What's On

As we navigate through the political ‘mood music’ of Brexit, will the integrity of MP’s be restored, and will they once again be a beacon of trust to the British public? This hard hitting subject was the backdrop to the recent MK Business Leaders Partnership (MKBLP) Quarterly Dinner, as Dr Philip Smith MBE, Chair of MKBLP, questioned why the country’s perception of MP’s today is only just above that of a second hand car sales man. Is it the constant stream of televised debates and media coverage, coupled with the constant, and often reckless use, of social media? One only..

Milton Keynes City Orchestra (MKCO) has opened ticket sales for the MK PROMS on September 9th 2018, 3.00pm at MK Theatre. The biggest concert of the year will take place inside our magnificent theatre while The Parks Trust prepare Campbell Park for re-development. Uplifting, traditional and inclusive, the programme remains a classical force with all the favourites. Opening with Fanfare for the Common Man, through the Champagne Galop into the Ride of the Valkyries finishing with the Triumphal March from Aida. That’s just the first half!  Into the second half and the big numbers, Rule, Britannia! Jerusalem, Pomp and Circumstance,..

Willen Hospice is appealing to local ladies to be one the 500 additional walkers they need to help them raise vital funds by taking part in this year’s MK Midnight Moo, the charity’s annual 10 mile sponsored walk.  Sadly, registration numbers and fundraising for the event, taking place on Saturday 14 July, are significantly down this year. Just over 500 women have signed up for the event so far, and organisers have calculated that by doubling this number, with each walker committing to just £100 sponsorship, the event will meet its target to raise £100,000 to support the vital end-of-life-care..

Last week, Lakeview Lodge Care Home in Newton Leys took great pleasure in taking part in Dementia Action Week 2018. The home, on Jersey Drive in Newton Leys, had lots of visitors and took part in lots of wonderful, thought provoking activities and tried their hardest to educate local people on dementia and dispel any myths and misunderstandings common amongst people who haven’t been affected by the condition. Dementia is set to be the 21st century's biggest killer. But awareness and understanding remains low and many families are facing it alone. Diagnosis is a difficult time for someone and it can..

A hog roast held by the Greyhound pub in Haversham has raised more than £1,200 for Willen Hospice.  Landlord David Evans and his team of volunteers began the now annual event in 2016 as a way to raise money after the Hospice cared for his mum, Izzy. Since then, they have raised an impressive £4,000 through the event.   David, aged 47, became poorly himself in January 2017, after suffering two brain aneurysms. The success of this year’s hog roast was made even sweeter by the fact that he could make a return to the bar and serve drinks at the..

This summer, one of the biggest Aqua Parks in the country is opening in Milton Keynes.  Aqua Parcs, the ultimate inflatable water adventure course, is over 120 metres long and will feature a staggering 30+ obstacles, from climbing walls, giant slides and bouncing balls to the super fast figure-of-eight slide.  The colossal course will be harboured on Willen Lake from July and stay throughout the whole summer, offering families, groups of friends, local businesses and adrenalin junkies a new, unique and fun leisure experience.  The all-weather park is the creation of entrepreneurs Kieron Murty and Joe Grix, Kieron said: “Aqua..

Shoppers will literally be jumping for joy this week with the rollout of spacehoppers for shoppers that let kids and grown-up kids hop while they shop at intu Milton Keynes as part of intu’s pledge to make customers smile.  The ‘Happy S-hopping’ initiative is part of the launch of intu’s new family club, which aims to give parents and children time to play together in its centres. It follows research that play makes people happier, but less than half of parents (49 per cent) find the time to regularly play with their kids and 61 per cent say they don’t..

Visitors to Wellingborough can bag a bargain thanks to a new app that signposts savvy shoppers to the latest cut price deals and special offers. The LoyalFree app lets shoppers know about up-to-the-minute discounts from a range of retailers, cafes, pubs and attractions, ensuring town centre visitors never miss out on the chance to save money while supporting local businesses. It has been commissioned by Discover Wellingborough, the town’s Business Improvement District (BID), which is paid for by town centre businesses. The app also features a local ‘what’s on’ guide to make sure nobody misses out on the latest events..

Local charity Age UK Milton Keynes says a huge thank you to ten fantastic runners whose efforts on a scorching Bank Holiday Monday have raised a magnificent £3,671.38.  And for the fifth year running 38 enthusiastic Age UK Milton Keynes volunteers turned out on Monday 7th May to man the three-mile water station, providing a vital service to thousands of runners taking part on the hottest day of the year at the time. An extra loud cheer was raised for Ana Chaplin and her team of “Runner Beans” who fielded six runners. Ana and her brother Alex were running in..

More than 250 children took to their scooters for Willen Hospice’s third annual Mini-Moo Scooterthon on Sunday (20 May). The event saw children aged from 3 to 11 years old take a sponsored lap or two of Willen Lake North. So far, donations have topped almost £12,000, which will support the end-of-life care provided by Willen Hospice. Events Fundraiser, Gemma Cantwell, said: “We had an amazing day at Scooterthon. The sun shone and we were delighted to see so many smiling faces arrive ready for their challenge. Not only did we see some super scooting, we have also seen some..

With the new fashion season in full swing, intu Milton Keynes is excited to announce it has partnered with local stylist, Isabel Kelly to offer a new Personal Shopper service for its customers.  Isabel runs one of the region’s most successful Personal Shopping businesses, called The Wardrobe Edit, and has agreed to offer an exclusive service partnered with Milton Keynes’ premium shopping centre. Created to instil confidence in what people wear, no matter what their body shape or size, Isabel is highly trained and experienced to transform body confidence.    She said: “I have witnessed how great you can feel by..

The Parks Trust, the self-financing charity that organises and enables over 500 events and activities in its parks each year, is busy preparing for Big Doggie Do, which will be held at Willen Lake over the bank holiday weekend, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May 2018. This hugely popular event has been extended to cover two days for 2018, with shows, charity stalls and activities for all dog lovers to enjoy. Best of all, it is free for everyone to attend. Julie Dawes, Events & Community Engagement Manager for The Parks Trust, commented: “After resting the event last year we..

Lakeview Lodge Care Home in Jersey Drive, Newton Leys got into the full Wedding spirit this weekend and opened their doors to the local community for the Royal Wedding! The staff, residents and families hosted an afternoon tea to celebrate the Royal Wedding celebrations. The staff and residents also took part in games & activities, had a BBQ in the garden, and enjoyed some singing, live music and dancing. Maria Moore, Customer Relations Manager for Lakeview Lodge Care Home, said: "All our residents & families had such a wonderful day celebrating the Royal Wedding. We were also delighted to welcome..

The MK Bike Show returns to Milton Keynes this year for a celebration of all things motorcycling. With exhibitors including local bike dealers, training organisations, bike clubs and bike tour organisers, whatever your interest in bikes there’s something for everyone. And best of all, the event, which takes place 10am – 4pm on Sunday 8th July at the MK Dons Stadium, is free to enter with free parking! The event is run by Milton Keynes Advanced Motorists (MKAM) bike section in conjunction with Milton Keynes Council and Bucks Fire Services.  The show aims to represent the interests of the motorcycling..

If Gin’s your thing, you’ll be pleased to hear there is now an award-winning Gin made by a small batch, artisan producer in Stoke Goldington. The Fruity Farmer scooped the ‘Best Local Drink Product 2018’ in the recent MK Food and Leisure Awards for their Seville Orange Gin. The small producer makes a range of 9 seasonal fruit gins and liqueurs, all for sale at local farmers markets, food festivals and events or they can be ordered via their Facebook page and collected or despatched from Stoke Goldington. Each of the liqueurs are made simply by infusing fruits into the..