Interview with Colin Gear (b.1940).

Colin Gear was born and brought up in Wolverton, and both he and his father worked in Wolverton Works. After being made redundant in 1970 he had difficulty finding work. He talks of how important the Works was to Wolverton, Stony Stratford and New Bradwell and remembers Wolverton when he was young: steam trams, the Grammar School, skating at the Agora, the swimming pool and using the Bath House at the end of a day’s work. He knew little about the development plans for Milton Keynes until he saw building start. He recalls several farms which were bought up and built over as MK developed. At the time he was upset about the loss of farmland, but saw it as progress and now likes the city. He appreciates the increase in the number of pubs and restaurants, remembers the building of the shopping centre and Hospital, and the ‘mud, mud, mud’ as estates were being built. He moved to Crownhill about five years ago.