Arts & Exhibitions

It’s never normally good to admit that you look down on others, but Chris Read is the exception. His pastime has helped him in a personal capacity and is giving pleasure to city residents who are seeing things quite differently, too. It’s fair to say that things are well and truly on the up, as he told Pulse’s Sammy Jones. There was a time not so long ago when a mention of the word drone would conjure up images of male honey bees, and it was our under threat pollinators who influenced the naming of the UAVs (unmanned aircraft systems) that we are all now very familiar with. Once associated with military use, over the past decade or so they have become useful tools, assisting with everything from surveillance and traffic monitoring to firefighting. They are even employed to make deliveries! Earlier this year, we looked up to find one..

T&K Home Improvements are leading the way with their approach to offer customers environmentally sourced and produced products. A forward-thinking approach to increasing sustainability is at the heart of an ongoing mission at T&K Home Improvements to be a leading competitor in their industry. This approach to business means while products and services are still affordable, it is not at the expense of the environment. The business, which celebrates its 44th anniversary in 2023, works hard to find innovative solutions and build partnerships with other companies who share similar ethics to ensure sustainability for their products and customers for many years to come. A lot of hard work and determination means the business can now boast CHAS, SMAS & Constructionline Gold Accreditations. In addition, the highly coveted Environmental Management System Standards, ISO 14001 has been awarded year after year. These standards reflect the importance the business puts on health and..

As we welcome in yet another new year, we pack away our decorations and recently made memories from the festive period. The first months of the year can often feel longer than the others, dragging on with bleak weather and the continuation of short days without the relief of festive cheer; it can feel an age until we notice the lighter evenings, first buds of spring, lambs in the field and the temperatures beginning to rise towards summertime again. The almost primordial temptation to hunker down and hibernate through these months can be overwhelming, juxtaposed with the desire to see this new year as a boundless opportunity for change, growth and reinvention, of ourselves as well as our surroundings. Just as the curves of our bodies after an indulgent festive period should be celebrated, so should curves within the home! No longer should our interiors feel austere, straight and sparse,..

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is coming to Milton Keynes Theatre this January. Think of it as a new year pick-me-up about taking risks, finding love and making the most of second chances, no matter where you are in life. Hayley Mills is among the stellar cast doing justice to the stage adaptation of the Sunday Times Bestseller, turned smash hit film. She spoke with Pulse Magazine’s Sammy Jones. “It’s a lovely, lovely show,” Hayley says with conviction, “It’s very positive, the people are real. It’s life affirming, and that’s why I really wanted to do it. “I felt we need to be reminded about human beings and our resilience... and how you never really, until the day you die, stop discovering things about life and about yourself, and I mean good and positive things. “However old you are, as I say in the show, whether you are 18 or..

It’s certainly hard to believe, but the year will soon be coming to an end – yes, really! It seems to me like just yesterday we were saying hello to the summer sun but we’re now saying hello to 2023. Yes, there are the obvious ways to bring in the New Year – heading out to party until the early hours may be the choice for some but, if you’re anything like me, all of the celebrations surrounding Christmastime mean that NY seems like the perfect time for something a little different! Here are some unique ideas you could use to ring in the start of the next 12 months around the sun. Murder Mystery Night Whether you want to party Gatsby-style or throw a James Bond themed soirée, a classic ‘whodunnit’ murder mystery is a great alternative way to bring in the New Year with friends or family. I..

Countdown the magic of Christmas the stylish way and join Midsummer Place for a festive extravaganza this year, all starting with the MyMiltonKeynes Christmas Light Switch On on Saturday 12 November. MyMiltonKeynes has announced they will be making this year a celebration to remember, as Milton Keyne’s first as a city! The afternoon-to-evening will include guest DJs, local dance groups, explosive fireworks and the Big Man himself, Father Christmas! The completely free event to attend is location outside near Hollister and is one the biggest family celebrations of the year. Entertainment on the main stage starts from 4pm however we invite the public to join us for an exclusive performance from the Rebecca Marie Academy of Dance, where their students will put on a magical display of contemporary, street and ballet dances. This will begin at 3.30pm at Oak Court in Midsummer Place. The Midsummer Place Christmas Tree Festival will..

Cascading poppies are being projected from the roof of Milton Keynes Theatre to commemorate Remembrance weekend, honouring the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, during times of war and conflict. MyMiltonKeynes, who have organised the unique spectacle, are encouraging people to ‘look up’ and enjoy the projection while remembering the sacrifices made by so many. The projected poppies will float down from the roof of the theatre and create a curtain before diffusing around the image of a soldier and a message of reflection. Fittingly, Milton Keynes Theatre overlooks the MK Rose memorial in Campbell Park which will once again be the focal point for the city’s Armistice Day parade and wreath-laying ceremony on Remembrance Sunday. Melanie Beck MBE, CEO of MyMiltonKeynes, comments: “For many years we have wanted to create a projection of poppies which would visually appeal to everyone across our communities and provide an outlet..

Celebrating the first festive season as an official city, Milton Keynes Christmas lights are set to be switched on in spectacular fashion by MyMiltonKeynes on Saturday 12th November. The stage will be set outside Midsummer Place Shopping Centre from 3pm for an afternoon of free festive fun, before the sky above is illuminated with fireworks, lasers and snow, along with the official Christmas light switch on. MKFM’s DJ Hurley will kick-start the event with music, and from 4pm the crowds will be entertained with a fun-packed schedule of activities, including family competitions, and a parade of the city’s well-loved mascots. Local dance groups EM Dance Coaching, Romeo Dance Academy and Dancebox Studios are set to wow the crowds with their live performances, while the voices of local school choir singers will ring through the air. All of this will take place before the biggest star of the evening takes to..

Ready to kick your November off with a BOOM? With less than a month to go until Bonfire Night, it’s time to start making some plans. Get prepared to don those warm winter hats and scarves – here is your handy guide to ten of the best Bucks fireworks bonanzas being held in and around Milton Keynes this year. __ Blackpit Brewery’s Bonfire Night Fired by the same team that man London’s NYE fireworks extravaganza, Blackpit’s Bonfire and Fireworks event is sure to be a great one. Taking place on Saturday 5th November from 3pm, Blackpit Brewery is out to impress this year. Set in their vast green space surrounded by a stunning lake and ancient woodland, this open-air event will be home to a hand-crafted bonfire sculpture, mind-blowing performances, some of the finest street food in Buckinghamshire and plenty more for the whole family to enjoy. Find out more..

MK Gallery is hosting an open evening on Tuesday 25 October, between 5-7pm, and invites people from local communities to come and see what volunteering opportunities are available at the Gallery. Anyone who is interested in feeling valued, involving themselves in the Gallery, in front and behind the scenes, is welcome to pop in. Potential newcomers will be able to join an afterhours, volunteer-led tour of the galleries and building while learning about the role of a gallery assistant. They can visit the Sky Room, which houses the Gallery’s in-house cinema, so that those who are interested in film can see how volunteers facilitate the screenings – and get to watch them. The open evening will be held in the Gallery café. It’s a friendly place where existing volunteers often enjoy a catch-up with each other before or after their sessions. Potential new recruits can meet and chat with current..

Shoppers in Midsummer Place were entertained by a group of 20 dancers from the Myra Tiffin Performing Arts School (MTPAS) last month. They impressed the crowds with a ‘Moo Dance’, specially choreographed to promote the charity's Summer of Moo fundraising activities: The Midday Moo (25th June), Midnight Moo (15th July) and Mini Moo (7th August) The dancers from the Stony Stratford based school were joined by Willen Hospice's much-loved mascot, Flo the Cow, for the fun performance which even inspired a few shoppers to join in and 'Show their Mooves' this summer in support of the local charity. The flash mob was choreographed by MTPAS teacher, Rosina Andrews:  "Willen Hospice are an incredible charity who do such amazing work.  They cared for my Dad a few years ago and the entire team of doctors and nurses worked so hard to make such a difficult time the best it can be. ..

You’ll can’t fail to have noticed that our monarch is celebrating a very special milestone this year, and the nation will join Her Majesty the Queen in marking her Platinum Jubilee between June 2 & 5. Here is a peek at some of the events happening across Milton Keynes to celebrate. Thursday, June 2 Things will be taking a fiery turn at Milton Keynes Museum with the lighting of its beacon.  Gates open at 7pm, and the beacon will be lit at 9.15pm. Entry is free. > In CMK, The Parks Trust will host a Beacon Lighting Ceremony at 9.45pm – choosing to illuminate the Light Pyramid. Milton Keynes Brass will be live at the MK Rose from 9pm and Vice Lord-Lieutenant Alexander Boswell will give a speech. > Beacons will also be lit at Hanslope Recreation Ground, at Hindhead Knoll in Walnut Tree and at the Wavendon Recreational Ground...

Creative activities celebrating Milton Keynes and The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee The Stables is inviting people to be part of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant through Celebrate Milton Keynes, a series of creative activities inspired by Milton Keynes. The Pageant will take place on Sunday 5 June to honour Her Majesty The Queen as the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee with 70 years of service. Artistic performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers will unite to tell the story of The Queen’s 70-year reign in an awe-inspiring festival of creativity. The London-based Pageant will combine pomp and ceremony, street arts, theatre, music, circus, costumes and cutting-edge visual technology, drawing on talent from every part of the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth. The Stables is one of the creative organisations that has been invited to interpret a chapter from The Queen’s reign and our transforming society,..

There’s always a good sprinkling of events and activities going on in the run up to Christmas, so much so by the time Christmas Day arrives many of us can feel a little worn out. With that in mind, the elves at MK Gallery have made plans for visitors so they can relax and enjoy that special time before the 25th of December. The Gallery will be ringing in Christmas cheer on Friday 26 November when visitors can glide into the festive spirit at the first MK Gallery Late when the exhibition, shop and bar will remain open after hours and Lonely Numbers will be DJ-ing until 9pm. More cheer will be available on Museum Shop Sunday, when MK Gallery will play its part on 28 November in the national initiative which aims to show the important role that gallery and museum shops play in helping arts, cultural and heritage attractions to survive and thrive. Christmas shoppers..

In 2020, artist Kate Jackson was commissioned to make two large scale paintings of The Food Centre in Milton Keynes. An innovative structure at the time of its build in the 1980’s, the Food Centre was designed to house all of the City's food retail stores under one roof. The paintings of this iconic building celebrate the role the building played in the community and will be available to view on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th October 2021 at centre:mk in a unit in Silbury Arcade, next to Central Barbers. Kate commented about her work “The paintings commemorate and celebrate The Food Centre; its grand scale, its role in building a community, its innovation and its importance in reflecting a moment in time in Milton Keynes Development. "My work is about the transience of architecture and the evolving urban landscape, traces of the recent past and memory of place. The..