I felt a bit sad earlier on Friday as I had really been looking forward to attending the Milton Keynes Environmental Exhibition and Symposium. In fact, I was really geared up for it and had started getting ready to go, hoping that yesterday’s snow would have melted adequately for not roads not to be too slippery. However, at about 7.30am, I looked out of the window to check only to find that it had started snowing – again!
I turned on the radio to listen and heard a repeated and strong message that I should stay indoors unless it was absolutely necessarily for me to go out. I considered venturing to take a bus into the City Centre, but the radio went on to inform me that the bus services were cancelled.
After some time I decided to take a walk down the road in order to better access things for myself. I came across a man with a car similar to mine trying unsuccessfully to drive down my road and stopped with him for a chat. He reinforced the message that I should stay home, as did my next door neighbours who told about the nightmarish journey they had, had when they ventured out. I concluded that sadly it was time for me to give in.
So I went back to my office to sit down and get some work done. Rather distracted, from time to time I looked out of the window and saw people carrying green bags from the Budgens in the next estate. After some time, I decided to go there myself and get some milk.
I must say it’s good exercise walking in the snow, as you really have to lift you feet up out of the snow to take your next step – so pleased that I was getting some good exercise, I trudged along until I came across an elderly lady gingerly walking towards me. Having stopped to have a chat with her to make sure that she was okay, I continued my journey -smiling as I watched the children play and within 10 minutes I had arrived at Budgens, together with a mother and her two toddlers walking right in front of me.
As I walked back, I thought thankfully that I was glad that we had not been battled like this with snow 2 years ago as Budgens did not exist then. I, together with everyone else would have had to walk for about half an hour to Morrisons. That would have been okay for me – possibly even good for me to have got the exercise. But then I thought about the elderly lady I had seen together with the other people who may have found the journey difficult.
It made me think that maybe it would good for Milton Keynes to reconsider the policy whereby “soft infrastructure” such as shops are not put into new estates until the housing is complete.
Further thoughts on Milton Keynes are available on “www.TheHeartOfMiltonKeynes.co.uk
Copyright 2008 This document is the specific intellectual property of Susan Popoola. Content may not be reused or reproduced without the specific permission of the owner or a reference to the source. Opinions may be generated from content obtained from other sources and such content is referenced as appropriate.