The History of Milton Keynes and District

The History of Milton Keynes and District by Sir Frank Markham. Written before Milton Keynes began to step off its paper plan and become a reality. I have said many times that no person should be allowed to serve on Milton Keynes Council without reading this two volume book.

As a student at Milton Keynes Teacher Training College I attended two lectures given by Sir Frank. In my third year I knew his wife, Lady Markham. I was the student representative on the board of governors where she was also a member, at meetings we used to sit together.

Later when I was writing myself about our new city she gave me reference to use her late husband’s work. This In did mas well as delving through newspaper archives and interviewing as many people as I could find to write:

In Search Of The Leons

Not The Concrete Cows

Milton Keynes The City That Never Was

Milton Dreams

Milton Keynes A Disco For A New City

These five pieces of writing I believe make me the modern-day most prolific writer on the subject of Milton Keynes.

I so much want to write another book Milton Keynes The City That Truly Is. This I can only write when Milton Keynes has been awarded a city charter.

Why have I written so much about Milton Keynes ?

Because I love the place.

Why am I making my own submission To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II asking for Milton Keynes to be awarded city status ?

While I support Milton Keynes Council seeking a city charter for our home I am thinking that among all of the towns who make submissions ours will be the only borough to have an ordinary person do what I am here seeking to do.  I so much hope this will help make our dream come true. Yes, DREAM. In my book Milton Dreams The City That Never Was I seek to spark a dream among my fellow Mkeneyans that we will become a


NEW City. Now fifty-four years since Harold Wilson’s government designated an area of land in North Buckinghamshire to build a new city we are well into middle-age. However, if our bid is successful then we will indeed be a NEW City. The proud NEW City of Milton Keynes.

Sir Frank Markham’s book should be statutory reading for every member of Milton Keynes Council. My writing is different but I would love it if it could achieve wide readership among my fellow  MKeyneyans. It looks at our heritage, legends, potential and more. It looks without shame at the good, the bad and the ugly of Milton Keynes. The good we should celebrate. The bad we should fix so making it good and ready for celebration. The ugly we need to paint to make beautiful and worthy of celebration.

 

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