Network

A Covid adventure: a bus bravely all the way to Milton Keynes (see extra)! 

On the way into town the bus from Oxford passed this building and I knew I had to get my feet to show it to my camera. It houses Network Rail's 'support functions'.

I first visited MK about 40 years ago and I knew that it was effectively two interlocking towns, one a grid for cars and the other a lower-level network for pedestrians and cyclists but I arrived at the bus station and couldn't find my way to the foot-friendly level. So my alarming journey to my destination involved walking along kerbs with no footpaths, negotiating huge car parks and dodging traffic on a roundabout. At one point I was relieved to find a footpath but it suddenly ended and I realised it was just a place to wait for buses. There is no signposting for visitors nor explanation of how the town works.

I was in Milton Keynes to visit the the showroom of a window and door manufacturer whose products meet very high thermal standards. Since I'd done some research about their windows and they'd done some research about my plans there wasn't a great deal to talk about. But I hefted a few windows and doors open, decided on two changes to the architect's suggestions and took photos of the 'door furniture' (what an utterly bizarre name for a handle). 

The person I was visiting told me how to find the portal to the pedestrian level so I had a much calmer experience getting back to the bus station.