The year was 1980 when I realised my life would change… I used to work as an IT consultant and I made up my mind that I was going to leave London and go somewhere cheaper.

I just happened to be going through one of the computer magazines during my break and I noticed a tiny advert about an IT consultant’s job in Milton Keynes. I had never heard of Milton Keynes and had no idea where it was but I just got curious and I rang up and got the job.

Abdul outside the Magistrates Court where he works as an interpreter

The thing that attracted me was that when I drove past the shopping centre I was fascinated with the structure of the building… After the interview I got the job offer and I was told that if you had a job the MK development Corporation would find you accommodation within 6 weeks or so and I found that quite attractive.

I met my partner on a dating website 6 years ago – he is from Milton Keynes, I was from Oxford. And after a few months of dating, I fell in love with both him and MK so I decided to move in with him!

At the time I was commuting back to Oxford every day for work… that’s until I fell pregnant with my little boy Joshi 3 years ago. All of a sudden I was on maternity leave, on my own in Milton Keynes, with all my family and friends down in Oxford.

Anne Marie and her son Joshi

I knew I had to make Milton Keynes friends if I didn’t want to stay lonely. So I started a Facebook group called Mummies Meetings MK, to see if there were any other mums out there in the same position as me – with a small child and no one to see. At first it was just me on my own in this Facebook group, with the hope that someone would want to be friends with me… and there was!

I happened to fly to Luton airport and then I caught a bus to go to Bolton. It passed through MK and I said “that’s wonderful”.

It had nice countryside and everything.

Amouar Kassim

My folks used to live in Bolton and the bus took me through MK. I said how wonderful it is and that it’s a breath of fresh air.

I’ve lived in Milton Keynes for 26 years after moving with my family at 8 years old with my father’s job. We came from London and I honestly felt like we’d moved to Emmerdale! It was very quiet and different from London, but I got used to it very quickly.

I loved that after school my friends and I could go out to play, in the greenery, and build dens out of trees or whatever. Roll on 20 years and I now have children of my own who love it here. It was while I was pregnant I founded Mumpreneurs- the very first organisation to support mums in business in Milton Keynes.

Bianca showing off some of her favourite 6 inch heels!

It’s a not for profit networking agency that puts on events once a week, to unite, connect, motivate and empower women starting up in business – and they also happen to be mums. We bring these ladies together, to spend time talking and learning from each other. To help each other. So that’s my day job.

The museum is of great importance to me – and to Milton Keynes – as it tells the story of the area. And it all started after the announcement of MK.

People in the area at the time became very worried about this new town coming. You could imagine the situation; families who had been here for generations found their way of life was not going to continue. They were scared they were going to be swept away.

Bill Griffiths is the Museum Director at Milton Keynes Museum

So they started collecting everything that became available. So as farms finished, they pulled together the machinery. As little industries closed they would gather the engines they’d driven, or whatever. They kept whatever they could. But then they had nowhere to put it, until eventually Stacey Hill Farm became available in Wolverton… and the museum was born. I am so passionate about this place.