Things to Do

By the halfterm holiday, the weather will be warm enough for the Green Dragon babies to leave the Animal Barn, where they were born, and venture outside. Visitors will love seeing the lambs and goat kids playing in the paddocks while their mothers graze on the lush Spring grass. As usual there’ll be a full programme of animal encounters, from the cute and cuddly to the cold-blooded. And for those visitors who want something special, there are exclusive, hands-on experiences led by one of our trained livestock team where visitors can get close to animals. These popular 30 minute sessions can be tailor-made to suit visitors of all ages and need to be booked in advance. Spring Bank Holiday -  28th May - Working with Wool Day A family day of demonstrations and exhibitions at sheep-shearing time! As the weather gets warmer during May, our rare breed sheep no longer..

Shoppers were given the chance to climb aboard a full-size dragon boat and beat the drum at intu Shopping Centre in Milton Keynes on Saturday. The display was to promote the 17th Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival and visitors to the Centre were able to sit in the boat, try the paddles for size and enjoy a taste of this year’s Festival dished up by organisers Gable Events and new charity partner MacIntyre. The 2018 Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival takes place at Willen Lake on Saturday 23rd June and over 50 teams are expected to battle it out on the 200-metre course, cheered on by their supporters with lots of bankside activities to enjoy between races. The dragon boats, qualified helms and all racing equipment will be provided, no previous experience is required, and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races. Crews will be invited to raise..

A family day of demonstrations and exhibitions at sheep-shearing time. As the weather gets warmer during May, our rare breed sheep no longer need their fleecy coats and it’s time for shearing.  This includes shearing the six rare breed rams – among them, Jupiter the Jacob and Boris the Badger-faced! The different breeds mean the fleeces vary considerably and have different uses. We are delighted to be joined by the Sheep Show who will be doing the shearing and the International Feltmakers Association, the Chiltern Spinners, Dyers & Weavers, and local Knitters Anonymous who will be demonstrating the magical process of turning wool fibre into woollen cloth, yarn and garments using some of the wool from the breeds of sheep that you see at Green Dragon. Herdwick fleece can add such character to a heat resistant table mat! Visitors will have the opportunity to ‘have a go’ at some of..

Experience the ‘Spring Babies’ Event at Green Dragon Eco Farm during the Easter Holidays  The Green Dragon ‘Spring Babies’ event is a family friendly event and will host a variety of themed, educational and fun experiences and activities.  During the school holidays, there will be a full programme of animal encounters with lots of new babies to get close to, such as Oxford Sandy & Black piglets, goat kids, ducklings and chicks!  And the rare breed ewes are getting ready for our lambing season here at Green Dragon, so there’ll be plenty of new born lambs to bottle feed by the Easter holidays. They’ll come in all shapes and sizes as there are seven different rare breeds of sheep on the farm! The Spring Babies encounters will take place in the Animal Barn. During the holiday, Green Dragon will be running ‘Spring Babies’ themed arts and craft activities and competitions...

To celebrate the opening of their brand-new salon at Brooklands Farm, Broughton, premier group Seckingtons is held the ultimate launch party at their brand new luxury five-star salon in Milton Keynes. Opening their doors for business at the end of 2017, Seckingtons Milton Keynes offers guests a haven in the countryside to unwind and relax. The launch of salon number two will took place on Monday 9th April 2018 between the hours of 5pm and 8pm and everyone was invited. To create the biggest launch party possible for the people of Milton Keynes, the team have joined forces with luxury beauty salon and neighbours at Brooklands Farm, Derma Spa. The deluxe beauty salon team joined team Seckingtons to offer complimentary consultations, beauty tips and answer any questions that guests may have about all things beauty. They also took the opportunity to demonstrate new body treatment, coolsculpting®, the innovative answer to..

The Parks Trust, the self-financing charity that manages and maintains over 6,000 acres of green space across Milton Keynes, is launching two new regular walks from this month. Discovery Strolls will be held on the third Tuesday of every month, starting from Tuesday 17th April at Great Linford Manor Park at 2pm. Taking place at different locations across the city including Caldecotte Lake and Wolverton Mill, these will be short walks with plenty of stops and toilet facilities available on site. The Discovery Strolls will be suitable for people of all ages and abilities. They will be dementia, autism and ADHD friendly, with everyone welcome. These walks are free to join and booking is not required. In addition, The Parks Trust is launching Woof Walks. These will be monthly walks for dog owners and their canine companions held on a Saturday, with the first walk taking place on Saturday 14th..

Lakeview Lodge Care Home on Jersey Drive, Newton Leys is delighted to announce that they are taking part in the initiative, National Care Home Open Day on Saturday 21st of April and will be opening their doors to the local community from 10am – 4pm. The idea behind the day is to encourage local people to visit care homes in their community and to work together to develop better relationships. This important connection is something that Lakeview Lodge Care Home has nurtured since opening in August 2017, when the ribbon was cut by the Mayor of Milton Keynes. Since its inception, Lakeview Lodge has fast become known locally as somewhat of a community hub, hosting fairs, informational events, seminars and open days as an olive branch to the local people of Newton Leys & Milton Keynes. As part of Care Home Open Day 2018, Lakeview Lodge Care Home is hosting..

Landsec’s leisure destination Xscape Milton Keynes has announced that they are due to open two new stores later this month, adding to their great mix of leisure, dining and retail offers.  First up will be ‘Cocina’, which will provide a completely new style of Mexican dining experience for Milton Keynes offering a modern take on classic Mexican favourites such as tacos and nachos. Cocina is the big sister of the established quick-service chain El Mexicana, but rather than grabbing a burrito on the run, at Cocina you can relax in their impressive surroundings, enjoy cocktails with friends and savour the taste of a true Mexican feast.  Guests are actively encouraged to mix up their dishes and customize them with extra sauce or spice just as they want it - and the new store is promising great value for visitors, by enjoying a meal for two with drinks coming in at..

Children will get to doodle on a giant slime colouring wall, capture and share photos in a slime photo booth and even customise their own slime at intu Milton Keynes this month, when the shopping centre launches a ‘SLIME TIME’ event in partnership with kids brand (and SLIME experts!) Nickelodeon. The free event on Monday 26 March will also see children who have already registered online be slimed within a specially created “SLIMEULATOR” that is touring 13 of intu’s UK shopping destinations. Parents could also win a VIP family ticket to Nickelodeon’s SLIMEFEST 2018, which takes place in Blackpool later this year, by visiting intu.co.uk/easter. Kirsty McGiff at intu Milton Keynes, said: “We know that many of our younger customers love SLIME and we want to make them smile this Easter with this fun, free, and messy experience that will even involve exclusive sliming for some lucky children. “Anyone with..

Milton Keynes Theatre has announced that television, recording, musical theatre and pantomime star Shane Richie will lead the cast in this year’s spectacular family pantomime, Robin Hood from Saturday 8 December 2018. Swapping the Queen Vic for the Sherwood Forest, Shane will star as the heroic outlaw Robin Hood. Having established himself as one of the nation’s favourite soap stars, Shane has won numerous awards and millions of fans for his portrayal of Albert Square’s loveable landlord Alfie Moon in EastEnders. Most recently Shane released his critically-acclaimed album A Country Soul, an album inspired by his musical heroes and contemporary country sounds. Shane’s numerous television credits also include Oliver Twist, Skins, New Tricks, Minder and What We Did on Our Holidays. In addition to acting, Shane has also hosted a number of high-profile game shows including the primetime lottery quiz Win Your Wish List and Decimate. Most recently Shane starred..

So here is the background, I am Anthony Young a Milton Keynes based photographer and Arts Gateway residence I have recently created a photographic project on African Caribbean Elders living in Milton Keynes.   I am delighted to have been invited to present the exhibition "On The Shoulders Of Giants" to The Old Bath House. From the 1st to 31st March 2018, giving visitors to the Old Bath House the opportunity to meet the artist and find out what inspired this body of work.   It’s a body of work capturing the stories of elder members of the MK community. Namely African and Caribbean background. With much of current world events being echoes of the past, there is a lot we can learn from those that participated in the project. It is an Opportunity for sharing with future generations and new arrivals, on how to best welcome new people into our communities and build a..

The Parks Trust, the self-financing charity that looks after over 6,000 acres of green space across Milton Keynes wants all keen amateur photographers to enter its 2018 Photography Competition. The competition is open to people of all ages, with youth and adult sections for each of the three categories; Wildlife, Landscape and Parklife. The Parks Trust’s 2018 competition aims to highlight the beautiful and diverse landscapes, features and people of Milton Keynes. Images must be taken in the green space that is managed and maintained by The Parks Trust. The competition begins on Thursday 1st March 2018 and closes on Thursday 6th September 2018. The winners will be announced on Thursday 20th September 2018. David Foster, Chief Executive of The Parks Trust, commented: “We are very pleased to launch our 2018 photography competition. We always love to see the pictures people take while they are enjoying our parkland and have..

Application to the first intu Milton Keynes Artisan Market of the year has closed, and now the list of confirmed independent businesses exhibiting on Saturday 3 March can be revealed. 24 retailers will showcase a range of independent handmade products for shoppers at intu Milton Keynes, just in time for Mother’s Day The traders exhibiting at the first of four markets this year, include Tabitha Mary, a digital print designer who is inspired by the railway posters of the 1930’s, Baby Dee & Me  who specialise in slogan tees and monochrome baby clothes inspired by music, The Room Alive  which as the name suggests, creates beautiful cushions, wallpaper and prints for the whole family to bring your home alive. Plus, making a comeback from a very popular 2017, White Rabbit Apparel will be trading at the market and will have their up-cycled must have fashion on offer, as well as..

The hunt will be on at Milton Keynes Museum this Easter, as youngsters search for hidden eggs which lead the way to yummy chocolate rewards! The annual search is an egg-cellent way to celebrate the festive period – and the museum's Easter Egg Hunt ensures everyone wins something. And while you search, you get a wonderful tour of the history hub too. It's good traditional family fun suitable for little chicks and older bunnies alike! But the Easter weekend is also choc-full of non-chocolate goods, with plenty of hands-on interaction getting you closer to our past. You'll be able to see how people used to pick up their groceries with a walk along the street of shops, go back to school, and learn how families used to amuse themselves pre-television, with parlour games which you can play yourselves. Pay a visit to the transport hall and be dazzled by everything..

Thanks to funding from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative, The Parks Trust has been able to create a dedicated BBQ site in Campbell Park. The Parks Trust, which looks after over 6,000 acres of parks, lakes and landscapes across Milton Keynes, regularly receives requests for BBQs to be held on its land and needs to have dedicated sites because of the damage that can be caused by them. If placed directly on to the ground, disposable BBQs can leave scorch marks, with each mark costing self-financing charity The Parks Trust around £50 to repair. The new BBQ site at Campbell Park canalside features special flat-topped stones, on which disposable BBQs can be placed, ensuring a pleasant, safe and damage-free experience. Picnic tables are also due to be installed shortly. Julie Dawes, The Parks Trust’s Events & Community Engagement Manager, commented: “We know there’s nothing quite like eating outdoors on..