At 21 years of age, I have to admit that I have spent many years shying away from admitting where I come from. Not now! I am proud now to say that I am from one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, and I can take any mocking that you throw at me (believe me, I've heard it all before!)
So why do I like it and what do I like about it?
Milton Keynes, in my opinion, has a lot to offer for everyone. The obvious attractions are there: the shopping centre, the "Point", the "sno-dome", the new theatre, the hockey stadium... but I feel that MK has a lot more to offer than just concrete cows and roundabouts.
I was born in Northampton, as 22 years ago Milton Keynes did not have its' own hospital. However, my parents were brought up in Wolverton and New Bradwell, and respectively I am a "Braddle" girl, save for my parents'
18 month stint "over the hill" in Bradville when I was very young. So, as I have grown up, this small town has grown around me into the vast area it is today.
Firstly, let me tackle this stereotypical view of the road system in MK. Yes, the roads are laid out in a grid-like fashion, but to me they're the easiest thing to navigate around ever! I'll attempt a simple explanation - each road intersects with the other, there are two main types of road - Horizontal (H roads) and Vertical (V roads). Then the roads are numbered from 1 upwards. I find it impossible to get lost there because all you need to know is the letter and number of the road that you need. Every road will take you back to it. For example - the V6 runs down towards New Bradwell, so if I'm on the V2, I know that I have to take a right or left turning onto ANY H road, then count the way that the numbers are going until I get to the V6. If I find I'm going the wrong way, it's not difficult to turn around with that many roundabouts in the place!
Another stereotype is that of being a concrete city. Hmmm, you tell me how a city with the largest number of trees per square mile can be classed as a place full of concrete? Milton Keynes houses some gorgeous parks, the River Ouse runs through the bottom end of New Bradwell and the Grand Union Canal runs through MK as well. We also have Willen Lake, Tongwell Lake and vast open spaces like Campbell Park in the centre of MK. There's a cycle network (known to locals as "the redway"), most of which is lined with trees and there's an old railway line that has been turned into a cycle track that links Stony Stratford to Newport Pagnell - East to West at the north end of MK.
The nightlife there is beginning to expand and explode, we have a few decent clubs finally appearing, gig venues are indeed a little limited, but there is something for everyone, from the Stables to the National Bowl, which will play host Robbie Williams this summer and has already hosted popular bands and singers from Bon Jovi to Michael Jackson.
As much as I love the place, I am only too aware that it has its faults. The place has out-grown itself, to the point that it is struggling to cope. Ask my father why his 4 mile journey across MK to work takes him 1/2 an hour every day, and he will say the same as every other driver there. The roads are becoming gridlocked at rush hour, this causes for a very stressful drive, particularly at the V6/H5 roundabout by the Hockey Stadium where they've decided to put a bus lane in. Taxis aren't plentiful there, booking a taxi on a Saturday night is about as useful as wearing a T-shirt in a snowstorm. Many a time we have been let down by the taxi companies there, and left to contemplate the 3 mile walk home or try and flag down a black cab at the railway station. The bus service leaves a lot to be desired; however this is a monopolised area that Stagecoach has muscled in on, and since I've been living up North in a town with a Stagecoach-run bus service, I have learned that it's not MK to blame but Stagecoach themselves.
It's not all "new" either - areas of the town existed long before Milton Keynes was ever thought of. It's that blend of the old and the new that I love about the place - the quaint, old victorian terraces and narrow streets of Stony Stratford to the new shiny shopping centre, certainly a contrast but one I think they have blended just right! I'm no history buff but there are books aplenty available about the history of MK's villages and its' surrounding areas.
There is so much more I would want to comment on, but this opinion could run to a full-sized essay! At the end of the day I wanted to defend my home town against the stale stereotypical views that I have thrown at me by people who laugh at my origins.
Which leads me onto my last point. In admitting that I am from Milton Keynes, a young girl born and bred there, what does that make me? An MK-er, an Milton Keynian? Suggestions on a postcard please...
Great op, and being an MK gal myself, I have much the same dillema, miltonkeyneser, miltonkeynesian...? Sophie.
killip 21.06.2001 20:41
How about "Moiner"? Anyway, is it all V and H through the entire town or just the town centre? Surely if its the whole town it'll get up to V1000 or something? I know - miltonian!
Eudora 21.05.2001 00:19
Hey, nice one! you're really getting the hang of ciao now! Before we know it you'll be 'most wanted'!
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May 17th, 2001
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