Page 26 - Phonebox Magazine February 2014

Woburn Abbey
Gardens
Woburn Abbey and Gardens is looking ahead to a busy year following the announcement of their 2014 programme of events and exhibitions. From a World
War I exhibition to a triathlon in the Deer Park, a Garden Show to a trail of Chinese Wallpapers in the Abbey, there’s something for everyone on offer.
Woburn Abbey is opening two new exhibitions on the 11th April. The first, ‘Valiant Hearts: World War I - Woburn and its Stories’ commemorates the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. The exhibition will tell the stories of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Bedford, Woburn Abbey itself, and people from the local area during the war. Visitors will be able to see original records and letters, and find out what it was like to train at the local garrison or be treated in the Woburn Military Hospital.
The second exhibition, ‘Peeling Back The Years: Chinese Wallpaper at Woburn Abbey’ will examine the decorative history of the building and give you a chance to discover the story of the 4th Duke’s bedroom through its layers of wallpaper. As visitors explore the Abbey they see documents showing how these wallpapers were made, sold and hung.
Having won the Georgian Group Award for Restoration of a Georgian Garden or Landscape this year, the gardeners are continuing their plans to restore more historic features in the Gardens. The Woburn Abbey Garden Show is back for its 5th year, with a wide variety of stalls, demonstrations and talks from horticultural experts on offer. There’s also a chance to take part in a free Gardens tour every month as part of their series of ‘Come and Grow’ events.
For the more adventurous, the Cycletta or Tri For Life events offer a reason to get in shape whilst raising money for charities like Macmillan, Great Ormond Street and Rays of Sunshine. The Woburn Country Fair takes place in June with a weekend of fun filled country pursuits taking place in the appropriate surroundings of the Woburn Abbey Deer Park.
Woburn Abbey is also putting on two open air productions from the Pantaloons Theatre Company in July, with performances of ‘History of Britain’ and the Shakespearian classic, ‘The Tempest’.
The events calendar also includes historical re- enactments, car rallies, and gardening study days. Visit www.woburnabbey.co.uk or call 01525 290333.
Out and About
I
was particularly proud to welcome not just one but two Government Ministers to Milton Keynes last month.
Amongst a barrage of press and media attention, Baroness Susan Kramer, the Minister of State for Transport, officially launched an all-electric bus route in Milton Keynes and Nick Boles, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Planning, came to
discuss the neighbourhood plans for Wolverton town centre.
The spotlight is clearly upon us and this is another prime example of Milton Keynes being recognised as a pioneering and forward thinking city. The strong partnerships created between councils, local and international business and residents have been clearly applauded by the Ministerial visits.
Are you a musician? Would you like the opportunity to perform to musical legends in the House of Commons? Then I have just the contest for you! My aim is to encourage all local musicians to enter parliament’s Rock the House competition. All genres of music are welcome from folk to rock and we are determined to showcase the talent that we have here in Milton Keynes.
Now in its fourth year, Rock the House asks that local musicians send their original material on to their MP. With support from established local leaders in the industry, we will ultimately nominate one entrant to go forward to the next stage of the competition.
A panel of industry executives will preside over choosing the finalists, who then go on to perform in parliament and win an array of prizes, including equipment, festival slots, high profile exposure, recording sessions, plus radio and TV airplay.
With endorsements from high profile music legends such as Brian May, Rick Wakeman and Alice Cooper, plus the incredible prizes on offer to the winners, I’m excited to see what Milton Keynes has to offer. Register by 31st March and co-ordinating the entries for Milton Keynes will be local musician Martin Wakley, Director of Milton Keynes Music and owner of Buskers in Wolverton.
During my visit to the Olney Dementia project, I was fortunate enough to spend time with the group and in doing so, learnt that the Friends of Cobbs Garden Surgery are working hard to establish a ‘Dementia Friendly Community’ in Olney. This has been achieved by working closely with local people living with dementia and with the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK and Carers Milton Keynes.
I am particularly pleased to see what’s been accomplished so far. The project is clearly responding to David Cameron’s announcement of his Dementia Challenge, asking all communities to become dementia friendly by March 2015.
Older people, including those with dementia, are often more frequent customers of high street shops and most wish to continue to remain
26 Phonebox Magazine