🏛️ Wycombe's Got History (And A Lot Of It This Week)

Good morning, Wycombe!

It’s been one of those weeks in the Pulse household. The dishwasher broke, the toilet rudely decided to stop flushing and and there’s roadworks along London Road again...

But we press on. And there are plenty of distractions in town this week.

Some highlights:

🪖 Air raid shelter open day
☕️ My top 10 coffee shops in Wycombe
🛍️🍗 Rumours of new Smyths & Wingstop openings…

Plus there’s a huge gallery closing down sale, lots of history talks, walks and exhibitions, Daddy Day Care, and much more.

🪵 Kraft Village Closing Down Sale — Unique Handcrafted Treasures

Robert Bishop has spent over 25 years turning trees into treasure — transforming burr elm, monkey puzzle, yew and exotic woods into one-of-a-kind bowls, hollow forms and vessels that end up in private collections across the UK and beyond.

After 12 years at Kraft Village, he's finally retiring. And everything is for sale.

No two pieces are alike. The grain, the figuring, the natural markings — they can't be replicated. When it's gone, it's gone for good.

📍 Kraft Village, Grafton Street, HP12 3AJ
🗓️ Sale starts Friday 8th May — open Mon, Tue, Fri & Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 12–5pm
💰 At least 20% off all marked prices — many reduced further — from just a few pounds to statement collector's pieces
🎨 Plus original artwork, photography prints and crafts from the gallery and gift shop
🅿️ Free parking on arrival

Robert will be there in person throughout the sale — ask him about the wood, the process, the story behind any piece.

👉 See some of the collection at kraftinwood.com

Editor’s Highlights

🪖 WWII Air Raid Shelter Open Day

📍 Hamilton Academy, Priory Road | 📅 Sat 9th May, 10.30am–2.30pm
There's a real wartime air raid shelter beneath the school — and now you can go inside it. Talks every half hour, arts and crafts for kids, and a pop-up café on the day. Free entry, donations welcome.

⚙️ Pann Mill Open Day

📍 The Rye | 📅 Sun 10th May, 11am–5pm
Wycombe's own watermill throws open its doors — watch the restored mill grinding local wheat, see the wheel in action, and pick up some stone-ground flour to take home. Plus stalls, homemade cakes in the garden, and a cuppa. Free entry.

🎤 The Hive Mind Open Mic 

📍 The Loft, B'Hive | 📅 Weds 13th May, 8.30pm
Music, comedy, spoken word, collaboration — all styles and abilities welcome. Full PA and backline provided, so just turn up and play. A brand new night for Wycombe and one to get behind.

🔥 Wild Feast with Jake Finn  

📍 Oxmoor Farm | 📅 Sat 9th May, 5–9.30pm
A four-course live-fire feast from Jake Finn, chef-owner of Cinder — recently named in the Good Food Guide's top 100. Mediterranean influences, open-grill cooking, and a stunning Bucks countryside setting.

Wellness Moments

🔔 Gong Bath
📍Marlow Bottom | 🗓️ Sun 10th May, 7.30pm
A tranquil gong bath that gently melts stress and restores calm for the week ahead.

🎨 Art for Wellbeing Club
📍 Wycombe Arts Centre | 📅 Sun 10th May, 10am–12pm 
A relaxed, no-pressure creative session — slow down, explore materials, and make art purely for the joy of it.

🎨 Drink & Draw
📍 Mad Squirrel | 📅 Tonight, 8–11pm
Grab a drink and get creative — £5 on the door and perfect for all abilities.

🏃 The Ridge Off Roader — Trail Running in the Chiltern Hills

Mud, hills, stunning views, and a BBQ at the finish line. What more could you want from a Sunday?

Now in its 13th year, the Ridge Off Roader is one of the best local races going — a proper off-road challenge set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just up the road from High Wycombe. And every single penny raised goes to Bledlow Ridge School.

📅 Sunday 17th May 2026 — Bledlow Ridge School, Buckinghamshire
🏅 Half Marathon (13.1 miles) — starts 9:30am | from £32
🏅 10K Trail Race — starts 10:30am | from £22
👟 1km Kids' Race (ages R–Year 6) — starts 9:50am | £5
🚗 Free parking | Chip timing | Finisher medals | On-course photographer

Past runners have called it "challenging but well planned", "fantastically organised" and "a beast" — that last one was a compliment.

Online entries close 10th May — or sign up on the day.

👉 Enter now

🔍 Family Fun Finder

🐉 Dragon Eye Notebook Workshop
📍 Hughenden Estate NT | 📅 Sun 10th May, 10am
Sculpt a polymer clay dragon eye and walk away with something genuinely magical.

🎼 Chiltern Music Academy Choral Concert
📍 All Saints Church | 📅 Sat 9th May, 6.30pm
Six choral groups performing live — from youth choir to showstoppers.

🐶 Downley Dog Walk
📍 The Bricklayers Arms | 📅 Sat 9th May, meet from 10am, walk starts 10.30am
Bring the dog and head to the Common for a walk in aid of Downley Dynamos Junior Football Club. Plus stalls, raffle and a BBQ.

🧸 Tiny Talk Time
📍 Wycombe Museum | 📅 Fri 8th May, 10am
Stories, crafts and museum fun for little ones aged 2–5, with each session themed around a different story, rhyme or song.

🫟 Tiny Tots Messy Session
📍 Christ The Servant King Church | 📅 Tues 12th May, 9.15am
Join in with painting, shaving foam play, jelly play and more. Plus a story, snack and singing.

🐻 We're Going on a Bear Hunt Trail
📍 Cliveden NT | 📅 9th May–5th July
The beloved picture book comes to life as an interactive sensory trail through the Cliveden grounds — swishing, splashing and squelching your way through to find the bear.

☕️ My favourite coffee shops in Wycombe

I've rounded up the 10 best indie coffee shops in the area, from specialty roast obsessives to family-friendly play cafés. Whether you're after a quiet work spot, a dog-friendly terrace, or just a properly made flat white, there's something on the list for you.

👉 Read the full guide here

Pub Quizzes

• The Crown Penn | Tonight | 7.30pm

• Belle Vue | Tonight | 8pm

Entertainment

• Drag Bingo with Miss Lightning | The Stag Flackwell Heath | Fri 8th May | 7pm

• Cabaret with Luna Cortez | O’Neill’s | Fri 8th May | 9pm

• Drag Cabaret | The Venue Bucks | Sat 9th May | 9pm

🎭 EIGHT: The One (Wo)Man Drag King Musical Parody
📍 Wycombe Arts Centre | 📅 Sat 9th May, 8pm
Henry VIII is back from the dead and absolutely furious about SIX — so he’s clearing his name in a one-(wo)man drag extravaganza packed with Meatloaf, Celine Dion and Ed Sheeran parodies. Bonkers, brilliant fun. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Sports & Activities

⚽ FOOTBALL

It's the end of the Chairboys’ season — but the club is already building excitement for next year with the reveal of their brand new 2026/27 home shirt 👕

Spotted at Adams Park before Saturday's final game, the new kit looks great on pitch. It's not on sale yet, but you can register here to be first to know when it drops later this month.

🎾 TENNIS

• HW Lawn Tennis Club Men 2nd vs Chesham 1879 1 away on Sun 10th May at 1pm

• HW Lawn Tennis Club Ladies 3rd vs Aylesbury 1 at home on Sat 9th May at 1pm

🏏 CRICKET

View HWCC’s fixtures for this week.

🏃🏻‍♂️ RUNNING

Regular runs: Parkrun (Saturday, Rye Lido, 9am) | Junior Parkrun (Sunday, Pann Mill, 9am) | Risborough Run In The Park (Sunday, Wades Park, 9am).

Run Prestwood
📍 Prestwood Gym and Fitness Centre | 📅 Sun 10 May, various start times
Choose from a chip-timed 10k or 5k fun run through the village, or bring the little ones for a 1km colour run. All profits go to the Chilterns Neuro Centre.

💃🏻 DANCING

Beginners Burlesque May Workshop — BodiBlossom Bucks
📍 Wycombe Judo Centre | 📅 Fri 8th May, 7.30 | £40
Four weeks of heels, chair burlesque, and shimmy belts.

Community Notes

☕️ Silver Series Coffee Social
📍 Eden Centre | 📅 Mon 11th May
A social morning for older adults to meet new people and try something different. Get further details from [email protected] 

🔧 Wycombe Repair Cafe
📍 All Saints Church | 📅 Sat 9th May, 10am-1pm
Bring along broken items and textiles for restoration and repair.

👨‍👧 Daddy Day Care HW
 📍 Patch | 📅 Tonight, 7.30pm | Free 
A monthly drop-in for local dads to connect, share experiences, and unwind — no agenda, no booking needed, just turn up.

🗑️ Community Litter Pick
📍 Meet in the lobby at Patch | 📅 Weds 13th May, 12–1pm
A hands-on hour making High Wycombe a little tidier — no booking needed, just show up and get stuck in. Every bag counts.

👕 New 4 You Clothes Bank
📍 Christ the Servant King Church | 📅 Fri 8th May, 10.30–11.30am
Free children's clothes (ages 0–14), with warm drinks, cake, and toys to keep little ones busy while you look. Nothing to bring, no strings attached — just come along.

🗓️ Dates for your Diary

😂 Select Comedy Club
📍 Patch | 📅 Thurs 14th May, doors 7.30pm
£10 (earlybird 2-for-1 before 9th May — or £3 off with code PULSE)
Headliner Adele Cliff (UK Pun Champion, four-time Dave's Funniest Joke of the Fringe nominee) tops the bill, with BBC New Comedy Award winner Yuriko Kotani and Wycombe's own Elliot Wengler hosting.

🎭 Open Air Theatre: The Tempest 
📍 Wycombe Museum | 📅 Sun 5th July, 1.30pm | £6
Unbound Theatre's award-winning Buckinghamshire Shakespeare Festival returns with The Tempest — magic, revenge, and a shipwreck in the museum gardens.

The Wycombe Wordle

Six guesses. Five letters. One Wycombe connection. Let me know if you get it!

🟩 Right letter, right spot
🟨 Right letter, wrong spot
⬜ Not in the word

👉 [Play here]

That’s a wrap for this week’s Pulse!

Have a fabulous weekend — but before you dash…

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See you next Thursday,
Steph