MK Today - Wednesday 8th March 2023

Within my book MILTON KEYNES THE CITY OF LEGEND there is a chapter What’s In A Name where I look at the heritage behind various places within our new city. Coffee Hall estate is named after Coffee Hall Farm. Shenley Lodge was once known as Energy Park with all of its roads named after scientists who worked in the field of such engineering. Faraday Drive for instance. How many pupils, teachers even, attending Caroline Haslett School know who Caroline Haslett was ?

One road I do not talk about is Foxhunter Drive in Linford. Foxhunting was made illegal in 2004. I am a passionate animal lover and have recently adopted a beautiful little dog Barnaby from the RSPCA. He was the subject of a case brought against his original owners for cruelty beyond imagination. He is such a loving dog, my wife and I love him to bits and he loves us to bits. This cruelty did not happen in Milton Keynes but would it be acceptable to name his former home Dog Cruelty Drive ?

Slightly aside, it has just been announced that the oil to be used to anoint King Charles during his coronation will not include any animal ingredients. It will be vegan ! No animal cruelty for His Majesty.

Fox hunting was one of the most evil and cruel so called sports, is it acceptable then to have a road named after such terror ? Would you want to live in Foxhunter Drive ?  How about Pig Sty Road or perhaps Lamb Slaughter Avenue ? Desirable residences or not !

Foxhunter Drive, is it acceptable within our city to name a road after a former illegal activity ?  One of the most celebrated sons of our area is John Newton, a former slave captain who

turned his life from evil to beauty and gave us Amazing Grace. Drive into Olney where he was curate of Saint Peter and Saint Church you will find signs saying Welcome to Olney Home of Amazing Grace. You will not find a road anywhere within the parish called Slave Trader Way !

Why is it our two members of parliament think it acceptable to have their offices located on Foxhunter Drive ?  Pardon the pun but is this not politically unacceptable ?

Yes, I am a passionate animal lover. I always have been but now aged seventy-two years

going on seventy-three I have only been a vegetarian for five years. Let me tell you how it happened, how I turned away from munching on a McDonald’s dead cow burger or adorning a slice of murdered pig with a slice of pineapple. I was sitting looking at my beautiful dog Jake and said to myself could I eat him roasted and served with potatoes, peas and Yorkshire pudding. Jake was a dog of love, he filled our home with an abundance of love. When he passed away I was devastated. I was then contacted by the RSPCA and asked if I would adopt Barnaby.

Barnaby is two years old. For his first year of life he was forced into badger baiting. For the second year of his life he was cared for by the RSPCA while a case was prepared against the evil people who had subjected him to horrific cruelty. This is an imprisonable offence. Sadly while foxhunting is illegal it is currently only punishable with a fine.

Prison or fine, foxhunting is illegal. Is it acceptable for a road in the City of Milton Keynes to be named after an illegal activity ?  Is it acceptable for our members of parliament to base their offices within such celebration of illegal activity ?

Rule Britannia, Britannia, rule the waves - Britons never, never, shall be slaves

Britons never shall be slaves but when those words were written it was perfectly acceptable for a Briton to own a slave or two ! We have seen in places like Bristol statues associated with the slave trade torn down and thrown away. Metaphorically perhaps Milton Keynes should tear down Foxhunter Drive ! Perhaps our members of parliament should be those who initiate such action and begin so doing by relocating their offices to somewhere other than a celebration of former criminal activity.