Milton Keynes past is the ideal way to celebrate Christmas present, according to local charity Living Archive.
For Christmas 2016 the people's history project is offering a range of unusual gifts including rare local photos, CDs, DVDs and books - all offering a window on the city's past.
Santa at the Bletchley Co-op Christmas parade in 1964, a horse-drawn fire engine in Fenny Stratford, and the opening of the M1 near Newport Pagnell are among more than 100 images available for sale in Living Archive's online shop. For a small fee images can be downloaded, printed and framed to make really unusual and distinctive gifts.
This November shoppers can grab a bargain in the half price book sale with most items costing less than £10, Living Archive's online shop is ideal for stocking fillers. What's more, every penny spent on its unique gift range is also a gift to the charity - which uses the funds to help it continue its work of capturing the city's stories from the mouths of those who live here.
Other great gifts in the online shop include music from the irrepressible Living Archive Band, the letters local boy Albert French wrote from the 1st World War trenches on CD ROM, a DVD telling the story of Wolverton Works, and a film homage to Geoff Cooksey, first Director of Stantonbury Campus.
For bookworms Living Archive has a wide range of titles that can't be found in bookshops. They include their latest publication ‘Mud, Sweat and the Rule of Law’ for local Rugby fans, ‘Players Passions and Pitches’ a collection of memories from MK’s football heritage and ‘Milton Keynes Book of Days of the Great War’ which contains contributions and stories from local families for every day of the Great War.
"We believe everyone has a story to tell," says Director Mel Jeavons. "Our job is to make it easy for people to tell their stories and do all we can to share them back with the local community - in the shape of the fascinating books, films and photos people will find for sale in our online shop."
Check out the online shop and discover how you can be a part of writing this area's history at here
