Opinion : We are lucky to live in Wycombe

 I keep wondering to myself if work can get any harder. Every day it does.

After a punishing morning slaving away hard at work my lunch break always comes to the rescue, indeed there is nothing yours truly likes more than my regular midday promenade around the town center.

With my lunchbox held firmly in my right hand your humble servant made my way down Wycombe High Street in search of a bench to eat my lunch and sit for a while to contemplate the absurdities of life.

Today my good self found a quiet spot on my favorite bench in the grounds of the Parish Church (pictured). Looking towards the War Memorial there is so much to be seen. People walking by, buses full of passengers and pigeons waddling around.

No sooner had I finished my lunch when a friend came along and we sat chatting together.

The topic of conversation turned to the recent bad weather and the dreadful floods at Marlow. They have had it pretty bad there with over 7,000 sandbags distributed, special pumps in operation to clear flood water and even the armed services have helped out.

It may be picturesque in Marlow in the summer however the spectre of the River Thames is always looming over the town ready to invade with murky flood water.

According to reports in the news section of this site it now seems the sewerage system is Marlow is approaching capacity. Flood water is bad enough but the nightmare is not over if raw sewage invades the town centre and homes of its residents.

What’s the point of having a nice house in Marlow if you have the hassle of filling out insurance claims the instant the weather turns rainy?

Of course Wycombe will never be flooded. The worst that happens here is a part of the Rye floods. Indeed an awful lot of rain would have to fall before my ancestral home would be affected by flooding, in fact the every building in the town center would have to be submerged!

Next my friend and I started thinking of all the other benefits to living in Wycombe.

Having the M40 nearby is another plus point. Then there’s the punctual and reliable rail service to London Marylebone. Don’t forget all the shops, department stores, bus station, sports centre and amenities in Wycombe town centre.

Wycombe has so much going for it indeed I am lucky to live here.

There are very few natural phenomenon to interrupt our lives in wonderful Wycombe. Sadly the only issues we face have been brought on ourselves through poor leadership.

If only the town still had the industry of yesteryear to keep it’s heart beating. Just look how Frogmoor has been left to rot. If only the complex hadn’t been built there would be no empty retail units in the old town shopping area.

If would only take a few small things to restore Wycombe to its former glory. Sadly it seems rejuvenating the town centre is too much for the powers that be indeed they can’t even get a working fountain on Frogmoor.

I’m sure industry could be coaxed back if a proactive approach was taken. If industry returned people would have jobs and disposable income to spend in the town centre thus providing the impetus for entrepreneurs to open more shops.

Wycombe is a town with so much going for it but sadly we always seem to miss the target of achievement.

What do you think?

*My next blog will be published on Friday evening ready for you to enjoy when eating breakfast on Saturday morning.