SEC YHA Weekend - March 2000

We set off bright and early to catch the 7.30 a.m. car ferry to Southampton for our weekend jaunt to Milton Keynes Youth Hostel.

We decided to travel via Dorking and had a pleasant day looking round the antique shops. We finally arrived at Milton Keynes around 5 o'clock. Dave's map was brilliant. If you've never been to Milton Keynes, you'll be interested to know that it has been built on a grid system, linked with hundreds of roundabouts, and all are named.

The warden turned up shortly after we arrived, and we were amazed to find he had travelled all the way up from the Isle of Wight as well. After he had cleaned the place up and given us the all clear it was time to check out our accommodation. We managed to pick the only room with en-suite facilities. The drawback however was that it was next door to the ladies' loos and every time the light was switched on, you could hear the extractor fan that was linked to it. Luckily for us nobody rose too early so our sleep was undisturbed.

On Friday night we went to the local pub and had a very pleasant meal in excellent Saab enthusiast company.

Next morning after hearty sustenance the group set off on a local walk to see the famed concrete cows of Milton Keynes and to walk round the lakes. We were lucky with the weather and it was nice to see the older parts of Milton Keynes - several thatched cottages - and its rural side. It's not just a built-up concrete jungle as we'd imagined it.

In the afternoon we all went our separate ways. On Dave's recommendation we set off to visit the villages of Olney and Stony Stratford. After looking round the antique shops, we managed to spot a narrow leaded glazed bookcase. It was touch and go whether it would go in the 900 at 6 foot 2 inches high, but we agreed to pick it up on Sunday and hoped for the best.

In the evening most of us drove out for a pub meal and then took beers/wine back to the hostel for a communal evening. It gave us all the opportunity to have a good old chat. Certainly the hostel was an excellent venue for a winter get-together. We had the best of all worlds - excellent cooking facilities, a wealth of places to visit to suit all tastes and a lounge to accommodate us all comfortably.

Next day the rest of the group set off to visit Stondon Transport Museum, while we set off to pick up our bookcase first. We then planned to meet up with the others at the museum. Our mission was successfully completed after a few setbacks. We were unable to use our mobile phone to contact the antique shop that we were on the way (Cellnet at Milton Keynes had gone down), so had a bit of a wait, and loading the car took longer than we expected. But at least we got everything in. By the time we got to the museum everybody else had been all the way round and were ready to move on. So we said our goodbyes, and spent a pleasant hour or so looking at all the exhibits. They certainly have a very comprehensive range of cars and motor bikes. It's well worth a visit.

The evening was spent with family in Surrey and the next day we set off to sample the delights of Bath and also to visit a little hamlet just outside Bristol where there are several cottages designed by John Nash, who designed our little gatehouse, North Lodge.

We had a super time. Well done Dave and Julie for arranging a great weekend!

Report: Sue Ross and Tony Grestock

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