eurotramp

We are thinking of moving to Milton Keynes..does anybody live there or know anything about it?
We need the good and the ugly

We had a look and we liked what we saw, but what is it like to live there??

Bob

It's a grid, it's new, it's a dump, it's a shopping mall...

errr...

northernbird

some of the villages around MK are very nice. I personally wouldn't live there but each to their own. If you are looking for somewhere nice and commutable to London, how about Bedfordshire. We lived in Flitwick for a while and its a nice community and only about 50 mins to London.

dots

We're visiting the UK in a couple of weeks and will be looking to move to Bedfordshire in June. Can you tell me about good/ bad areas in Flitwick or surrounding areas. We will be looking at Lower schools too. Can you recommend any?
Thanks

northernbird

We lived on the cherry orchard estate which is about a 15 min walk to the station. Ampthill is a short drive away and is a lovely little town. Lots of nice villages around couldn't really say any of them were bad. have a look at multimap as I can't remember the names of all the villages. My daughter was a baby when we lived there so I can't help with schools I am afraid.

eurotramp

We like milton keynes because of all the parks and lakes and all the walking and biking paths. There seems to be a lot to do and the houses are cheap...compare to Northwood anyhow. We also like all the shopping, no parking problems and no traffic jams. Some very good schools around as well, had a quick look for schools
in Flitwick and there seems to be no good secondary around.
We just don't know what its like to live there..people seem to love or hate it
The only problem is hubby driving down to northwood..could be a loooong drive

northernbird

Redborne Upper school in Ampthill got grade 2 scores in its last Ofsted inspection. I don't know much about secondary schools in UK but the report seems OK to me.

eurotramp

GCSE results of 64% doesn't sound to good to me..but I'm very picky with schools anyhow

at the moment she goes to a school with 90 % GCSE results..and there is a school in mk which has the same standard..

northernbird

didn't look too indepth at the report, sorry.

mka2

i have lived just outside MK for 23 years, spent the last 2 in spain but moving back to the area in a month.

i can probably answer most question about the place, other than schools as i went to school else where.

And bedford the town it self is a lot worse than mk is by a long shot. i wouldnt want to walk there alone at night but in mk i wouldnt be so bothered by it.

there are plenty of nice villages around but they can get expensive. stear clear of blethcly too its a bit run down and an estate in mk called 'the lakes' or just 'lakes estate'.

decent areas with in mk itslef, are Furzton, Emmerson valley, Tattanhoe, walnut tree amongst other. i have friends in these 4 estates and they have never had problems.

as for the parking its getting worse in the centre due to new buildings and no new parking areas.

there is plenty to do, 16 screen cinema, climbing wall, indoor sno sloop, ice rink, bowling, mk dons football team, hockey team ice and normal, night clubs and pubs, theatre, mk bowl for concerts.
there is also willan lake a few minutes drive from the centre, they do alsorts of summer sports there as well as it just being a nice place for a summer beer.

although not mentioned there are a lot of big businesses there, abbey, bp and argos all have HQ's there so a lot of work.

hope this helps, pm for more info

eurotramp

Thanks....I will pm you

clougherty family

Hi,

My Aunt and family have lived in MK for about 30yrs. They live in Emmerson Valley and they like it there. I have never lived there but have visited and I know that you get a lot of house for your money (mind you that's compared to Berkshire where I am from, if you are from somewhere reasonably priced it probably wouldn't be that cheap). My cousin and his wife also moved there from Aylesbury because they could get a better house. I think there are lots of nice villages in that area too if you didn't want to be in MK itself.

Jo

Bob

anywhere's an improvement on aylesbury...bar swindon perhaps

kt.2006

Hi, I know some people seem to hate Milton Keynes but I always thought it was nice. We lived in a village in Bedfordshire and whenever we needed to visit a shopping centre we always went there (never Luton ). There is loads to do there. Someone mentioned Willen Lake - which I have been told has a new aerial activity centre which is meant to be fantastic.

The shopping centre is very good. Car parking used to be free but I have heard that it is harder to get parked now and there are not many free spaces. There is a place called Xscape which has a cinema, bowling and indoor ski centre as well as bars and restaurants. There is a modern theatre which has really good shows, including some that have been in the West End. There is an IKEA and a COSTCO.

There are some nice estates and areas. I particularly liked places on the outskirts like Stony Stratford.

My son went to a school in Bedfordshire which was meant to be very good (Harlington) which has GCSE scores in the 70's. The best schools around were across the border in Hertfordshire, for example (St George's in Harpenden) and (Hitchin Girls' School). If you don't need to live in Milton Keynes what about living in Buckinghamshire as they still have the grammar system, and some of those schools are meant to be excellent.

Kathy

eurotramp

My husband works in Northwood and we could easy move to Buckinghamshire, but we would have the same problem..no decent house under 400k..thats why we thought about MK..I'm sick to my teeth looking at overpriced shit holes..

My daughter goes to a very good school here with 90% GCSE and we find it a real shame that we have to move away so far and hubby has to drive in which is a real hassle...
Maybe we should leave the country again..I pretty much have enough of this housing business

Whats so bad about Aylesbury...never been there myself.

Does anybody know any areas around Northwood, within a 45 min drive and affordable?