Milton Keynes is not boring, according to new BBC Sounds podcast

In the Hometown Boring podcast Anouska Lewis learns about the Milton Keynes rave scene from the 1990s

A historian has created a new podcast defending her hometown of Milton Keynes.

Anouska Lewis, 26, was born in the Buckinghamshire city and is the presenter of BBC sounds podcast Hometown Boring.

She said it was only when she went to university "it really hit home with how supposedly boring Milton Keynes is".

Through her podcasts she wanted to explore places that may not have "cool reputations" like her hometown.

"I wanted to make a history podcast that was relatable and light-hearted and fun, but also educational," she said.

"But I also wanted to spotlight places that have a similar reputation to Milton Keynes, ones that often get dismissed instead of being a cool city like Liverpool or Manchester."

• BBC Sounds: Hometown Boring, a podcast about misjudged places

Anouska Lewis was inspired to make her podcast after people were continuously dismissive of her hometown

Hometown Boring is made up of six episodes that visit towns such as Slough, Plymouth and Chepstow in Wales.

Each podcast highlights lesser-known history from the featured area in a bid to demonstrate how interesting the location really is.

In Milton Keynes Ms Lewis explored the city's involvement in 1990s rave culture.

She spoke to DJs who performed at the Sanctuary Music Arena, which closed in 2004 but would attract people from across the country.

Ms Lewis was surprised to discover the city's rave history.

"When people [who are into rave] think about their teenage years they think Milton Keynes," she said.

The concrete cows in Milton Keynes are replicas, while the 1978 originals are on display in a museum

The podcaster said when she first returned to Milton Keynes from university she was surprised by how "comforting" she found the town.

Ms Lewis said: "I realised how comforting the dual carriageways and the greenery around the roads was, which is so weird."

The Milton Keynes resident said she often feels protective of her hometown when it is "misjudged or dismissed by others".

She said there is a lot to love about the city and praised the "innovative design" of the town as well as the "hippy" shopping centre.

"I have got to give a shout-out to the roundabouts, I low-key love the roundabouts," she added.