Arts & Exhibitions

This month we take a look at one of the new city's biggest successes – a firm that is reaching dizzying heights in every sense of the word, and a business that has left its mark here at the Museum. We discovered more about the Niftylift story from its chairman and founder, Roger Bowden. Niftylift is one of Europe’s largest mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) manufacturers and while the business is anchored in these parts, it operates worldwide. “We specialise in compact, low-weight articulating booms that offer maximum performance with minimal environmental impact,” Roger says, explaining his business in relatively simple terms. The name ‘Nifty’ has synonyms including ‘particularly good, skilful, or effective” and ‘attractive and stylish’ – which all perfectly sum up what Roger wants to achieve with every lift the company designs: “Combining the two names seemed the perfect solution,” Roger recalled. 2013 Queens..

Step into the magnificent Marble Saloon of Stowe House and take in the spectacle of the universe. Designed to imitate the Pantheon of Rome, statues adorn the room, and light pours in from the majestic domed oculus to highlight a Roman triumphal procession carved into a frieze depicting 280 humans and 14 animals. It’s the perfect space to display the three-dimensional, six-metre floating sculpture of Gaia by internationally acclaimed artist, Luke Jerram. Visitors will be able to enjoy timed entry to the eighteenth-century historic house, allowing plenty of space to explore this multi-sensory experience and soak up the atmosphere – even being encouraged to lay on the floor to encounter Earth’s surface as it would be viewed from space using detailed NASA imagery. The installation creates a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are..

As the Milton Keynes Museum continues to mark its half-century, Pulse's Sammy Jones takes another look back at how the history hub has evolved, by speaking with two of those volunteers whose input has been invaluable. “I remember my first job at the Museum, which would probably put anyone off for life,” Neil Loudon says, laughing at the memory, “It was in the print shop, cleaning all the parkay tiles and then laying them!” That was in 1980, and he has been a valued volunteer ever since. “I started off fairly unskilled. I had just moved here and was looking for something to do, although I don’t think I really knew that at the time. I just sort of fell into it really.” There isn’t one facet of the Museum that takes Neil’s attention – there are many. “I am really interested in the objects and do a little bit..

We are usually told that bigger is better, but there is at least one group in Milton Keynes who would strongly dispute that, and Milton Keynes Scale Model Club (MKSMC) members are out to shake up any stuffy preconceptions you might have about the hobby too. Pulse’s Sammy Jones learned more from club secretary John Willshere and keen member Andy Mc Glashan. MKSMC certainly has staying power – it’s been a permanent fixture in the town turned city for more than three decades. Members range from 12 years old to one chap in his 90s. How’s that for all encompassing? But before we get lost in jargon, what exactly is a scale model club? “It usually involves building, customising and painting a boxed plastic kit, like Airfix, Revell and Tamiya, and often setting it onto a base relevant to the subject,” explains club secretary John Willshere. John has been involved..

School’s out, and so too are the many shows that usually jostle for position on our stages. There are still a few possibilities for August though, and they are monstrous and marvellous. Pulse’s Sammy Jones leads the way... It’s a theatre-land classic and it is back on the stage here in Milton Keynes from Monday, August 7. Annie is the childhood favourite brimming with hits like Tomorrow, Easy Street and It’s the Hard-Knock Life, and its MK return comes with added fab-u-lous-ness; with Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood stepping out as the tyrannical Miss Hannigan. Just look at the pins on him! Annie is set in New York during The Great Depression of the 1930s, and our young lady the show is named after is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. When she is chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire Oliver Warbucks, things..