Postcards to the Future
Children from thirteen schools in Milton Keynes took part in this project which asked them to imagine they could send postcards to the future. They were asked to help 2 children living in Milton Keynes in 2047 with their homework by telling them all about the New City of Milton Keynes in 2007.
All the postcards were exhibited at Gulliver's Eco Park in Milton Keynes as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, and some of the most imaginative have now been gathered together in a book.
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.The postcards include descriptions of the many aspects of Milton Keynes from the concrete cows to the shopping centre; from the indoor snow slope to the many parks. They also capture the hopes and fears of the town's youngest citizens as they see Milton Keynes change and grow. Whilst some of the children have lived in Milton Keynes all their lives, others have only recently arrived from both within the UK and all over the world. However whatever their background these postcards demonstrate that they have all built a deep connection with their home town.
The main conclusion of the project is that cities, no matter how well they are designed are inevitably secondary to the lives and cultures of those who make a place their home.
Acknowledgements
The project was made possible by a grant from the Milton Keynes Heritage Association.
Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre would also like to thank Gulliver's Eco-Park, who provided material support including space for the exhibition of all the postcards completed for the project.
Finally we would, of course, like to thank the staff and pupils of all the schools that took part in the project. The high standard of their contributions made the decision of which cards to include in the final book such a difficult one. They were Broughton Fields Primary School, Emerson Valley School, Langland Community School, New Bradwell School, Orchard School, Oxley Park Primary School, Queen Eleanor Primary School, Southwood School, St Mary & St Giles Church of England Junior School, St Mary's Wavendon Church of England Primary School, Tickford Park Primary School, Water Hall Primary School and White Spire School