Thursday 29th November 2007 will be long remembered by thousands of people as the day that Her Majesty The Queen paid her third official visit to Milton Keynes. The visit marked the 40th anniversary of the designation of Milton Keynes as a New Town. The Queen’s itinerary involved three landmark projects that each go to prove the Milton Keynes is a ‘can do’ community. After arriving at the rail station The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh proceeded to thehub:mk. This is a dynamic development incorporating restaurants, hotels, commerce and residential properties in one central location. After performing the opening ceremony at The Hub, the Royal couple then relocated to stadium:mk to carry out the same function there. Later in the day it was the turn of the new Training Centre and Divisional HQ of St John Ambulance at Greenleys.
Sam Potts said: ” I was very impressed by the way that the opening ceremony went off virtually without a hitch. It was an example of logistical planning at its best. Imagine the task of organising a fleet of 240 coaches to deliver 8,800 school pupils at exactly the right place and time and then to ferry the children back off to their schools! The opening ceremony began with the singing of “God Save The Queen” by Dame Cleo Laine, after which the playing surface was taken over by hundreds of teenage dancers. Singers and musicians included MK Acapella, Campbell Park Parish Community Choir, Milton Keynes Combined Brass Band and the amazing “Solstice” a local band recently reformed and performing again.” http://www.solsticewebsite.com
The stadium was designed by HOK, the internationally renowned architects responsible for the new Wembley Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and Benfica’s Stadium of Light. The facility benefits from an open concourse unique to UK stadium design, providing an uninterrupted view from all seats. The complex is designed to meet UEFA and FIFA Elite specifications upon completion, the maximum quality rating available for a 30,000 seat facility.
