MK Today - Wednesday 1st March 2023

Milton Keynes Members of Parliament

QUESTION: From January 1967 when our New City was born right through to today how many members of parliament serving our home have given their name to an area of heritage in Milton Keynes.

ANSWER: In round figures none. Not one. Not a single elected member of parliament. None have gone down in legend, that is if you don’t count the infamous Robert Maxwell. These here today, forgotten tomorrow politicians have a record of leaving nothing behind after their departure.

ANOTHER QUESTION: Well two actually. How many councillors have there been since Milton Keynes Council (Unfortunately) came into existence ? And how many of these persons have given their name to a landmark of heritage.

ANSWER: There is not enough memory on my laptop for the calculator to number them all. However, there is one who lives on with his name rightly assigned to a special, very special place in our city. I’ll tell you about this special gentleman in a moment but to return. Let’s do everything in order, to question one and it’s negative answer. Let’s hop into a time machine, you ready Doctor Who and go back to the coronation of His Majesty King George V and the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

King George V was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Thursday 22^nd June 1911. Within his coronation honours was knighthood for a certain Herbert Samuel Leon of Bletchley Park. Herbert was returned to Parliament as Liberal Member for North Buckinghamshire, serving as a member of the opposition. He contested the seat again the general election of 1892 defeating the tory candidate, Sir Walter Carlisle when the Liberal Party was returned to power under Gladstone. In 1895, however, the tables were turned and Walter Carlisle was returned as Conservative Member with the Liberals being returned to opposition. Herbert Leon did not stand for the constituency again.

By today’s definition of the word I would suggest that Sir Herbert Leon was not a politician, being a member of parliament was simply a way of extending his portfolio of love for his home town. He did not only serve as a member of parliament, he was also a local councillor and justice of the peace.

Herbert Samuel Leon was born on Saturday 11^th February 1850 and left us on Friday 23^rd July 1926. He and his wife Fanny Leon moved to Bletchley Park in 1883, one hundred and forty years ago. Even though such a length of time has passed the Leon name can be found right across the area, he gave us so much. Something he was very much at the centre of was giving us Bletchley and Fenny Stratford War Memorial.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2^nd June 1953. Within her coronation honours a knighthood was bestowed on Stony Stratford man Frank Markham. Sydney Frank Markham was born on Friday 18^th October 1897 and left us on Monday 13^th October 1975.

He began by fighting the Guilford seat for Labour in 1924 but failed to win. In 1929 he was elected as Labour MP for Chatham then defected with Ramsay MacDonald to become a National Labour MP. He then stood down at the 1931 general election. Again as a National Labour candidate he was

elected for Nottingham South. He lost his seat standing as a National Independent in the 1945 when National Labour was dissolved.

In the 1950 he stood as the Conservative candidate for Buckingham (Milton Keynes) but failed to unseat the sitting Labour Member of Parliament Aiden Crawley. However, in the 1951 general election he beat Crawley by a margin of fifty-four votes. He held the seat with narrow majorities in the 1955 and 1959 elections. He stood down before the 1964 general election.

So what do you make of all that ! Can you imagine how the political commentators within today’s twenty-four rolling news would have exploited his career ! I tell you what I make of it, Frank Markham was not into politics but he was into people.

Frank Markham was born in Stony Stratford Milton Keynes, he served as Member of Parliament for Buckingham (Milton Keynes), when he died he was buried in Calverton Road Cemetery Stony Stratford. When his wife passed away she was buried alongside him.

For twenty years Frank Markham researched the history of North Buckinghamshire. During

this time the New City of Milton Keynes took over so when this vast research was published in two large volumes its title was The History of Milton Keynes and District. When I was writing Not The Concrete Cows in the early 1990’s Lady Markham gave me permission to refer to her late husband’s writing within my own.

Frank Markham loved the area he represented. You have only go to read his book for that to be clear. I have said so many times that no person should be allowed to become a member of parliament for Milton Keynes, no person should be allowed to stand for election to Milton Keynes Council without having read every word of Sir Frank’s work. Given the way Milton Keynes councillors today engage with we the people I wonder if any of them can actually read !

How terribly sad it was when the secondary school named after Sir Frank Markham changed its title to The Milton Keynes Academy !  What a ridiculous name !

I wrote to Stony Stratford Town Council, I wrote to the member of parliament for Milton Keynes north suggesting the Stony Stratford Library should be renamed The Sir Frank Markham Library. My letters were ignored !

You know what, every politician in Milton Keynes 2023 together is not worth a single full stop in Sir Frank’s writing.

Sad. But I want to end today’s edition on a positive note. Back to my other question. How many councillors have there been since Milton Keynes Council (Unfortunately) came into existence ? And how many of these persons have given their name to a landmark of heritage.

Luing Cowley, former mayor and Milton Keynes Council died at the age of ninety-five. Another gentleman who was passionate about our city and those of us who live here. University Hospital Milton Keynes has a department named after him, every day people pass through its treatment centre. Cowley was passionate about our hospital and went the extra mile in its early days to ensure our city has the incredible University Hospital Milton Keynes we know and love.

Herbert Leon, Frank Markham, Luing Cowley; three special people who were not politicians but people who loved the area they represented and those who lived there. Society need more of their like.

MK Council complaint re Leon Dinosaur

The Chief Executive Officer

Milton Keynes City Council

1 Saxon Gate East

Milton Keynes MK9 3EJ

Dear Sir

I am obliged to file a formal complaint against Milton Keynes Council for its negligence bringing about the demise of Leon Dinosaur and its failure to engage across a period of fifteen months to save this valued landmark from ultimate destruction. In filing this complaint I have the support of a vast area of our community. There will shortly be launched a petition enabling these good people to formally file their support.

The construction of the dinosaur was the idea of Leon School Headmaster Bruce Abbott. He made me its project co-ordinator. To turn Bruce’s idea into reality I engaged Milton Keynes community artist Bill Billings who worked with Leon School students to construct the statue. Both Bruce and Bill are no longer with us. It falls, therefore, to me to bring to account the failing of Milton Keynes Council and attempt to salvage the destruction its negligence has brought about.

This complaint contains the following elements:

·   Milton Keynes Council’s failure to respond to my letter of 15^th February 2023. Neither to acknowledge receipt nor to reply.

·       In November 2021 someone from the Lakes Estate Regeneration Programme did engage with me. We agreed to meet at a later date, to discuss the situation and see what could be done to ensure repair and relocating the statue. Fifteen months later I am still waiting for this meeting to happen.

·       Milton Keynes Council is responsible for the demise of the statue over an extended period of time.

My letter of 15^th February 2023:

This was a positive attempt to set aside past failures and seek a happy outcome. I am here complaining that Milton Keynes Council elected not to so engage. I received neither the courtesy of an acknowledgement nor that of a reply. I, therefore, am left to assume either Milton Keynes Council has a sub-standard administration system or it is electing to allow Leon Dinosaur to fall into total destruction.

NOT PART OF THIS COMPLAINT but I would here place on record that copies of my letter of 15^th February 2023 were sent for reference to Iain Stewart – Member of Parliament for the constituency where Leon Dinosaur stands, Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council and to Leon School. NOT ONE OF THESE PARTIES HAS ENGAGED AND REPLIED ! However, I do need to place on record the fact that school half-term fell within the time between my letter and this complaint.

Undertakings by Lakes Estate Regeneration Team in November 2021 have not been followed up:

If such had been honoured the present extended situation of deterioration would not be the case. The following message was sent to me by a concerned member of the public.

Milton Keynes Council is leaving people to wonder just how serious it is regarding the area’s overall regeneration.

Milton Keynes Council is responsible for the demise of the statue over an extended period of time:

Milton Keynes Council became responsible for this iconic statue and its place within the heritage of our city. Neglecting its responsibility has brought about the present sorry situation. In so doing Milton Keynes Council has disrespected residents, Headmaster Bruce Abbott, Community Artist Bill Billings and all Leon School Students who were part of the construction project. I am also within this area of complaint specifically calling to account the elected Milton Keynes Councillors representing the Lakes Estate who have stood by and allowed such a sad situation to come about.

That now concludes my complaint against Milton Keynes Council which I will make sure is duly processed and a happy outcome achieved, in so far as the repair and relocation of the dinosaur is concerned. Aside from the complaint I am prepared, as the project’s original co-ordinator, to return to my attempt on 15^th February 2023 to positively achieve that needed to save Leon Dinosaur. I will work with anyone to bring about such but will not engage with anyone who has a party political agenda.

A public petition, as I explained earlier, is part of the plan to formally organise the support Leon Dinosaur already has with the community.

Copies of this letter are being sent to the media inviting support.

Leon Dinosaur features in my books NOT THE CONCRETE COWS – published 1994 and MILTON KEYNES THE CITY OF LEGEND – published 20^th December 2022. Within this sequel to Not The Concrete Cows I am seeking to raise awareness of our City’s heritage and to rescue some lost legends. Leon Dinosaur is not a lost legend but something actively being destroyed by the negligence of Milton Keynes Council.

Milton Keynes Council has destroyed a number of fundamental areas within Milton Keynes Development Corporation’s Strategic Plan, it must not be allowed to continue the destruction of Leon Dinosaur, the legend behind it and its rightful place within our City’s heritage.

Please reply IN WRITING AND NOT BY E-MAIL within seven days to acknowledge receipt of this complaint. Then please bring about a resolution as a matter of extreme urgency.

Yours faithfully

David J B Ashford

MK Today - Saturday 25th February 2023

Milton Keynes The City Of Bad Drivers:

Sir Herbert Leon served as a justice of the peace working out of Fenny Stratford Magistrates Court. Leon is recorded by North Bucks Times of Tuesday 30^th May 1925 handing out just punishment to a speeding motorist. Frank Bransom, a commercial traveller from London, was charged with driving a motor car through Little Brickhill at 35mph. In his defence, Bransom claimed there were no signs warning against high speeds. Leon would hear no excuse and said that signs or no signs, 30mph was far too fast a pace at which to drive through a village and fined him £5 with ten shillings cost !

Milton Keynes with its farsighted and unique grid road system was built for the car. Today it is possible to get from one side of the city to the other in such a short time. I wonder how many other cities can boast such. Originally there were three hundred and sixty roundabouts in Milton Keynes, I wonder how many there are today. Did you know that Newport Pagnell Services was the vert first service station on the

entire motorway system ?

I do not think that Herbert Leon JP and the planners of the New City of Milton Keynes could ever have imagined the appalling standard of driving we would in the third decade of the twenty-first century see on our city’s roads today. Sadly that is something not in any way unique to Milton Keynes, it is a common and dangerous situation nationwide.

In 2021 there were 1,558 road deaths across the country. Pandemic and lockdown actually reduced this by 11% but just how scary is this number ! Milton Keynes has been a world leader in so many different ways, from Bletchley Park’s computer to Christ The Cornerstone. From our Peace Pagoda to its present ambition to

be a smoke free city. Could we perhaps lead the way and change the way road users behave ?

I am not convinced it is the duty of our police to enforce good driving. I am convinced it is the duty of the government to pass much tougher driving laws but that’s never going to happen with that lot !

If you or I had tomorrow to retake our driving test would we pass ? Having originally passed my test first time around in 1976 I think I would but when I reached the dreaded age of seventy years I had to renew my licence. No check up test, all I had to do was to put a tick in a box saying I was fit to drive !

Cars have changed since 1976, I have owned and driven everything from a Mini to a Jaguar. I hate the present Kia my wife insists we transport ourselves in. I am going to buy a bigger, probably another Jaguar, car which I believe will give me far more comfort and which I will be 101% safe driving. My son drives a Teslar, that is something I most certainly would not be safe driving. I want to be in control of my car not some robot laptop being in charge. Why am I allowed in law to use my 1970’s driver training to endanger the lives of road users in such a way ? My son-on-law drives a hybrid which I quite like but for the technology to operate it has to be connected to a dumbo smart-phone !  No way will I ever lower myself to own such technology. Smart-phone with its all-consuming brain destruction addiction, do I look that stupid !

Phones !  Why is it illegal for a car driver to phone or text but it is perfectly legal for a cyclist to

use one ? In some countries there is an offence called jay-walking. Why is it legal to cross a busy road while ignoring traffic and safety by staring into a phone ?

People complain about cars parked on the pavement, what would be their attitude if cars were allowed to drive on the pavement ? Why is it OK to ride a bicycle on the footpath ? Who was it who invented these ridiculous e-scooters we see motoring their way along pavements intended for pedestrians ? Milton Keynes Development Corporation gave our city a network of redways, why are they under used ? Cyclists get off the pavement and onto the redway. With one exception, of course, being Central Milton Keynes where they are the primary delivery routes for criminal drug dealers !

Newport Pagnell where James Bond buys his cars. James Bond 007 Licenced to Kill. He is not licenced to be a bad driver. What is the top speed of an Aston Martin ?  Does James Bond have any speeding related points on his licence ?

Punishment fines for speeding offences are far too lenient. Forget fining in terms of money, we have moved on since Herbert Leon fined Frank Bransom £5 with ten shillings costs, punish speeding motorists with community service. How about ten hours picking up litter in Scruffy Milton Keynes, that surely would be more effective. A second offence within ten years of the original should be punished with fifty hours of litter picking and a ten year driving ban.

Breaking speed limits sorted ! Well partly.

Drive through Wavendon in Milton Keynes and you will find warning signs and cameras. These are brilliant and need to be rolled out right across our city. Number plate recognition cameras need to be fitted to catch and ensure punishment of offenders.

Driving while using a phone ?  Easy, five years in prison with no parole and a lifetime driving

ban. The same punishment for being found guilty of dangerous driving. For driving without due care and attention the same sentence but make the ban for just ten years suspend imprisonment, however, for life.

Lead by example !  How many members of parliament have points on their driving licence ?  How many members of Milton Keynes Council have points on their driving  licences ? How many within both circuses actually passed a driving test ? How did they manage such when they are not able to read and write ?  Well they never answer letters sent to them !

Such information needs to be in the public domain. Do you agree ? But what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. We need to have an easily accessible list within the public domain of ALL in possession of a driving offence.

Am I being a bit totalitarian ?  I hope not, I want to be big time totalitarian ? In 2021 there were 1,558 road deaths across the country. Did you know that 1.32 billion vehicle miles were travelled on roads in Milton Keynes in 2021. Across the last five years in Milton Keynes 21 pedestrians, 2 cyclists and 9 car occupants who were children were killed or seriously injured. Widen those statistics to people of all ages, for the year 2018 there were 14 pedestrians, 15 cyclists, 17 motor cyclists, 37 car occupants. Do you still think I am being totalitarian ?

I was well into my twenties when I learned to drive. Growing up I knew a lad whose father had been killed in a car accident, I did not want to be the cause of somebody being killed at my hands. However, moving to infant Milton Keynes driving was a basic need and so I learned to drive. I learned to drive, by the way on roads and not as would appear the norm today in

supermarket car parks !

In earlier days I drove extensively, many times all over Europe and America. I remember on an overnight flight home from San Francisco waking up many hours into the flight and thinking the Boeing 747 had not yet flown as far as I had driven in the last two weeks. Driving today is much confined to Milton Keynes and its grid road system, that and occasional holiday breaks in England. I would not want to drive as I did in America and Europe, I am not sure I would be safe these days. The moment I feel the same driving here in England, here in Milton Keynes I will stop driving all together.

How many people, how many children are living their lives today but are pending statistics of road death somewhere in years to come ? NO WAY will I ever allow myself to be part of such an eventuality. How many drivers think the same as me ?  How many have never given such a tragedy a thought ?

Milton Keynes the City of Bad Drivers – England the Nation of Bad Drivers.

The City of Milton Keynes, a world leader in society. Could we lead and change the situation I have here tried to set out ?

MK Today - Wednesday 22nd February 2023

 

Who are the Milton Keynes Worthies ?

In a moment I will tell you who I have placed on MY list and invite you to compile YOUR list but first of all let me give you a little bit of background information. Milton Keynes Worthies is a chapter in my book Milton Keynes TheCity Of Legend and everyone on my list is a legend within the heritage of our City.

If you visit Stowe National Trust near Buckingham you will find the Temple of the British Worthies. Make sure you check it out next time you visit and you will find sixteen people there named.

Sir Thomas Gresham    Ignatius Jones    John Milton    William Shakespeare

John Locke    Sir Isaac Newton    Sir Francis Bacon    King Alfred

Edward Prince of Wales    Queen Elizabeth    King William III    Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Francis Drake    John Hampden    Sir John Barnard    Signiory Fido

As we celebrate our wonderful City of Milton Keynes which sixteen worthies should we include ?

Who would be on your list of Milton Keynes Worthies ?  Here is my thinking. How many of these names do you recognise.

ONE: Prime Minister Harold Wilson

TWO: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

THREE/FOUR: Jonny Dankworth and Cleo Lane

FIVE: Jim Marshall The Lord of Loud

SIX: Jock (Lord) Campbell of Eskan

SEVEN/EIGHT: Sir Herbert and Lady Fanny Leon

NINE: Bill Billings

TEN: Bruce Abbott

ELEVEN: Fred Lloyd Roche

TWELVE: David Taylor

THIRTEEN: Sir Frank Markham

FOURTEEN: Jennie Lee

FIFTEEN: Doctor Peter Jarvis

SIXTEEN: Doreen Adcock

HAROLD WILSON

Harold Wilson was born on Saturday 11^th March 1916 and left us on Wednesday 24^th May 1995. He served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976.

It was in 1967 that Harold Wilson’s government announced an area of land was to be designated in North Buckinghamshire for the building of a new city. He gave us Milton Keynes. Prime Minister Wilson also gave us The Open University co-founding it with Jennie Lee, Harold Wilson’s son became a Professor of Mathematics at The Open University. Without Harold Wilson there would be no Milton Keynes within which to have a single worthy.

HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Our celebrated monarch, the longest serving our proud country has ever seen, was born on Wednesday 21^st April 1926 the daughter of The Duke and Duchess of York. When King Edward VIII abdicated the throne on 11^th December 1936 her father became King George VI and Princes Elizabeth heir to the throne. On the death of her father King George VI on 6^th February 1952 she became Queen Elizabeth II. Her coronation took place on 2^nd June 1953.

Our monarch over the years made several visits to Milton Keynes. It was in May 2022 within her Platinum Jubilee celebration that she conferred a city charter on our home. This has to be the greatest honour to have been bestowed upon Milton Keynes and it will never be surpassed. We have waited across decades for our New City to become a real City. This happening within Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee has enhanced the honour.

Shortly after bestowing this honour on our home making Milton Keynes a real New City Her Majesty passed away on Thursday 8^th September 2022. The whole world mourned her passing but celebrated her life, Milton Keynes celebrated with thanks and gratitude her reign within which Milton Keynes became the city that truly is.

JONNY DANKWORTH AND CLEO LANE

John Dankworth was born on Tuesday 20^th September 1927 and left us on Saturday 6^th February 2010. He was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2006. He was the first British jazz musician to receive this honour.

John (Johnny Dankworth) and Cleo Laine were married in 1958.

Cleo Laine was born on Friday 28^th October 1927.

JIM MARSHALL THE LORD OF LOUD

Jim was born on Sunday 29^th July 1923 and left us on Thursday 5^th April 2012.

He too is celebrated in the Milton Keynes City Of Legend chapter WE BUILT THIS CITY ON ROCK AND ROLL, indeed without Jim Marshall much of the rock and roll we know within the world would not have happened. Jim is celebrated on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I am also celebrating him here as a Milton Keynes Worthy.

JOCK (LORD) CAMPBELL OF ESKAN

John Middleton Campbell Baron Campbell of Eskan was born on Thursday 8^th August 1912 and left us on Monday 26^th December 1994. To his family he was known as Jock, a smiling nick-name which found its way into the New City of Milton Keynes.

He was the chairman of Booker Brothers, McConnell and Co which became Booker-McConnell. He was created a life peer on 14^th January 1966 when he took the title Baron Campbell of Eskan. (Camis Eskan in the County of Durham)

He gave us the Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction and the Man Booker Prize. This is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. Owch Jock, I have never won it myself !

Beyond all of this Jock Lord Campbell of Eskin was the chairman of Milton Keynes Development Corporation. He is celebrated with Campbell Park but needs to be further celebrated as a Milton Keynes Worthy.

SIR HERBERT AND LADY FANNY LEON

The Leon Family came to Bletchley in 1883. Sir Herbert Leon left us in 1926, Lady Fanny Leon departed in 1936. Their time as Mkeneyans was short compared to the areas of legend and heritage I discuss within this book but they gave so much to our community, a heritage upon which society proudly stands today.

BILL BILLINGS

Bill was a larger than life character who I am proud to be able to say I worked with. No, I am not an artist I simply administered one of his projects.

In the early days of Milton Keynes, in the 1970's, lorry driver Brian Billings came from London to work on the building sites of the New City.

It was far, far more than houses Brian, better known as Bill, had a hand in building. In 1980 his work was recognised with an honory degree from The Open University, itself a Milton Keynes icon and landmark. In 2000 he was awarded an MBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II. Sadly, Bill left us on Boxing Day 2007 but his work is a legend and will remain so for decades to come. Milton Keynes would not be Milton Keynes without Bill Billings. Bill Billings is certainly a Milton Keynes worthy.

Bill was not the concrete cows, not the originals anyway. These were three cows and three calves built by artist Liz Leyh in 1978.  It was The BBC's DJ and presenter Noel Edmunds who made the cows famous. He was forever making jokes saying how Milton Keynes was closing farms to build houses and factories so throwing out the real cows but replacing them with concrete cows to match the concrete fields !

Too fragile now to be left in the open those original cows are in a museum, but their replacement are indeed the work of Bill Billings.

Another celebrated landmark is The Peartree Bridge Dinosaur built by Bill way back in 1979.

Who remembers as a child climbing on to the back of Bill's dinosaur ?  Bon Jovi did a photoshoot at the Peartree Dinosaur.

Bill gave us a wonderful heritage display near Wolverton a heritage display which is itself a display of heritage today.

Bill also gave us the Leon Dinosaur which I talk at length about in another chapter. At the risk of repeating myself this is something from Volume One Not The Concrete Cows adapted from one of my feature articles in the early 1990’s in the Milton Keynes Citizen.

JURASSIC CLASSIC:

Steven Speilberg - Jurassic Park ? Forget it. Crowds flocking to cinema screens up and down the country, media hype, marketing bandwagons covering everything from tee shirts to birthday cakes. Anyone would think that Mr Speilberg and Universal Studios invented the species. Well the silver screen mogul is very much mistaken, Milton Keynes has had its own Jurassic Classic for years.

Every British Rail passenger travelling up and down the main line through Bletchley could be forgiven for thinking themselves victims of a time warp. Either that or perhaps they wonder if the eight thirty-two out of Euston has taken a wrong turning and ended up in Hollywood California. For there, snarling at all and towering thirty feet above its surroundings is a life size Tyrannosaurus !

But this specimen is, for the most part, friendly and being constructed out of reinforced concrete not likely to terrorise anyone. Living at the bottom of Leon School's playing field this particular dinosaur was built under the direction of local artist Bill Billings. During the spring and summer of 1991 Bill and a team of Leon students dug out foundations and erected a steel frame support before casting the beast in concrete.

Although Central Television showed an initial interest in the statue it has entered the landmark scene of Milton Keynes and been taken so much for granted it is anything but forgotten. But T Rex is not the only one of Bill Billings Jurassic creations to roam the city. A few miles along Marlborough Street, at Peartree Bridge, is Triceratops again sculptured in concrete and this particular dinosaur came to live in Milton Keynes fifteen years ago.

Standing in the grounds of the Interaction youth project at The Old Rectory, Peartree Bridge, this dinosaur has been featured in a Bon Jovi video and was, for a time, the subject of the most popular selling post card of Milton Keynes. Unfortunately, the trees along the V8 have matured now to the point where the sculpture can no longer be seen from the road. But next time you are in the area turn off towards Waterside and admire this particular landmark.

So Mr Speilberg you may have become a legend in your own time but so, in Milton Keynes, has Bill Billings. Then when your Jurassic Park is consigned to the discount shelves of the video stores then repeated every Boxing Day on our televisions Bill's creations will still be in their youth. And who knows Bill may have another Jurassic Classic in mind to graze on the planes of our city !

Reading that article now I am smiling at somewhat dated wording video stores, what were they ?

From Brian Billings lorry driver to Bill Billings community artist, a true Milton Keynes Worthy.

BRUCE ABBOTT

You will not find this gentleman within a Google search but I would suggest he is a truly worthy, a Milton Keynes Worthy. Emigrating to Milton Keynes from Liverpool Bruce Abbott became headmaster of Leon School on Bletchley’s Lakes Estate. Not only is he a personal choice within my Milton Keynes Worthies but I am naming him as the representative of education across our developing new city.

Bruce’s attitude to education was value added. Providing a child came into school at one level, physically, socially and academically then left at a higher level of achievement with value having been added to life the school had been a success. He was a headmaster ahead of his time and one today many strive to catch up.

Personally during some hard time in my life with my daughter in and our of hospital Bruce and his wife were a source of so much encouragement, love and support. Bruce Abbott is a Milton Keynes Worthy to be recognised and applauded.

FRED LLOYD ROCHE

Milton Keynes did not just happen you know ! There was a lot that happened between Harold

Wilson’s government designating the area in January 1967 and Her Majesty granting us a city charter within her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. We had the strategic plan, we had the Milton Keynes Development Corporation with Jock Lord Campbell of Eskan as its chairman. Fred Lloyd Roche was the General Manager of Milton Keynes Development Corporation.

Fred was born on 11^th March 1931 and left us on 9^th November 1992.

He was Chief Architect of Runcorn Development Corporation from 1965 to 1970 when he moved to become General Manager of Milton Keynes Development Corporation.

Without this gentleman there would be no Milton Keynes within which to have a single Worthy and so his name must rightly appear on the list.

DAVID TAYLOR

You won’t find this gentleman on Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge, but a Google search will  direct you to areas of my writing.

David Taylor was Mayor of Milton Keynes from 1987 to 1988. I knew and worked extensively with Mayor Taylor as I have explained in other areas of this book. He was an inspirational man who have so much to our New City and put in place much heritage upon which The CITY of Milton Keynes so proudly stands today. In naming Mayor David Taylor as one of my Milton Keynes Worthies I am celebrating all his achievements as placing him here as a representative of all Milton Keynes Mayors, those who served before him, those who served after him and those who have yet to serve.

SIR FRANK MARKHAM

If it were not for Sir Frank Markham my writing would be confined to fiction stories and the like

. I would never have had fun exploring and sharing our city’s heritage. To my side as I write now I have Sir Frank Markham’s History of Milton Keynes and District which I am using to write the chapter about Milton Keynes during the English Civil War.

In the 1950 general election Frank Markham stood as the conservative candidate in the Buckingham Constituency but failed to beat the sitting labour member Aiden Crawley. In the 1951 general election he beat Crawley with a slender majority of fifty-four votes. With further narrow majorities he held the seat in 1955 and 1959 elections. He stood down before the 1964 general election.

He was given a Knighthood on 30^th June 1953 by Queen Elizabeth in her Coronation Honours list.

When Frank Markham entered the House of Commons in 1951 Winston Churchill was Prime Minister. When Churchill stood down in April 1955 Sir Frank Markham served under Sir Anthony Eden until 1957 and then under Harold McMillan until 1963 and then Sir Alec Douglas Home until the 1964 general election.

Sir Frank Markham gave us so much beyond being our member of parliament, he is a true Milton Keynes Worthy.

JENNIE LEE

Jennie Lee was Minister for Arts in Harold Wilson’s Government. When he shared his idea for a university on the air she took it forward the co-founded with Prime Minister Harold Wilson the now world famous Open University.

Janet Lee was born on Thursday 3^rd November 1904 and left us on Wednesday 16^th November 1988. In 1934 she married Aneurin Bevan whose work gave us our National Health Service. Bevan died in 1960, seven years before the birth of Milton Keynes.

In the old Bletchley Leisure Centre was the ever popular Jennie Lee Theatre. That memorial to her work is long gone and to many Mkeneyans she is unknown. I believe she deserves recognition, I place her on my list of Milton Keynes Worthies.

 

DOCTOR PETER JARVIS

Doctor Peter Jarvis features in my book NHS – National Happy Smiles. When I came to Milton Keynes as a student teacher Doctor Jarvis was the college doctor as well as a local GP. When I graduated I joined his practice as a patient then as my family came along so did every member. Doctor Jarvis is more than a general practitioner, through his community involvement he has given much to our heritage. Indeed in his book Sir Frank Markham published a picture of Rectory Cottages in Bletchley acknowledging Doctor Jarvis providing it. Rectory Cottages was where our wedding reception was held and the booking was made with the help of Doctor Jarvis. When my daughter Rebekah died Doctor Jarvis wrote a beautiful letter to our family. Meeting him a few weeks later at a community event I thanked him. He set aside my praise saying he was simply doing what was right from someone who cared. Yes Doctor Jarvis you have cared for our community for more than fifty years, cared in so many different ways. Her Majesty The Queen may not have honoured you but Milton Keynes does, you  are a Milton Keynes Worthy.

DOREEN ADCOCK

I am not able to swim !  In the area where I grew up there was no swimming pool. When the Lakes Estate opened its Leon School it had its own swimming pool, something unique for a school in its day. But you need more than a pool to teach someone to swim. Enter Doreen Adcock. Did you grow up on the Lakes Estate ?  Did you grow up in South Milton Keynes ? Can you swim ?  Without Doreen Adcock you probably would not be able to swim. It is estimated within Milton Keynes she taught more than thirteen thousand people how to swim !

When the Olympic Games came to London in 2012 Doreen Adcock was one of those who carried its flame through Milton Keynes.

Doreen’s motto was that no child was too difficult or disabled to teach. It would be difficult to count how many people she taught to swim. I wish she had taught me. I am adding her to my Milton Keynes Worthies as someone who gave much to our community. If only there were more like her.

So there you have my nominations for our sixteen Milton Keynes Worthies. Who would you place on your list ? Please share your thoughts and celebrate those who enabled Milton Keynes to be worth of its city charter.