Julian Pentz

Julian was born in Switzerland and moved to MK in 1971 as a result of his nuclear physicist father being appointed as first Dean Of Science at the newly-formed Open University. The family initially moved onto the Lakes Estate and then to Great Woolstone. He remembers the mud and the new developments being built; many of his school friends had parents who worked for the Milton Keynes Development Corporation and there was a lot of excitement about new infrastructure going in. He is a professional musician and music teacher and has worked as a tutor for MK Music Service (now MK Music Co-Op) throughout his career since leaving music college. Julian has played in some of the best-known local bands including Monster In The Closet and Togmor and in this interview he recalls some of the lost MK music venues and youth centres of the past such as the Starting Gate and the Peartree Bridge Centre.