The Travels of Gypsy Rover: It's big and it's different.

Tuesday, 1 January 2008

It's big and it's different.

Still moored at Campbell Park, Milton Keynes

Today we walked into the Milton Keynes shopping centre across Campbell Park via one of the many cycle/walkways around this place. The park itself is huge,well kept and tidy. You can see by the way the town is laid out that it has been designed and built in the modern automobile era. Flyovers crossing dual carriageways abound and there was a conspicuous absence of traffic signals. The streets are laid out in grid formation and the whole place looked very American. As for the buildings they are nothing startling but they are a mixture of retail, office and inner city apartments and the word "cubism" comes to mind. The only exceptions are the theatre and the sports complex with its indoor ski slope.

The open market is very cleverly placed underneath a dual carriageway flyover so the majority of it is under cover. The city fathers obviously have a zero tolerance policy on graffiti as there was very little of it about but you could see where it had been removed from bridges and walls.

Once inside the shopping centre, which is also in grid fashion, it's vastness with shops as far as the eye could see is mind boggling, a shopaholic's delight. Outside John Lewis's store is a large open entertainment area which had a magnificent Xmas display with the theme from Wind in the Willows. Ratty, Mole and Toad where there with all their friends in various diorama's of stories with a Xmas theme. One pleasing feature was story boards in braille placed around the diorama's so that the visually impaired could enjoy it as well.

Also for young and old alike was a 1900's merry go round which was different in that it had 2 decks or levels. This huge machine was in beautiful working condition and was in popular demand. Santa's grotto was also there but now closed until next Xmas as Santa has gone home to recuperate from all his night time deliveries.