B
L ocal Democracy Reporter PL ANNING MEETING’S AUDIO SYSTEM
STAR LETTER GRIDLOCK RESULT OF NEW TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
The planning committee meeting of August 15, was told that the audio problems were “not acceptable ” Committee chair, Cllr Jonathan Abbott (LibDems, Oakley) said: “No one can hear us through the system at the moment “This is not good,” he added Cllr Abbott later said he received a message from an officer attending remotely that he couldn’t hear any of the debate
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Man charged with murder A MAN appeared in court on Thursday, August 25, 2022 accused of the murder of 26 year old Kameron Campbell in Bedford Frederico Saurini, 51, of Palgrave Road, Bedford was on a video link from Bedford prison for the short hearing at Luton crown court He was aided by an Italian interpreter Mr Cameron suffered stab wounds in Palgrave Road on Saturday, August 20, and was pronounced dead shortly after wards His family has paid tribute to him calling him a “loving, caring boy ” In a tribute, his father said: “You have left a big hole in our hearts; we will miss your cheeki ness RIP, we will always love you from Mama, Dad and family ” His mother said: “He was a loving, caring boy and would help anyone. He was loved and will be missed, our hearts are shattered, love Mum, your sisters and Nan ” O R O U G H c o u n c i l l o r s v e n t e d their frustration with the council video conferencing system when a ‘short meeting’ was delayed and extended due to technical issues.
2021 ESTATE AGENT IN BEDFORD We won! Talk to us...Bulletin BEDS BEDFORD BOROUGH EDITION SEPTEMBER 2022
BLINK
TO THE EDITOR: The seemingly interminable road works at the Clapham Road and Manton Lane roundabouts have resulted in a traffic system that is an absolute disaster, but reading the comments of those responsible for the scheme in last month’s Beds Bulletin, you’d think they have been an unmitigated success Apart from the bewildering plethora of traffic lights that result in stop start traffic over the entire area, the project has introduced a new obstacle, that of Bedford bound drivers wanting to get onto to the Clapham Road roundabout from The Great Ouse Way being unable to do so, even though their lights are on green, because vehicles already on the roundabout are unable to move due to their lights being on red The result? Gridlock And then there s the left turn filter lane up Manton Lane, which is so poorly sited that it is impossible to see if there is any traffic approaching that has right of way My wife has already seen one three car collision there, and I saw one incident recently when another collision was avoided by inches thanks solely to the alertness and quick thinking of one of the drivers Cllr Charles Royden, who as Portfolio Holder for Highways is presumably responsible for the scheme, is quoted in your article saying that it had eased congestion and made roads safer Total poppycock What it has done is not to have eased congestion at the two roundabouts but made it worse, and has also introduced even more congestion, and thus long traffic queues, throughout the day, not only on the roundabouts them selves but also on every road leading up to them Perhaps as the leader of a LibDem council, Mayor Hodgson thinks that the project is a success because it makes life easier for cyclists and pedestrians I would suggest it doesn’t even do that. Geoff Courtney Bromham
Someone from the support team replied: “We are chasing this up with Public i [the system providers], we’ll let you know as soon as we have an update ” “We’ll be through with the application by then,” Cllr Abbott said. It was then discovered that the applicant, who was also attending remotely, couldn’t hear any thing “I’m very very disappointed by this,” councillor Abbot said “We’ve had this for a few meetings now, this is not acceptable ” John Guinn GOES ON THE
Continued from page 1 Cllr Wendy Rider (LibDems, Brickhill) said: “This is a good system, but every time there has been a problem, it’s just not accept able “I’m very, very disappointed with what’s going on,” she said The meeting was adjourned to give the support team time to resolve the issues, but there was still an audio issue when the meeting reconvened When the meeting finally ended, council lor Abbott said: “I would thank everyone for coming to what should have been a short meeting this evening “I really hope by September we have our IT issues sorted out “I will say the fact that the system wasn’t even started when the meeting started tonight is not acceptable, and I will be bringing this up with committee services ” Public i was approached for a comment, its spokesperson said: “We are, of course, disappointed to hear of the negative feedback about our system “Public i installed a new webcasting system into the Chamber at Bedford Borough Council in June of this year Following training in early July, the council began to stream its meetings using this system “Some issues became apparent during the first few meetings Whilst some were normal “teething” problems whilst users got used to the system, there were some changes we needed to make too “An engineer attended site to rectify these on July 18 Since then, the system has operated as intended Public i have provided additional support and training for users to increase confidence and reduce user error “Unfortunately, the council’s own network has since experienced some unrelated problems “This was the cause of the issues seen on Monday, August 15, where we saw packet loss (loss of data) and a consequent drop in the livestream “Public i is not responsible for the council’s network Nevertheless, our team has been working closely with the council’s IT department to help them locate and solve the issue “We look forward to resuming our normal service as soon as these internal issues are solved ”
2 SEPTEMBER 2022 TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@bedsbulletin com B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N ADVICE SURGERIES Richard holds regular surgeries across North East Bedfordshire If you would like to book an appointment, please call 01767 313385 Member of Parliament for North East Bedfordshire
Planning meeting’s audio system goes on the blink
BARELY a year has past since the Borough Council spent your money on Bedford High Street Have you been in to town recently? Have you noticed the state of the pavements? Was it money well spent? Look at the photographs here, taken before the deluge of recent rain, per haps they might be cleaner now? But surely the cleanliness of the pavements shouldn’t be at the behest of the weather!
A Bedford Borough Council spokesper son said: “It’s a new system, and while not ideal, teething problems are to be expected “Officers are being trained on the new system and we are working closely with Public i to ensure the smooth running of future streaming “Unfortunately technical issues can hap pen from time to time and the council’s tech nology team and Public i are working together to find the root cause of issue ”
The Mayor announced back in November that the council would be deploying a street cleaning machine but it turns out this is a whirring brush affair, picking up only solid objects What about the stains from spilt drinks and vomit? When the High Street works were costed surely there was an allowance for street cleaning? If there was, then why are the streets so filthy and if there wasn’t why not? and to put the tin hat on it, someone dropped a tin of paint at the top end of the high street putting double white lines down the length of the High Street you couldn’t make it up Going from bad to worse!
The developer Adlington Retirement Living has released pictures showing what the exterior of the age exclusive retirement community is expected to look like Alexandra Johnson, Sales and Marketing Director for Adlington Retirement Living, said: “Our award winning approach to inde pendent living, ensures Home owners don’t have to compromise on their lifestyle, their social life or their independence We aim to pro vide a community spirit, whilst promoting independence and indi vidual respect It’s a chance to become part of a thriving commu nity of like minded people, with a shared outlook ” Four of Adlington’s retirement communities have won Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards for the Best Retirement Development at the WhatHouse? Awards, the UK housebuilding’s most prestigious event Adlington House in Otley won the Gold Award in 2017, The Folds in Romiley and the Bridges in Macclesfield won the Silver Award in 2020 and 2019, and Adlington House in Portishead won the Bronze Award in 2015 The Newells will offer residents the best of both worlds Homeowners will be able to enjoy the privacy of their own peaceful and spacious apartment, spend time in the leafy gardens (main tained by an expert team of garden ers), relax in the hair salon, therapy suite or Homeowners’ Lounge and enjoy the restaurant Alexandra Johnson adds: “One of the main benefits of retirement living is not having to worry about maintaining a house and garden anymore It’s lovely to hear so many of our Homeowners at our other communities comment on the free time and energy they have to enjoy life They often remark how much more ‘me time’ they discover not having to worry about repairs, DIY or mowing ”
“The support from my customers, friends and family was amazing People just kept turning up to give me donations, or they would donate through our Just Giving page,” Pep said “I was posting about my jour ney via our social media and I received such lovely feedback It motivated me to get up and out every day Once I finished the 100km, I didn’t want to stop, I had to give a bit more,” he added Pep’s support for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice is fuelled by a number of personal connections: “I started out running the garage alongside my dad and for years he donated money to the hospice he still does to this day! I then did my first fundraiser in July 2020 and ran 50k raising more than £700 “My uncle and gran were cared for at the hospice, as well as the secretary of our garage, who worked with us for many years, from when I was a kid It’s a place that sits very close to our hearts,” he said Pep, who confesses to be a novice runner, combined road running with getting on the running machine at his local gym in a bid to complete the 150km “I like to challenge myself with things I can’t do, things I find diffi cult, I have always been like that,” he said Pep raised an amazing £600 through May for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice which provides expert and compassionate pallia tive care to people living with life limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families “I would like to say a big thank you to the customers of Doms Auto Services for all the support they have given me and for being so generous with their donations,” Pep added To donate visit: https://www justgiving com/fundrai sing/pep marsala If Pep’s story has inspired you to take on a challenge of your own in aid of Sue Ryder contact the fundraising team on 01767 642 410 or email stjohnsfundraising@sueryder org Beds Bulletin would like to extend their condolences to Pep and his family following their recent tragic loss
THE Secretary of State for Transport has decided to grant planning permission (a Develop ment Consent Order) to upgrade the route between the A1 Black Cat roundabout and A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout with a brand new 10 mile dual car riageway. Both existing roundabouts will be upgraded to modern, free flowing junctions with a new junction at Cambridge Road, improving access to St Neots town centre and train sta tion The new road will fill in the missing link of dual carriageway on the strategic road network between Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, helping drivers save up to an hour and a half on their journeys every week
A successful meeting, hosted by the University of Bedfordshire and chaired by Nick Martin, Principal of Samuel Whitbread Academy, was held recently, with the participating head teachers and leaders of 6th forms to officially open the project and design support packages for each school Prof Lee Hubbard of Samuel Whitbread Academy, Best Trust, will be leading the project including devel oping support of the initial teacher training programme to help new teaching staff in working with high attain ing students Yvonne Ashby, from the Wootton trust will be using her considerable experience leading sup port for Degree Apprenticeships The project is ready to start in September to open in Autumn 2023, The Newells in Kempston will offer 60 stylish one, two and three bedroom retirement apartments for the over 55’s, in a safe and secure environ ment, with the benefit of patios or walk out balconies
The funding supports the employment of experienced teachers to manage the school aspects of the project, support the students and arrange attendance at events organised by the academic partners Headteacher of Biddenham International School, David Bailey, said: “The importance of ensuring our students have all the skills and capabilities at the high est level cannot be overstressed ”
Raising aspirations in Bedfordshire
A GROUND breaking scheme has been set up to sup port students in Bedfordshire aspiring to be accepted into Oxbridge and Russell Group universities The Connolly Foundation are giving annual grants of up £3,000 to year 12 and 13 pupils to improve their chances of being accepted by the country’s leading universities as well as those aspiring to take top degree apprenticeship places Wadham College Oxford and Pembroke College Cambridge are part of the project, giving the chance for young people to attend two of the most prestigious seats of learning in the country
The three Bedfordshire based universities, Cranfield, Milton Keynes and the University of Bedfordshire have joined as academic partners supporting students They also assist with staff training and develop ment Twelve secondary schools are currently signed up to the project: Wootton, Van Dyke, Harlington, Biddenham, Redborne, Stratton, Samuel Whitbread, Queensbury, Sharnbrook and Mark Rutherford, Cedars Upper School and Sandy Upper School
TEL: 07894 935952 ADS: advertising@bedsbulletin com SEPTEMBER 2022 3 K E M P S T O N C A L L I N G B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N NEW BOMBAY BEDFORD’S MOST ESTABLISHED INDIAN RESTAURANT Tel: 01234 218218 www.newbombay.co.uk 53B Harpur Street, Bedford
Work has begun on a new r etir ement living community DUE
PEP Marsala, who helps run Doms Auto Services with his father in Bedford, recently swapped his overalls for running gear to take on his second charity fundraiser in aid of Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice Pep, 38, originally planned to run 100km in May, but having completed the mileage by mid month, and with money still coming in thanks to his generous customers and friends and family, he decided to keep going, finishing with 150km on the clock
Dualling of A428 Black Cat to Ca xton Gibbet gets go ahead
Bedfor d business owner goes the extra mile for local hospice
4 SEPTEMBER 2022 TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@bedsbulletin com B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N Telephone: 01234 273 172 www.angliamobility.co.uk 7 Brunel Road (off Barkers Lane) Bedford MK41 9TG Open: Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5pm ————————————————WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON ————————————————— Visit our showroom or if you are housebound we can offer a home visit to discuss your needs. GREAT RANGE OF SCOOTERS ON DISPLAY GREAT RANGE OF FIRESIDE CHAIRS FROM ONLY £299 20 RISER RECLINER CHAIRS ON SHOW THREE AND FOUR WHEELED WALKERS FROM ONLY £59 H MADE USTABLE BEDS FROM ONLY £699 WHEEL CHAIRS IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY KINGSLEY COMPACT RISE/RECLINER CHAIR, DUAL MOTOR £899 Available for next day delivery in a range of fabrics Good clean used scooters bought for cash Bedford’s leading mobility specialist LSTAIR FIFTS REE SHOME URVEY Walk in showers and baths supplied and fitted S A L E S • H I R E • S E R V I C I N G • R E P A I R • S P A R E S
and Europe It’s
photos
book
to stand
readers Everybody can
together in cele brating life’s pleasures without the travel chaos! To further give back to our community, local busi nesses have generously donated over £100 worth of prizes for a related competition Visit the Faithful Stories www faithfulstories com/ competitions for more details Let’s take Bedfordshire to the world Join in the fun and please share this venture with your friends and family across the globe The book is available as an E book, Paperback, and Hardback on Amazon, and it can also be ordered via email (FSpublications@outlook com) if you would like a signed copy Work finally underway at Wixams Railway Station? 2013 DATE FOR DELIVERY HAS SLIPPED A LITTLE! Beds Bulletin November 2019 Meet Bedfor d’s friendliest dinosaur
However,
Dave Hodgson, Elected Mayor of Bedford Borough, said: “I had a useful meeting on site with colleagues to discuss the Wixams railway station project It was great to see that enabling work has commenced and after many years of waiting some hing can now be seen to be happen ng, so will be welcomed by many ocal residents ” Bedford Borough Council recent undertook a non statutory public gagement on its plans for Wixams ilway station and will be submit g applications for planning per ssion in Summer 2022 (sic) You n find out more about the project at w bedford gov uk/WixamsStation Cllr Graeme Coombes (Wilsham d Ward) commented: “I’m cautiously mistic that the long delayed Wixams on is at last moving closer to becom reality The latest works are showing that real progress is being made as we move towards the construction phase, and hopefully we are still on track for a 2024 opening ”
TEL: 07894 935952 ADS: advertising@bedsbulletin com SEPTEMBER 2022 5 B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N Featured Brands: + LOADS MORE 18 ST MARTINS WAY, BEDFORD, MK42 0LF 01234 216720 TUE FRI: 9 5 / SAT: 10 4 • WWW.QPINTERIORS CO.UK Tel: 01234 857800 2a Howard Street, Kempston MK42 8EA elliottelectricalsuppliesltd@hotmail.co.uk Monday-Friday 8am-5pm Saturday 8am-1pm Call or visit for all your electrical supplies Trade & Public Welcome Visit our website or find us on Facebook www.elliottelectricalsupplies.co.uk Your local LED lighting specialist lighting specialist SAVE TIME, MONEY AND EFFORT 9am-9pm – 7 days a week Free UNDERLAY WITH HESSIAN BACKED CARPETS Call today for your free no obligation quote MOBILE SHOWROOM WE COME TO YOU www carpetline co uk Established 1993 0 7 9 7 1 2 7 6 7 4 0 0 1 9 0 8 6 1 4 7 7 7 ‘Make sure you can vote’ urges Bedford Borough Council THE Annual Canvass of house holds, to update the Electoral Register, is now live Each year we have to, by law, find out who is eligible to register to vote Communications (via email, letter or form) were sent, in stages, to all residential properties in Bedford Borough from July 21, 2022 You can respond by internet or by phone If these options are not accessible to you, the response can be posted back If you have received a form, please do not return it if you have responded using one of the digital methods, as we only need one response As required by the Government, if you do not respond, we will be required to send you another communication to remind you that you need to respond and this may also involve a personal visit to your property to obtain a response If you have recently moved address, it is important you look out for your communication and check whether you are registered at your new address Laura Church, Chief Executive and Electoral Registration Officer at Bedford Borough Council, said: “It’s important that residents keep an eye out for letters through your letterbox about the electoral regis ter from the council so we can make sure we have the right details for every address across Bedford Borough ”
Knocking shop shut down THE police in Bedford have closed down a brothel One person was arrested at the premises in Tavistock Street on suspicion of managing a brothel The building has been shut for three months under anti social behaviour laws
online
To date, photos have been
IN AUGUST, Mayor of Bedfor Borough, Dave Hodgson, visited th site of the proposed Wixams railwa station to observe the current work that are underway Geotechnical surveys are ongoing and a programme for ecology works has commenced, which will involve clearance of vegetation and installa tion of ecological fencing all in preparation for the construction phase of the project which will begin in late 2023
KEMPSTON residents, Stacey Gittens and Gail Yerrill, have created a humorous keepsake picture book, set in Wootton, as a reward for everyone who showed courage during the COVID 19 pandemic Through community sponsorship, 675 books were given to local families The publisher, Faithful Stories, will continue to donate some of the proceeds from book sales to charities Presently, Fun 4 Young People, who operate out of various Kempston facilities, are benefitting The story features Daniel Dinosaur, who tries to hide his dinosaur traits to make friends when starting school during the pandemic his efforts to reassure others lead to a series of comical misunder standings Daniel finds himself in never ending self isolation, and his learning is sure to entertain post of the in engaging locations on a Facebook group, ‘Daniel Dinosaur’s Dilemmas Goes Global’ shared from America, Australia, Hawaii, UK, wonderful strong
More information can be found on
reference 22/01571/FUL The overall consultation expiry date is Thursday, September 15 Holiday park for Riseley?
6 SEPTEMBER 2022 TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@bedsbulletin com B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N Tel: 01234 823033 Radwell Road (just off the A6) Milton Ernest MK44 1SHwww.miltonernestgardencentre.co.ukM I LT O N E R N E S T G A R D E N C E N T R E FRESH PANSIE FACES For tubs this Autumn Any 2 packs (40 withOnlyplants)£10thisvoucher ✁ Using Technology that YOU can depend on! Batteries Brakes Clutches Cooling Systems Diagnostics Tuning Exhausts Oil Change • Rotating Electrics • Steering & Suspension 01234 216662 56 College Street Kempston MK42 8LU MON FRI 8am 5 30pm SAT 8am 1pm Bedford Vehicle Servicing & Tyres A D V E R T I S E R ’ S A N N O U N C E M E N T BEDFORD’S PREMIER BUSINESS HUB https://provident.house 44 Harpur Street, Bedford, MK40 2QT Rent a desk only £75pm all inclusive A NEW holiday park with six eco lodges could be built in Riseley, Bedfordshire Planning permission has been submitted to Bedford Borough Council to build six self contained eco lodges and to replace a tempo rary homestead with office/family accommodation If approved, the eco lodges at Hill Farm, Melchbourne Road, will be short stay countryside retreat lets
The area for the current home stead will be cleared to make way for the development of a large new manager ’s accommodation This will act as both the home stead for the family managing the farm and as a business premises to run company operations
The application said partner ships with local eateries will pro vide guests with discounts and special programmes to encourage local economic collaboration
planning
The application includes a new site entrance which will form a gravel road crescent connecting two visitor parking areas Hill Farm is made up of 22 acres of arable land and a two acre homestead; which currently includes a two bed bungalow (tem porary park home) and two static caravans The proposal is part of a planned expansion of activities at the Farm, which, the applicant said, are designed to bring outside visi tors to the farm and engage with the rural context and sustainable farm practices the council’s portal,
spokesperson
The Centre works to support adults over the age of 18 years old that are homeless, providing facili ties, support and guidance to relieve rough sleeping and prevent further homelessness
The girls asked the Centre which items they needed most and so began their aim to col lect as many toiletries for men expe riencing homelessness as they could Girlguiding Bedfordshire has hosted a number of large events over the summer and Girlguiding units from across Bedfordshire were asked to bring donations to these events The donations started rolling in and resulted in several large boxes of much needed toiletries being delivered to the SMART Prebend Centre by Girlguiding Bedford shire’s County Programme and Events Adviser Carolyn Hare Carolyn said: “It was wonderful to be able to deliver so many donations to SMART Prebend Centre The Centre carries out such amazing work providing support and compassion for people experiencing homelessness in Bedford ” Carolyn added: “Our girls have learnt a lot about homelessness and have really stepped up in giving so generously to such an important cause ” SMART Prebend Centre said: “We are so grateful for all Girlguiding Bedfordshire’s efforts it makes a big difference to those we support to have essential items like shampoo, toothpaste, tooth brushes and shower gel ”
PEOPLE living near an incinerator site close to Bedford have expressed concerns about emissions to their local councillor But the owners of the site say no one has complained to them about emissions or odours since the site became operational in January
operations in
MEMBERS of Girlguiding Bed fordshire have been taking part in an initiative project designed by leader Jane Thompson called ‘Giving It Back’ As part of this initiative girls and leaders focused on understand ing the issues which surround home lessness in their communities The girls, with help from Jane, decided that they wanted to do something to actually give some thing back and so partnered with the SMART Prebend Centre in Bedford
Speaking at a recent full council meeting, Cllr Graeme Coombes (Conservative, Wilshamstead) asked the mayor if the council had any measures in place to monitor emissions at Covanta’s incinerator in Stewartby He said: “Residents living in the vicinity of the incinerator have expressed concern recently about emissions “Obviously this is not something that just affects people living imme diately around Stewartby, but also the wider area Wootton, Wixams, Wilstead, and Houghton Conquest “Can the mayor say what mea sures are in place to monitor emis sions from the incinerator to ensure that they are within acceptable lim its?” he asked Bedford Mayor, Dave Hodgson pointed out that the site entrance is in the borough, but the incinerator is in Central Bedfordshire He added that it would be Environment Agency and possibly Central Bedfordshire Council who will be monitoring emissions Councillor Coombes said: “Whilst it might be a statutory obli gation of the Environment Agency, I would like to think that this bor ough is also monitoring emissions from Stewartby and has a plan in place to address it should they be found in breach of acceptable lev els ”
Residents voice concer ns Guides ‘Have Been Giving It Back’
Br others jailed for sexual abuse
and businesses
A spokesperson for Central Bedfordshire Council said: “We don’t monitor air quality around the incinerator “Monitoring of emissions from the incinerator would be regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) under the permit that they have issued to Covanta ” Neil Grimstone, general manag er for the Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility, said: “The new facility has been fully operational since January As one of the newest energy from waste facilities in the UK, Rookery South is equipped with state of the art emissions con trol systems and monitoring equip ment “This allows accurate and inde pendent reporting to the Environ ment Agency (EA) each month “We also transparently display emission figures on the project’s website, and these consistently show that the plant is operating well below the stringent limits set by the EA “In addition, the plant’s opera tional team will continue to keep members on the project’s Community Liaison Panel and Parish Council leads updated on plant operations, emissions moni toring and the electricity homes ” When pressed on residents con cerns that were raised with Cllr Coombes, a Covanta said: “Since the facility commenced January this year, Rookery
South has not received any complaints about emissions or odours “However, we are keen to listen and understand any concerns from the public and will be offering Cllr Coombes a site visit in the near future if this would be helpful ” TEL: 07894 935952 ADS: advertising@bedsbulletin com SEPTEMBER 2022 7 B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N Tel: 01234 823033 Radwell Road (just off the A6) Milton Ernest MK44 1SHwww.miltonernestgardencentre.co.ukM I LT T O N E R N E S T G A R D E N C E N T R E FOTHERGILLS SEEDS OFFER SAVE 50% WITH THIS VOUCHER OFF ALL COUNTRYJOHNSON’SFOTHERGILL,ORGANICVALUESEEDS While stocks last with this voucher✁
TWO brothers who raped and sex ually abused children have been jailed for almost 15 years between them Connor, 24, and Kiyle Lappin, 22, were both found guilty of raping a child under 13 Connor was also found guilty of sexual assault of a child under 13, while Kiyle was found to have indecent images of children Connor, of Clover Way, Kemps ton, was sentenced to nine years for rape and three years eight months for the sexual assault Kiyle, of High Street, Bedford, was found guilty of rape
generated to power
Walk under the stars for loved ones
Last year Sue Ryder provided over 830,000 hours of care to thousands of families across the country, including from its Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger Hayley Webb, Community Fundraising Manager at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, said: “Our specialist teams make all the difference at the end of someone’s life or following a bereavement, and by taking part in Sue Ryder Starlight Hike Bedford you’ll be helping Sue Ryder to provide even more expert and compas sionate care The Sue Ryder teams work tirelessly to ensure that our patient’s symptoms and pain are managed so that the end of people’s lives can instead be filled with friendship, family and love in those final moments together “We’d like to extend our thanks to M&DH Insurance Services Ltd for sponsoring this event We are extremely grateful for their support ” Richard Hames, Managing Director at M&DH Insurance Services Ltd said: “Sue Ryder is a charity that is close to many people’s hearts in the local community and we are really proud to be able to support Sue Ryder Starlight Hike Bedford ”
A Level results day for Bedford Sixth Form
THE Bedford Sixth Form is cele brating how students have won places at their first choice universi ties and careers following A Level results Head Helen Smith said: “I am so proud of our staff and students who have achieved such positive results during such challenging times ” Students won first choice places at the best universities in the country: Oxford, Cambridge, York, East Anglia UEA, Durham, Exeter, Liverpool, Northampton, Kent, Nottingham, Bristol and Kings College and Royal Holloway in London, as well as the closer to home University of Bedfordshire
8 SEPTEMBER 2022 TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@bedsbulletin com
Successes also included Diplomas (equivalent to 3 A Levels) such as Charlotte Fisher, of Clapham and Isabella Hayes Templeton (pictured above), of Biddenham, who both achieved Triple Distinctions in Health and Social Care and are both off to Brighton University to study Paramedic Science
Zipporah Korangteng, of Bedford, is heading for a course in Social Work at the University of Bedfordshire after passing three A Levels She said: “The staff here have been amazing and worked so hard to help us all during Covid ”
Millie Burnapp, (pictured above) of Kempston, is off to study Zoology at Exeter after gaining a B Grade A Level in Biology in just a year, alongside a Diploma in Forensics and Criminology Millie started off doing Maths and Photography courses but realised during lockdown she wanted to work with animals, won a work opportunity at a local vets and is now looking forward to university Jake Swift (pictured above) is off to study Criminology at Keele University after travelling by train from Central Beds to The Bedford Sixth Form to take A Levels in Law, History and Psychology
Kwaku Amoah, aged 22, of Milton Keynes gained an A Grade in Maths, and Bs in Chemistry and Physics The results secure his apprenticeship with Deloitte as a Data and AI Analyst He achieved his results despite a diagnosis of bilateral profound hearing loss He said: “It was great at The Bedford Sixth Form, I had an amazing experience The teachers were truly helpful and supportive ”
NATIONAL healthcare charity Sue Ryder is calling on Bedford residents to pull on their trainers this October for the return of a special 5k or 10k walk under the stars to celebrate the memory of loved ones Sue Ryder Starlight Hike Bedford, sponsored by M&DH Insurance Services Ltd, will return to the town’s Everard Meadow on the evening of Saturday, October 15, for the first time in three years And it is hoped that hundreds of individuals, fami lies and friends from the local community will come together to remember and pay tribute to loved ones who have died, raise funds and help Sue Ryder create a future where everyone has access to expert compas sionate care and support at the end of their life or following a bereavement Registration begins at 6 30pm with pre walk enter tainment to build the party atmosphere and a fun warm up At 8pm walkers sporting fancy dress, flashing headwear and neon face paint will set out on a 5k or 10k route around Russell Park and along the Bedford Embankment
THE Air Cadets, Army Cadets, Boys Brigade, Fire and Rescue Cadets, Girlguiding, Girls Brigade, Police Cadets, Scouts, Sea Cadets and St John Ambu lance in Bedfordshire have all seen an increase in young people wanting to join them. Nigel Taylor, Chairman of Bedfordshire Youth United said: “All of the organisations have seen the numbers of children and young people wanting to join rise over the last six months.” He added, “Children aged 4 can join some of the bril liant youth organisations in the County With some of the other organisations the minimum age to join is 12.” Karen Keeling, Lead volun teer for Bedfordshire Girl guiding said: “We have lots of girls across the County who want to join, and we are looking for volunteers to get involved. If we can recruit some more volun teers, then more girls can join and get some brilliant opportuni ties We provide training and support for all our volunteers ” Nigel added: “There are great opportunities to work with young children from age four and upwards or to work with teenagers What we can guaran tee is that you will have a great deal of fun as a volunteer and you will be proud seeing those young people develop new skills. As a volunteer myself, I have seen children and young people develop their confidence, work as a member of a team and participate in activities including caving, climbing, and kayaking. Volunteering is incredibly rewarding and it’s also a lot of fun ” If interested in A BEDFORD allowed his to be has been given a 12 month com munity order Jason Chand, 54, was one of those arrested when the police raided Chandos Court in the town on July 30, 2020 Chand, previously of The Plaza, St Peter ’s Street, appeared for sen tence at Luton Crown Court, hav ing pleaded guilty to permitting his premises to be used for between June 13 and July 30, 2020 and possessing cannabis Mohammed Bashir, defending, said Chand had been a long user of Class A drugs “Drug came to his They stuck him in the bedroom and told him to wait there They did not give him drugs or money
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becoming an adult volunteer with any of the uniformed organisations please visit https://forms centralbedford shire gov uk/officeforms/Volunteer form for bedfordshire organisations.ofml TEL: 07894 935952 ADS: advertising@bedsbulletin com SEPTEMBER 2022 9 The Will 11MayfairCompanyWritingHouseLurkeStreet,BedfordMK40 3HZ Tel: 01234 964911 The Will Writing Company is celebrating its 25th Year in business and is offering a free Will & Testament (joint or single) to all readers. If you have been meaning to make a Will, now is your chance to take advantage of this exclusive offer and give you and your loved ones peace of mind. By making a Will, you decide who takes care of your children and who inherits your estate. Storage facility optional. To take advantage of this offer and book an appointment or for further information please call our offices on the above number between the hours of 9:00am-5:30pm Monday to Friday. OFFER ENDS 30th SEPTEMBER 2022 Terms and Conditions. Office appointments only. This voucher can not be exchanged for cash. The voucher must be produced at your appointment. FREE WILL VOUCHER This voucher entitles you to a FREE Mirror Will (normal cost £125) or a FREE Single Will (normal cost £85) Valid until 30th September 2022 The Will Writing Company Mayfair House, 11 Lurke Street, Bedford, Beds, MK40 3HZ Tel 01234 964911 Email enquiries@thewillwritingco.co.uk ✁ Free Will & Testament www.thewillwritingco.co.uk Volunteering – opportunities abound across the County Man allowed dealers to use his flat
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uk/energy Rt Revd Richard Atkinson – Bishop of Bedford Paying for the privilege to be poor Kingsley Garage A fA m i ly r u n b u s i n e s s s i n c e 1 9 7 8 www kingsleygarage com 267 271 Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedford MK42 8BP Tel: 01234 855757 Email: service@kingsleygarage com All makes of cars serviced from £90 PLEASE PHONE FOR A QUOTE ● MOTs ● Repairs ● Car Sales FREE local collection & delivery + courtesy cars by appointment 221794 Odell & Son PLUMBING & HEATING Local Run Family Business WE’RE THE ONLY CALL YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE Tel: 01234 855007 Mob: 07795 821595 S a m e D a y S e r v i c e & F R E E E s t i m a t e s F I X E D P R I C E B O I L E R S E R V I C E F O R £ 6 0 • Combi Specialists • Boiler Breakdown Services • Landlord Gas Safety Checks • Bathroom Refurbishments • Basic small leaks to Complete System Power flushes MS Tree Care Martyn Smith Arboculturist with over 10 years experience ● All Tree And Hedge Work Undertaken ● 24 Hour Emergency Call Out ● Hedge Cutting ● Stump Grinding ● Fully Insured 01234 851235/07712 050068 mstreecare@btinternet.com ROOFING • Tiles • Slates • Guttering • Facias (uPVC) • Lead work J Swaine ESTABLISHED 40 YEARS Of f ice (9-5): 07508 639951 Evenings: 07963 556946 B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N YO U R LO C A L C O SY F E E T STO C K I ST I S ST YLES FOR MEN & WOMEN for extra wide or swollen feet SALES & TRADITIONAL REPAIR SERVICE ODELL’S SHOES 8 St Cuthberts St, Bedford MK40 3JB 01234 358979
The Government should also be providing more targeted support for vulnerable and low income households This should include doubling the Warm Homes Discount to £300 and extending it to all those on Universal Credit and Pension Credit, while investing in insulating fuel poor homes to bring prices down in the long term You can join the campaign to scrap the energy price hike at https://change libdems org
You can fill in my special survey at https://bedfordlibdems org uk/Cost to share your experiences I have also called on the Government to cancel October’s price cap increase Cancelling the increase would save a typical household in Bedford Borough around £1,700 a year This would mean a total estimated saving for households in Bedford Borough of £118,483,707 off their energy bills The cost could be met by expanding the windfall tax on oil and gas company profits and using the higher than expected VAT revenues as a result of soaring inflation
10 SEPTEMBER 2022 TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@bedsbulletin com
Dave Hodgson Mayor of Bedford
Mohammad Yasin MP Kempston and Bedford
The worst drop in living standards in a generation
Working people are paying the price yet again
As one commentator says: “In general prepayment customers have access to fewer tariffs, typically pay more for their energy and are more likely to be in vulnerable circumstances than those paying by other means ” You pay for the privilege of being poor! It is a principle that applies again and again If you live in a more deprived area the range of shops is likely to be poorer, prices will be higher, and banks will be absent. It will cost more to travel to find what you need If you need to borrow money, then the options will be limited for many, unofficial lenders charging huge rates of interest In contrast you will be excluded from many offers of lower rates and lower prices The poor often have less access to justice that often costs so much The Old Testament Prophets are especially hard on those who exploit the poor The prophet Amos condemns them: You trample on the poor you oppress the righteous and take bribes, and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts, Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times for the times are evil (Amos 5:11 12) Except we should not keep quiet We are the fifth richest nation in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product It is not right that the poorest carry the heaviest burdens Not right for families who will, and are, struggling to make ends meet Of course, these are challenging questions but how much more important for us all, than how we might save an extra penny or two Trampling on the poor is not just a feature of ancient times You pay for the privilege of being poor!
We urgently need a government that can truly step up to the plate to help people put food on theirs The Conservatives have lost control of the economy, and working people are paying the price yet again They have sold off our gas reserves, put an effective moratorium on onshore wind power, and prioritised the profits of oil and gas giants before the welfare of the British people Labour has a £29bn plan to support those in need We would prevent the energy price cap rising through the winter, paid for by an extra tax from oil and gas giants who are making eye watering profits. This would save the average household in Bedford and Kempston £1,000, and will bring inflation down by 4%, easing the burden on households and businesses Of course, action will need to be taken to make sure that bills come down and stay down in the long term, too We would invest in sustainable, home grown energy sources that mean we are no longer dependent on other states for supplies Our Warm Homes Plan will insulate millions of homes to reduce energy usage overall and cut costs in the future We can no longer rely on gas, on other states for supplies, or on this Conservative Government Only Labour can give Britain the fresh start it needs
I am currently working on a £1million+ fund that will provide insulation, boiler replacement, double glazing and other home warming solutions to support residents in fuel poverty and provide help to those who need it most Details will be released when the scheme is finalised I am keen to find out how the Cost of Living Crisis is affecting you and your family
It is a small example but typical all the same Because I and my wife could buy a slightly larger amount of foreign currency for our summer holiday, we got a marginally better rate of exchange The less you have the more you pay It is not the first time I have noticed that you pay for the privilege of being poor!
We are facing the worst fall in living stan dards in a generation due to spiralling costs of energy and food and declining real terms wages Bedford Borough Council has declared a Cost of Living Crisis and has called on the government to take action to help struggling residents The Council provides support through its 100% Council Tax Reduction Scheme for the worst off and free school meal vouchers every holiday (for those eligible) You can find out more about the support at: www bedford gov uk/CostOfLiving
As the energy price cap is set to rise for the second time this year, I am hearing increasingly from constituents who are looking to the future and are genuinely fearful of what they see Estimates suggest that over 8 2 million households will be in fuel poverty come October For some disabled people, the cost of energy prices makes running important dical equipment impossible; for those benefits and pensions, their fixed omes pale in comparison to rocketing lity costs; and for families with children feed, poorly insulated homes and wages t are vastly outpaced by inflation, this a cost of living crisis that is unsustain e We do not need a zombie administra tion, more focused on its own internal power battles than the crisis facing this country
As our nation enters a period of significant financial challenge, especially in relation to utility costs, but also with rapidly rising inflation, what is already a great injustice, becomes all the more severe In particular, for those on pre payment meters, the additional cost of fuel on top of the vastly inflated prices is significant
TEL: 07894 935952 ADS: advertising@bedsbulletin com SEPTEMBER 2022 11 B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N
Tropical cannas have lush green or bronze foliage and brightly coloured flowers from cream yellow and orange to deepest red They appear from midsummer until autumn They thrive in moist soils in full sun, and look fantastic when grown in exotic ornamental displays in mixed borders or large containers, especially when planted with other exotic looking plants, such as Alstromeria and Crocosmia
gardening with Milton Ernest Garden Centre The one stop shop for your next garden room GBS GARDEN BUILDING SERVICES LIMITED • Sheds • Greenhouses • Summerhouses • Home offices • Workshops • Installation • Base laying ser vice • Building disposal • Free site visits Milton Ernest Garden Centre Radwell Road, Milton Ernest MK44 1SH 01234 851081 info@gardenbuildingservices.co.uk www gardenbuildingservices co uk Hints for a colourful garden by Maureen Catlin Tel: 01234 823033 Radwell Road (just off the A6) Milton Ernest MK44 1SHwww.miltonernestgardencentre.co.ukM I LT O N E R N E S T G A R D E N C E N T R E RESCUE YOUR LAWN ! SafeLawn feeds 100sqm. Greens your lawn in five days Easy to apply with a watering can –feeds the lawn throughout the year. Child and pet friendly Save £3 with this voucher While stocks last with this voucher✁
B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N 12 SEPTEMBER 2022 TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@bedsbulletin com
AS our summers extend the colour in our gardens needs to as well Plants for the Indian summer reflect the alteration in the length of daylight hours but can retain the brilliant hues we expect from hotter climes Some even bear the name Alstromeria Indian Summer reflects just that It is an exotic looking strong growing perennial with coppery orange flowers that are ideal to brighten the garden in late summer It flowers continuously from late July with new buds emerging all the time well into the autumn A perfect choice for long lasting displays in pots or mixed borders Protect the new growth in spring from slug damage like you would for Hostas but otherwise it is trouble free They look lovely planted with Kniphofia, Echinacaea, Rudbeckia, Heleniums and Ornamental Grasses
The huge purple veined leaves of Canna ‘Wyoming’ make a bold statement in any garden In late summer warm apricot orange flowers with slightly frilled petals appear on long stalks above the foliage Protect the rhizomes from frost in autumn with a thick layer of mulch or move the pots to a very shel tered place for winter Anemone Japonica is a charming hardy perennial for sun or shade flowering from August until late October The pretty star shaped single or double flow ers with yellow centres are produced in abundance in amazing shades of pink and white that open above attractive foliage The “Fantasy” varieties are only 30cms tall and give a stunning display in patio pots or taller varieties like Anemone Queen Charlotte double pink or Honorable Jobert pure single white which are 1metre, are excellent for the mixed herbaceous border Anemones are a great source of late nectar for polli nating insects Rudbeckia Sunbeckia Victoria, The Black Eyed Susan, is a short variety growing to about 50cms It is upright with huge bright orange yellow daisy flowers with dark brown centres on strong sturdy stems It will flower from the middle of august into autumn when grown in a sunny place in soil that drains well or in pots It makes an excellent cut flower for the house Other good large flowering varieties are Rudbeckia Butterscotch, Peacan Pie and Electric Shock Helenium Short and Snazzy another strong grow ing late flowering hardy herbaceous perennial has daisy like flowers with cone shaped centres which Bees, Butterflies and other pollinating insects adore Plant it in full sun in soil that drains well Another name for Helenium is “Sneeze Weed” In times gone by it was very popular when the leaves were dried and used as Snuff It was believed it would rid the person using it of evil spirits “Autumn would not be without the colour of Sedum Spectabilis “The Ice Plant” flowers This tradi tional cottage garden perennial has graced our garden for centuries It is an essential late summer source of nectar for bees and butterflies Sedum flowers are held on big flat easily accessi ble flowers on which butterflies rest and bask in latsummer sunshine The Green buds appear from midsummer colouring to pink into autumn The stems are thick and succulent with blue green fleshy leaves It is essential to support this plant with a wire herbaceous frame to enjoy this long lasting feature of the mixed border as the flowers become heavy as they mature Grow in a sunny position in soil that is not too rich, even verging on the malnourished The succulent stems cope well with dry positions Leave the flowers on the plant after they fade and they will dry and catch those glistening, ephemeral hoar frosts
At 7pm Amine Edge took to the stage with another hour of awesome house The legendar y Todd Terr y soon graced the stage spinning some amazing dance anthems with the formidable Toddy twisters he had the crowd in the palm of his hands right from the beginning to the end The DJ sets were soon given a shor t rest with a live P A from Shingai per forming their latest single Then at 8pm the Lord of House David Morales took to the stage in my opinion without a shadow of doubt stole the show with the crowd erupting ecstatically when he dropped in a few tunes from his massive catalog of number one dance anthems He worked the crowd with his club classics and some refreshing new Ibiza anthems, an absolutely shocking set Finally Mark Knight came on at 10pm with a pretty hard act to follow, I didn’t feel he quite touched the clouds like Morales but still put together a fantastic pumping set To summarize this was an amazing event, there were dance music veterans from ever y corner of the UK, what was par ticularly inspiring about this event was all the sets from the DJs were predominantly tunes that most people knew unlike last year ’s agenda in which Pete Tong was the headliner and the DJ sets were a bit more underground
TEL: 07894 935952 ADS: advertising@bedsbulletin com SEPTEMBER 2022 13 B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N NEW LOOK –NO MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED Mon, Tues, Weds, Thurs 2pm–Midnight –Fri-Sat Noon-1am –Sunday Noon-Midnight Bedford Road, Kempston 01234 851143 “Sweetasanut” ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ FSFUNCTIONROOMFORHIREUITABLEFORALLOCCASIONSNEWLYREFURBISHEDHoldsupto120LEXIBLESEATINGARRANGEMENTSCALLFORMOREDETAILS ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Email:www.facebook.com/daleysclubdaleysclub@outlook.com Daley’s ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ SNOOKER £3 PER HOUR POOL TABLES FROM 50p A GAME ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1stSaturdayOctober JENNYTHEROCKCHIC Saturday 10th September SINGLE FILE BAND Saturday 17th September PALMA VIOLET & LUSHES LIPS DRAG SHOW ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Thursday 24th September JONNY B DISCO pop rock and a bit of punk ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ (Strong functionhumour)Adultintheroomtickets£5fromthebar ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ out & about by Tony Hendrix Brilliant night at Café Mambo Ibiza THE con club KEMPSTON 01234 851120 Saturday 3rd September the fantastic RICKY SOLO Saturday 10th September it’s soul and motown night with PETE COVINGTON & SAM COVIE Saturday 17th September Fantastic ska and reggae nine piece band ROCKSTEADY DROP an epic night not to miss this is one of the biggest and best bands we have had here Saturday 24th September the beautiful and amazing STACEY LEE she is definitely one of the Conclubbers’ favourites Saturday 1st October RED MICK One of the best Mick Hucknall of Simply Red tributes there is so don't miss this guy DIARY DATES NOT TO MISS Saturday 15th October LEIGH CASLING one of the best Elvis tributes Saturday 29th October the Conclub’s legendar y HALLOWEEN FANCY DRESS PARTY for kids and adults get them costumes ready Saturday 5th November we welcome back our RAG & BONE TRIBUTE and the beautiful RAINY
This incredible open air show was one of the biggest and most spectacular Mambo events in the UK in 2022 and follows on from the success of the 2021 ‘In The Park’ show, which saw thousands of par ty goers enjoying iconic sets from some of the best house music talent in the business, let’s hope this becomes a yearly event and just gets bigger and bigger
Well the build up to one of Bedford s most prestigious outdoor event’s Café Mambo Ibiza finally came to the show down on Friday July 29 2022 in Bedford Park , Bedfordshire For over 25 years, Café Mambo Ibiza has been recognized for its specific brand of quality dance music It became the place to meet for guaranteed good times and to watch the incredible Ibiza sunsets It has played host to all the big names in dance music, not to mention the infamous BBC Radio 1 Ibiza weekends Café Mambo Ibiza I was privileged to have been issued with a pair of press tickets for this special open air event which I soon upgraded to The Green Room status The first thing that caught my attention was the age diversity at the event ranging from 18 to at least 50, I had expected to see a slightly younger age range of more like 25 to 40, however the crowd no matter what age were cer tainly fired up for a big house par ty The Green Room pass gave us the additional privileges of the exclusive use of dedicated toilets and access to a bar we were cer tainly glad to have upgraded our tickets to the Green Room as the bar and toilets within the main arena were pretty busy! The atmosphere was electrifying and it was obvious that ever yone there who had par ted with their hard earned cash was there for one thing only and that was to par ty It was great to see that the village idiots were nowhere to been seen hence the event was a trouble free zone throughout The show kicked off at 5pm with the house soon warmed up with Bedford’s ver y own Mark Russell, unfor tunately I only caught the last 30 mins of his set, but what I did hear was awesome Mark was soon followed by the lovely Laura and Ben Santiago who once again delivered an outstanding pumping set
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Biddenham Gardeners Association: Contact: www biddenham gardenersassociation.org.uk Car Boot Sale: Milton Ernest Garden Centre, Radwell Road, Milton Ernest MK44 1SH, Cars £5, vans £10 Sellers setup 9am, Buyers 10am 2pm September 4, October 2 Family Fun Day & Dog Show Sunday September 11 Contact: (01234) 823033 or enquiries@miltonernestgarden centre.co.uk Shanbrook Men’s Group: Unemployed, working from home, retired, widowed or just need to talk to someone The Man Cave in Sharnbrook Scout Hut could be for you We have men from all over north Bedfordshire who come along and have coffee and toast from 10am 1 30pm every Friday Contact: Bernard Brown on 07711 664451 or Steve Marvell on 07904 176698 Kempston & District Model Railway Society: Meets every Wednesday evening, from 7 30pm to 10 00pm in Kempston East Methodist Church, entrance from the Car Park Our members have a wide range of expe riences, backgrounds and ages Anyone interested is welcome to drop in one Wednesday evening and get to know more over tea and biscuits OPEN MORNING Come along between 10am and noon on Saturday September 10, when we will have our club layouts running in Kempston East Methodist Church, entrance from the Car Park Bring along any models you would like to give a good run on our new test track Contact: 000000 Bedford RSPB Local Group: Invite you to join us as we kick off our Autumn series of Meetings Meet at ARA club, Manton Lane Bedford MK41 7PF. Thursday, September 15, 7 30pm aiming to finish by 9 30pm Jo Thomas presents ‘Wildlife of Panama from the Canal to the Sky Jo runs the travel company ‘Wild about Travel’ and has a vast and interesting knowledge of much of the world’s spectacular wildlife Tonight, as the title suggests, is devoted to Panama Suitable for experts and novices, RSPB membership not essential Entrance fee, group members £1 Guest £2 annual group membership £5 under 18s enter free www rspb org uk/groups/bedford or Contact: 07905 199769 Oakley Rural Day Centre for the elderly: The Old School, Lovell Road, Oakley, Beds, MK43 7RX We provide a fun filled day of activities, games and good old conversation The day includes refreshments and a two course lunch Contact: Lynne, Tuesday to Thursday on 01234 824935 or Mobile: 07733 227374 www oakleyruraldaycentre weebly com Email: oakleyruralday centre@yahoo.com Bedford Floral Art Society: meeting on Tuesday, September 6th at 7.30pm at the Addison Centre, Kempston, MK42 8PN when our floral demonstrator will be Beverley Short with “All the World’s a Garden” Visitors £7 Contact: www bedfordfloralart society.co.uk Man Cave: If you are looking for some male company then look no further that the Man Cave in Sharnbrook Scout Hut Coffee and toast from 10am 1 30pm every Friday Contact: Bernard Brown on 07711 664451 or Steve Marvell on 07904 176698
Quar ry hosts heat of Comedian of the Year
multiple
Bedford Music Club: Contact: www.bedfordmusicclub.co.uk Tudor Reeds Folk Dance Club: Barn dance group meets every other Wednesday 8 10pm, St Mark’s Church Hall, Brickhill £2 inc refreshments
Thursday September 22 British Comedian of the Year Bedford Heat at The Quarr y Theatre Castle Comedy and the Quarr y theatre host the British Comedian of the Year: Bedford Heat This competition has the biggest comedy prize in the UK, a whopping £10,001 This will be a special show where some of the UK’s best acts do their best 10 minute sets in the hope of going through to the final for the chance to win the mega cash prize! The standard of entrant has been outstanding with established headliners putting themselves for ward and some of the most exciting upcoming talent The quality will be sky high Judging at each heat will be by the audience!
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Andy Stedman (pictured above right) will host the show Saturday October 1 The BIG October Show at The Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade A classic mixed bill of comedy featuring TV names and rising stars!
made? Who can say! PAUL REVILL will host the shows Doors 7 30pm Shows star t 8 00pm Show finish 10 45pm Tickets £12/£14 + Booking Fee Tickets available from www castlecomedy co uk
O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N comedy diary To advertise your
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Kempston Senior Citizens Club: DANCING, WHIST, BINGO Meets Wednesday 10am 12noon Friday 10am 4 00pm, Centenary Hall, behind Kempston Town Hall, contact: Sheila Cobban, on 01234 347306 Bedford Folk & Acoustic Club: Acoustic and folk music round the room, every Thursday evening from 8:30pm at the Bowls Pavilion of Kempston Hammers Club, MK42 7BN Musicians, singers and poets all welcome, at every level Contact: us on facebook, or come and meet us at the Bowls Pavilion Yoga: Priory Methodist Church, Newnham Avenue, Bedford MK41 9QJ 2pm Mondays Contact: June for details: juandhannigan@yahoo co uk: Bedford Local Group of The Wildlife Trust: Wednesday 14th September, Meeting 7 15pm for 7 30pm Priory Methodist Church Hall, Newnham Avenue, Bedford MK41 9QJ AGM and Illustrated talk ‘An Introduction to Bedfordshire’s Geology’ By Bev Fowlston Plenty of parking available all welcome, no charge but voluntary contributions are appreciated Further details at www wildlifebcn org or Contact: 01234 266057 Walking Football: Sessions every Tuesday at Upper Caldecote 1 30pm to 2,30pm taking place at Harvey Close Upper Caldecote SG18 9BQ Contact: Colin Harries on 01767 317099 Sandy Historical Society: Secret Bedfordshire by Bill Stedman, (Military Intelligence Museum Chicksands) 7 30pm Friday, September 30, Stonecroft Hall St Swithins Way Sandy SG191BB Annual membership £12 50 Visitors £3 00 Contact: 01767 680171 B E F club, group society these bedsbulletin.com These
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Contact: Jenny 01234 217621t Sandy Women’s Institute: Meets on the third Tuesday of every month (except August) at Sandy Conservative Club, Bedford Road, Sandy New members are always very welcome Visitors are charged a small fee of £4 For further information contact: Ann Patterson 01767 680644
Please include a contact telephone number
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@bedsbulletin com B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N
TERRY ALDERTON is one of the most exciting comedians around, regularly per forming all over the globe, and picking up the odd award He is recognisable to fans as character ‘Terr y Spraggan’ in Eastenders Peeking inside the Technicolor mind of one of Britain’s finest comic talents and you will find him desperately doing battle with “The Voices”, two unpredictable and hilarious Voices in Terr y’s Head Oh, and let’s not forget his talking shoes His numerous TV stand up credits include, Live At The Apollo, Dave’s One Night Stand and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road Show ‘He’s proved himself as a comedian of dizzying inventiveness’ The Times
MAD RON The Third Hardest Man in Uxbridge, is a comedy creation of Steve Lee, first appearing on the comedy circuit back in December 2015 Since then Mad Ron has gone on to win awards threats
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Annual Colts tour nament is fast appr oaching by Matthew Vine
THE annual Kempston Rovers Colts tourna ment is nearly upon us, taking place on Sunday, September 5 Teams from around the south east will be heading to Hillgrounds, ranging from U7 up to U16 as teams look to prepare for their respective seasons starting the week after The youth committee volunteers will start in the early hours by setting up the goals, preparing parking, as well as getting the food and drink ready for the hundreds of visitors on the day Kempston Rovers Colts are proud to host this tournament and celebrate all the benefits that football brings to the Kempston commu nity Player progression within the youth teams up to senior teams is a pathway that all parts of the club strives to deliver, with a number of players from Colts having gone on to play for the senior teams
Residents are urged to be mindful of park ing on the day, travelling teams as well as all Colts teams have been asked not to park on Hillgrounds Road or in other local streets, but this is something that cannot be promised Morning matches start at 9am and after noon at 1pm, so prior to these times are expected to be particularly busy The club is looking for sponsors to feature in the programme This will be mandatory for all cars to pur chase one and with over 1000 programmes being printed, this is a great way to advertise your business To find out more information as well as other potential sponsorship opportunities, please email matthew vine@kempston rovers co uk We hope Kempston residents will be able to help us celebrate the local football on offer and support the young Walnuts!
TEL: 07894 935952 ADS: advertising@bedsbulletin com SEPTEMBER 2022 15 THE QUEENS HEAD M I L T O N E R N E S T Queens Head, Rushden Road, Milton Er nest MK44 1RU Tel: 01234 822412 Mon-Sat NNoon-11pmSundayoon-10.30pm NEW MENU Food served: Mon Sat 12 2, 6 9 Sunday 12 4 See our Facebook page for upcoming events HOTEL NOW OPEN To advertise your club, group or society in these columns please email your copy to: advertising@ bedsbulletin com Please include a contact telephone number These columns are for non profit making organisations DELIVERY AGENTS REQUIRED We are looking for reliable people to deliver the Beds Bulletin’s and Kempston Calling We have several rounds available NOW To apply go to: http://www bedsbulletin com/ door door deliveries.php Annual Bike & Hike, Walk or Drive round open churches: Saturday 10th September Help maintain many beautiful and ancient buildings by raising funds through sponsorship for the Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust Last year almost £8000 was raised for the Trust by Bedford participants and sponsors Contact: Area Organiser Alan Colley (Bedford) colley64@yahoo.co.uk or Ann at St Paul’s, Bedford 07989 837819 Bedford Art Society: Friday September 9, 7:15 for 7:30 start Putnoe Heights Church, Bedford MK41 8EB Nicky Hunter Talk/demonstration of Flowers in Watercolour Nicky’s radi ant artworks capture “realism with a touch of romance” in a colourful, expressive style Entry free for members, £5 for visitors Contact: Jean Paterson on 01234 307210 or www bedsartsociety co uk for further information. St Paul’s Church: SEPTEMBER Tuesdays lunch time recitals 1pm FREE with retiring collection in aid of church funds Suggest min £5 00 Monthly Saturday organ recitals 12noon, also FREE with retiring collection in aid of church funds Sat 10th 12noon Organ, Chris Ouvry Johns of Leicester Cathedral Tues 13th 1pm Harry Bagnall tenor and Paul Searle, Piano Tues 20th, Emmanuel Bach, Violin Tues 27th, Nataly Ganina, Piano BELL RINGING: Sundays 4th, 3pm in honour of the Lord Lieutenant and 25th September, 3pm for the High Sheriff ’s Justice Service (This service brings together, gives thanks for and supports all who administer law and order in the county, together with those who work to prevent offending behaviour protect our society provide support for all who need it Sunday 11th & 18th, 11 40am supporting the Tower, Clock & Bells appeal www bedfordclockandbells com/ Contact: Ann at St Paul’s, Bedford 07989 837819 A talk by Lesley Pitts: ‘Finding Trust in a Changing World’ What can we confidently depend on? Recognising a loving, divine pres ence can bring the reliable stability and support needed for progress First Church of Christ, Scientist, Bedford, 84, Kimbolton Road, MK40 2PD Sunday, September 11, at 3pm Contact: 01234 352914 www christian science bedford.org.uk Cowper & Newton Museum: September CHILDREN’S GARDEN TRAIL ‘Amazing Animals’ Family fun time! Throughout the year during usual opening times £1 50 includes a small prize Bring a picnic to enjoy sitting in our beautiful, tranquil gardens Usual admission applies to see inside the historic house REFRESHMENTS IN THE COURTYARD: September 1, 10:30am to 12:30pm ‘Refreshments in the Courtyard’ includes delicious homemade cakes, a choice of tea, coffee, speciality tea or juice and a relaxing stroll around our beautiful 18th century, tranquil gardens all for £4 MAKE A MINIATURE GARDEN: Saturday September 17, 2pm in the gardens Aimed for children and families for ages 6 10 Build a minia ture garden to take away using resources in the garden There is no fee for the activity, but please be aware that the usual admission fee applies Spaces are limited HERITAGE OPEN DAY: September 18, 11am to 4pm HISTORIC HOUSE, GARDENS and GALLERY are open free entry (Please see our website for details of gallery artist exhibitions) Visit our new exhibition ‘Amazing Grace’ Heritage Open Day theme ‘Astounding Inventions’: learn about our 18th century electric machine Children’s garden trail ‘Amazing Animals’ to include a small prize = £1 50 THREE HARES GALLERY: September 3 29: Paintings of the River Great Ouse by Richard Allen Beautiful paintings are of, or painted near the River Ouse It is a landscape that Richard has only recently started to explore, finding it’s gentle, time less and sometimes very open scenery a great source of inspiration Free entry to the gallery Usual admission applies to see the museum and gardens Contact: email info@cowperand newtonmuseum.org.uk sport
THE family of a teenager who died after getting into difficulty in a lake at Stewartby, have paid tribute to him Kyron Hibbert, 13, was playing in a lake with friends at about 6 45pm on Friday, July 29, 2022 when he disappeared under the surface of the water They raised the alarm and his body was recovered in the early hours of Saturday, July 30, 2022 His mother said: “My son Kyron a beautiful, happy and healthy boy “You were just growing and being independent, but now you are gone so soon “We will love and miss you Until we see you again, my son God bless you ” Detective Constable Sam Ostley said: “This is a truly tragic case which has had a devastating impact on Kyron’s family and friends “It is an awful reminder of just how dangerous swimming in open water can be through the shock of the cold, or currents or objects which may be under the surface We would urge people to stick to designated swimming areas which are supervised by lifeguards ”
£97,000 raised by pedalling for charity
Teenager drowns in Stewartby lake
NEWS EXTRA LOCAL businessman Ismail Anilmis DL, along with his wife Ann Marie have recently help organise the BEDS to Beds cycle challenge, raising over £97,000 for Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends and Ronald McDonald House Charities The ride, which was launched by Helen Nellis, HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire saw a group of 15 cyclists ride from Bedford Hospital to Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey, in Liverpool, covering nearly 200 miles over three days including the punishing steep climbs of the Peak District Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends raise funds to support patients and staff at Bedford Hospital by providing equipment and improving facilities, to ensure the continued excellence of the provision of care in Bedford Their latest ‘£1m appeal’ is currently raising money to create a brand new dedicated Paediatric A&E department and provide a dedi cated state of the art CT scanner to be situated in the A&E department for shared use by both emergency and general hospital patients HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Helen Nellis said: “It was an honour to set the bikers off on their charity ride which started at Bedford and ended in Liverpool These dedicated cyclists helped raise £97,000, some of which will be used to provide vital hospital equipment in Bedfordshire, which will improve the provision of care My sincere thanks to Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends for working in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities, and congratulations to the amazing cyclists for their incredible endurance and dedica tion to charity” Ismail Anilmis DL said: “I am really proud of my team for giving their time and efforts to do their bit for charity and I want to thank everyone who supported and donated I am so proud that we were able to help raise such a huge sum to support many more fami lies We look forward to continuing to support both charities in every way we can in the future ” Ronald McDonald House Charities UK is an independent Charity, which operates 13 Houses across England, Wales, and Scotland, providing free ‘home away from home’ accommodation and support for families with chil dren in hospital They provide a place to sleep, cook and retain some sense of normal life; a life line for families at a very stressful time, especially when they are far from home A Ronald McDonald House saves each family an aver age of £1,240 in out of pocket accommodation expenses
16 SEPTEMBER 2022 TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@bedsbulletin com B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I NPubl shed by © 2022 Beds Bul etin Lim ted 30 Radwel Road, M lton Ernest, Bedford MK44 1SH Tel: 07894 935952 Ed torial: ed toria @bedsbul etin com Advert s ng: advertising@bedsbullet n com Printed by: Iliffe Pr nt Cambr dge Ltd Winsh p Road, Mi ton, Cambridge CB24 6PP sport LC Dr iveway Solutions Ltd Long Lake Meadow, High Road, Seddington, Sandy SG19 1NU www.lcdrivewaysolutions.co.uk PROBLEM DRIVEWAY? • Resin Bonded • Block paving • Patio slabs • Tarmacadam • Fencing • Turfing • Brickwork • Graveling • Landscaping and much more Tel: 01767 360076 or 0800 781 6343 Mob: 07428 511932 SUMMER SALE 20 % OFF Call: 01767 360076 FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE BULLETIN We’ve got it covered by Michael Jarman-Webb EAGLES’ FIXTURES Saturday 10 September Nuneaton Away 15:00 Saturday 24 September Ilkeston Home 15:00 Tuesday 27 September Leiston Away 19:45 Tickets and latest updates from: www bedfordeagles net Will Summerfield on target against Stratford Town EAGLES’ manager Gary Setchell said at the start of this season that there would be no easy games in the new division, a recent result has shown his prediction to be very true. THERE ARE NO EASY GAMES IN THIS DIVISION – SAYS MANAGER
The first outing of the season saw the long trip to Shakespeare country and Stratford Town The Bards finished mid table last season and soon showed their intentions as they went ahead in the first half Bedford made every effort to equalise, but in the end, it was sub Will Summerfield who found the net A cross from new forward Liam Brooks, saw a shot come in from Bedford, the ball, parried by the keeper fell to Summerfield, who slotted it home with just two minutes of time remaining The rescued point saw Bedford confident for the visit of Barwell The Canaries narrowly escaped relegation last season and strengthened for this, but it was the home side that would eventually come away with maximum points
The season in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central started well, with four points from the first two games, but on t h e f o u r t h o u t i n g S e t c h e l l ’s m e n w e r e humiliated by a scoreline last suffered by the club in 1939
Last season’s twenty one goal man Connor Tomlinson found the net first, before new striker Tyrone Lewthwaite make it two The visitors pulled one back before halftime and equalised in the second half before Tomlinson popped up again to get his brace and the home win with ten minutes to go Kings Langley were next, the winners of the match would go top of the table, but it wasn’t to be for the recently promoted side Langos showed the task Bedford have ahead of them as Bedford went down 3 1with Kai Phelan also seeing red the Eagles first league loss since November 2021 Things got worse with the visit of a team who must be amongst the favourites to win the title this season Tamworth went ahead in the second minute and never looked back, the speed of the team left Bedford standing at times and a very unfamiliar eight goals conceded left Bedford with nothing to take from the game, with the consolation Joe Butterworth goal doing little to lighten the team spirits Setchell was adamant the team would learn from the score line and was hopefull of better performances
