Top events this weekend in Milton Keynes

Friday 17th:

Milton Keynes through the lens @ The Parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Olney, 7-9pm
Milton Keynes through the lens, presented by Living Archive MK in connection with Independent Cinema MK, shows a collection of documentary films made over the last 70 years, as well as a short Olney heritage film. The films will be introduced by Roger Kitchen and will last approximately 2 hours. Tickets cost £4.

Newport Pagnell Farmers Market @ Newport Pagnell High Street, 8.30am-1.30pm
Held on the third Friday of every month. Get some fresh food from the farmers market this weekend!

Darling digits @ Frosts garden centre, 10am-2pm
'Little prints' allows you to make a hand or foot plaster cast of your child's hand or foot, to have as a keepsake and remember how small they once were! The casts can also be painted before being taken home to display. Tickets cost £9.99 per child and are available by clicking here.

Wine tasting evening @ The Two Brewers, High Street, Olney, 7pm
Introducing a new wine list. Booked tables only.

Crafts, art and gift exhibition @ Middleton Hall, Centre:mk, All day Friday-Sunday
Springtime creation is an annual event which presents some of the best in the world of arts and crafts. There will be something for everyone, from cakes to sculptures, sewing to fudge and much much more. It's a great place to come and browse, or to find a really unique gift for a friend or family member. Entry is free.

Saturday 18th:

Spring Sale @ St. Margaret's Church, Denton, 11am-3pm
There will be a wide selection of previously loved items such as books, toys, games, dvds, cakes, cards, potted plants and more. There will be a raffle, and refreshments will also be available, with homemade soup and fresh bread.

50/50 auction @ Yardley Hastings Memorial Hall, 2pm
Goods will be accepted from 8.30am-1pm and viewing will be from 1-2pm. Proceeds will go to village funds.

Clothes swap evening @ Lavendon Village Hall, 7pm
Ladies and children's clothes swap evening. Come along for a fun evening, and enjoy a pudding and first glass of wine included in the ticket price. Tickets cost £10.

Museum spring quiz @ The Olney Centre, 7.30-10pm
The Cowper and Newton museum hold a quiz evening with buffet. Hosted by the regular quiz-masters, Neil and Pat Hodges. Buffet will be provided but please bring your own drink and a glass. There will also be a raffle.

Meet Alan Titchmarsh @ Frosts Garden Centre, 11am-4pm
Famous garden writer and television presenter, Alan Titchmarsh, will be at Frosts garden centre this weekend, in celebration of National gardening week. He will be doing gardening talks, a book signing and a meet and greet for fans. There will be two 40 minute talks which cost £5 to attend, one at 11am and the other at 3pm.  The 11am talk will be entitled 'Gardening for wildlife', and the 3pm talk will be entitled 'Small garden secrets'. Each will be followed by a Q&A session. All money raised from the tickets will go to the local charity, Supershoes, which aims to bring hope and a smile to seriously ill and disabled children.


Home composting workshop @ The Hanson Centre, Wolverton Road, Great Linford, 10am-12pm and 2-4pm.
If you're new to home composting or want to learn more about it, come along to the free workshop this weekend and find out more about disposing of fruit and vegetable waste. This is a free event, booking is essential and you can book by clicking here.

1940's Boutique @ Bletchley Park, 9.30am
Enjoy a day of 1940's glamour, and learn to style your own hair and makeup to achieve that iconic 1940's look. Create a fresh and versatile spring-time do. You will learn how to create some iconic styles, such as the famous victory rolls, and makeup to match. The day includes demonstrations, practical sessions, food and refreshments and time to enjoy Bletchley Park. Tickets are £70 per person and must be booked in advance, click here for more information.

Sunday 19th:

Sing-along Frozen @ MK Theatre, 11am, 3pm and 6.30pm

If you love the movie Frozen, it's a great opportunity to join in the experience at MK Theatre this weekend. Come dressed as your favourite Frozen character, and sing along with the lyrics on screen. There will be a live host who will show you how to use your interactive fun pack and judge the fancy dress competition. Tickets are available here.

Orienteering @ Shenley Wood, Milton Keynes, 10am-1pm

Learn how to use a map while having fun out in the parks. Run by South Midlands Orienteering club. Open to beginners, more experienced orienteers and runners alike. No need to pre-register, just turn up on the day. There are a selection of courses available to suit all needs, from a 2.5k amble to a 7k run. A great opportunity to try something different and enjoy the outdoors at the same time. Parking is available in the public car park on Merlewood Drive, Tattenhoe Street. Entry costs £5. 

Bletchley Park Presents: Victor Madeira @ Bletchley Park, 2-3pm

Victor Madeira talks about his book: 'Britannia and the Bear- The Anglo-Russion intelligence wars, 1917-1929.' Victor is a lecturer in National security and intelligence studies at the University of Buckingham, and has 15 years experience in international security affairs. The talk will be followed by a question and answer session, and then tea and cake will be served, followed by a book signing. Guests can explore Bletchley Park's exhibitions from 9.30am. Tickets cost £25, or £20 for season ticket holders. 

What to do this Easter holidays...

There are numerous activities and events to get involved with in and around Milton Keynes this Easter holidays. As the weather starts to brighten up and we can begin to venture outside, the numerous canal, wood and park walks are always something free and fun to do. For something a little more organised, we've collected a selection of events that are going on this Easter to give you a few ideas of what you could do and where...

Frosts Garden Centre, Woburn Sands

Saturday 28th March-Saturday 4th April, anytime from 10am-4pm: There will be a bunny hunt around the centre, as well as some Easter egg fun- children will be able to decorate their own chocolate Easter egg with some sweets, and will finish their activities with an activity sheet and a glass of squash. The activity lasts around 25 minutes and children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets cost £5.99 per child.

The National Museum of Computing

Wednesday 1st- Sunday 12th April, from 12 noon-5pm: Digital fun and games for all the family, including: LEGO robots, mine craft, codeability- introducing youngsters to coding, FUZEliers to help control robots and many retro computer games.

Bletchley Park

Monday 30th March- Sunday 5th April and 7th-12th April from 9am-5pm: Fun activities over the Easter holidays for the whole family. See if you've got what it takes to be a Bletchley Park Codebreaker. Different activities each day, including craft and spy workshops, children's guided tours, trails, quizzes and more.

Intu Milton Keynes

Tuesday 31st March: For those of you with young children, you'll probably be well aware of the CBeebies' animated series 'Kate & Mim-Mim'. Mim-Mim will be paying children a visit this Easter at intu Milton Keynes. Children will have the chance to meet their favourite bunny, learn some bunny-hop movies and take part in some fun games, as well as getting a bunny hug with Mim-Mim himself. Mim-Mim will be making appearances at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, lasting for 30 minutes each time. Children can pick up their very own CBeebies activity booklet. Tickets for the meet and greet are  FREE and available by clicking here, additional tickets will be available on the day on a first come, first served basis.

Saturday 4th & Thursday 9th April : Have your face painted for free at intu Milton Keynes.

Tuesday 7th April: Come and have a go at some circus skills, and learn how to plate spin and juggle!

Friday 10th & Saturday 11th April: Pit stop challenge with Formula Fast Karting. Change the wheels in the fastest time to win a prize.

Newport Pagnell:

Good Friday, 3rd April: Come and join the Churches Together Newport Pagnell on a procession down the high street, with drama, music and readings. Meet outside the Parish Church and ending at Market Hill.

Gulliver's land 

Sunday 5th & Monday 6th April: This Easter there are two special days of Easter entertainment. Enjoy the Easter egg hunt, the big bunny bounce, meet the Easter bunny and see the Easter bunny parade- if you wear an Easter bonnet you'll get a £1 voucher to spend within the park.

MK Gallery

There will be a number of sessions throughout the Easter holidays, including 'start the art' sessions on Tuesdays from 11am-12noon, and Saturday mini makers sessions from 1-2pm and 2-3pm. These artist-led creative sessions are free, but places are limited and can be booked on the gallery website. 

Milton Keynes Council

Thursday 2nd April, 10.30am-12 noon and 2-3.30pm: Kids' recycling factory tour. A fun and free event where children aged between 7 and 14 can join the council's recycling team for a fun-filled morning at the factory to learn about recycling, tour the factory and make their own recycled item to take home. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Booking essential, click here to book a place. 

Half Term Fun for the Family

Whether it's been a long term or you can't quite believe it's half term already, you'll be due a break. The run from Christmas can be quite a slow one, and with the cold weather and dark days, it can feel quite draining. The same goes for the kids; it's been a long slog at school and they're ready for a holiday. That can can often mean the parents don't end up getting much of a break, so we've collected a few ideas of how to keep the kids (and adults!) entertained this half term.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

Milton Keynes and the surrounding area isn't particularly famous for seaside fun... more famous for being about as far from each coast as possible! But don't panic, the beach is being brought to those of us who are stuck in the middle of the country away for the seaside, not just once, but twice!

1. Frosts Garden Centre. All summer there's a beach to be found at Frosts garden centre, and more than that, beach themed activities for the kids! Now this isn't going to be quite the same as the seafront but we'll have to make do, there's even a carousel! There are outside games, sand and refreshments- including homemade fish and chips, so you can really feel like you're (almost) at the beach, and it's all undercover so you can enjoy the beach even on a rainy day. There are also pre-bookable kids sessions, which include storytelling and arts and crafts activities, and it's open all day every day throughout the summer holidays.

2. Secondly, there'll be a beach to be found in the Centre:mk at Middleton Hall from the start of August, and will again provide a covered beach/sand area for the kids (and adults!) to enjoy whatever the weather.

So you don't have to drive for miles to build a sandcastle this summer, make a trip or two to Frosts and the Centre:mk for some beach fun!