Milton Keynes Celebrates Our Sporting Life

From egg and spoon to the Olympics, Milton Keynes celebrates Our Sporting Life

Britain's Olympic Year gets off to an inspiring start this month with the opening of a special exhibition celebrating Milton Keynes' contribution to the nation's sporting life.

Alongside those athletic  greats who've helped put MK on the sporting  map the show features memorabilia, stories and film from the local people, schools, clubs and venues that make up our sporting grassroots.

Milton Keynes is one of only 100 venues  to be hosting an Our Sporting Life exhibition -  which also includes fascinating footage and stories documenting the history of the Olympics and its UK connections.

Led by Milton Keynes Council in partnership with MK Dons Sports and Education Trust, Badminton England, National Badminton Museum, Living Archive and Milton Keynes Museum, Our Sporting Life runs from January 23 to April 30 in the foyer and Pitchside Bar of the stadiummk Hotel - and is free of charge.

Chance for public to share their sporting stories

"This is a chance for local people to see just how important sport has been in our lives both past and present, and get a real sense too of Milton Keynes' significance on the national and international sporting stage," explained Cheryl Butler, Our Sporting Life Project Co-ordinator  Cheryl Butler.

"We're also hoping visitors will be inspired to look in their cupboards and attics and share with us their stories and memorabilia so that through Milton Keynes Museum we can build on his brilliant collection."

Highlights of Our Sporting Life Milton Keynes include the chance to get up close and personal to the nose cone and wing of a Red Bull formula one car; and to that famous Grandstand camera trophy. The one on display was awarded to  BBC Sports Personality of the Year 's unsung hero of 2009 - local swimming teacher Doreen Adcock.

Blasts from the past

But visitors of all ages are likely to find some of the less familiar items just as fascinating. For a generation divided by the Vuvuzela at the 2010 football World Cup there's its equally noisy predecessor - a wooden football rattle from the 1960s. Badminton fans can trace the roots of their sport through a couple of  shuttlecocks from the 1920s. While today's Speedo-wearing swimmers can feel grateful they don't have to grapple with the impractical turn-of-the-century swimwear on display .

There'll also be those who recognise faces filmed running the mum's egg and spoon race at a Newport Pagnell school sports day in the 1950s!

Added Pete Winkelman, MK Dons Chairman:  "At MK Dons we are proud to be a part of an area that has such a rich sporting heritage; one that we and all those who love sport in all its shapes and forms are constantly adding to. Milton Keynes' prowess in many Xtreme sports reflects our modern city and as well as top class football we can proudly boast of being home to the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team and Badminton England, Premier basketball and ice hockey, as well as a wealth of grassroots clubs and sporting hobbies.

"What better way to bring the excitement of this Olympic year close to home than to come and see the huge part sport plays in our lives and our local history?"

Notes to editors:

• 1. Our Sporting Life opens with a VIP launch at the Doubletree Hilton, stadiumMK on 23 January, 4pm. Contact for media enquiries Jane Matthews 07791065362.
• 2. Our Sporting Life is supported by the Sports Heritage Network. Visit www.oursportinglife.co.uk
• 3. Cached - Similarpicture captions: the triumphant Red Bull team bring it home to Milton Keynes, image courtesy of Red Bull Racing and Getty Images; Unsung hero Doreen Adcock's BBC and other awards and memorabilia; Exhibition co-ordinator Cheryl Butler looks through a scrapbook kindly loaned by unsung hero Doreen Adcock.
• 4. The project has been made possible thanks to funding from Heritage Lottery Fund through its Your Heritage programme, Museums, Libraries, Archives Council (MLA) through its Innovation and Renaissance programmes, the Council and its partners and support from the Sports Heritage Network, which comprises all the UK's major sports museums and archives.