Amersham

I had a look at BT’s site the other day and it said that Infinity is coming to Amersham. The date they gave was 30th September 2011. As to whether this means by the end of September at the latest it’s hard to say, but, either way, before the end of September this year we’ll have a choice of fibre optic broadband suppliers right here in our town.

BT Infinity has a top speed of 40Mbps which is really fast, but not nearly as fast as Virgin’s fibre optic broadband which runs at up to 100Mbps in some parts of town. The beauty of Infinity coming to Amersham though is in the choice it gives us. If two broadband providers are offering fibre broadband here then you’d expect the competition between the two to make prices drop.

And with other companies like Plusnet being able to buy access to BT’s fibre optic network you’d expect to be able to get an even better deal – Plusnet’s prices tend to be lower than BT’s even though they don’t own the fibre optic network they use.

It’s a really exciting time for us Internet addicts living in Amersham. Only last year we were stuck with “up to” speeds of around 20Mbps and then Virgin Media rolled out 50Mb broadband, and then earlier this year 100Mbps. And now we’ve got a firm(ish) date for BT Infinity as well!

My best advice would be to compare fibre optic broadband packages to find the best deal you can before you commit to one. It’s becoming a buyers’ market for broadband around here so there’s bound to be some brilliant bargains to be had.

Virginmedia.com/bundles
Sky.com/hd

To many, Amersham is little more than a satellite town of London; just another part of The Big Smoke’s ever-expanding commuter belt filled with City workers who want to live outside the frantic bustle of the capital. But to those that know Amersham it is so much more.

Situated less than 30 miles from London at the end of the Metropolitan line Amersham is a historical town with much to offer to both residents and visitors alike. The original town, now widely known as Old Amersham, has a history dating back to before the 13th Century and has at its heart the parish church St. Mary’s from this period that sits within verdant parkland that springs to life in explosions of colourful floral each spring.

The other part of the town, Amersham-on-the-Hill, began to expand to dwarf the old town around the beginning of the 20th Century as people and businesses began to settle around the local railway station that connects this quant town to London which is just a short commute away.

There are many highlights to enjoy when you visit Amersham including the Market Square, the ancient Market Hall and the High Street which features some fantastic houses that reflects the styles and trends of more than 500 years of British architecture. This varied architecture has led to Amersham being used as a filming location for many productions, most notably the much loved “Four Weddings and a Funeral” that used the King’s Arms as the setting for the “The Jolly Boatman” pub.

The town motto, “Res gestae, Res futurae” (“things past, things future”) sums up Amersham perfectly; a town with a rich history that is very forward looking. Its cultural heritage is celebrated in the local museum which is housed in a Tudor hall house on the High Street. Exhibits within its ancient walls reflect the rural nature of early Amersham as well as commemorating the Amersham Martyrs’ lives.