Milton Keynes – famed for its roundabouts and concrete cows - marked its 50th anniversary with a weekend of celebrations.
Housing minister Anthony Greenwood was given permission to build the Buckinghamshire “new town” on January 23 1967, transforming 8,850 hectares of farmland into a 250,000-strong development.
The project was part of a plan to ease London’s housing shortage and it has continued to grow to meet demand over the last five decades.
It now has an economy worth £9.6billion and is marking its success with a festival called MK50.
The town, most famous in recent years for the 2004 relocation of Wimbledon FC and producing Olympian Greg Rutherford, has been criticised for its uninspiring design.
But speaking earlier this year, the town’s Deputy Mayor insisted “MK” had plenty to be proud about.
He said: "We've nothing to be ashamed of in Milton Keynes.
“Yes we do have roundabouts because it helps make the traffic move faster, we do have concrete cows because that's the symbol of Milton Keynes."
"We're the place to be. We're the place where people want to come and live and we're the place with an identity all of its own.
"It's much more than concrete cows and roundabouts, it's actually a place for prosperity.”
MK50 kicked off with a birthday weekend, followed by a host of events throught the year.
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