Good morning, Wycombe!
There’s the sneak of a chill in the air, the school WhatsApp groups are starting to ping again, and I’ve got a sudden urge to begin my annual rewatch of Gilmore Girls. Could it be… September next week?!
Let’s see out August in style first.
🎉 Whizz Fizz takes over Eden this weekend
🔎 A “mysteries of Wycombe” day at the Museum
🎭 My review of Jersey Boys at Wycombe Swan
Plus an intriguing invitation for something in town next week, two art exhibitions, the return of street food night, and 22 options for Bank Holiday fun.
Over 20 local artists, four days, and a hall full of original work you can take home — for your own walls or someone else’s.
West Wycombe Art Group's annual summer exhibition opens tomorrow and runs right through the weekend, with most of the work for sale.
Established in the back room of the George and Dragon in 1982, the Group is restricted to just 25 members — there’s even a waiting list to get in.
This year's featured artist is Phil Morley, who picked up a brush again after a 45-year gap and now works in semi-abstract acrylic landscapes and linocut prints.
📅 This weekend — Fri 28th - Mon 31st August
⏰ 10am-5pm daily
📍 West Wycombe Village Hall, HP14 3AB
🎟️ Free entry — art for sale
Come along and enjoy seeing original artwork up close, at full size, brushmarks and all, and maybe come away with some art for you or yours to enjoy forever.
👉 More info here
📱 Follow West Wycombe Art Group on Instagram and Facebook
Thanks for advertising with Wycombe Pulse 😊
Editor’s Highlights
📍 Eden | 📅 Sat 29th & Sun 30th August, 11am–3pm
Two days of free family fun. Expect puppet shows, West African drumming, public art, a Ukrainian mini festival, Indian classical dance, the return of the Wycombe Wyrm and more.
📍 The Front Room | 🗓️ Sat 29th August, 7pm–12:30am
Independent streetwear and live brand showcases with Moda Originals, Ape Street and Urban Avenue, plus a drink and discount voucher with every ticket.
📍 The Walled Garden | 📅 Fri 28th Aug, 5–9pm
Oh Greeklicious are serving up gyros, souvlaki and halloumi, while Friends & Flavours have got their pasture-fed dry aged beef burgers (plus vegan options) up for grabs.
🏊🏼♀️ Moonlight Swim
📍 Wycombe Rye Lido | 🗓️ Tonight, 8:30pm
Fancy a dip after dark? The outdoor pool opens late with underwater blue lights for a magical evening swim, open to all.
📍 We Make Wycombe, Cornmarket | 📅 Until Sun 30th August, 10am–4pm
Pick one thing, make it every day for 100 days — that's the whole project. Jacqueline Ford and Lynne D Jones are showing their finished 100-day runs, alongside an invitation to sit down and make something small yourself. Free, no experience needed — and they'd particularly like to see you if you don't think of yourself as creative.
Get Creative
🎨 Watercolour Workshop
📍 The Walled Garden | 📅 Sat 29th August, 1pm
Spend an afternoon painting botanicals with seasonal flowers from the garden and homemade cake.
📸 Belonging in Wycombe: Mixed Media Collage
📍 We Make Wycombe Hub | 🗓️ Wed 2nd Sept, 6pm
Bring a photo of a place that feels like home and turn it into a collage, part of a free workshop series exploring what community and home mean in High Wycombe.
🧩 Flackwell Heath Jigsaw & Paperback Library
📍 Flackwell Heath Community Centre | 🗓️ Weds 2nd September, 1–2:45pm
A monthly swap with a huge selection. Drop in, pick something up, bring something back.
🎭 Summer Sunday Adult Workshops
📍 Fitworks Gym, Beaconsfield | 🗓️ Sun 30th August, 10am–4pm
Dance, sing and act with Infinity Performing Arts — from Hollywood golden era routines to modern pop. All levels and genders welcome.
🧭 CG Finance | Planning Ahead for School Fees
With the summer holidays well underway, school fees might be the last thing on your mind. But it can also be a good time to take a step back and think about how you'll fund them over the years ahead.
Whether you're paying from savings and investments, setting money aside for future fees, or considering passing wealth between generations, a little forward planning can make a big difference.
Phil Sole and the team at CG Finance help families put a clear financial plan around school fees, investments and intergenerational wealth.
📍 Oxford Road, High Wycombe
🏡 For professionals, families and business owners
📋 Investments, pensions, estate planning & intergenerational wealth
✅ Fixed fees, agreed upfront — no commission, no surprises
Enjoy the rest of the summer! And if school fees are on your list of things to think about before the new term, a free, no-obligation chat could be a good place to start
📞 01494 362749
📧 info@cgfinance.co.uk
🌐 https://cgfinance.co.uk/
Thanks for sponsoring Wycombe Pulse 😊
🔍 Family Fun Finder
🔍 The Mysteries of Wycombe Day
📍 Wycombe Museum | 🗓️ Sun 30th Aug, 10.30am–3pm
Uncover the hidden secrets of our town and capture them in art at this free family fun day for families with primary school-aged children.
🦸 Family Fun Day
📍 Royal British Legion, Wycombe Marsh | 🗓️ Sun 30th Aug, 12pm–6pm
A free community day out — bouncy castle, face painting, BBQ, tombola and more.
🎪 164th Hazlemere Fete
📍 Sir William Ramsay School Field | 🗓️ Mon 31st August, 11am-4.30pm
Live music, dog show, classic cars, stalls, food and drink, and a craft fair at the Community Centre.
🦢 First Friday in the Town Centre 👀
Something’s been stirring around High Wycombe. A crown here. A feather there. The odd footprint. And, if you’re lucky, a glimpse of the Guide Swan themselves…
It’s all leading to First Friday — an invitation to spend a bit of time in town during that early evening stretch when the working day ends and most of us head straight for the car park.
Stay a little longer. Leave a little later. See what you notice.
📅 Friday 4th September, 5-7pm
📍 In and around the Guildhall, High Street
🎟️ Free — no ticket, no need to book
🗓️ First Friday of the month
🎶 Music, somewhere to sit, and maybe a few things you won’t be expecting.
In the office that day? Swing by on your way to Tesco. Or bring a friend and then ‘to and fro your own way’ to make an evening of it.
👉 Just turn up — Friday 4th September, 5-7pm, the Guildhall
Wellness Moments
🧘🏻♀️ Friday Night Restore: Wild Spa & Yin Reset Evening
📍 Peterley Manor Farm | 🗓️ Fri 28th August, 4.45pm
90 minutes moving between wood-fired sauna and cold plunge, then a restorative yin yoga session in the yurt.
📖 Fantasy Book Club
📍 The Front Room | 🗓️ Fri 28th Aug, 6:30pm
A fantasy-themed book club evening run in collaboration with Waterstones.
🚶🏻♂️ Walk and Talk – Dads Group
📍 Meet at Patch | 🗓️ Sun 30th Aug, 10am
Grab a coffee and take a stroll around The Rye with other dads — activity sheets provided to keep the kids entertained. Free, just turn up.
Council catch up
👧🏻 Holiday childcare survey The council wants to hear from parents and carers about holiday childcare: what you use, what's near you, and what isn't available. Open to anyone in Bucks with kids aged 0–14 (up to 18 for children with SEND). It closes at 11.59pm this Sunday, 30 August.
🚗 Parking restrictions open for comment on Friday Double yellows at five Hughenden Avenue junctions and around Portland House, plus 30-minute waiting bays outside Portland House itself. There's also a separate consultation on traffic calming — speed cushions and a raised table on Arnison Avenue. Both consultations are on Your Voice Bucks.
🩺 The Health & Wellbeing Board is meeting on 3rd September at The Oculus in Aylesbury. Agenda and reports pack The main item is the Director of Public Health's annual report, and there are some interesting parts about Wycombe. Abbey ward has more than five times the county's fast food density — 339.8 outlets per 100,000 people, against a Bucks average of 61.3 (p. 64). The report also describes an unnamed Wycombe secondary school with more than ten fast food outlets nearby and along the walk home. 28% of pupils in the area buy fast food on the way home at least once a week (vs 8% Bucks average) (p. 65). Wycombe also has the county's second-highest food insecurity risk (2020 estimate): 17.3% of residents, against 13.2% countywide (p. 67). Cabinet signed off the report back in July – this meeting is about how the organisations round the table will act on its recommendations.
📅 Diary — next four weeks
Wed 2 Sept, 6.30pm — High Wycombe Community Board. Micklefield Community Centre.
Thu 3 Sept, 2pm — Health and Wellbeing Board.
Tue 8 Sept, 7pm — High Wycombe Town Committee. High Wycombe Council Chamber.
Tue 15 Sept, 10am — Cabinet.
Wed 16 Sept, 4pm — Full Council.
Entertainment
🎭 Oh, what a night
I went into Jersey Boys at Wycombe Swan knowing the Four Seasons from two things: my mum's cassette player, and one serenade attempt I'd rather not discuss. I came out with a few new additions to my Spotify playlist and a very high opinion of Luke Baker's falsetto.
Five stars from me — this was real standing ovation territory. It's on at the Swan until Saturday 29 August, so there's still time. 👉 Read my full review
Community Notes
🎡 Bake for Wycombe Homeless Connection at Beaconsfield Country Fayre
📍 Beaconsfield Country Fayre | 🗓️ Mon 31st August
Wycombe Homeless Connection’s cake and produce stall needs your help! Homemade bakes, bread, jams, honey, homegrown fruit and veg, plants, and raffle prizes all welcome. Drop donations at their Castle Street office beforehand, bring them on the day, or arrange a collection.
🌍 Grow Together Community Allotment Visit
📍 Meet at Wrights Meadow Centre | 🗓️ Tonight, 7pm
A visit to the Grow Together allotment on Sierra Road to see, hear and taste what's been growing this season.
Business News
🍪 Baked by Marie is taking a break from Eden — for now. Marie's last day trading at the Cookie Cabin is this Saturday while she works out what's next for the business, with a plan to be back by Christmas. You'll still find her at various markets in Marlow and Bray, plus a few events. Get your last cookie fix in before Saturday!
📅 Dates for your Diary
🌸 Bledlow Manor Open Garden
📍 Bledlow Manor | 🗓️ 11th Sep
A rare chance to explore the private gardens plus the Carrington family's private museum will be open exclusively to visitors. St Mary's Brass Band provides the afternoon soundtrack.
🍺 Oktoberfest at The Walled Garden
📍 The Walled Garden | 🗓️ 19th-20th Sep
A family-friendly Bavarian bash with German sausages, beers, live music, face painting, and lots of fun.
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
That’s a wrap for this week’s Pulse!
Have an amazing weekend — but before you dash…
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See you next Thursday,
Steph
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