Our photos come from the city’s Living Archive collection. Some of these were donated by members of the public while many others came from old newspapers at the time, including the MK Citizen and our former sister paper the Milton Keynes Gazette.
In the 1980s the new shopping centre was still the place to be, with people saying they were going ‘up city’ to vist the shops, The Point or the plethora of pubs and clubs.
Milton Keynes Hospital was very much a talking point after it officially opened in 1984, as was the famous ‘red balloon’ advert of that year, urging people to come and live in the new city.
The local landscape, formerly fields and farmland, continued to change almost daily as new estates sprang up and new schools and local centres opened.
Take a flick through our gallery of photos and see what you can remember.
5. 1980s in Milton Keynes
The shopping building was still shiny and new in the 80s - and people loved going 'up city' to visit it. Photo: Living Archive
6. 1980s in Milton Keynes
Bletchley Leisure Centre still had its famous 'caterpillar' tunnel, completed with ponds and wildlife underneath. Photo: Living Archive
7. 1980s in Milton Keynes
The former Bow Bells pub in Bletchley had a famous landlord in the 80s - professional wrestler Johnny Kincaid Photo: Living Archive
8. 1980s in Milton Keynes
This was 1984 and the famous 'red balloon advert' was shot in Milton Keynes. Shown in national TV, it extolled the virtues of the new city. Photo: Living Archive