Interview with Lindsay Knight

Lindsay lived in Milton Keynes when he was about ten years old and was introduced to skateboarding, BMX’’ing and breakdancing through his brother. Lindsay’s family lived in Newbury for five years where he and his brother created a skateboarding scene; it was his ‘‘whole identity’.’ He was anxious when they moved back to Milton Keynes, but he was ‘’absolutely blown away’’ by the skating scene when they arrived.
Lindsay says that the architecture of Milton Keynes, with its high ledges and hand rails, and the contrast between businessmen and the skateboarders, made this world which felt ‘’forbidden’’ as he believed that the very essence of skateboarding about being about ‘‘rule breaking’’. Lindsay comments on the tension in the centre of the business district, named by skateboarders as the ‘’Beige’’. To prevent skating, stones and bars were put there, but this actually made it more appealing to skaters as it enhanced the area as it made it more of a challenge. Tension grew throughout Milton Keynes as skateboarders continued to adapt to obstacles. As a result, Lindsay says that the police were trying to criminalise it and there was even talk of banning skateboarding altogether.
Lindsay worked for the Skate MK Project and the Youth Service. He created a video to educate the Chamber of Commerce to understand what skateboarding was, with the aim of showing how skateboarding brought culture to Milton Keynes. Lindsay explains that skateboarders want to adapt things, they don’t want to skate on a place designed for them to skate. The plan was to invest more money to enhance an area already inhabited by skateboarders. The answer was the Bus Station, known as ‘’Buszy’’. The signs originally put at the Bus Station saying ‘’No Skateboarding’’ were left, to keep the areas authenticity and the components which were added were designed to be more durable. Lindsay was determined to support skateboarding in Milton Keynes.