The Point

Thirty two years ago, this building was revolutionary. The new city of Milton Keynes wasn't yet twenty years old, and this was its new entertainment complex. It housed the very first multi-screen cinema in the UK, which itself did wonders to revive the flagging cinema industry, it had a bar and a brasserie, a night club and in the basement, a bingo hall. There was live music in the bar, particularly on Sunday lunchtimes when there were Jazz sessions, and the cinema held a Royal premiere of the film 'Presumed Innocent', attended by Sarah, Duchess of York. The diagonal supports were illuminated so that it could be seen for miles around, and in a new town where entertainment was scarce, it was an amazing development.

But times change. The city grew, new entertainment venues were opened and the Point started to look dated. It couldn't compete so lots of the attractions closed. A pizza restaurant moved in for a while, but that closed and even a YMCA cafe couldn't last the pace. The cinema finally closed in 2015.

Despite a small but enthusiastic campaign to have the building listed for preservation the council agreed that it could be demolished and replaced with yet another 'retail unit'. There are no signs yet of any work starting but in the meantime it is a fairly sad looking reminder of what an exciting and optimistic place it once was.