39-629: The Sanctuary Music Arena was a 22,000 sq ft, 3,500 capacity music venue in Denbigh North , Milton Keynes in the UK , and most well known for its connection to the rave scene . Originally intended for industrial use, the unit was built speculatively in 1990 but failed to find a tenant due to the early 1990s' recession. It was first used as a music venue by ESP Promotions to host their inaugural Dreamscape raves from December 1991, after ESP Promotions owner (the late Murray Beetson) had reached an agreement with
78-699: A McDonald's and KFC on the Saxon Street side of the stadium, with a DW Sports Fitness centre on the Grafton Street side of the stadium. The main retail centre of the MK1 Shopping Park opened in December 2012, which comprises Marks and Spencer , Outfit (previously BHS ), H&M , New Look , Next , Primark and River Island which opened sites in the shopping park. The latter was developed adjacent to Stadium MK by InterMK and The Crown Estate . InterMK
117-556: A food court, and said, 'Hey, we should do that, except as a robbery!' More likely, they stumbled on the simple realization (like I did back in 2003, but like lots of other people had before and have since) that one consequence of all this technology is that you can coordinate a ton of people to show up in the same place at the same time. These kids are taking part in what's basically a meme . They heard about it from friends, and probably saw it on YouTube, and now they're getting their chance to participate in it themselves. HuffPost raised
156-471: A large private house, 'Denbigh Hall', to the south-east of the inn – its site is approximately at the junction of Whaddon Way with Melrose Avenue. Network Rail continues to use this name (Denbigh Hall) for its marshalling yards north of Bletchley railway station , near the site of the inn. The West Coast Main Line bridge (number 158) over Watling Street near here bears a plaque that explains that
195-508: A national audience to its 12-hour all night events. As well as rave events, several high-profile live music acts appeared at The Sanctuary, including The Cult , The Prodigy , Brand New Heavies , Gary Numan , and Paul Weller . Starting with ESP's New Year's Eve 1994 Dreamscape event, promoters would occasionally use the adjacent "Rollers UK" roller skating rink as an extra dance arena in conjunction with The Sanctuary. Later still (early 2000s), event promoters Slammin' Vinyl also made use of
234-465: A prime location for illegal activities (such as pickpocketing and looting) to take place. Lev Grossman suggests that the story title is a source of the term "flash mob". Flash mobs began as a form of performance art . While they started as an apolitical act, flash mobs may share superficial similarities to political demonstrations . In the 1960s, groups such as the Yippies used street theatre to expose
273-638: A second smaller dance arena upstairs. Due to the redesign and additional features, the licensed capacity of the venue was reduced to 3,500 people. The venue became pivotal in the development of numerous underground electronic dance music genres, sub-genres and styles. Owned by Tony Rosenberg, The Sanctuary played host to the UK's biggest dance music promoters of the time, including Dreamscape, Helter Skelter , Slammin Vinyl, Gatecrasher , Hardcore Heaven, Cream , Slinky, Uproar, Sidewinder, and Godskitchen . The venue attracted
312-486: A shoe boutique in SoHo was invaded by participants pretending to be tourists on a bus trip. Wasik claimed that he created flash mobs as a social experiment designed to poke fun at hippies and to highlight the cultural atmosphere of conformity and of wanting to be an insider or part of "the next big thing". The Vancouver Sun wrote, "It may have backfired on him ... [Wasik] may instead have ended up giving conformity
351-510: A shopping mall—which happens to be covered by a news crew—quickly swells into a riot. In the story, broadcast coverage attracts the attention of other people, who use the widely available technology of the teleportation booth to swarm first that event—thus intensifying the riot—and then other events as they happen. Commenting on the social impact of such mobs, one character (articulating the police view) says, "We call them flash crowds, and we watch for them." In related short stories, they are named as
390-401: A vehicle that allowed it to appear nonconforming." In another interview he said "the mobs started as a kind of playful social experiment meant to encourage spontaneity and big gatherings to temporarily take over commercial and public areas simply to show that they could". In 19th-century Tasmania , the term flash mob was used to describe a subculture consisting of female prisoners, based on
429-408: Is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics (such as protests), commercial advertisement , publicity stunts that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals. In these cases of a planned purpose for the social activity in question, the term smart mobs is often applied instead. The term " flash rob " or "flash mob robberies", a reference to
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#1732870129007468-461: Is owned by Pete Winkelman , chairman of the MK Dons. The development also includes a newer leisure facility and cinema complex directly behind the stadium, comprising an Odeon IMAX Cinema, Nandos , Bella Italia , TGI Fridays , Prezzo and Frankie and Benny's which opened in late February/early March 2015. The MK1 Shopping Park expanded once again, constructing a new five-unit development in
507-613: Is the norm elsewhere in Britain. These lands to the east of Watling Street were originally in the manor of Simpson . This district, next to the junction of the A5 with the A421 , includes the 30,500 all-seater Stadium MK for Milton Keynes Dons F.C. as well as a hotel and retail outlets. The football stadium opened in July 2007 and was ready for the start of the 2007/08 season . An indoor basketball arena for
546-642: The MK Gallery , celebrating 30 years of the venue. Denbigh North Denbigh is a district in Milton Keynes , Buckinghamshire , England, to the north of Fenny Stratford and on the eastern side of the West Coast Main Line (and on the opposite side to the rest of Bletchley ). It is in the civil parish of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and is categorised by the Office for National Statistics as part of
585-426: The "Fastrack" go-karting arena (the third and final unit on the site), creating a 9,000 capacity multi-arena dance venue, one of the largest of its kind in the country. The close association of rave with drug culture resulted in the public entertainment licence of The Sanctuary being challenged several times. Generally the local council were supportive as were Thames Valley Police , with the owner working alongside
624-480: The Bletchley built-up area. The A5 forms its eastern and northern boundary; parts of Bletcham Way and Saxon St form its southern boundary. The overall district has five sub districts, divided by Watling St/Denbigh Rd, the 'uptick' of Bletcham Way and Grafton Street, and Saxon Street northbound. The district names are planning designations that have persisted without ever being changed to the style "North Denbigh" etc. as
663-524: The Internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse." This definition is consistent with the original use of the term; however, both news media and promoters have subsequently used the term to refer to any form of smart mob, including political protests; a collaborative Internet denial of service attack; a collaborative supercomputing demonstration; and promotional appearances by pop musicians. The press has also used
702-472: The area, the Sanctuary finally closed its doors on 10 July 2004 with rave promoter Slammin Vinyl hosting the final event. The Sanctuary (and surrounding buildings) were subsequently demolished to make way for a new IKEA store. In September 2008, a flashmob event was organised on social networking resulting in a five-minute "rave" within the store. The Sanctuary was the subject of a January 2022 exhibition at
741-666: The attention of the MP the issues of licensing and in particular, the need for regulated door and event security ("bouncers"). This subsequently led to Dr. Starkey's Private Members Bill to Parliament in 1998 which although unsuccessful, eventually persuaded the Government to introduce the Private Security Industry Act 2001 , leading to the formation of the Security Industry Authority in 2003. Due to plans to redevelop
780-420: The authorities introducing harm minimisation for "ravers" (including drinking water fountains and on-site paramedic teams with private ambulances) but with parallel strong policing trying to prevent the sale of illegal substances within the venue. In 1997, through a police challenge to The Sanctuary licence, the owner sought the assistance of the then MP for Milton Keynes South Dr. Phyllis Starkey , bringing to
819-486: The eighteenth century when the sixth Earl of Denbigh stopped there overnight and was made so comfortable that he declared it his half-way house to London. The inn no longer exists; its site is shown on the 1885 Ordnance Survey as just north of the bridge 158 where the West Coast Main Line crosses Watling Street. A third tale relates that the nobleman was given an axe when he asked for a bill. The same map shows
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#1732870129007858-619: The first phase of the London and Birmingham Railway line terminated here, at Denbigh Hall station . At this point, passengers transferred to stage coaches for onward transfer by road to Birmingham. Flash mob A flash mob (or flashmob ) is a group of people that assembles suddenly in a public place, performs for a brief time, then quickly disperses, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and/or artistic expression. Flash mobs may be organized via telecommunications , social media , or viral emails . The term, coined in 2003,
897-436: The landlord for short-term event hire. Beetson had been looking for a larger venue after the success of his nights at Milwaukees nightclub, Bedfordshire . As it was never designed for this purpose, there were a number of licensing conditions to be met before the go ahead was given by the local authorities, one of which was the installation of additional fire exits – at ESP's expense – to cope with
936-471: The media, crimes organized by teenage youth using social media rose to international notoriety beginning in 2011. The National Retail Federation does not classify these crimes as "flash mobs" but rather "multiple offender crimes" that utilize "flash mob tactics". In a report, the NRF noted, "multiple offender crimes tend to involve groups or gangs of juveniles who already know each other, which does not earn them
975-495: The ninth-floor rug department of the store, gathering around an expensive rug. Anyone approached by a sales assistant was advised to say that the gatherers lived together in a warehouse on the outskirts of New York, that they were shopping for a "love rug", and that they made all their purchase decisions as a group. Subsequently, 200 people flooded the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel in synchronized applause for about 15 seconds, and
1014-721: The original 'Marquis of Granby" inn nearby, as described next. The modern industrial district called Denbigh Hall is in West Bletchley rather than in Denbigh, but is mentioned here because its history gives rise to the name Denbigh. A local heritage map shows that it lies on the site of 'Denbigh Farm' It is separated from Denbigh by Watling Street . The original Denbigh Hall was an inn on Watling Street, dating from 1710. Family recollections say that it had previously been known as 'the Marquis of Granby' but that it had changed its name in
1053-517: The planned 4,000 capacity. Due to the success of the four Dreamscape parties held at the venue from December 1991 to May 1992 (each party selling out in advance), entrepreneur Tony Rosenberg purchased the site and had it re-purposed into a dedicated music venue. After closing in the autumn of 1992 for the redevelopment work to take place, the venue reopened in December as The Sanctuary Music Arena and included dedicated toilet and bar facilities with an ancient Rome theme running throughout, as well as adding
1092-532: The post-code MK1 1AA. Many internet mapping sites assumed that this meant that it is the centre of Milton Keynes and mark it according. It is actually about three miles south of Central Milton Keynes (which has the MK9 postcode). This is a small area, just north of the stadium. It is mainly industrial, but includes a mosque and a small, isolated, council housing block (that is planned for regeneration in future Milton Keynes Council plans). The district takes its name from
1131-432: The public to political issues. Flash mobs can be seen as a specialized form of smart mob , a term and concept proposed by author Howard Rheingold in his 2002 book Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution . The first documented use of the term flash mob as it is understood today was in 2003 in a blog entry posted in the aftermath of Wasik's event. The term was inspired by the earlier term smart mob . Flash mob
1170-449: The question asking if "the media was responsible for stirring things up", and added that in some cases the local authorities did not confirm the use of social media making the "use of the term flash mob questionable". Amanda Walgrove wrote that criminals involved in such activities do not refer to themselves as "flash mobs", but that this use of the term is nonetheless appropriate. Dr. Linda Kiltz drew similar parallels between flash robs and
1209-407: The space between the original shopping park and the newer cinema complex. This comprises, at its opening, a JD Sports , Carphone Warehouse and Card Factory . This opened in early December 2017. The hotel is a DoubleTree by Hilton Worldwide , part of the stadium complex. The development is on the former site of 'Denbigh Sports Ground' and 'Denbigh North Leisure', an entertainment complex which
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1248-430: The term flash language for the jargon that these women used. The 19th-century Australian term flash mob referred to a segment of society, not an event, and showed no other similarities to the modern term flash mob or the events it describes. In 1973, the story " Flash Crowd " by Larry Niven described a concept similar to flash mobs. With the invention of popular and very inexpensive teleportation , an argument at
1287-749: The term flash mob to refer to a practice in China where groups of shoppers arrange online to meet at a store in order to drive a collective bargain. The city of Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany, has stopped flash mobs by strictly enforcing the already existing law of requiring a permit to use any public space for an event. In the United Kingdom, a number of flash mobs have been stopped over concerns for public health and safety. The British Transport Police have urged flash mob organizers to "refrain from holding such events at railway stations". Referred to as flash robs , flash mob robberies , or flash robberies by
1326-561: The term 'flash mob'." Mark Leary, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University , said that most "flash mob thuggery" involves crimes of violence that are otherwise ordinary, but are perpetrated suddenly by large, organized groups of people: "What social media adds is the ability to recruit such a large group of people, that individuals who would not rob a store or riot on their own feel freer to misbehave without being identified." It's hard for me to believe that these kids saw some YouTube video of people Christmas caroling in
1365-461: The then Milton Keynes Lions basketball team was planned as part of the stadium complex but as of mid-2014 has yet to materialise. The major retailers are an Asda supercentre and IKEA superstore, with smaller shops in the MK1 Shopping Park. The superstores were open for business by the end of 2005. The first units of the MK1 Shopping Park, constructed later of the Asda and IKEA development, include
1404-588: The way flash mobs assemble, has been used to describe a number of robberies and assaults perpetrated suddenly by groups of teenage youth. Bill Wasik , originator of the first flash mobs, and a number of other commentators have questioned or objected to the usage of "flash mob" to describe criminal acts. Flash mob has also been featured in some Hollywood movie series, such as Step Up . The first flash mobs were created in Manhattan in 2003, by Bill Wasik , senior editor of Harper's Magazine . The first attempt
1443-505: Was added to the 11th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary on July 8, 2004, where it noted it as an "unusual and pointless act" separating it from other forms of smart mobs such as types of performance, protests, and other gatherings. Also recognized noun derivatives are flash mobber and flash mobbing. Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English defines flash mob as "a group of people who organize on
1482-518: Was home to the Sanctuary Music Arena . Denbigh West is an employment area, best known as the home of Marshall Amplification . It is on the east side of Watling Street, west of Saxon Street.. Denbigh East is another employment area, east of Saxon Street and west of the Grand Union canal . This district is an industrial/employment area. The Milton Keynes central sorting office was here, with
1521-454: Was unsuccessful after the targeted retail store was tipped off about the plan for people to gather. Wasik avoided such problems during the first successful flash mob, which occurred on June 17, 2003, at Macy's department store, by sending participants to preliminary staging areas—in four Manhattan bars—where they received further instructions about the ultimate event and location just before the event began. More than 130 people converged upon
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