The Power of Reputation

No, it’s not quite what you might have in mind.

Having lived in Micklefield for over a decade, I’m no stranger to having to explain to people from across High Wycombe, and even further afield, that Micklefield isn’t a place of crime and danger.

The reputation that has followed the name, based on an amalgamation of negative behaviour, is not a true reflection of the entire community that stands today. You don’t walk around fearing for your safety, whether it’s early in the morning or late at night. You don’t anticipate negative interactions because there’s no reason to expect them.

That’s something that many of us who live here can likely relate to.

Bad things do happen, like anywhere else, but for those who connect with the local environment, speak to their neighbours and get involved, that part is just a speck in the bigger picture of their day-to-day.

So instead of letting others decide the worth of our neighbourhood and community, based on an outdated reputation, why not challenge the subjective narrative? Explain your everyday.

What is Micklefield really? It’s a community surrounded by woodland, with its own school, library, café, hairdressers, post office… the list goes on. It celebrates a mixture of faiths and holds events for all within it’s local spaces.

A community, especially ours, isn’t defined by the reputation that is echoed by others but by the people who live there.