Just be friendly along the way

I WRITE in response to Marion Hill's suggestion that dog owners should find alternative exercise grounds for dogs in order to leave Wendover Way by The Rye free for cyclists.

Such a statement ignores totally the history of this lovely woodland walk.

Gifted to the people of Wycombe by the Marquess of Lincolnshire as a memorial to his son Viscount Wendover killed at Ypres in World War I, it has been enjoyed by generations of local people in a wide variety of ways in general harmony.

Families walking, toddlers on tricycles, courting couples, anglers, joggers, birdwatchers and dog walkers have all managed to co-exist along this beautiful shaded track.

Our own family has been using it almost daily for 30 years for walking our successive dogs and occasionally I also cycle along it.

About five years ago it was these existing groups of users who suddenly had to adjust to the division of the track in order to share it with cyclists for the first time and in general it has been a fairly amicable absorbtion of the new traffic.

Greetings are exchanged as cyclists pass walkers and it has been said to me that women cyclists in particular appreciate the presence of regular walkers since the Way can otherwise be a lonely place.

Yes, there are those cyclists who ride at high speed, head down, no warning ring of a bell but they are few.

Yes, I'm sure that not all owners call their dogs back or call out to warn a cyclist of an off-the-lead dog ahead.

Possibly there might be a rare aggressive dog and I am sure it was a frightening experience for the person involved, but I personally cannot recall seeing one such incident since Wendover Way was opened to cyclists.

The reality, Mrs Hill, is that cyclists form a very tiny proportion of the users of this local asset and they need to respect the needs of other users, just as we try to respect those of cyclists.

So, come on, slow down, enjoy the beauty, ring your bell and call a greeting as you pass.

Ted Rees

Bassetsbury Lane

High Wycombe