I was born with Cerebral Palsy. It’s a struggle and early on it was difficult understanding the world, because I was so blocked out from everything and why I was different. I walked and talked differently to everyone else and I was confused because no one told me about my disability when I was younger.

I remember being told you’re not going to achieve things that other people will and that I had things setting me back. I tried to talk to my mum but she never wanted to talk about it, she didn’t want to deal with me, I reminded her of things that upset her and having me around her every day made her feel terrible.

Nathan Edwards enjoying the area of Milton Keynes around his home.

That negative energy just helped me turn it into something positive and I found things that made me happy. I make music and I have just put out a motivational book called ‘Take Me Seriously’; it’s a biography about growing up with the social, emotional and physical challenges of Cerebral Palsy and partial sight.

We moved to Newport Pagnell from Scotland almost 35 years ago. It’s a lovely little place.

When I walk up the town I always know someone – it takes me ages to get down the street sometimes for chatting!

Paula Diamond – the founder of Diamond School of Performing Arts

I started Diamond about 26 years ago. We began as a drama school before bringing in the singing and dancing. I’ve seen countless numbers of children from the area come through my doors. And not just children that want to go on and perform as a profession. Many go into all walks of life! Because we instil the message of confidence building. That’s not to say that people haven’t gone on and become professional – one of my kids is now in Game of Thrones.

Back in the mid-70s my parents decided to move to the very new Milton Keynes. In those days you could just choose your house – it was a city in need of a population.

I loved it immediately. We lived on Netherfield and It was a great place to have a childhood. At that time I thought MK was full of Geordies and Scots because all these new people kept coming from everywhere to live in this new town.

It was fun! And it was still being built as I grew up.

Paul Day reminiscing at Milton Keynes hospital.

You’d go to a place you’d not been for a while and a new street had popped up, or a new shopping precinct. So much change occurred over those 20 years. Milton Keynes Hospital means a great deal to me. It was where my daughter was born – on my 21st birthday. I remember cuddling her in her first hour of life then leaving to go home just so excited.

MK is a fantastic place and when people say ‘where do you live? They frown and say ‘you want to go there?’ I say ‘No, actually you don’t want to come here… let’s keep it a secret! It’s such a great place and we don’t want you people moving here…’

I cycle everywhere in Milton Keynes – why do you need to drive when we have all the amazing Redways

Phil in The Wolverton Works Reading Room

I’ve lived for 30 years in the area and I won’t be moving out. Wolverton was the first railway town in the world. When people tell you Swindon was before it, or Doncaster or Crewe, they’re wrong! In November 1997 I was the marketing manager for railtrack and was called in to either privatise the Royal Train by hiring it out to make money or lay it up.

I’d been living in a little village at the side of Milton Keynes and was aware that this new city was being built.

In the 1970s there was a lot of unemployment and the winter of discontent.

Rob revisiting some of the trees he helped plant in his teenage years.

As a teenager I always saw MK as a place of opportunity for me. At the age of 16 I got a job as a landscape trainee with the then development corporation. I really felt part of developing and building a city in a positive way. It was quite cold at times planting the trees. They were on big bare slopes and we used to call it the windy city as the wind blew across and there weren’t many hills to hide us. But we knew we were adding value to the city and the trees have given it character, cover and depth.

I was born to Ghanian parents in London but brought up in Milton Keynes, or Grid City as I call it!!

I went to Walton High School in Walnut Tree which is where I also had my first live performance and where my love for music really came to the fore.

Rocky performing live for BBC Introducing

I used to perform at Snozone open mic night every Sunday when I was 16 and I made sure I went every week. I quickly learnt what was lame and which songs worked. The shows helped me grow and people supported me. I’d say my standout achievement came last year after being voted by BBC Introducing panellists to perform at Glastonbury. There is no place like MK, it’s clean, safe and still growing with anticipation about which way it can go. It’s a great hub for creativity.