Interview with Aileen Button (b.1916).
Aileen Button lived in Lincolnshire, before moving to Wolverton to teach at the Grammar School in 1938. She was a Wolverton Urban District Councilor at the start of Milton Keynes and discussed among other things the Development Corporation taking over. Wolverton was the first authority to agree designation, councillors believed ‘London unfortunates’ should be offered suitable housing. Four authorities were involved and she thinks they were all in agreement, Wolverton Urban District Council, Bletchley Urban District Council, Newport Urban District Council & Newport Pagnell Rural District Council.. Although she can’t remember any public meetings being called.
The Agora was the biggest issue in Wolverton, it was intended to be a community centre, but when the Labour Party lost control it was sold off to a private concern. Concerts, dances and boxing matches had been planned but none of that came about. Established houses and shops were demolished to make way for the Agora, among them a gas showroom and Kings the bakers. At that time it was perceived that the Development Corporation could do as they liked, they could purchase farmland and allow the opening of a Museum at Stacey Hill Farm. In her opinion very little was done for Wolverton or New Bradwell. Describes development options, a series of centres based on existing populations or a central city centre. She favoured dispersed sites but central option was adopted.
A.B. was unaware of any conflict with new arrivals in Wolverton, although the impression was that they were less neighbourly. In 1966 some schools changed over to become comprehensive schools and many more had to be built, for example Stantonbury, whose first headmaster was Geoffrey Cooksey, who was in her opinion a very good publicist.
Recalls in 1974 the inception of Milton Keynes Borough Council, the MKDC was still active, but there was no close connection between the two. The Borough Council was to represent the area of the four separate authorities, rural areas that were rapidly becoming urbanised. Wolverton’s representation went down from ten to three councillors. Describes Milton Keynes as a ‘city for the motor car’ and compares housing costs. Recalls huge poster at Euston station advertising ‘Milton Keynes as the next best thing to heaven’. Mentions the opening up of more roads into Wolverton the ‘V5’, ‘H2’ and ‘V6’ and on public transport remembers ‘Dial-a-Bus’.
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