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  • It's Behind You! Panto Season Is Coming... 🎭

It's Behind You! Panto Season Is Coming... 🎭

Plus a bottle share event at our newest brewery, Christmas markets galore, an art studio tour, and a night of Motown...

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Wycombe Pulse
November 21, 2024

Good morning, Wycombe!

It’s the Wycombe Pulse. The local newsletter that opened its curtains and audibly groaned when it saw the snow falling earlier this week.

I’m just not ready.

There’s lots of fun stuff on in town this week:

  • Bottomless Brunch at The Stag 🥂

  • 2 new businesses opening in the town centre 🥳

  • Christmas Craft Fayre at the Museum (feat. Father Christmas!) 🎄

Plus we’ve rounded up all the pantos and festive theatre to get booked in, the upcoming local Christmas events, live music and parties, craft nights, sports action and more.

This Week’s Highlights

  • Christmas Craft Fayre at Wycombe Museum on Sunday 24th November from 11am-4pm - there’ll be a host of stalls selling gifts from local artisans and small businesses, mulled wine and mince pies, carol singing and even a Winter Wonderland pop-up with a Santa meet-and-greet. Entry is FREE but there’s a small charge to visit Santa 🎅🏻

  • Bottle Share Night at Brazenor’s Brews on Wednesday 27th November from 7pm - calling all craft beer lovers! Head on down to the brewery and taproom with a bottle of something you’d like to share and sample the other beers being brought as well 🍺

  • Christmas Event at Turville Studios on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November from 11am-4pm - the 6 artists at Turville Studios are hosting their annual Christmas event. Expect affordable, contemporary art to view on site as well as mulled wine and festive food to enjoy as you wander their studios 🎨

  • Four For Thought with John Gurney at Flackwell Heath Community Library on Monday 25th November at 7.30pm - in collaboration with the Flackwell Local Area History Group, John will present four local short stories, including on the sinking of RMS Lancastria and the “Koh-i-Noor Diamond Princesses from Hammersley Lane”. Please buy tickets in advance from the library 📚

  • Mary Does Marlow After Dark in Marlow on tonight, Thursday 21st November at 7.15pm - head over to Marlow to join ‘Mary Shelley’ for a monstrous town tour and discover its many creepy connections… 🌚

Entertainment

Eating and Drinking

Christmas Events

Markets

Crafting

Pantos… And Other Festive Theatre

Late November and December is officially Panto Season.

And before you start to cringe at the inevitable patter coming your way, we think Wycombe actually knocks it out of the park when it comes to panto — whether it’s Vernon Kay and a dazzling set at the Swan or some amazing local acting talent doing it just to put a smile on our faces at a village hall. Whether you love it or hate it, a good panto is sure to get you into the festive spirit.

We’ve rounded up all the local productions coming our way - let us know if you’ll be heading to any.

  • Mother Goose at West Wycombe Village Hall running from Thursday 28th to Saturday 30th November - the Masque Players of West Wycombe present their brilliant annual pantomime well loved by locals.

  • Alice in Cuckoo Land at Hughenden Valley Village Hall running from Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th December - the Valley Players present this modern pantomime retelling of Alice in Wonderland.

  • A Christmas Carol at Elim Hope Church: Lane End on Saturday 7th-Sunday 8th December - less a traditional production and more a FREE immersive experience for all the family, based on the classic Dickens’ story. Father Christmas will also be in attendance, handing out free gifts to all children, and there’ll also be crafts and festive refreshments.

  • Aladdin at the Wycombe Swan running from Friday 13th December 2024 to Sunday 5th January 2025 - Vernon Kay and La Voix return to the Swan for this year’s panto, which is always a total treat and one of our personal family traditions. Plus, there’s a great Black Friday deal on right now with up to 30% off tickets on certain performances. The Swan are also running an Aladdin-themed workshop at the Library tomorrow, Friday 22nd November at 11am, where there’ll be a chance to win tickets!

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Front Room (Saturday 14th December) and Sands Village Hall (Sunday 15th and Friday 20th December) - not a panto but a ‘sparkling midwinter frolic’ brought to you by an all female company with one of the most beloved of all Shakespeare’s plays.

  • Cinderella at Tylers Green Village Hall on Friday 20th December - the travelling pantomime from Shooting Star Entertainments is in Tylers Green for one afternoon only!

  • Dick Whittington at Lane End Village Hall running 17th-18th, 24-25th and 31st January and February 1st 2025 - the Lane End Players will be brightening up the new year with their latest panto. Box office opens on the 7th December.

Sports and Activities

Thinking about New Year’s resolutions yet..?

Couch to 5k course with Handy Cross Runners - a 10 week beginners course starting on Wednesday 8th January, allowing anybody with a basic level of fitness to run 5km. Each session will begin with a warm-up and agility exercises to help your running form. A fantastic way to get into running and exercise!

Do you run a sports team/fitness activity and are looking for players/new joiners/spectators for upcoming fixtures or practices? Please email me at [email protected] with the details if you'd like to be featured.

Business News

Do you know or run a small, High Wycombe-based business selling present items? I’m putting together a small local gift guide for Christmas and want to know who’s making presents you’d like to receive. Either reply to this email or comment your suggestions on this Facebook post. Thanks in advance! 😊

The Clip ‘n Climb High Wycombe is opening tomorrow, Friday 23rd November, and you can start making bookings now. Not only does it look like kid paradise, I’d also like to have a go…

House 2 Home, a homeware shop, has opened in the ground floor space that was formerly used by Primark before its relocation to Eden.

Community Notes

The Council and Wycombe Homeless Connection have activated their Cold Weather Response due to the bitterly cold weather. FREE emergency shelter is available for every person sleeping outside in High Wycombe when the temperature drops below 0° for more than a couple of nights. If you have concerns about an adult sleeping rough, please make a report on Streetlink, which will connect them with local services. If the person looks to be under 18, in immediate danger or in need of urgent medical care, please call 999.

The Chiltern Rangers are looking for volunteers to help them create a pathway at St Francis of Assisi Church in Totteridge on Monday 25th November from 10am-3.30pm.

A good news story…

Two brothers from High Wycombe, Ahmad Mustafa Rafeeq and Ali Hayder Rafeeq, both won medals at the British National Taekwondo Poomsae Championships last weekend. Ali-Hayder, aged 9, profoundly deaf and fitted with a PEG feeding tube, won gold in the individual junior male Paralympic category, while Ahmad-Mustafa, aged 11, won bronze in the pair cadet category. Well done boys, what amazing achievements! 🥇🥉

Do you have a good news story to share? Please either email me at [email protected] or reply to this email.

Where in Wycombe am I?

Last week’s answer: I was at the Pann Mill shed, tucked away at the back of the Mill grounds on the corner of London Road. The beautiful mural, painted by Dan Wilson and a group of young people, actually came about after the Mill and shed were vandalised with graffiti in 2022. After a lot of help from the community to clean and repair, Dan and his fellow artists painted the mural ‘live’ during one of the famous Pann Mill Open Days — held regularly over the spring and summer months when the public are welcome to come and watch the mill at work and browse the gardens and stalls.

Weather in Wycombe

This week could be the week to invest in a pair of hand warmers. The balaclava can wait for now. Definitely an umbrella though.

Friday

🌤️ 5°C - 💨 30 mph - ☂️ 20% chance

Saturday

🌤️ 11°C - 💨 44 mph - ☂️ 95% chance

Sunday

🌤️ 12°C - 💨 46 mph - ☂️ 80% chance

We hope you've enjoyed this week's edition of the Pulse!

Have a brilliant weekend, but first...

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Until next Thursday...

Steph

Publisher and Editor, Wycombe Pulse

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