 mph - ☂️ 10% chance

Saturday

🌤️ 21°C - 💨 13 mph - ☂️ 10% chance

Sunday

🌦️ 23°C - 💨 8 mph - ☂️ 40% chance

Thanks For Reading

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Until next Thursday…

Steph
Publisher and Editor, Wycombe Pulse