Why it’s hot It’s the economy, stupid. With 1,200 company head offices (Mercedes-Benz, Santander and Network Rail among them), almost full employment and easy transport links to Britain’s most sizzling economic hotspots, it’s no wonder Milton Keynes is the fastest-growing place in the country. This isn’t a state of affairs many people would have predicted 20 years ago, when it was all jokes about concrete cows and endless roundabouts, but the town, which celebrates its 50th birthday next year, has proved surprisingly resilient.

“People who don’t know Milton Keynes tend to dismiss it, but those who live here do the opposite, because it’s got an awful lot going for it. I’d recommend it to anyone,” says David Stuart-King, 70, a retired company director who is