A couple of days ago I was researching getting postcards of Aylesbury for postcrossing and googled 'Aylesbury'. What I found astounded me. Out of 20 or so websites etc that I looked at 18 of them were negative, many of these downright rude using disgraceful language. What saddened me was that so many of them were written by people with little or no connection with the town at all. Well I have decided to add my thoughts to the pile........

I LOVE AYLESBURY!!!

I spent the first 21 years of my life living in one of the surrounding villages and remember the excitement of coming into Aylesbury, with all the shops and all different people. When I was 12 I changed schools and began going to school in Aylesbury. I would get the bus each day into Aylesbury then another on to school, but after school I could stay in town and wait for the next bus home. This would mean that I could wander around the shops, and up into the 'Old Town' to look at all the buildings and wander round the local history section of the library where I would often borrow an Aylesbury History Book and then go find the locations to see how it had changed.

As I grew up I saw some of the regeneration beginning with new shopping areas, new swimming pools, new cinemas and now a brand new theatre. I worked in Aylesbury for a long time and when I moved in with hubby, we found a house here too.

Now I live in Aylesbury, as does my sister. Most of my friends live in Aylesbury. My boys both go to school here and we have the best life. It is such a great place to bring up a family. There is low crime rates, good house prices, fantastic schools, lots of different job opportunities in all different industries. We also have further education here with a good local college. Added to that the great and numerous play parks, a canal and a lake for watersports.

The location of Aylesbury itself is also great, we are so close to London with a direct rail link and also to Milton Keynes and Oxford. One of the best things about Aylesbury is that within a couple of miles you are into some beautiful countryside, all little villages and rolling fields. Also we have some fab woodlands nearby to explore.

The school system here is unbeatable. I count us very fortunate to still have the 11+, and so many of the Primary, Secondary and Grammar schools are either Good or Outstanding on the ofsted reports.

I wouldn't say that Aylesbury is perfect, there are some unsavory places and people but you get that living anywhere and in my opinion the good things about Aylesbury far outweigh the bad.

So come on people of Aylesbury, don't let other people slate our town, start shouting about the great place we are fortunate to live in!!