History Ink was commissioned to create a special exhibition to mark the opening of Santander UK's new Unity Place headquarters in Milton Keynes. The exhibition also formed part of the bank's milestone 175th anniversary celebrations. Unveiled in November 2024 and situated in the building's main lobby, the exhibition was designed to engage both Santander employees and members of the public.
Through historical photographs, archival documents, film and oral histories, the exhibition explores the fascinating history of Milton Keynes, from its ancient origins as a crossroads to its transformation into one of Britain's most ambitious New Towns. It also celebrates Santander UK's longstanding relationship with the city.
A city at the crossroads
A visitor explores the history of Milton Keynes as a crossroads for travellers and traders.
Long before Milton Keynes became a New Town, the area was an important meeting point for travellers and traders. The ancient Roman road of Watling Street crossed the region, while the arrival of the Grand Union Canal in the early nineteenth century and the railway brought new opportunities for trade and industry. Later, the construction of the M1 motorway further strengthened the area's connections with the rest of Britain.
One of the exhibition's most compelling stories concerns Bletchley Park, the country estate that became the headquarters of Britain's wartime codebreaking operations. During the Second World War, thousands of men and women worked in extraordinary secrecy to decipher enemy communications. Their achievements, including work on the German Enigma cipher, played a crucial role in the Allied war effort and helped lay the foundations for modern computing.
The exhibition brings the incredible story of Bletchley Park to life.
The exhibition also explores the remarkable vision behind the creation of Milton Keynes in 1967. Planners imagined a radically different kind of city, combining modern housing, employment and leisure facilities with extensive green spaces. Their ambitious proposals included a distinctive grid-road system, neighbourhood centres and innovative designs for housing and transport. Historic plans and illustrations featured in the exhibition reveal the scale of these aspirations and the optimism that accompanied the development of the New Town.
The exhibition featured replica plans, maps, postcards and historic photographs.
The exhibition was curated with the support of the MK Living Archive - an incredible digital archive which chronicles the history of Milton Keynes.
Bringing local history to life
Alongside these stories, the exhibition explores the people and communities who shaped Milton Keynes and the city's development into a centre for business and technology.
A central feature of the exhibition was an interactive touchscreen, inviting visitors to explore the city's history through the voices of local residents. Working with our project history partner, the Living Archive of Milton Keynes, History Ink produced a series of oral history recordings that offered personal perspectives on the city's changing landscape and communities.
The exhibition celebrates local histories.
An interactive touchscreen display allows visitors to explore oral histories recorded by History Ink and MK Living Archive.
History Ink was responsible for the exhibition's historical research, narrative development, image sourcing and curation, as well as the production of the interactive oral history content. Working closely with our exhibition designers, Sugar HK, we brought together a rich selection of historical material to create an engaging and accessible display.
The result was a vibrant celebration of Milton Keynes' past and present, highlighting the city's remarkable transformation and Santander UK's continuing commitment to the community it calls home.
Historic postcards showing Milton Keynes as it was.
