The United Colours of Milton Keynes!!!

[Piamed]

Hi guys

I have a challenge that I hope some of you may be able to assist me with.

My office is based on the Innovation Park attached to Cranfield University Business School, which is close to Milton Keynes. It appears that I may have to be in the office a few days a week when in the UK. My company is renting a nice apartment for us for while we consider our options as follows:

Option 1
We totally relocate from Leeds, in which case, can you recommend some nice areas that we should consider for buying/renting that are not too rural so that Pia can get around with Marikit when I am at work and while she is not yet driving? Having good accessible local playgroup, nursery, schooling options would be great. We don't know anyone within 2 hours of MK.

Option 2
I spend a couple of nights (max) on my own, in the local area when required to be in the office and then return home to Leeds for the rest of the week. In this case I would seek to rent a bedsit or small apartment for me alone. Can you recommend some of the areas that I should consider in this instance?

I stayed in a small hotel in Wavenden last week and thaught it nice but am not sure it's appropriate for the family given that Pia will not know anyone and getting around by public transport there is unfamilar to us.

I do not mind driving 30 mins plus if need be to get to the office in the event that there are areas better suited to my family's need a little farther away.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts, comments, etc.

Thank you in anticipation!

[bornatbirth]

why not search for decent schools for your daughter in the milton keynes area and look there

[Rosie1958]

Hi Piamed

I am 45 minutes drive away from Milton Keynes and regularly go there shopping. The shops are plentiful but not a patch on Greenbelt in Makati! The area is vast and still growing as Milton Keynes is a “new town” that was built to house the overspill from London. There are a lot of good facilities, including a theatre and Milton Keynes Bowl (especially popular with teenagers where pop concerts are often held) and I have seen plenty of Filipinas walking around with husbands. It’s well located in terms of travelling but one thing I would say is that there are masses of roundabouts, the roads are built like a grid system (similar to those used in America) and it’s easy to get lost driving around because they all look the same, so I always take a sat nat with me!

I’m not sure how old your daughter is but there are plenty of nurseries, play schools, primary schools in the numerous areas and no doubt she would make new friends. Personally, I’d rather spend time with my little ones than being alone in a bedsit two nights a week.

Some of my field staff are located in the area and know it very well so I will ask for suggestions about nice areas to live. A lot of estate agents in the UK now use the internet to advertise homes that are both for rent and sale. A popular website is:- http://www.homes24.co.uk or just do a search in Google for homes in Milton Keynes. One area that I would recommend that you do avoid is Fishermead.

Best of luck
Rosie

[gWaPito]

In my experience of life so far, i would never get myself in a position where I would have to work away from my family. I would sell up at Leeds and bring them with you. Good luck from me too

[Terpe]

I tend to agree with gWaPito in that I would not want to be too far my family.
bornatbirth also makes a valid point, look for somewhere to live close to the facilities your family needs and within walking distance (or regular bus route)

As Rosie said Milton Keynes itself is still a growing area with plenty of good facilities.
Just from my own view, it seems that MK is quite a sprawling place. As an outsider it appears that being able to drive is pretty much needed.

How much time do you spend working outside of UK?

[Piamed]

why not search for decent schools for your daughter in the milton keynes area and look there

Hey buddy! Certainly done that and there appear to be a number of good schools around the area although I'm still trying to fathom out whether the areas are nice to live in or not. Hopefully, this is all academic and i wont have to move at all. I'm still considering driving down on the days i need to be in the office but I'm currently looking at almost 3 hours drive each way. Hmmn!

Hi Piamed

I am 45 minutes drive away from Milton Keynes and regularly go there shopping. The shops are plentiful but not a patch on Greenbelt in Makati! The area is vast and still growing as Milton Keynes is a “new town” that was built to house the overspill from London. There are a lot of good facilities, including a theatre and Milton Keynes Bowl (especially popular with teenagers where pop concerts are often held) and I have seen plenty of Filipinas walking around with husbands. It’s well located in terms of travelling but one thing I would say is that there are masses of roundabouts, the roads are built like a grid system (similar to those used in America) and it’s easy to get lost driving around because they all look the same, so I always take a sat nat with me!

I’m not sure how old your daughter is but there are plenty of nurseries, play schools, primary schools in the numerous areas and no doubt she would make new friends. Personally, I’d rather spend time with my little ones than being alone in a bedsit two nights a week.

Some of my field staff are located in the area and know it very well so I will ask for suggestions about nice areas to live. A lot of estate agents in the UK now use the internet to advertise homes that are both for rent and sale. A popular website is:- http://www.homes24.co.uk or just do a search in Google for homes in Milton Keynes. One area that I would recommend that you do avoid is Fishermead.

Best of luck
Rosie

Hi Rosie. Thanks for the info. I've been going to Mk for many years but have always dipped in and out - attending meetings. I have never seen as many roundabouts anywhere else I'm told that residents often have to change tyres more frequently due to the unusally high lateral wall erosion.

Oh for sure I'd rather be at home with the family - for now I'm trying to collate as much info as possible which we'll use to temper the decision once a couple of more directly work specific unknowns are clarified.

Thanks for the link also! really appreciate it.

In my experience of life so far, i would never get myself in a position where I would have to work away from my family. I would sell up at Leeds and bring them with you. Good luck from me too

I hear you although my chosen requires some travel. Working away is not ideal but there are many boxes that my career chosen career ticks for our family on so many levels personally, so we are prepared to work as optimally as we can around the short-term inconveniences for the time being. No matter what choices are made in life there are always opposing pressures at play whether short-term, medium, etc.

We would still keep the property in Leeds and either rent or buy if we relocated to MK. In fairness, I don't imagine that I'd spend more than 2 nights away each week if i were in MK alone - in fact, I'm hoping that on avaerage it will pan-out at something like 4 days a month or so but it's still uncertain.

You know, I discussed with a couple of guys who gave up their jobs to stay with their loved ones in da Phils until their spousal VISAs were granted. As much as my wife and I wanted to be together asap, we, like so many on here, chose to hang on here for the time it took because it suited our plans better. In my case I sought to minimise the disadvantages of being apart by travelling there 5 times each year but it was not ideal, just the optimal course for us at the time. I guess the same applies now. We're still reviewing our options.

I tend to agree with gWaPito in that I would not want to be too far my family.
bornatbirth also makes a valid point, look for somewhere to live close to the facilities your family needs and within walking distance (or regular bus route)

As Rosie said Milton Keynes itself is still a growing area with plenty of good facilities.
Just from my own view, it seems that MK is quite a sprawling place. As an outsider it appears that being able to drive is pretty much needed.

How much time do you spend working outside of UK?

I certainly agree mate. At present I hope That I'll be in the Uk most nights by taking mainly day trip flights when in EU. Flights to US and Asia will obviously require more time away but the travel will become increasingly important as part of the plan is to build a business in Asia which will enable us to be based out there sometime which is what we want to happen.

[tomboo]

i lived in Mk for 10 years, i found it a great city for a family and my daughter was born and spent the first 6 years of her life there. there is something for everyone in Mk. I lived in Great Holm and Walnut Tree and found both areas very nice, The area your hotel is in is nice too, I find it better the further you get away from the M1, so the opposite side of Mk.

[Piamed]

i lived in Mk for 10 years, i found it a great city for a family and my daughter was born and spent the first 6 years of her life there. there is something for everyone in Mk. I lived in Great Holm and Walnut Tree and found both areas very nice, The area your hotel is in is nice too, I find it better the further you get away from the M1, so the opposite side of Mk.

Thank you Tomboo. Great Holm and Walnut Tree do look nice nd are great starting points, Appreciate you help.

[tomboo]

Thank you Tomboo. Great Holm and Walnut Tree do look nice nd are great starting points, Appreciate you help.

pleasure, good luck

[Piamed]

Currently narrowed it down to somewhere not to far from Broughton for the time being as there is a cracking school that Marikit can attend for the first 6 months to a year that we rent down here and it's also frighteningly close to my office.

Still not seen a single Filipino anywhere other than in the City Centre where there are plenty.