Project Narrowboat ep 75 - Milton Keynes pt1

[@phillipbateman2284]

I vaguely remember an indoor ski slope, or was that in a hangover I once had. Good old Milton Keynes, 20yrs ago I didn't like it at all, and thinking back, it couldve been because getting lost is quite easy in MK. The wife cant remember it at all, she's the academic type who remembers everything worthwhile and deletes everything that isn't. You've brought it all back to me Johny, it's like being in a corn maze where you dont recognize anything, unnerving and a little bit scary. Thanks mate, good on ya. Take care.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Hey Phillip. Yep - that's the thing, it definitely takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do...

[@jamesfoley6555]

That was brilliant, interesting,informative and beautiful thank you guys, we would like to go on a narrow boat vacation, so we 🙏✝️🕊🙏are looking forward to all the other vlog

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

If it's a vacation you are after plenty of choice for hiring on most of the canals. Not cheap though.

[@RetroRatz]

A future model town they predicted!! One of uk newest I think! Good vlog, thanks for taking us 👌❤️

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

I font think we've the space in the UK to keep building them like that.

[@markrutter5996]

Great vid Johnny . . . 40 years since I was last at Milton Keynes. Changed on a huge scale now. Thanks for showing us.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Part two still to come, with some great views inside the shopping mall.

[@sandycheeks7865]

Good, honest video mate. I live about 1 minute from the light pyramid you stood at, so you're in good company.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Nice area to live in. Like being in town and in the country at the same time.

[@daveoneill332]

Great video Johnny. I don’t normally laugh out loud at videos but the comments about waiting at the post office had me laughing out loud. Thanks again for a great video.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

It's true though isn't it?! :)

[@daveoneill332]

@@ProjectNarrowboat yes it’s true. That’s what makes it so funny.

[@GeorgeStephen1959]

That Market was awesomely cheap, and some great fresh foods too, 😎👍👌😏

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

That tool stall was amazing!

[@stewartikin2240]

Glad you enjoyed your visit. MK is a wonderful place to live with so many beautiful green spaces. I am lucky enough to have grown up with the town. I’m now 56.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Yes it's a cracking place once you get the hang of it.

[@NarrowboatWill]

3k subs. Well done. Milton Keynes looks really smart.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Thank you Will, yes MK is really smart.

[@moretea8314]

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting MK for work, there is a brilliant Indian restaurant opposite the main railway station. Not much traffic on the roads, maybe the grid system improves the traffic flow. It is very green; confusing; spread out. I walked around trying to find the railway station, got lost found a map, got lost, asked directions and finally found the station after oh so many underpasses. But I do like it, it is actually enjoyable being lost in MK because it is all so different to other towns. Nice vlog.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Yes that's the thing, so easy to get lost/frustrated when you don't know it - nothing similar exits in the uk as far as I know. but once you get to now it, it's a joy.

[@russjones4034]

Enjoyed the video. The area of the town you were videoing looked very clean and very modern. South Carolina

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Hi Russ, yes it was incredibly clean, seems to be a real sense of pride there.

[@duetthecanalboat8130]

Great video as normal, there's a ski slop, cinema and loads of shops inside the escape building

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Wow I wish I'd checked it out now! It didn't really seem to attract me in.

[@fp30e]

Hi Johny, Love your tour of MK's shopping center and Campbell Park. In the Xscape Center you will find a 16 plex Cineworld Cinema. also many sports shops, and Europe's Largest Indoor Real Snow Resort, where you can go skiing (etc) in real snow. On the ground floor is a Wetherspoons, restaurants and night clubs which all have their entrances from the street.. There is also a Casino. Really enjoyed your Vlog as always Take Care.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

I didn't spot any of that from the outside! Love a good 'spoons too....

[@ellemdee276]

Thanks for the tour! I think maybe you should check out MK by bike or car & then see if you like it better, I'm guessing you will. And just a heads up: I believe MK was designed by Derek Walker who was British, although he does credit the work of urban planner Melvin Webber (who was on the faculty of UC Berkeley in the US) as inspiring the theoretical blueprint for MK. Interestingly, the "theoretical blueprint" of the new town where I live in Texas *was* designed by a Scotsman, Ian McHarg, who was the hugely influential Dean of Landscape Architecture of University of Pennsylvania & there is something vaguely British about my town aside from the fact that we have a lot of UK expats here & several businesses which cater to giving them all the foods they get homesick for, including your favorite, marmite.😉

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

No car at present and I don't cycle! Though at the end of my couple weeks there, I'm basically a convert! I did try goggling about the history but didn't find anything definitive/concise really. I think I did come across DW and also a couple other main people but didn't say where they were from. Maybe I should have said "American inspired"?

[@phillipbakken4884]

Great video as always. Cheers

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Thank you Phillip!

[@chriscj8106]

Another goody JL, I remember going on a school trip to MK in the late 60s, all that was there then were a few ploughed fields, a few roads, a few buildings and a small exhibition building, but as a kid it was great fun, think I've only ever driven through it once since then, looked quite nice on your video, look forward to the next video, stay safe and well 🚢🚢🚢

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Yes I did spot one or two old buildings during my stay there, though not in this video. I guess they just built around them to join the whole are up into one vast experiment!

[@bookhappy4257]

👍👍👍👍🙂

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Thanks for all the 👍

[@StuartBtn]

Jonny, that security guard needs educating, the shopping centre is a publicly accessible place and therefore you are free to film, you don’t need permission, it might be their policy to not allow or even insist on prior permission but it ISNT LAW so they will not be able to enforce it.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Apparently because it is privately owned. However, there was no problem in the end.

[@alexandermorrisonhagan1820]

There's a lot of historic sites in mk, Stony Stratford was given it's market charter by Richard the lionheart!

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

I think I missed stoney Stratford... Next time.

[@borderreiver90]

What was that monument behind you......

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Apparently it's the light pyramid.

[@drtydawg73]

the architects were mainly british but i think there might have been one swede and one american?

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Yeh, I couldn't find a really definitive article on it with various names cited but I always heard that an American was involved hence the grid and unusually generous proportions.

[@gdfggggg]

What about the gbox though?

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

I don't think I came across that one.

[@gdfggggg]

@@ProjectNarrowboat oh, something was wrong with the engine/gearbox? I think? 🤔

[@MaritimeFox]

I got busted for taking a photo inside the Milton Keynes shopping centre. The guy seemed a bit over zealous considering the age of the smartphone that we live in.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

I think I'll just rig up some kind of "hat cam" thing next time - talk about red tape!

[@grahamsibbert2412]

MK is a good place, I’ve been here since 1971, watched it grow. Unfortunately the planners now have decided to detract from the original concept of grid roads starting with V or H, not building any higher than the highest tree, and having plenty of green spaces. The cutting down of thousands of trees to build more houses is criminal. The town was originally built to hold 250’000 people, it’s now way past 280000, and up to around 300000 . Still the best place to live at the moment. One criticism of this video, is it necessary to see you all the time, very little was shown of your surroundings.

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Yes I could have done with a bit more footage but wasn't able to go back a third time. It's a pity if they are diluting the original vision for mk, I guess just trying to save on land and money.

[@borderreiver90]

Since when did you need permission to film outdoors.....

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

Well inside the shopping centres, as privately owned.