REGARDING Dorothy Dawson's letter in the Bucks Free Press of December 8, I want to say that I do so agree with her view that Wycombe could be a "charming, easy-to-live-in market town".

As it is becoming certain that there are to be changes, however, could they not take place within the existing town itself?

Perhaps I could offer one or two suggestions:

More tiers to be added on to the Octagon.

The present first floor to retain its shops, but refreshments, etc, served if any wish to rest and watch the people shopping at ground floor level.

A further floor added to create, for instance, a circular CD/DVD etc library, (the existing library of the written word to be extended).

A further Octagon floor to be added to provide a banqueting/reception hall, employing the best chefs and providing the best of food and wine.

The whole surrounded by copper and glass and overlooking the town and outlying area, thus giving the whole floor the appearance of a lantern, calling the attention of travellers arriving at the surrounding hill-tops and travelling along the A40 and on the trains.

It would give a light to the valley.

All the floors to be served by lifts similar to the London Eye pods only, of course, much smaller.

The whole edifice to be topped with a magnificent weather-vaned swan.

The Chilterns Shopping Centre and the Octagon could be joined by an arch high over Church Street and then a similar arch to serve a new bus station, built on the site of the present one.

The old part of the town would remain as it is.

Frogmoor could be left unchanged.

The Pepper Pot, the Guildhall, the broad High Street leading to the once cobbled Crendon Street on the left and Queen Victoria Road on the right, with memories of the gate to protect the Abbey.

Lily's Walk could, perhaps, be recreated with almshouses rather similar to the ones which used to stand in Easton Street.

The town would remain Chepping Wycombe because the market would be set up as usual on Tuesday, Friday and Saturdays, and as fine a business would be done as ever was.

The three "C"s would remain intact.

They are: Children, chairs and churches.

The large stores which are waiting to come might be interested in the new idea and come anyway.

Fantasy?

Yes, quite a lot might be, but there must surely be architects, designers, planners, students, Wycombe man, Wycombe woman, who have the knowledge to know what might be undertaken to contain Wycombe so that it might have a chance to remain an easy-to-live-in market town with a flair.

Kathleen Pritchard

Lancaster Road, High Wycombe