Big old quiz of 2014

Did you manage to see the Big Fat Quiz of the year this year? It's always a fun way to see how much you can remember from the previous year, and be reminded of some of the most random and most popular news stories.

We've put together a short quiz for you, using a few of the top news stories from last year. Scroll all the way down to see the answers and find out how well you can remember the news of 2014, both local and national.

1. Luis Suárez bit a footballer during one of the World Cup matches, what team were they playing at the time?
2. Which Milton Keynes store last year had over £1 million worth of goods stolen from them in the early hours of the morning?
3. Where was the huge warehouse fire which took place in Buckinghamshire in January last year?
4. UKIP councillor David Silvester declared last year that he believed what had been caused by gay marriage?
5. What was the name of the robotic spacecraft which landed onto a comet, for the first time in history?
6. MK Dons thrashed which football team to which score in August last year?
7. Which animated film in March last year won two Academy Awards and became one of the few films to take more than $1 billion at the box office? (hint: there's a snowman involved)
8. Which ex-MK Dons player featured in this year's 'I'm a Celebrity Get me Out Of Here'?
9. Which famous former boy band member posted a video of his wife's labour, featuring him singing and dancing?
10. What was it that put Milton Keynes into the Guinness World Records last year?  

What have MK Dons brought to the city?

MK Dons (Milton Keynes Football Club) has been based at Stadium:mk in Milton Keynes since 2007, when it was opened by the Queen. The stadium cost around £50 million to build, money which has arguably been well-spent, but do you agree?

It is a great quality standard and hosts superior facilities, with a modern look and a lot of glass on view. The recent installation of seating in the previously unused upper tier has made more use of the space and fits even more people in, although whether this amount of seating is needed is debatable, as there has yet to be a sell-out match. With a capacity of 30,500 seated, and an average attendance of 8,612 it is often looking more empty than full. Being used for the rugby world cup next year may see the stadium a bit more full, but whether it will remain empty once that is out the way who knows.

The surrounding area of Milton Keynes has grown up around the stadium, and it would seem that the stadium has attracted other retail businesses to it. A new retail centre is currently being built nearby, with restaurants and an IMAX cinema, saving visitors to the stadium from having to travel too far for a meal before or after the match, possibly encouraging them to make a day of their visit rather than just watching the football. It looks like we could be seeing yet more uses for the stadium soon, with gigs rumoured to be coming to the arena soon in the future.

Booze on the Ouse

The highly anticipated weekend is (almost) here! Booze on the Ouse is the main fundraiser for the Olney Town Colts football club, which enables around 300 local children to play football. Starting tomorrow, Booze on the Ouse combines live music and a great selection of beer and food in an atmosphere like no other. Tickets for the Saturday are now sold out, but there are still some available for the Friday night so grab them quick before they're gone!

What's in store? 

Tomorrow night presents West End singer Maddie Cole and comedy Store comedian Adam Rowe as headliners for the evening's entertainment. Held at the recreation ground off East Street, Olney, the night kicks off at 7.30pm. Come along to enjoy some top class music and have a good laugh, hot food and a licensed bar with a wide selection of real ales will be available. Tickets for the evening cost £7.50 and are available in advance from Nest@No9, Bacchus and Cafe Rosco.

Saturday showcases a number of live bands, including Mad Mods, Error 404 and more. Great food, drink and atmosphere are sure to be found!

Sunday is a FREE fun day, open invite for all, so definitely shouldn't be missed! There'll be more music, more food and more drink, as well as bouncy castles and a selection of stalls for people to enjoy. You're invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the atmosphere.

World Cup Riots

The World Cup has kicked off- have you got into the spirit of things yet? Have you got your wall chart and sticker book, flag and face paints on the go? While the World Cup is taking over on all forms of adverting and press, with the assumption that everyone is interested, that is obviously not always the case. Recent riots and protests in Brazil have particularly proved this. Where do you stand on the World Cup debate?

Protests and riots have been kicking off in Brazil for a while now, but why? Well there is much dispute and disagreement over the amount of money that has been put into the World Cup, as well as the planning, or lack of, and organisation, of Brazil as host country. Things have got a bit out of hand, it would be fair to say, and it has got the point before the opening match, of police using teargas and batons to break up protests.

What's on in and around MK this weekend

It looks like summer is actually here, so we'd better make the most of it! As always, check the Phonebox Magazine's 'live and local' listings, in print or online, for ideas of what's on, in and around the Milton Keynes area.

Saturday 14th June

Odell Village Fete and Family Dog Show 
@ Scout field, Horsefair Lane, Odell, MK43 7AA, 2pm
Held in the pretty North Bedfordshire village by the river Ouse near Harrold and Odell Country Park. Come along for a great day out. There will be a number of attractions at the fete and dog show, including:

• Bouncy castle
• Gift and bottle stalls
• Tombola
• 'White elephant'
• Side shows
• Bedford Brass Band
• Children's sports
• Refreshments including ice cream, Pimms and more

Stony Riverside Fair
@ Millfield, Willow Lane, Stony Stratford, 1pm-4pm

Presented by the volunteers of the Stony Stratford Riverside Parks Group, it's the annual family Stony Riverside Fair on Millfield. It's set to be a wonderful afternoon with fun activities and free attractions for children.

World Cup- England's first game, 11pm England v Italy
Chances are you'll be watching this late match from the comfort of your own home, but if you'd rather see it in a crowd there are a few places you can watch the match. Olney Football Club is one such place, where they'll be showing all of the England matches on their big screen. Come along and cheer on England as they play their first World Cup match, against Italy.

Sunday 15th June

HULA Animal Rescue: Purrfect open day
@ South Midlands Animal Sanctuary, Glebe Farm, Salford Road, Aspley Guise, MK17 8HZ, 1pm-4pm

It's national microchipping awareness month, so come and have your dog, cat or rabbit microchipped for just £10. Entry is just £2 for adults, kids go free.
Events during the day include:

• Bazaar and book store bargains
• Meet the resident farm animals
• HULA dog parade at 2pm
• Fun and games for the children
• Delicious refreshments
• Children's toys, books and clothes 

Bletchley Park Presents: Sir John Dermot Turing
@ Bletchley Park, 2pm-4pm

Sir John Dermot Turing is the nephew of Alan Turing (1912-1954), who is well known to have been one of Bletchley Park's leading cryptanalysis, as well as a founder of the science of artificial intelligence. He will present an overview of the family background, life and achievements of his famous ancestor. Ticket-holders are welcome to arrive throughout the day to enjoy Bletchley Park at their leisure. The session will begin at 2pm with a talk from Sir John Dermot Turing, followed by a Q&A session at 3pm and then tea and cake at 3.15pm in the Billiard room, followed by a book signing.

As always, there's a great deal on this weekend, and on top of these events, as the usual things to see in and around milton Keynes, if the sun stays out why not visit a lake, woods or country park?
Whatever you may be up to this weekend, have a good one!

The World Cup is getting closer...

World Cup fever has been taking over  for a while now, it seems that every advert, every television show and every shop has something World cup themed about it! So we're going to join in with this one, and take a moment to remind you that you can watch England's matches live on the big screen at Olney Football club, come along and cheer on England!

The first 3 dates are:

Saturday 14th June: England vs. Italy. Kick off @ 11pm

Thursday 19th June: England vs. Uruguay. Kick off @ 8pm

Tuesday 24th June: England vs. Costa Rica. Kick off @ 5pm

Hopefully more dates will follow if they do well and get through to the following stages!

What's on?

There were a couple of events advertised in the Phonebox magazine for tomorrow night, so we thought we'd draw your attention to them now... 

Castle Ashby Church Fete and Fun Dog show @ The Castle's Italian Gardens

Gates open at 12 midday. Fun for all the family, classes for all dogs. Admission £3, concessions £2 which includes entrance to the gardens. Children under 12 are free and there is free parking. 

Fancy some sport? Arsenal ladies vs. Everton ladies FA Women's cup final @ Stadium MK

The party begins outside the stadium, with the FA Junior Fanzone, and free interactive football-based games. The FA Girl's Youth Cup Final between Everton and Liverpool will take place before the main event, at 1pm. Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children/concession. 

In the evening...

That Time Of The Month comedy club @ The Cannon in Newport Pagnell. Joel Dommett and John Hastings preview their new shows for the upcoming Edinburgh festival. Tickets are £5 in advance or £7 on the door. 

Newport Pagnell Clubs and Societies

Similarly to the clubs and societies we looked at yesterday, there are a huge number of them in Newport Pagnell as well.

Just a selection of these include:

• Newport Pagnell Girl Guides
• Newport Pagnell Football Club
• Newport Pagnell Women's Institue
• Newport Pagnell Boys and Girls Brigades
• Rotary Club of Newport Pagnell
• Newport Pagnell Scout Groups
• Newport Pagnell Historical Society
• Newport Pagnell Tennis Club
• Newport Pagnell Town Cricket Club
• Newport Pagnell Archers

You can see where a few of these were written about in the last issue of the Phonebox Magazine below. Getting involved in a local club or society can be a great way of getting more involved in the community and getting to know other like-minded locals. Why not google a few of the clubs listed above to find out more, or if you know of any other great societies we've missed out give us a message, we'd love to hear about them! 

Posh Push for Play-Offs while Dons Despair in Defeat - MK Dons vs Peterborough United

We've got a debut for the blog today; a report from our MK Dons reporter, Matt Delaney. You can read his match reports most months in the Phonebox magazine, but this month, the timings of going to print mean it's earnt a place online instead! Enjoy!

"MK Dons failed to get on the home score sheet yet again in a must win game, against local rivals Peterborough, whilst on their quest for promotion to the Championship. Peterborough strengthened their play-off hopes courtesy of two quick fire second half goals from Britt Assombolonga to sail to a 2-0 victory at Stadium:MK.

Both keepers had to be on their toes in the early stages of the game with David Martin having to tip over a stinging volley by Nick Ajose and Robert Olejnik diving well to get his hand to a well worked free kick from Ryan Hall to keep the game at deadlock in the first 20 minutes.

No team could grasp the first half by the neck and take command, possession was being given away cheaply by both teams and not many chances were being created. MK did , however, have the best chance of the half when Jordan Spence made a solo charge from the back line to the Posh penalty area then played it to Odelusi who fashioned a chance for himself out of nothing but shot just wide with Olejnik sprawling desperately to cover his goal.