Cemented in History - Milton Keynes

This week took me to the ‘Jewel of Yorkshire’, a phrase coined in 2010 by Joshua Stead in his book ‘Steaming in’ about the English countryside as visited by steam train.

The first thing any outsider will notice about Milton Keynes is how much it differs from a regular city in that the City Centre is pedestrianized and the roads are kept away from people. In fact when driving through the Milton Keynes it is easy to forget that you are in a city with a population of 195,000.

I parked up and took a walk in

to the centre to see what I could find in the way of great

architecture or good amenities. In the past the City has been called the ‘concrete city’ and I must admit I did pass a lot of concrete as I strolled throught the streets on my way to the centre.

When I reached the main shopping area I was amazed at the amount of people and the diversity of the stores. The main shopping centre is the MK centre (a straight to the point name) it is a practical building made of mostly concrete. The front is decorated with the famous concrete cows scattered around a concrete tree scultpure that seems more of a sculpture to fill a space than anything that could possibly inspire anybody.

I then took a taxi to the Xscape centre, the UK’s first indoor ski slope with real snow. As well as the ski slope, the Xscape centre has a cinema, a bowling alley and many shops and restaurants. It is a day out in itself and a place that would entertain both children and adults amply.

It cost £23 an hour to try Skiing, which seems a lot, but this will be money well spent - trust me. For beginners there is a small practice slope to learn on and for the more capable skier there is a large, steep slope to hone technique.

I cannot say much for the architecture of Milton Keyes because it is mostly concrete stuctures. However the locals are friendly and it a very practical city, the public transport and general design of the centre is organised in a way to maximise efficiency for the people who live there.

Milton Keynes is certainly a city to live in as opposed to one for the tourists, but I enjoyed my day there nonetheless. No one could argue with the astuteness of Stead’s mind and critical ability but I disagree that Milton Keynes is a ‘Jewel’. I think it is more like a brick, no one wants to make a ring from one, but when it comes to making a home, its a good place to start

City Rating: 3/5

Didn’t they do Welsh - Cardiff

This week I travelled to the Welsh capital to see what was Wales has to offer and more specifically, how Cardiff compares to other cities in the UK. I came back with a host of memories and the worst headline I have ever read, let alone written.

I had heard from a friend that the place to go in Cardiff is the Docks area, although my friend did travel there by boat so I was sceptical. The area has recently had a massive revamp and is the home of many spectacular brand new buildings, with new bars and restaurants to cater for the wealthy residents and the tourists.

I followed my friend’s advice and headed to the docks where I saw the now world-famous Welsh assembly building. The roof of the building is made up of a series of wooden slats, which are curved majestic

ally around one central pillar, visible through the glass walls to the structure. It was nominated for the coveted Stirling award upon completion in 2006 for its eco-friendly design.

Trying not to think of how many trees had been cut down to build the massive roof I continued my walk alongside the water to the charming restaurant and bar area of the docklands where there was a mix of chain and independent eateries to choose from. I was impressed by how the marina area had been renovated and the design features, including hundreds of water-view apartments, were subtle but elegant.

It was then time to visit the City Centre and see why Cardiff is spoken about so highly by its residents. As I walked down the main shopping street I could see t

hat the Welsh Capital had absolutely every shop that any art student/indie band member/young couple could ever want to kit themselves out. But there was very little in the way of specialist or different shops that were away from the usual trendy fashion chain stores.

I continued on to the end of the street to the Castle. Cardiff Castle must be given the recognition that it deserves for it’s design and for the how well it has been maintained. The castle is estimated to have been built in the year 55 but much of the structure is far newer than that and this is clear by the immaculately preserved brickwork around on the outer wall.

A few minutes down the road past many shoppers and students, a crowd had formed around a small band dressed in odd, red and white striped costumes. They were singing a song called ‘Warren G’ in reference to the current Welsh Rugby team coach.

This musical ensemble sort of summed Cardiff up for me because the Welshmen and Women of Cardiff are fully aware that there city does not compare in financial or political importance to that of a city like London, a theme that is mirrored by England and Wales in stature. But this takes away the pressure of responsibility and this is reflected in the atmosphere of the city, the people seem happier for it.

The buildings and shops are all very nice, as are the people but it is the feel and attitude of the place that makes me want to return for a better look.

City rating: 4/5

Please look at my video of ‘Boycezone’ performing ‘Warren G the Welshman’:

Bright-on the Money - Brighton

This week my review comes from the south coast city and popular tourist destination of Brighton.

I quickly learned that Brighton is a city that's economy is entirely reliant upon tourism, and one that has benefited immensely from its seaside location.

After my day in the city the only word that I could use to tell you about my time there is that it was completely indescribable!

This video I feel sums up the general feel and atmosphere of Brighton:

As you can see it’s a pretty amazing city by the seaside.

City Rating 4/5

Pottery Luck - Stoke-on-Trent

This week I took a trip to Stoke-on-Trent for a visit, having read up on the city beforehand I was a little apprehensive as it was described as "the worst city in Britain" and "a place you wouldn't send your worst enemies". Unsure what impression to take from these comments, I decided to make the trip north to find out for myself.

I became excited as soon as I approached the city. The A500 felt like a yellow brick road sweeping through the bustling city centre taking the residents wherever they wanted to go, I passed the structurally sound and efficiently designed ASDA store on the way in, conveniently placed for shoppers and open 24 hours as well.

On the morning of my visit I decided to take a walk into town, it was not a nice day but residents of Stoke informed me that this year has been the sunniest since records began, with 4 pleasant days so far.

Upon arriving in the city centre I walked up the quiet highstreet carefully stepping over vomit, the tell-tale sign of a great night out for someone the previous evening. Then headed towards the Potteries Shopping Centre to look around the shops.

After browsing the wide variety of stores I decided to go for lunch and a drink in an authentic local bar called Walkabout. The bar had everything from friendly staff to a pool table and I ordered the Kangaroo burger which I though was a bit weird a first but then jumped to the logical conclusion that it must be a Stoke delicacy.

In terms of architecture you need look no further than the University buildings, a proud memento of the constant refinement and perfection of the concrete industry. The train station is also excellently designed and for over 150 years has provided the quickest way out of Stoke.

That evening I planned a small bar crawl with some friends around one district of Stoke, Hanley town centre, I began at the Ironically named Logik then headed straight to the Mighty Liquid, the mainstay of any night out in Stoke, or so I am told.

I must admit I did enjoy my time in Stoke and as I drove down the M6 was sorry to leave, however the fish and chips I had at Keele services softened the blow substantially.

Stoke really did have an impact upon me and I would recommend a visit to anyone who asks, but remember this Blog is just one mans opinion.

City rating: 5/5

A long way from deep fried mars bars - Edinburgh

Although Edinburgh is not a City in England, being only one hour above the Scottish border, I think it qualifies for a review.

This was my second visit to the Scottish Capital and I was out to really explore the city on this occasion and make the most of my short visit.

The first thing that caught my eye when I arrived in the city centre was the castle. An extremely old structure dating back as far as the 9th century BC, built high on the hill looking over the entire city. This was as good of a place as any to start my tour.

The architecture of the castle was fantastic and the views over the rest of the city including the unusual amounts of parkland were breathtaking. This really was a special experience and I knew immediately that wherever I went next in the city would most likely fall short of this spectacle.

I already had my plans laid for that evening and me and my travel companions took to the streets to begin the Rose Street pub crawl which is a local tradition according to a local Scot called Tom that we met in a bar (so it must be true). It consists of 17 pubs, starting at one end of Rose Street at the Black Rose Tavern then working your way west until you reach Scott's of Rose Street (or pass out).

Personally my favourite pub was The Kenilworth but this was mainly due to the Jazz quartet they managed to fit into the impossibly small stage in the corner of the tavern.

The buildings in Edinburgh really are spectacular and everything looks authentic. The style and design of all the structures in the city centre are of high quality and give the city a unique cultural feel. It is hard to believe you are in Scotland when in the Capital.

Edinburgh really is a great place to visit and the people who live in it seem to have similar attitudes to those living in more multi-cultural cosmopolitan cities, I was only met with friendship and generosity throughout my time in Edinburgh.

The drinking culture in Edinburgh seems very prominent, so perhaps not the place for a dettox weekend but I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone else.

City rating: 4/5

Much Ado About Nothing - Stratford-upon-Avon

This week I visited the Cotswolds in the heart of the Gloucestershire countryside, but I could not go all that way without a day visit to the birthplace of the most famous Britain ever to live, William Shakespeare. Which is why this post comes to you from Stratford-upon-Avon.

As I arrived at my destination in Stratford it was immediately noticeable the amount of tourists in the town. With the association of Shakespeare I guess it was stupid of me to think otherwise.

I parked the car and then with my friends, walked along the banks of the Picture-postcard River Avon. Complete with weeping willow trees and littered with rowing boats, we felt like we had stepped back in time.

We had walked about a mile when we came to the centre piece of the town, the Royal Shakespeare Company building set right on the river. The playhouse stages 2 shows every day of the week except Sundays and there are matinees on Saturdays. There is also access to £5 tickets for anyone aged between 16 - 25 which really is an incredible offer considering an adult price is upwards of £25.

Continuing our walk along the river we stumbled across the church where the great playwright was buried and paid £2 each to see his grave. I would recommend saving yourself the money as we found it hard to appreciate what is essentially a tombstone with a famous name engraved on it.

We then began to walk towards the highstreet for lunch when we saw signs for 'Anne Hathaway's Cottage'. Considering none of us were particular fans of the 'Devil Wears Prada' star, we were reluctant to visit the house where she was presumably raised. But eager to see every attraction we decided to go to the cottage after all.

'Anne Hathaway's Cottage - 1 mile' read the sign, at least 40 minutes later we were still bounding through countless housing estates and children's play areas in the direction of the elusive cottage. After travelling quite a distance we saw the entrance to the cottage and the excitement began to build, "surely the cottage must be amazing to warrant such a trek".

We practically sprinted up to the entrance using our last remaining energy before being punched straight back down to earth by the middle-aged receptionist and her £11.50 per head entrance fee, which we reluctantly paid.

We visited Anne Hathaway's living room, her kitchen and her garden and that was when I started to doubt that Anne Hathaway had lived there, as none of the artifacts or pictures seemed to suit a household in the eighties (when she would have been born) the cottage seemed almost 16th century! Upon Googling 'Anne Hathaway' I found out that she was in fact born in Brooklyn, New York, and so I jumped to the only conclusion available, that she must have moved to the UK at an early age before moving back to the US to follow an acting career. As we left I mentioned to an elderly couple that I loved Hathaway in Brokeback Mountain and they burst into unexpected laughter, I guess they must have loved her in that role as well in hindsight. With the disapointment of missing pictures of the LA star in action or even as a child (just drawings of some old woman) we left the cottage and began our walk back into town.

We headed straight into the Dirty Duck pub for a drink and to reflect upon our visit to the cottage and the town as a whole. We concluded that Stratford is a nice town, steeped in history but with plenty of modern touches, it is certainly worth a visit, however avoid Hathaway's cottage, catch her on DVD instead, its cheaper!
　

City Rating 2/5

Shots in the Theatre - Lincoln

Welcome to my Blog and to the first of many posts. This post is about my recent trip to Lincoln and what it was like from an outsider's point of view.

When I was contacted by a friend who now lives in the city of Lincoln about a visit, I was less than excited about the prospect of actually going there. Surely Lincoln is one of those cities that just sort of stumbled into existence, a city off the map that is rarely talked about.

Despite my misgivings I got in the car and drove the 170 miles north. As I approached Lincoln I caught my first glimpse of the spectacular (not too strong a word in this case) Cathedral built upon the hill in the city centre. Completed in 1311, it really is an architectural masterpiece and dominates the skyline of Lincoln. In the evening it is illuminated to stunning effect. I knew as soon as I saw the cathedral that I had been naive as the sight of this building was worth the trip alone.

When I arrived at my friend's house in the centre, I was eager to explore the city and see the sights, but of course it had been a long drive and so hitting the pubs seemed the logical activity for the rest of the day. With recommendation to the J.D. Wetherspoon pub a converted theatre on the main street (hence the title) and the Magna Carta pub halfway up the hill, my personal favourite was a place called the Green Dragon. With views of the river and a huge selection of beers, this Tudor pub had a great atmosphere. However its best feature was the way in which you pay, after ordering your round you would spin the wheel and whatever price the wheel landed on is how much you would pay per drink. There is no better feeling than paying half as much for the same round as your mate paid half an hour ago!

The next day was a late starter but involved a walk down the high street, which appeared to have all the shops necessary to facilitate the masses of students as well as the families who reside in the City. We then walked up the hill past hundreds of quaint shops including bakeries, handmade jewellers, organic tailors and many more. Upon reaching the summit we entered the Cathedral (which is free) and looked round the amazing structure which I must add is equally impressive from the inside as it is from a distance.

We then walked what must have been 500 metres to the castle, which is technically a ruin but still worth a visit before heading back down the hill and finishing once more at the Green Dragon.

I must confess, Lincoln surprised me and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit although I can't help thinking without the cathedral it would have a lot less to offer.

City rating: 3/5