As another day draws to a close I find myself once again sitting in my drawing room putting the finishing touches to another blog.

Looking around I can see the possessions, furniture and collectables that  yours truly and my ancestors have accumulated over the years. Many of them were either specially commissioned or purchased from high class retailers in Wycombe.

Of course at the time of purchase they cost a fair sum of money however being quality objects they have stood the test of time remaining as functional today as when purchased.

There was a time when everyone purchased furniture made in a factory in Wycombe by a skilled craftsman.

Nowadays furniture comes flat-packed from a warehouse and more often than not the components are produced and boxed in a factory in a far away country ready for self assembly here.

Clothes are another example of the trend to produce items cheaply.

The middle aged seamstress working in a factory up the north has been superseded by a young child working in a sweat shop in a distant land.

In Wycombe today and there are many discount retailers selling mass produced goods, while the traditional stores stocking bespoke high end goods are few and far between.

Since the 1960's the creep of the throw away culture into society has changed peoples shopping habits and their attitude towards items.

The influx of affordable housing has required the shops to sell affordable goods however you would think that as low quality items need replacing more often this would create more business for the shopkeepers but with so many empty retail units it seems not to be the case.

With some discount shops selling clothes for a few pounds people can literally afford to throw away their clothes rather than wash them.

Maybe if we started buying quality goods again and accepted that we should make things last the factories would re-open in Wycombe?

I for one would certainly pay a bit more for something that lasts knowing that it created jobs for the people of the locality.

Over the years society has been gripped by various fads such as political correctness and the environmentalists striking fear into everyone with tales of global warming. How about if everyone started buying locally made goods to help our own town become great again?

I for one always look for local goods or those made in the UK when shopping.

It would be nice if the shops selling local produce put a symbol, such as the Wycombe's town crest of a swan, in their windows so we know their goods are sourced locally.

Wouldn't you rather sit in an armchair made in Wycombe knowing its purchase helped someone living in the town?

What do you think?

*Don't forget to read my regular column in this Friday's edition of the printed version of the Bucks Free Press!