The writings of Max Robinson: Maybe it’s because I’m Mkeneyan that I love Milton Keynes.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner that I love London so !

Maybe it’s because I’m Mkeneyan that I love Milton Keynes.

Are you an Mkeneyan ?

Hang on a moment ! Didn’t I teach English ? Or is that a typo ?

AN Mkeneyan, shouldn’t that be A Mkeneyan ? Actually NO using an which normally prefaces a vowel tells you how to pronounce the work Mkeneyan. M-Keneyan.

Maybe its because a Londoner…… Those who are born and brought up in England’s capital city are indeed Londoners. Birmingham, England’s second city ? Brummies. Manchester - Mancunian. Liverpool – Liverpudlian. Nip North of the border, Glasgow – Glaswegian.

Where were you born and brought up ? I was born in Birmingham (Brummie) but at the age of five my family moved to the Royal Borough of Sutton Coldfield where I grew up as a Suttonian. In September 1971 I emigrated to the New City of Milton Keynes. Half a century ago Milton Keynes was little more than an idea on a sheet of paper. It was made up of Wolverton, Stony Stratford, Newport Pagnell and Bletchley with open farmland villages dotted between.

Legend says the original thinking for North Buckinghamshire’s development was for it to be called the New City of Bletchley. Legend, it may have happened, it may not have happened but it could have happened.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Bletchleyite that I love Milton Keynes. No that wouldn’t have worked would it ! Open revolt may well have broken out in Wolverton, Stony Stratford and Newport Pagnell !

Milton Keynes taking its name from John Milton (1608 – 1674) the poet and John Maynard Keynes (1883 – 1946) the economist. There were those who thought that was where Milton Keynes Development Corporation coined our New City’s name ! NO, NO, NO.

I wonder how many hours were spent following Harold Wilson’s government in 1967 designated an area of North Buckinghamshire to build a New City were spend in debate and deliberation before finally coming up with the name Milton Keynes. London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow – all single words, Milton Keynes two words. There were those who thought that was a bit clumsy, if our New City had to be called by such a name could it not be written Miltonkeynes ?

Across this book I will explain what incredible thought went into the planning of Milton Keynes New City, the thinking behind Milton Keynes borders on genius. Milton Keynes a tiny little village somewhere in the middle of the designated area was lifted out of obscurity and used to christen our New City. Wonderful.

When I drive into Milton Keynes from the North, South, East and West I get so angry when I see our name abbreviated on road signs to M Keynes. We are MILTON KEYNES and you can not abbreviate how special our city is.

I emigrated, as I explained, to Milton Keynes in 1971, my wife was born in Wavendon Milton Keynes. At the time of my writing Not The Concrete Cows in 1994 the majority of the adult population in our New City was made up of immigrants. Within our adolescent New City it was a constant comment bordering on complaint that in regard to the population Milton Keynes did not have an identity. It does now !

So where did the word Mkeneyan come from ?

Hang on a moment while I fit a clamp to my head in order to stop it swelling. I invented it. In early 202o when I was writing my book Milton Dreams The City That Never Was (Published by Amazon on 5^th September 2020 but don’t buy it, happily it is way out of date.) that I came up with the name. I wrote to Milton Keynes Citizen inviting it to take ownership of the name and encourage everyone to proudly adopt it for themselves. I did not receive the courtesy of a reply and the editorial team obviously did not think we citizens were worthy of such a name !

Making my presentation to Buckingham Palace in support of our being awarded a city charter

I did use the word Mkeneyan.

The Queen has asked me to thank you for your recent letter, in which you expressed your wish for Milton Keynes to be granted City Status, and you told Her Majesty of your pride in your local area.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner that I love London so ! Londoner – born and brought up in the City of London. You can not be a Londoner if you do not have those two basic qualifications. That’s not the way it is with Milton Keynes, love is the qualifying word to be an Mkeneyan. If you don’t live Milton Keynes then you are no Mkeneyan. There is more to being Mkeneyan than simply living or working in our City. Love without deed is barren.

So are you an Mkeneyan ?

Maybe it's because I'm Mkeneyan
That I love Milton Keynes
Well, maybe it's because I'm Mkeneyan
That I think of here wherever I go

I get a funny feeling inside of me
While walking up and down
Well, maybe it's because I'm Mkeneyan
That I love the Milton Keynes

I am VERY grateful to the Milton Keynes social media groups who are allowing me to share my DRAFT ideas for this project MILTON KEYNES THE CITY OF LEGEND. I have set up a Facebook Group Mkneyans. If you are reading these words you are VERY welcome to join.