Milton Keynes Museum is set to welcome the return of its 1940s weekend over 6th & 7th September, promising a wide variety of activities to show the history of the time period.
Visitors will be able to step right into history, with all of the sights, sounds and events from the decade.
Home front reenactors will help younger visitors get hands on with some of the games from the era (not an iPad in sight), and over in the stables, visitors can watch vintage 1940s films and Pathe newsreels.
Storyteller Neil Storey will be in uniform and sharing ‘Tommies Tales’, joining Desert Rats re-enactors and USA GI’s, giving an insight into training for conflict.
Make-do-and-mend was standard during the thrifty decade, and in the Street of Shops, the cobbler will be fixing up shoes, while the grocer and butcher will show you just how much, or rather how little, rations entitled households to.
The sweet shop will be open for business too, with the museum promising that, “For those sweet-toothed cravers among you, no ration book required there!”
Over in the Museum’s cottage, Peggy Skivvy will explain what life was like for the home-makers while their husbands and sons were off fighting for King and Country.
A steam engine, and selection of smaller agricultural examples will be in the Museum grounds, where a small number of WWI military lorries and transport trucks will also be parked up.
The railways at War exhibition is also on track, and kids will be kept busy following the clues found throughout the Museum to locate Guy the Spy!
A selection of wedding dresses will show parachute silk in a new light, and fans of vintage fashion will be able to treat themselves with traders selling ’40s fashion for the ladies, including shoes and handbags, and vintage jewellery.
If military gear is more your style, you’ll be in luck, and the ‘latest’ in ornaments and nick-nacks will be ready to find new homes.
Animals and birds played a significant part in the wartime effort, and the Museum will be shining a light on the wonderful work completed by our feathered friends – many pigeons received the Dickin Medal for their bravery in delivering important messages which saved many lives, and some of those brilliant little birds completed tasks while injured.
The ever-popular Lola Lamour will invite you to go with the flow on the dancefloor, and Johnny Victory will sing for you from the bandstand.
If the weather stays fine, visitors will be eyes to the sky for a fabulous flyspast by a BBMF Lancaster (Sunday only) which is one of only two still flying.
With so much to see and do, you’ll need to top up your energy levels, and the Granary Tea Room will banish hunger pangs with a range of hot and cold savoury and sweet snacks.
The Museum bar will be serving a selection of beers and ciders, and while a pint won’t be at 1940s prices, you’ll not find a cheaper one for miles!
“Wartime was notoriously difficult, but there was also much to celebrate as people pulled together in the face of the troubles and uncertainty,” said Museum director Bill Griffiths.
“There is so much more to learn about the Warring Forties than simply the conflict – join us and prepare to be surprised,” he added.
A woman from Milton Keynes has been jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to two counts of misconduct in a public office.
Former prison officer Aimee Duke, 26, of Stony Stratford, has been sentenced to twelve months in jail following the guilty pleas and a preceding investigation by Northamptonshire Police.
Duke had been employed as a prison officer at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough in Northamptonshire.
After starting work at the prison in April 2022, Duke was the subject of a staff search on August 12 2022, whereby a piece of paper with one of the prisoner’s ID numbers was found in her purse.
Following the initial search, CCTV inside the prison was reviewed, which uncovered her interacting inappropriately with several prisoners.
This included being on wings of the prison she wasn’t rostered to work on, carrying her own bag onto the prison wing which was prohibited, and entering prisoner’s cells with no professional reason to do so.
Duke was arrested at work on September 23, 2022, with her mobile phone seized. Numerous SMS messages between her and one of the prisoners were found on the device, indicating an inappropriate relationship between the pair.
In one message, the prisoner wrote “I want us to be together 100%”. In another, Duke messaged him “I can’t wait to see you”.
Duke was subsequently charged with four counts of misconduct in a public office. On May 1, at Northampton Crown Court she admitted two of the charges, but denied the other two offences.
She returned to the same court on Tuesday August 26 and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for the two offences she admitted. A further two counts of misconduct in a public office were ordered to remain on file.
Lead investigator Detective Inspector Richard Cornell from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit said, “Prison officers are in positions of authority and unfortunately, Aimee Duke used her position to form inappropriate relationships.
“Her actions do not reflect the fact that most prison staff are law-abiding citizens who carry out their duties to the highest standards.
“I hope this sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate behaviour such as in this case will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law.”
The new Cadillac F1 team have announced Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as their first ever line-up as the team prepares to enter F1 in 2026.
Cadillac, who have a base adjacent to the Silverstone Circuit along with additional bases in the USA, have confirmed the signing of the two experienced drivers who had been unattached after leaving their previous teams at the end of 2024.
The confirmed line-up includes two drivers who have made a combined 527 Grand Prix starts. The official announcement earlier today (26/08) comes after several days of speculation that the duo were set to be announced by the team.
The team did not confirm contract lengths for either driver, which are reported by other sources to both be multi-year deals.
Bottas, who turns 36 this week, had been released by Sauber at the end of the 2024 season. His CV includes 10 race wins, all achieved during a 5-season spell with Mercedes in which he helped the team win the Constructor’s Championship in every season he raced for the team.
After leaving Sauber, the Finnish driver returned to the Brackley-based Mercedes team, where he has spent the 2025 season as their reserve driver.
Teammate Perez, also known as Checo, joins after leaving Red Bull. The Mexican driver was dropped by the Milton Keynes-based team at the end of last season despite initially having a contract for 2025 and 2026.
The 35-year-old has won six Grand Prix, with one coming in 2020 for the team then known as Racing Point and the other 5 after joining Red Bull in 2021.
Perez’s move is the second time he will have driven in his F1 career for a team with a Silverstone base. The Mexican previously raced for the team once known as Jordan and now known as Aston Martin between 2014 and 2020, representing a team that was called Force India & Racing Point for his spell there.
Cadillac will race in F1 for the first time in 2026, having been granted approval by F1 in 2024. The team will use Ferrari engines before switching to bespoke engines made by Cadillac’s parent company GM at a later date.
In a statement, Bottas said he was excited at working with his new team.
He said, “From the moment I began speaking with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, I felt something different – something ambitious but also grounded. This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision. It’s not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid.
Perez added, “I’m proud to be part of such an ambitious and meaningful project from the very beginning. I’m really pleased to be part of such a dynamic line-up, and together I believe we can help shape this team into a real contender, the team of the Americas. We’re counting on support from across the continent – and we want to make everyone proud.”
Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac’s Team Principal, said, “Signing two very experienced racers like Bottas and Checo is a bold signal of intent.
“They’ve seen it all and they know what it takes to succeed in Formula 1. But more importantly, they understand what it means to help build a team. Their leadership, feedback, race-hardened instincts and of course their speed will be invaluable as we bring this team to life.” A big thank you to the team at Mercedes for their co-operation and understanding.”
Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal road traffic collision in Milton Keynes.
The incident happened at approximately 5.50pm yesterday (26/08) on the Westbound carriageway of H6 Child Way between Brickhill Street and Tongwell Street.
A collision occurred between a grey Honda motorcycle and a white HGV, with Thames Valley Police reporting that the driver of the motorcycle, a 41-year-old man, sadly died at the scene.
The man’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
Investigating officer, PC Steve Leathersich, of the Roads Policing Unit said, “Firstly, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the man who tragically lost his life in this collision.
“I’m appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward. If you were in the area at the time and have dash-cam footage and captured the moments leading up to the collision, please check your recordings and contact us.
“Anyone with information should call 101 or report online at our website, quoting reference number 43250437149.
“If you prefer not to speak directly to police, you can share information anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.”
MK Dons have announced the signing of Jon Mellish on a season-long loan from Wigan Athletic.
The 27-year-old is the Dons’ first loan signing of the 2025 summer transfer window, and their ninth signing overall following the previously announced arrivals of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Gethin Jones, Aaron Collins, Will Collar, Tom Finch, Callum Paterson, and Marvin Ekpiteta.
Mellish’ arrival sees the Dons add a player who can play in defence or midfield, including at full-back, with the Dons having sought an option at full-back after first-choice full-backs Gethin Jones and Joe Tomlinson recently suffered injuries.
Mellish had joined Wigan from Carlisle United in January, having previously spent 5 and a half years with the Cumbrians. He made 245 appearances in all competitions for Carlisle, scoring 32 times, while he also made 21 for Wigan after moving from Cumbria to Lancashire last season.
In an arrival interview on the MK Dons website, Mellish said, “I felt quite comfortable coming in, I think it’s a really good club, a family club, and speaking to the gaffer, that was one of his main things, that family side of things aligned with me straight away.
“We’ve had a couple of phone calls, and straight away I had a good feeling, and that was one of the main reasons why I came, to have a good connection with the manager.”
Head Coach Paul Warne said he was delighted to add Mellish to his squad.
He said, “It’s good to have Jon at the club, a player that we’ve liked for a long period.
“He’s played against my teams before and has always been excellent; he’s also played in a few different positions. I like him as a left-back too; he’s a perfect fit.
“He’s athletic, clean with the ball; a winner, he’s had a promotion. He can score goals off set pieces and play higher up the pitch.
“I like players who can bring some real value to the squad.”
“He’s going to be a good fit and I look forward to watching him being involved at the weekend.”
