Interviews with people who have made Milton Keynes their home
We interviewed over 50 people who have made Milton Keynes their home. They were invited to share their memories and experiences of living in the city, spanning the past fifty years. These interviews have been edited into a series of short digital stories which you can view by clicking on the links. The films show a vibrant portrait of a place made up of diverse experiences and cultures.
Extent
52 interviews and videos
Reference number
PSM/001
Storage location
Digital collection
Records in this Group
Born in Gibraltar, Catherine moved to Milton Keynes with her family as a toddler. She is an enthusiastic sportswoman and discusses her passion for the full contact sport, Roller Derby. She talks about the social side to the sport and the predominance of women players. The sport is thriving in Milton Keynes.
Born in Ghana, West Africa, Yaw moved to Milton Keynes after living in London. He shares that his first impressions of the area were of a welcoming city, and he recalls his thoughts that the city was built as a place for people who needed to move somewhere new, a city of second chances. He ...
Dave shares memories of his life lived entirely in the Milton Keynes area.
He talks about the wonder he felt as a young boy visiting exhibitions presenting a future vision for Milton Keynes, showcasing maps and drawings of leisure centres, swimming pools and boating lakes. However, he shares the frustration he felt as a young person, ...
Emily talks about her experience of growing up in Milton Keynes and her passion for performing arts. She shares how, starting at primary school and also at her secondary school, Stantonbury, she developed her appetite for performing arts. She pursued her interests through becoming involved in local performing arts clubs, a theatre company, and Milton ...
Lawrence moved to Milton Keynes in 2016 after travelling around Australia and New Zealand. He had made visits to see his grandmother and cousins who live here, but had not really explored Milton Keynes. He is pleased he made the choice to live here and is constantly discovering new places and things to do.
Lorraine recalls her first memories of hearing about Milton Keynes, and how just one trip on a Sunday afternoon in 1979 was enough to persuade her to relocate later the same year. As one of the first partners in John Lewis, Lorraine shares her memories of the community spirit the store worked hard to foster, ...
Louise moved to Milton Keynes in 1970 as a result of her father being appointed General Manager of the Milton Keynes Development Corporation. She talks about how the move changed her life and how unhappy she was when she initially arrived.
Brothers Simon and Marc grew up in Milton Keynes. On returning from studying at university, they realised there was a lack of alternative music venues. An opportunity arose to take over a building at Kiln Farm. After working sixteen-hour days, seven days a week, and overcoming many obstacles they have achieved their dream and now ...
Moss talks about his childhood, growing up in the Rainbow Housing Co-operative in Spencer Street, New Bradwell.
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He shares how the experience of living in a co-operative was an alternative upbringing, different to his school peers and cites the example that instead of each household having private back gardens, all families shared one large, communal green ...
Nancy was born in Zimbabwe. She talks about her life there, and the reasons for moving to Milton Keynes. Nancy is fiercely patriotic’ in her belief in Milton Keynes, associating the city with happy childhood memories for her children and huge opportunities for herself as a businessperson and broadcaster. She shares the enjoyment she has ...
Victoria talks about her strong family connection with the local area, sharing how her family were farmers in Stony Stratford. She recalls the reaction from local people to the arrival of Milton Keynes and also the opportunities the developing town brought to the family business.
Ruel grew up Milton Keynes, and talks about how he and his friends, as young teens, started to develop their interest in Parkour and free-running whilst living on Fishermead. His love of the sport has turned into a career and he now runs the UK’s first dedicated indoor Parkour gym in Kingston, Milton Keynes.
Tod tells the story of how he became one of the stilt walkers in the now famous red balloon advert.
Rosemary arrived in 1989 to work for the BBC as a producer and director at the Open University. She shares her first impressions of Milton Keynes, her excitement upon the opening of Milton Keynes Theatre and her pride at co-directing the opening production, All Change.
Robert shares how he moved with his family as a child to Milton Keynes as a result of his father securing work through the Development Corporation. He shares how they moved to Netherfield and as a child he was struck by the contrast between the rural landscapes and the futurism of the emerging New Town. ...
Paul’s film focuses on his memories of winning a bath tub race as part of Bletchley week in the late 1960s.
Tracie moved to Fullers Slade in the early 1970s as a child with her family from Islington, North London. She recalls being in awe of her new house and impressed by the size of the house and garden. Very different to her experience of living in busy inner London, she remembers feeling as though ...
Tom is an artist and was born and raised in Milton Keynes. He feels Milton Keynes is a place where there’s more opportunity artistically to make a difference. As someone who cares about art in Milton Keynes he is frustrated that there aren’t any studios that cater to professional artists, and also that there aren’t ...
Arriving in Milton Keynes in 1979 for a job interview with the Milton Keynes Development Corporation, Tim shares his first impressions of the New Town as a modern, larger than expected city, observing that the city’s pace and quality of life appealed to him. He shares his memories working for the Development Corporation in the ...
Sheyla moved to Milton Keynes in 2015 after living in Spain all her life. When she arrived she spoke no English and had never been on a plane before. At first she lived with a Spanish family but after a few months she secured a job and a place of her own. She is excited ...
Born in New Bradwell, Steven talks about his initial apprehension as a child on first hearing about the idea of a New Town being built. He watched the development as the city grew around him. His children and grandchildren all live here and they have embraced all Milton Keynes has to offer.
Ron talks about his memories of growing up and seeing Milton Keynes develop around his home in Nash. He shares how he was a founder member of the committee that established Milton Keynes Museum. He realised the area’s agricultural land was declining so began to collect local farming artefacts.
Rima moved to Buckinghamshire in 1964. In this short film she talks about her role as a board member at The Stables at the time of the first Milton Keynes International Festival.
Nicky was born in Newport Pagnell. After a period of living in Brighton she returned to live in Milton Keynes. She is a photographer and keen cyclist. Her photographs are inspired by the architecture and nature of Milton Keynes.
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