Good morning, Wycombe!
It’s your weekly Wycombe Pulse — back again and debating (as I do every summer) whether it’s finally time to invest in air-con… or just continue slowly melting for 3 intense weeks every year. Verdict: sticky and undecided.
This week’s hot picks:
Free guided walk through Woodcock Wood 🥾
Brand new Sri Lankan restaurant in town 🥘
A completely unnecessary but strangely satisfying comparison between Glastonbury Festival and High Wycombe ⛺️
Plus a new hub for Wycombe’s creative community, cookery masterclasses, girls’ rugby action, summer fairs, live music galore — and more ways to stay cool than my fan can handle.
Thorpe House Prep School - Where Exceptional Journeys Begin
🌿 Looking for the right school for your little one?
Thorpe House in Gerrards Cross is now offering limited Reception places for September 2025 – and registration is open for 2026 too.
At Thorpe House, the Reception class offers a seamless start to early education with a rich, enhanced curriculum delivered by a dedicated team. Children thrive in small classes with a balance of structured teaching, purposeful play, STEAM activities and enrichment trips, as well as specialist-led lessons in music, swimming, languages and Forest School every week. Their setting is purpose-built to spark imagination, build confidence and lay strong academic foundations – all while making learning fun.
It’s an ambitious, nurturing start to school life, just a short drive from High Wycombe.
🎓 Got an older child starting Year 3 or Year 5?
Academic scholarships are still open for application – recognising exceptional potential and a love of learning that fits the school’s values.
📅 Personal tours are available throughout the summer holidays, so you can explore the school and meet the team at a time that suits you.
➡️ To book a tour or find out more about scholarships and admissions, call the Thorpe House team on 01753 882 474, read our article, or visit thorpehouse.co.uk
Thanks to Thorpe House for partnering with Wycombe Pulse 😊
Editor’s Highlights
🧑🏻🍳 Scone Masterclass
🗓️ Sunday; 2-4pm | 📍Oxmoor Farm
An afternoon of baking sweet and savoury scones, mastering skills that you can use at home, and the secrets to making your own jam.
☕️ Django’s Summer Party
🗓️ Saturday; 12-4pm | 📍Django’s @ Patch
Celebrate the coffee house’s 2nd birthday with a fun summer party. Expect coffee, cocktails, a latte art throwdown and a DJ set!
🍔 Grill Party
🗓️ Friday; from 4pm | 📍The Full Moon, Little Kingshill
Enjoy a BBQ, gin bar, Rebellion tasting bar and live music from 7.30pm with the incredible Eddy Smith. FREE entry and family-friendly to boot.
🖼️ ArtsFest25
🗓️ Saturday; 11am-3pm | 📍Royal Grammar School
A fantastic showcase of music, drama, crafts, activities, food and art from RGS students.
🥾 Guided Walk through Woodcock Wood
🗓️ Friday; 11am | 📍Hughenden Manor
A FREE guided walk through beautiful Woodcock Wood with trained volunteers, suitable for a range of abilities. 1-1.5 miles of Chilterns countryside.
Time for You
Fermentation Masterclass at Oxmoor Farm on tonight at 6.30pm — learn basic preservation techniques and how to make ferments from scratch while enjoying a selection of cheese, charcuterie and CULTJAR ferments 🥒
MenSnap: Mental Health & Photography Workshop at Patch on Monday 7th July — a supportive photography group for men to explore their mental health in a safe space.
Waterstones Book Club at The Front Room on tonight at 6.30pm — reading On The Calculation Of Volume by Solvej Balle 📚
Oh Shala Festival is coming to Penn later this month — a 3-day community festival celebrating wellness and nature, while supporting local. Early bird ticket prices end today at 12pm so get booking!
Drink & Draw at Mad Squirrel on Thursday 3rd July at 8pm — just £5 on arrival and enjoy a drink with this guided painting session
Career Focus
She Means Business at The Botanist, Marlow on Tuesday 8th July at 7pm — an evening of inspiration and networking for women in business in the South Bucks area with great guest speakers.
Mini Headshot Photography Sessions at Patch on Friday 4th July — get quality professional headshots with Sarah Abdey Reid in just 30 minutes 📸
Entertainment
Missenden Abbey Summer Fair on Sunday 6th July from 11am-4pm — fun-filled day for the whole family with entertainment, food, drink, and stalls, all raising money for Helen & Douglas House Charity.
Buckinghamshire Music Trust Summer Festival at Chiltern Open Air Museum on Sunday 6th July from 12.30-6.30pm — 600 musicians will perform across two stages in a variety of groups, ensembles and choirs. Food and craft stalls too.
4th July Celebrations at TGI Fridays on Friday 4th July from 5pm — expect feel-good American vibes, tasty samples from their brand new food and drinks menu, as well as a Spiderman meet & greet and balloon modelling from 5-7pm, and Dee Riley the Magician, bar games and more from 7pm 🇺🇸
Music Bingo at The Snug on Sunday 6th July at 9pm.
Pub Quiz at The Crown Penn on Thursday 3rd July after Happy Hour at 7pm — they’ve got a new quiz master, no entry fee and a £50 bar tab up for grabs for the winner!
👉 Making plans for July? Check out our blog on 24 sizzling events going on in Wycombe this month.
For the Kids
Dads and Tots at St Andrew’s Church on Saturday 5th July at 9am — soft play, bacon butties and chats.
Girls Only Non-Contact Rugby Tournament at High Wycombe Rugby Club on Saturday 5th July from 10am-1pm — a free T1 tournament for girls aged 8-12 with free prizes for all players. A fun and inclusive event for girls with no experience required 🏉
Arka Learning Birthday Party at Arka Learning on Friday 4th July from 2-6pm — drop in to celebrate the year! There’ll be face painting, free cake and Chaiiwala Karak Chaii 🎂
Babes in the Wood Forest School at Wycombe Museum on today at 10am — outdoor play and exploring in the Museum’s grounds for children aged 18-months to 5 years old.
Fancy a Short Drive?
GariFest at The Garibaldi Bourne End on Saturday 5th July from 3.30pm — with live music from Crazy Donkey Band and Matt and Damo Acoustic, plus a BBQ. Free entry!
Summer Treasure Trail in Princes Risborough from 5th to 13th July — explore the High Street to claim your bounty! 🏴☠️
Jackie Oates and John Spiers perform at All Saints Church Marlow on Saturday 5th July at 7pm — these multi-award winning folk musicians will be performing songs relating to lace making, as part of Lace - a Musical Celebration organised by Marlow Museum.
Day Out With Thomas at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre on Saturday 5th July from 10.30am-5pm — calling all Thomas the Tank Engine fans! 🚂
Riverwoods Festival at Marlow Rugby Union Football Club on Saturday 5th July from 11am — 10 live bands, bar, pizzas and BBQ.
High Wycombe vs Glastonbury
Going viral this week has been a size comparison between Glastonbury Festival and… well, just about anywhere.
We tried it out with an overlay over Wycombe:
You might need to open it here to have a closer look but, turns out, the festival is pretty damn huge. Covering almost all of Wycombe Abbey’s grounds, approaching Hughenden Park and a good stretch down the West Wycombe Road. Just imagine all that with a load of abandoned tents as well.
Sports and Activities
RUGBY
🏉 Watch The Lions play live this Saturday at High Wycombe Rugby Club with a delicious Aussie-style breakfast - doors open at 10am, kick-off at 11am.
RUNNING
🏃🏻♂️ Chiltern Ridge Half Marathon at Coombe Hill along The Ridgeway National Trail on Sunday at 10am
Regular runs:
- Parkrun 5km on The Rye (meet at the Lido) at 9am on Saturday.
- Junior Parkrun 2km on The Rye (meet at Pann Mill) at 9am on Sunday.
- Risborough Run In The Park 5km at Wades Park on Sunday at 9am.
CRICKET
🏏 Check out all the fixtures and results for HWCC this week.
Community Notes
COMMUNITY KITCHEN: Join Khepera at the Community Cooking and Wellbeing Kitchen on Duke Street for Picked, Pickled & Plated! on Saturday 5th July from 10am-1pm. They’ll be teaching how to pickle, ferment, and make pickles and vinegars from locally grown ingredients. FREE.
CALLING ALL NEW PARENTS: New and expectant parents are invited to come and share their thoughts on maternity services with Buckinghamshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices at the library, today between 9.30 and 11.30am.
JOIN THE CLIMATE FRESK MOVEMENT: This collaborative workshop, on Sunday 6th July from 10am-1pm at PoP Place in the Chiltern Centre, promises to teach you the fundamental science behind climate change to give you confidence in having conversations on the topic with others.
Business News
There’s a brand new restaurant in town — La Luna Ceylon, a Sri Lankan fusion and cocktail bar, in the spot on Paul’s Row where Bluegrass BBQ used to be. We’ve already heard some excellent reviews and can’t wait to check it out 🤤 Stay tuned for a review!
Speaking of new, we headed down to Baked By Marie for her opening in Eden last week. It’s a cottage bakery selling the most amazing cookies, brownies and other sweet treats. 100% recommendation for the Lotus Blondie!
Weather in Wycombe
Not gonna lie — I’m very happy to no longer feel like a slow-roasting chicken.
Friday
🌤️ 26°C - 💨 22mph - ☂️ 5% chance
Saturday
🌤️ 22°C - 💨 30mph - ☂️ 40% chance
Sunday
🌤️ 22°C - 💨 23mph - ☂️ 40% chance
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Until next Thursday...
Steph
Publisher and Editor, Wycombe Pulse
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