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February 2025 | Phonebox Magazine 57Builders gain recognition Valuations aplenty at Olney CentreChristmas Competition WinnersPhonebox%u2019s annual Christmas competition brought, as usual, a healthy postbag (and email inbox) of entries. Thank you to our local supplier friends who off ered such excellent prizes and thanks to everyone who entered the draw. Sadly, there can only be 12 winners. And they are:Prize One: Arches Theatre concert ticketsTrudi Smith, AbingtonPrize Two: Royal & Derngate Varna BalletClaire Parkins, OlneyPrize Three: Two Brewers dining voucher Andrew Norton, OlneyPrize Four: Gulliver%u2019s family ticketOlando Raymond, Newport PagnellPrize Five: Locanda brunch or lunchMary Webster, Newport PagnellPrize Six: Capture family photoCharlotte Richardson, TurveyPrize Seven: Fruity Farmer gift bagLucy Braithwaite, Yardley HastingsPrize Eight: Rodeos ProQ smoker starterPatricia Selwood, OlneyPrize Nine: House of Colour analysis tasterSiobhan Dunn, OlneyPrize Ten: Milton Keynes Theatre, Nutcracker in HavanaRosemary Platt, OlneyPrize Eleven: Country & Stable hat and %u00a350 voucherTeresa Coyle, OlneyPrize Twelve: Rose & Crown meal for twoTara Lewis, Olneythe area%u2019s rich tapestry of times gone by.The %u2018Ancient Gallery%u2019 will bring the city%u2019s past to life like never before, using the latest technology to stir imaginations, starting with the fossilised remains of an Ichthyosaur. Discovered during the excavations for Caldecotte Lake, the sea creature, now aff ectionately called Iggy, is 180 million years old. It shows that millions of years before Milton Keynes was conceived, the area was under the sea.The Ancient Gallery has been made possible with funding from Milton Keynes City Council, and support from the Headley Trust, the Hobson Foundation and a bequest from local resident Robert Excell.%u201cFrom weights, looms and fl ints to toys, jewellery and an insight into the Black Death that devastated the area several hundred years ago,%u201d said Museum Director Bill Griffi ths. %u201cWe have delivered an outstanding space with exhibits that have genuine appeal for all ages, and one which really brings the history to life.%u201d Builders are %u2018Excellent%u2019 Local building contractors Watson & Cox have been awarded an %u2018excellent%u2019 score of 40/45 from the Considerate Constructors Scheme. The scheme recognises the builders%u2019 consideration of neighbours on noise levels, management of construction traffi c to minimise disruption and their understanding of adaptation to engage with individuals with learning disabilities.They have been working with MK charity Camphill Milton Keynes to build new accessible homes for adults with learning and physical disabilities. The family-run building fi rm is currently building the fi rst of fi ve houses in Pennyland, which will become part of Camphill%u2019s community, which has been in the city for over 40 years. %u201cI am very proud of the team at Watson & Cox and the way colleagues have come together to meet our ambitious targets set for Considerate Constructor,%u201d said contract manager Matt Cooper.New trail in parkThe Parks Trust and Living Archive have created a new trail for visitors to discover more about the city%u2019s central park. It%u2019s all to celebrate more than 40 years of Campbell Park. Supported by funding from MK City Council and MK Community Foundation, the trail includes special interviews %u2013 to watch, listen to, and read %u2013 with some of the people behind the design of the park and those who care for it today.Aimed at adults and older children, the interactive trail can be started from anywhere in the park %u2013 just look out for the special A3 trail boards, and scan the QR codes.%u201cThe central park has been a key part of the development of Milton Keynes, and it%u2019s great to be able to share stories from behind the scenes,%u201d said Sarah Griffi ths, Outdoor Learning and Interpretation Manager. More details: theparkstrust.com/campbellpark40.Vintage Day at the Olney CentreJewellery, collectables and valuables were in abundance last month when a specialist company came to town to off er free valuations.Leeds-based WeBuyVintage held their fi rstever Antiques Roadshow in the Olney Centre and vowed that they would be back again later this year. The town%u2019s residents brought in their unwanted items, and some sold them for cash there and then.Spokeswoman Chloe Cropper said that the visit had been a great success and that she and her valuers were looking forward to returning in the summer.An Ichthyosaur named Iggy