High Wycombe Advanced Motorists

12/03/2026

It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our friend and colleague Valerie Brickell (pictured with Keith Chanter) on Thursday 5th March, after a long illness borne with courage and dignity.
Valerie was a key supporter and Committee Member who carried out her duties in an unassuming, selfless, and dedicated manner. You will all remember her as our Membership Secretary, a role which she held for many years and fulfilled with her typical diligence to keep our Group running smoothly.
She will be missed immensely by her family and friends and by all of us who had the pleasure to know and work with her.
On behalf of us all at the High Wycombe Group of Advanced Motorists we extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to Valerie’s husband Colin, family, and friends at this difficult time.

19/01/2026

Congratulations to Barry Hatch on achieving an excellent F1RST Pass in his recent IAM Advanced Driver Test (seen here with his High Wycombe Group Observer, Sean Pearce). This is a commendable achievement for any driver, but at 91 years old it is even more notable, especially given the current Government focus on Older Drivers.

Barry signed up for the Advanced Driving Course following an IAM RoadSmart Mature Driver Review (https://iamroadsmart.com/courses-services/for-individuals/mature-driver-review/).

Sean reports “Barry was already a highly competent and safe driver, and a joy to be with as an Observer whether on urban, rural or busier dual carriageway and motorway roads. Really all we had to do was frame his driving around IPSGA and ensure that we'd covered all of the competencies in the Drivers Logbook”. Sean concentrated on making more progress towards posted speed limits where safe and on ensuring not to exceed the slower limits. With Sean’s guidance Barry developed extended Observation, Anticipation and Planning which, combined with improved throttle control, and appropriate use of the advanced features of his Hyundai Ionic 5 Hybrid meant he could maintain safe and legal speeds more confidently.

After 8 driving sessions plus the Group’s standard “second check drive and a follow up pre-test refresher” Barry met with IAM examiner, Peter Gunn, who reported that Barry gave "one of the best test drives I have been fortunate to examine during 2025 and was a well deserved F1RST”.

Prior to retirement Barry was a Chartered Civil Engineer with world wide experience on marine works, tunnels and motorway projects. He is an active supporter of the Friends of Maidenhead Waterways - part of the River Thames.

22/11/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/17Y5mYP3bN/

Tickets for our February course at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern are available now on our website. Be a safer driver before you reach 17: https://zurl.co/WgkZy

10/07/2025

HWAM will be attending Music on the Common in Holmer Green on Saturday 12th July. Three committee members will be present two of whom will also be displaying their cars.
https://holmergreenvillagesociety.org.uk/music-on-the-common/

07/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/19EUFNdgHh/

Following a successful trial last summer we have begun rolling out the National Parking Platform (NPP) to all council car parks and on street chargeable locations across the county, giving greater flexibility in paying for parking.

The NPP gives customers the flexibility to choose which supplier they purchase their parking time through. Up until now, only RingGo, has been available. With NPP, the choice of parking provider extends to other suppliers including JustPark, PaybyPhone, and Appyparking.

Each supplier has its own app and fees. Some also have a telephone number so parkers can choose the option that best suits them. With different suppliers offering different convenience fees across one area, the initiative forces them to be competitive in their pricing which benefits customers.

Find out more about the National Parking Platform in the link in comments.

26/05/2025

Interesting but story of Professor Douglass Chamberlain who died recently, who invented the idea of Paramedics to work alongside ambulance crews and despite adversity from the NHS, also infroduced portable AED devices so crucial to saving many lives. (Reddit post)

Explore this post and more from the ParamedicsUK community

13/04/2025

Some interesting research statistics on the least safe and safest roads to drive on in Europe in terms of deaths per million population. Despite our views and aims to reduce death on our roads, I was pleasantly surprise with the UK position!

New research has revealed that the most dangerous European country to drive in is Romania, with Serbia and Bulgaria coming second and third respectively.

18/10/2024

We recently received this Tesimonial from one of our recent Associates who passed their Advanced Driving test.

"I decided to take the Advanced Driver Course after a policeman commented on my awful parking. It was 30 years since I passed my driving test, and I felt I needed a refresher. My Observer was very patient and very thorough at explaining where I went wrong and what I needed to do to improve. I could not have asked for a nicer Observer, a real gentlemen and very knowledgeable. I am so happy that I have taken this course, and I know it makes me a safer driver on the road. I would thoroughly recommend the IAM course, I enjoyed it very much."

M.D. (September 2024)

Editor note: Subsequently, this IAM member received a new car insurance quote which was nearly £400 less than the previous year.

10/07/2024

High Wycombe Group of Advanced Motorists to attend The Big Meet at The Walled Garden, West Wycombe on Sat 20th July.
We will have a couple of our members’ interesting cars on display (Classic and Modern) together with video presentations and leaflets promoting the benefits of Advanced Driving and what the course entails.
Do please spread the word amongst family and friends. You may have an interesting vehicle of your own that you would like to show, or just wander round the displays. Come along and enjoy the show and support IAM RoadSmart – it would be great to see you there and meet some potential new members.

Improving Mens Mental Health

30/04/2024

https://iamroadsmart.net/yd-skills-day

IAM RoadSmart Skills Days allow drivers and riders the chance to develop their skills with qualified instructors using racing circuits as a classroom.

25/09/2023

*CANCELLED* September 2023 - Autumn Social Meeting
It is with great disappointment that we must announce the cancellation of the forthcoming Autumn Event planned for this coming Friday 29th September.

Unfortunately, our speaker, Reg Local (John Gregory) has had to cancel due to personal circumstances, and it is too late for us to make alternative arrangements.

We will work with John to rearrange the event at a future date and inform you of any changes.

Please ensure that you pass the message on to any friends or family members that you may have invited.

Please see the announcement on our website.

A website for one of the many local IAM Groups throughout the UK that are affiliated to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM)