INSERT HERE THE NAME OF THE CITY WHERE YOU LIVE
Yesterday afternoon I spent a couple of hours exploring my hosting a radio programme where I will wrap music around the beautiful things happening and legends of things from the past to inspire those living in our city.
I have put together a series of songs for a test show which I will share with the station's programme controller ahead of the show going live. Can I share some of these with you now ?
This record, Go Away Little Girl by Donny Osmond, was at number one for most of September 1971, the month I came to live in Milton Keynes.
I got off the train at Bletchley Station, there was no Milton Keynes Central in those days, and was immediately hit by a pungent smell. WHAT WAS THAT !
I learned to live with that smell, it was part of Bletchley. When the London Brick Company closed its works at Newton Longville it was strange not to have the air filled with the acrid stench from the kilns. Coincidence ? I put in a mention of London Brick into the script for that test show then yesterday
How many homes, not just in Milton Keynes but all over the country, stand today because of The London Brick Company ?
What was the first James Bond film you saw ? For me it was THUNDERBALL.
How many people throughout the world have seen a James Bond film ?
BILLIONS !
James Bond would be nothing if it were not for his Aston Martin.Aston Martin of Milton Keynes.
Three songs. Listen to them and think what they have in common.
MICHAEL JACKSON:
DAVID BOWIE:
QUEEN:
They all played Milton Keynes Bowl.
Tomorrow, if it does not deluge with rain, I will be playing The Milton Keynes Bowl. The weather forecast for today is good,
That's a quick pic from last week-end at Milton Keynes Bowl.
My right hand man, Josh aka The Eternal Teenager, and his beautiful wife Jelena hope to be at The Bowl tomorrow with our charity boot sale.
Here's a picture of Mr Josh taken in February, taken very shortly after he left rough-sleeping in a tent behind and moved into temporary accommodation. At the beginning of this month he and Mrs Josh moved into their lovely new
Josh and Mrs Josh are an inspiration to me and so is the love the beautiful people of Milton Keynes showered on them with gifts for their new home.
SEVENTY-FIVE people raced to offer gifts of love for their new home.
INSPIRATION !
Josh and Jelena have come a million miles over the past eight months but will be the first to admit they have another five or more million miles to travel. I guess their determination to overcome some painful issues in order to reach their destination is what inspires me.
Here's a man who inspires me, former Mayor of Milton Keynes David Hopkins.
David's wife, Susan, once said to me:
It does not matter which charity or good cause you support providing you do support one.
Powerful and wonderful words.
I am an INCOMER to Milton Keynes, David is a native of our city. David was born, grew up and still lives in Wavendon, the same village where my wife was born and grew up.
Asking my wife yesterday evening which song I could play for her she said Something by ABBA. This is my favourite ABBA track.
ANDANTE ANDANTE - SLOWLY SLOWLY.
What was the first single you spent your pocket money on ? This was my INTENDED first single.
Goodness knows why but when I reached the record shop I changed my mind and spent my six shillings and nine pence on this.
In the Milton Keynes village of Wavendon lived not only David Hopkins and my wife Maureen but also a Mr Johnny Dankworth and his wife Cleo. African Waltz by Johnny Dankworth was my first record purchase.
Johnny and Cleo gave Milton Keynes the wonderful gift of music at The Stables, formerly WAP - Wavendon All Music Plan.
The Cliff Richard video for Wired For Sound was filmed in Milton Keynes. I saw Cliff Richard in concert at the former Bletchley Leisure Centre.
Here's a man who was a legend in his own time, community artist the late Bill Billings. Bill gave us The Peartree Bridge Dinosaur.
Did you know that Bon Jovi held a photoshoot at the dinosaur ?
I am The Geriatric DJ but there is something in Milton Keynes which is even older than I am !
The Tattenhoe Oak ! The oldest living thing in our city of Milton Keynes.
From The London Brick Company to The Tattenhoe Oak I have here been speaking about things from the past. London Brick made its bricks from clay. The foundations for Milton Keynes were made from bricks fashioned out of legends, just a few of which I have mentioned today.
This is something I have added to the playlist for my test show.
At the boot sale today Josh, Jelena and I will be promoting Love for our NHS, we will be handing out gifts to encourage people to become organ and blood donors.
Tomorrow I will be meeting with another radio station for The Geriatric DJ to talk about LOVING OUR NHS.
There used to be an empty field by the side of Eaglestone in Milton Keynes - AN EMPTY FIELD. Within The Milton Keynes Development Corporation's Strategic Plan this was the designated location for a hospital. Campaigners pressed hard for the plan to bring the new city a hospital ahead of the date within the plan. Their campaign slogan was MILTON KEYNES IS DIEING FOR A HOSPITAL !
Back in those early days of our city who could possibly have imagined, even in their wildest dreams that we would have the wonderful, amazing hospital we have.
4.18am I have been writing this p[age for just over an hour. It's still dark outside but I had better get dressed.
In an hour I will be picking up Josh and Jelena to drive to Bletchley Irish Centre and set up our boot sale stall. I'll take some photographs then share them with you tomorrow.
For every £10 we take on our stall we pop a tin into our Food Bank Box. From the cash we take we sponsor every goal Sheffield Wednesday score, today they are at home to Hull City, that money goes to three different childrens hospitals. We spend money from the stall putting smiles on the faces of our city's rough sleepers. The money left we spend on costs for the projects we run so not a penny is taken from the good causes we support.
Ours is a BEAUTIFUL city and so is where you live. It's not potholes, eccentric architecture and excessive parking charges which make a city beautiful, it is the LOVE of its people.
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