Jill Hawkins

Jill moved to Galley Hill in MK from Windsor in the early 70s because her father got a new job here. They were allocated a new Council house and were the first family to live in it. She remembers it as a very safe place, growing up and playing out in the streets. They then moved to West Bletchley and as a teenager she attended Denbigh school and went on nights out at the British Legion and the Compass Club and swimming at the Leisure Centre. She has lived most of her life in MK and enjoys the parks and open spaces. She now lives in Stony Stratford and enjoys the easy access to the green spaces via the Redways and being surrounded by trees. In her early 20s she went to The Point, The Barn and The Swan at Woughton On The Green and then Directors and the Winter Gardens when they opened later on. Because everyone went there, it felt like a close-knit community of young people but now things feel more disparate across the City. She wishes there were more small venues for live performance. She recalls sneaking into The MK Bowl under the fence to watch the big bands that appeared there when she was in her teens; it felt really special to have the likes of David Bowie, Simple Minds, REM and U2 on her doorstep. She enjoyed the alternative night on Thursdays at The Point and saw Divine there; it was a great place for independent music. She also went to The Pitz and saw everyone from Alien Sex Fiend to Placebo and Oasis.