Concerned about Sabha Subedar’s safety, on Tuesday, I took the day off work and went to Milton Keynes.
As the 12:24 London Midland train pulled out of Euston station, it occurred to me that I had forgotten to find out the address of the Argos head office. Not only that, but I suddenly began to wonder if it was actually in Milton Keynes at all. Was I going to the right place? It seemed pointless to worry about it now, the train was already moving, and so I settled down and ate the Chicken & Bacon sandwich I had bought from M&S Simply Food.
Eventually, the train arrived at Milton Keynes.
I wasn’t really sure where to go. Fortunately, there was a nearby information sign.
I was impressed by how neatly organised Milton Keynes was. All of the civic buildings were in one corner:
And all of the cultural and recreational buildings were in another corner:
I studied the map.
Avebury. That sounded familiar. Near the Central Business Exchange. I wandered off in what I hoped was the right direction.
Eventually, I found the road:
All of the main roads seemed to be described as “boulevards”. I quite liked that attempt at capturing Parisian sophistication. I am not sure if it was entirely successful though. Avebury Boulevard sort of looks like how I’d imagine Paris shortly after a nuclear holocaust.
And then I saw it. The Home Retail Group building.
The building had featured in Superman IV and I was pleased to see it hadn’t lost any of its Hollywood glamour.
I wasn’t sure what to do next. I went inside.
I walked up to the man at reception.
I asked if Sabha Subedar still worked there. He typed her name into the computer. “There is a Sabha listed here”, he said. “Hold on a second, I’ll see if she used her pass today”. I was incredibly nervous. “Hmmm, she hasn’t been in for a while. I’ll try her number.” He dialled. “Do you have a Sabha in your team there?” he spoke into the phone. “There’s a Nicky Wilson there now” he told me, “Sabha might have been a temp, it normally takes a while to update the phone directory. Do you want to speak to Nicky?” Nicky Wilson. This name was new to me, although I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before she sends me an email thanking me for my application but regretfully informing me that on this occasion I was unsuccessful but that it doesn’t mean that my skills and abilities would not be suitable for other roles within the Home Retail Group and that I should continue to check the website for new vacancies.
I walked back to the station. “Might have been a temp”. I don’t buy that for one second.
Even from looking at the photos, you can still feel Milton Keynes slowly leeching the joy out of your soul.
Hopefully Sabha got out before it was too late for her…
Beneath the mundane lies something unspeakably horrible. That was so exciting! You are the English Paul Auster, James.
True fact: Midsummer Boulevard is purposefully aligned so the sun rises at the eastern end on the summer solstice.
Perhaps Sabha has been sacrificed by druids?
Milton Keynes has always had a bit of a J G Ballard vibe. Perhaps Shabna has run off to live with the concrete cows.
I went for a job as a PA once at Argos HQ. I didn’t get it because they thought my would-be boss would find me too “too exacting with regard to his grammar”.
Still, it was lovely to see what I managed to avoid.
Chastity x
Nice investigative work – don’t give up you are getting closer to your goal. Sabha was not a temp and no longer works there. Toni is still there. Kirsty is an administrator doing other peoples bidding.
Look forward to your next post. Incidentally try and catch the new careers website while it is still horrendously broken – argoscareers.com