My much-mocked town is one of the coolest places in the UK to visit this year – it’s the best place for a weekend break

IF I had a pound for every time I’ve had to defend my hometown of Milton Keynes, I’d be able to afford the city’s most expensive £5million home… maybe. 

Despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer‘s speedy helicopter getaway during his visit there this week, MK, as we call it, has at last been vindicated.

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The town is often mocked, although has been named a top destination[/caption]

Having been unfairly mocked for decades, it’s recently been named in the top ten destinations for Brits to visit in 2025 – just behind Milan, Rome and Tokyo.

That’s according to new research by Airbnb, which found Milton Keynes is attracting families with its fast access to London and unique activities – from indoor ski slopes to free-falling without the heights.

Growing up, I spent many weekends shopping at centre:mk or going on nights out at the city hotspots.

Now it’s a running joke with friends about how passionately I defend MK against critics – some of whom haven’t even visited. 

Although I’ve spent years working in London, Milton Keynes will always hold a special place in my heart – especially after living there during the brutal 2020 coronavirus lockdown.

Like many house hunters, I’d realised I could get more bang for my buck buying in the new town where the average home costs £314,253 – a whopping £159,000 saving in comparison to the rest of the region.

Its small but mighty railway station allows passengers to get to London Euston in just 32 minutes – or head north and reach Glasgow in four and a half hours.

Wait another few years, and a new east-west rail link will drive growth for Milton Keynes between Oxford and Cambridge with speedy direct links.

But Milton Keynes proved it’s not just a commuter town that’s simply been designed to escape from.

Instead, the innovative tech city’s popular robots became a lifeline to many vulnerable people in Covid, delivering groceries without the need for human contact.

Sprawling greenery made daily walks a treat to enjoy, with beautiful walks, including my personal favourites, Furzton Lake, Teardrop Lakes and Ouzel Valley Park on the Great Ouse river. 

Thankfully, the world opened up again – and there’s now a population of 298,270 living in my once-ridiculed hometown, up 15 per cent on a decade ago.

Despite being a car-centric city, Milton Keynes’ redways – a network of paths for pedestrians and cyclists – make it super easy to get around.

And its grid system makes it the perfect place for an autonomous electric bus service, which launches next month.

It’s technological breakthroughs like this that put MK on the map.

Even though it’s only 56 years old, it’s still packed full of history – and believe it or not it has its own museum.

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The town has amazing outdoor green spaces too[/caption]

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One of the most famous places is Bletchley Park, home to the WWII Codebreakers[/caption]

More famously however, there’s Bletchley Park – once the top-secret home of Britain’s World War Two Codebreakers. 

You can spend the day at the impressive heritage attraction, which celebrates the place where Alan Turing helped to crack Enigma and save millions of lives.

Meanwhile back in the heart of the city, head over towards the unusual building, Xscape for everything you could imagine under one roof.

Learn how to ski, try indoor skydiving, go bowling, see what’s on at the cinema, hit the arcade, practice your rock climbing, have fun on the trampolines, break out of escape rooms or even have a flutter at the casino.

Then opposite Xscape there’s fancier eateries on 12th Street. Have dinner at Revolución de Cuba or drinks at Fourteen – a stunning skyline bar on the top floor of Hotel La Tour – before catching a show at Milton Keynes Theatre.

As one of the region’s leading live entertainment venues, it showcases the best West End and touring productions like The Rocky Horror Show and Kinky Boots for locals to enjoy.

Weekends spent at MK11 over in Kiln Farm are always fun. It’s a great place to watch sports on TV and a well-known spot for live music with popular tribute bands.

Or, of course, locals can head to Stadium MK, the home of MK Dons FC, which hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and welcomes the likes of Take That and Rod Stewart to the 30,500-seat venue. 

For other fun family activities there’s Willen Lake for water sports – and animal lovers have on their doorsteps Woburn Safari Park, as well as Woburn Abbey with its 3,000-acre deer park.

If heritage and art walks aren’t your thing, a country pub crawl along the canal towpath – from the Warbler on the Wharf to the Black Horse – might pique your interest.

There’s also a bottomless brunch at the incredibly Instagrammable Greedy Italian restaurant in Fenny Stratford, which is always a popular destination to catch up with friends.

For those who believe daytime drinking is a dangerous business and prefer to head out at night, you won’t be short of options for bars and restaurants at The Hub.

I’d recommend a Turkish dinner at the stunning DeRoka restaurant or the luxurious Argentinian steakhouse Parrilla, before going for late-night drinks at Blossom Room. 

Whatever tickles your fancy, I can almost guarantee you’ll find it in Milton Keynes – without the London price tag. 

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And being half an hour to London, I can see why its so popular[/caption]