Let’s hear it for Eden? What? That monster that has bounded into the front garden of our cramped town, kicked down the door and sprayed the living room with a multitude of glossy, soulless commerce, nicking the comfy chair once proudly occupied by local business? Yes, let’s hear it for all of that. It’s easy to have a go at Eden, but perhaps less easy to assess what good it has brought to High Wycombe. And I don’t just mean not having to trek to Reading every time you want to buy a new shirt.

I don’t like shopping, but I seem to end up doing it every weekend. I take comfort from it being good daydreaming time – many of the best things I’ve written have their roots in The Oracle in Reading, The Chimes in Uxbridge, Highcross in Leicester and most recently Eden in High Wycombe as my wife hunts for that illusive new top. Shopping has become more that a necessity; it’s now a hobby, a majority pastime for the people of the UK, hence the bright and slightly menacing Ballardian centres that are springing up in our towns like mushrooms after rainfall.

Some might say the centres are turning towns into replicas of one another – identical carpets of traffic lights, multi-storey car parks, roundabouts and ‘shopping experiences’. Bought that top in Gap last Saturday, but need a smaller size? Off to Norwich this weekend to see Aunty Sue? Doesn’t matter – take the top with you, there’s bound to be a Gap there. A day out in historical Nottingham? Not sure where to eat? You could try one of the local places, but if you go to Frankie and Benny’s you’ll know what to expect. Not only are local shops being strangled by the new centres, it’s also local cafes and restaurants. Here I feel duty bound to plug two great local places in Wycombe that never seem to get busy any more – La Hacienda and Mona Lisa in Frogmore. Both miles better than any of the franchises in the shopping centre, and no more expensive.

Despite all of this, I don’t resent the appearance of Eden. Originally coming from a city and being used to busyness around me, I like that fact that High Wycombe now has the feeling of a big town. Also, nobody can deny feeling cheerful walking through Eden. The bright lights, the colour – we all need some of that, especially in winter. They’ve also made an effort to create an atmosphere, with classical and multi-cultural performers often greeting shoppers at weekends. Yesterday a group of female carol singers finished a song and were applauded, amongst others, by a group of teenage lads in hoodies. Perhaps most obviously, Eden has given us a better choice in terms of what we buy locally, and here is where you meet the hypocrites. The same people who slag off the big commercial centres in one breath are the same people who can also be found drifting around House of Fraser on their day off like a stray balloon, seduced by the calming tannoy voice and searching for a bargain with the rest of us. Most of us like to own nice things, and having a big shopping centre on our doorstep is a means to an end.

But the main reason that Eden has been of benefit to Wycombe – and stay with me on this one – is that I think it’s improved the aesthetic appeal of the town. People are now talking about the place in terms of an ‘old’ town and a ‘new’ town, and I can see their point. The height of Eden, which is imposing to say the least (it’s so tall, yet the shops are mostly on two floors – kind of odd), has made the likes of Church Street, High Street and White Hart Street seem smaller and friendlier. The straight lines and the plastic and glass of Eden also highlight the prettiness of the buildings in old Wycombe, especially if you look beyond the ground floor. In my eyes, the space in this part of town has had a free makeover thanks to Eden – all it needs is to be used to its potential.

Anyone who has read J G Ballard’s anti-consumerist story Kingdom Come will recognise elements of Eden and High Wycombe. We are one of many ‘motorway towns’ on the western cusp of London whose space is dominated by commerce. But I think we can live with this (it’s certainly not going anywhere) and take the positives from it. It hasn’t destroyed culture in the town; the new library, with its particularly impressive collection of films, has only added to it. My only real issues with Eden are the name, and the fact that it has a river running under it. Is it not sacrilegious to call a shopping centre after the place where Adam and Eve lived after being created, or just a sign of the times? Something more in keeping with local traditions might have been better. In Leicester, where I come from, the shopping centre is named after a High Cross which used to stand on the site. And when we’re so far from the sea, it’s disappointing that the local river is covered up.

We have a new cousin in town. He has his roots in the USA, though he wants us to think he’s English. While he’s a bit brash and showy, he’s nowhere near as problematic as Uncle James would have us believe, and we do have some pleasant afternoons together from time to time. Even better, he’s even made us appreciate how much we like the rest of our family. All we’ve got to do is make sure we don’t ignore them now that he’s here…