Guide to Milton Keynes - Bill Bryson Eat Your Heart Out !

The Stereotypical View of Milton Keynes.....the cows not the humour !

There's more to Milton Keynes ( MK ) than concrete cows...........some of them are very real, wear high heels and have more acerbic tongue than the one above !

I've lived in nearby Newport Pagnell since 1984 when I moved up from Erith with my job. I've witnessed it grow and develop in many ways. My kids have grown up here and there's few better places they could have done in my view. All things considered it's a good place to live and I'm glad I made the move.

If you're driving up straight to the football on Saturday then you'll see the MK of Superman 4. The parts that were chosen for that film because it resembled Manhattan I think ? However, do some exploring and you'll find some really nice places. You're never too far away from some lovely countryside or established towns and picturesque villages.

You could do worse than drive off to Olney or Stony Stratford for instance, historic old towns with plenty of heritage. They also have some nice pubs and restaurants. You could go to Milton Keynes Village ( yes, there is one ! ) and The Olde Swan.

The move of Wimbledon to MK was / is the cause of many an argument and debate. I didn't think it was right not least because of the impact on nearby clubs such as Northampton, Rushden & Diamonds and a little further afield, Luton Town.

MK was borne out an exodus of folk from London and its environs and this is reflected in the majority of supporters of MK Dons. The Dons will be their second team and you're likely to find them with half an ear on the score from the Emirates, White Hart Lane, The Bridge etc.

So a rough guide to Saturday's trip then...............

Stadium MK

The stadium is good albeit half completed and spacious with plenty of leg room from the comfy seats. For food just outside the ground there's a MacDonalds and also a KFC I think. An ASDA store is also close to hand.

On The Road

Getting to the ground is relatively straight forward and is no more than 10 to 15 minutes from J14 of the M1. There is plenty of parking in the ground for £5. Alternatively you can park on one of the nearby industrial estates quite comfortably.

Train Travel

Bletchley is the nearest train station and is about a 15 minute walk. The nearest pub, The Enigma, isn't one I'd want to drink in. You might want to go to Central Milton Keynes if you wanted to drink in the centre ( see below ). You can get a cab to the ground for about £5 to £7 I'd have thought.

Recommended cab firms are :-

Raffles 01908 222222
Easy Cabs 01908 218218
Skyline 01908 222111

Fish and Chips ( this is for Ketts benefit ! )

Don't know of a chip shop near Bletchley station and the nearest to Central Milton Keynes station is a long walk. If driving, then I'd suggest going to The Napoli Fish Bar in Fenny Stratford ( 3 minutes drive from the gorund ) by the roundabouts ( gee did it take this long to mention them ! ). I believe it's still run by the Palmiero family and that usually means good stuff !

On The Ale

If you're on the train and fancy a decent pint then I'd suggest going to Central MK station and walking up towards the shopping centre ( but not in it don't worry ) to one of the Wetherspoons pubs, no more than a ten minute walk. Pre-match I'll be drinking in the one opposite Chiquitos restaurant but don't let that put you off ! This is at 201 Midsummer Boulevard. There's another one on the other side of the road called Secklow One Hundred at 316 Midsummer Boulevard. Wetherspoons.......decent beer at a good price......you know what you're getting.

If you're feeling adventurous you could visit Stony Stratford and either the Cock or the Bull........the origin of the Cock and Bull Story !

Not far from Stony is Calverton and a smashing pub especially in summer, The Shoulder of Mutton. They do nice food here too.

If you turn right off the M1 you might want to head to Newport Pagnell and The Cannon, always a couple of decent ales here although no food. There are a couple of average chip shops though in Newport.

If you want a pub on the canal then go to The Black Horse at Great Linford. This usally has one decent ale and does food.

All the above pubs are no more than 15 minutes drive from the ground. Note that Olney is about a 25 minute drive from the ground.

I hope that the above has been of some use.