The Will Writing Company

Mayfair House

11 Lurke Street, Bedford MK40 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 31st OCTOBER 2022

Free Will Voucher

This voucher entitles you to a FREE Mirror Will (normal cost £125) or a FREE Single Will (normal cost £85)

Notice Of Application For Licence

TAKE NOTE that an application for the grant of a Premises Licence has been made to Bedford Borough Council by Swan Knight Distillery Ltd in respect of premises known as:

6

Richard Atkinson – Bishop of Bedford Transitions

In our nation we are going through a great transition As we continue to remember our late Queen, her remarkable life of service and duty, and her deeply moving funeral, we move to the era of our new King

The need to change the monogram on everything from post-boxes to military uniforms just a small outward sign of a deeper inward transition

Like all good transition there was much planning and preparation

There has been ritual and ceremony to assist There has been sensitivity and awareness on the part of King Charles As always there is adventure and much uncertainty as the new phase emerges We pray for our King and for all that lies ahead

Transitions are a feature of the lives of us all Those milestones such as starting and leaving school, commencing employment, reaching retirement and that ultimate transition that is death Also, those occasions when either we hand on to another or someone else hands on to us

The transitions at work where we pass on our responsibilities to another; or in the community when someone else takes forward what we have done for many years Those family moments when one generation hands onto another

Not every transition goes well All too often there is a reluctance to go.

The preparation can be inadequate Crucial information is not passed on

As a vicar taking on a new parish, I didn’t always receive from my predecessor the details of congregation and parish that I needed All too often there is a failure of the next generation to adapt as circumstances change Political transitions as we know can

Dave Hodgson – Mayor of Bedford

Her

The last few weeks has seen the nation come together to mark the life and service of Her Majesty the Queen.

Her Majesty’s passing, without doubt, marks the end of a very long chapter in the history of our country that has seen so much change and for most people, her presence was one of the few constants throughout their lives

Throughout her life, Her Majesty served the country with absolute dedication, honour and dignity

From serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War Two until her very last public duty meeting the new

Prime Minister, she never once shied away from public duty

Her life will forever be interlinked with that of a period of great change within the UK and although many today would struggle to recognise the world she was born into, she always seemed to belong very much in the present

The Queen will be deeply missed within the UK, the Commonwealth and further afield May she rest in peace

I would like to thank everyone who signed the Book of Condolence or laid a floral tribute in memory of Her Majesty St Paul’s Church held a special be particularly tricky

Above all else there is a need to empower the person who comes next Too many businesses falter when no one has been prepared to take things forward, especially when the founder steps down.

In contrast, it was noticeable over the last few years how our Queen enabled Charles to step up

Jesus’s ascension to heaven, after his resurrection, is a moment of divine transition As Jesus returns to heaven he hands on his mission to his disciples He commissions them and he empowers them The gift of the Holy Spirit is part of ensuring they are equipped for the task

Transitions are not easy, even for monarchs They are times for prayer Who do we need to empower so that when the time comes, they are ready?

Thanksgiving Service, as did a number of other churches, and The Corn Exchange showed Her Majesty s funeral to ensure no-one had to watch the funeral alone I would also like to thank all those who attended the County and Local Proclamations of Accession for King Charles III

Finally, I would like to thank all of Bedford Borough Council’s staff who worked hard to ensure we were able to mark the passing of Her Majesty the Queen and the Accession of King Charles III in a dignified and safe way

Mohammad Yasin – MP Kempston and Bedford Schools shouldn’t have to beg for basic facilities

It was a joy to attend the opening of the £2 million teaching block at Grange Academy school in Kempston on Friday 16 September What a remarkable transition from the decrepit buildings I’d visited in 2019 to see the brand-new double storey building with 10 great teaching rooms

It was almost 3 years ago to the day since I first received a letter from the headteacher, Catherine Assink, of the wonderful school which provides specialist education for pupils, aged 5-16, with a diverse range of special educational needs

It was a heartfelt plea from a dedicated teacher who was distraught that her pupils, some of the most vulnerable in society, were being taught in dilapidated classrooms.

I went to see the school for myself and was surprised at the state of disrepair

Despite the obvious need for investment, the school had just lost their first bid for capital funding

When schools become Academies, to receive funding for repairs, they must put together bids to beg from central Government

In January 2020 I raised the issue of the school’s failed funding bid at Prime Minister’s Questions with Boris Johnson and asked his government to urgently review the funding formula for capital and revenue, so that schools for children with special educational needs and disability are not disadvantaged simply because they have fewer pupils

In a response letter, I learned that Grange Academy had failed in their initial funding application because they didn’t score enough points “Schools and colleges can increase their marks” I was told “if they are able to make a significant contribution towards the proposed project ”

How was a school, already underfunded by the Government with no reserves being expected to take out a loan to even qualify for funding to fix dilapidated classrooms?

I hope my follow-up letter highlighted the school’s plight and made the Government rethink the rejected first bid I was delighted when the next bid for funding was a success

I’m pleased this is a story with a happy ending, but schools should not have to jump through these complex hoops and feel so humbly grateful to receive the funding to cover the basic costs of running a school in a safe and suitable environment. Surely this is what we pay our taxes for, yet how many other schools are still fighting?

When the daylight hours have really shortened and there is thzat special light we are in Autumn The leaves are starting to change to more muted tones before they fall and there is a sense that everything in the garden is winding down for a good sleep

For gardeners it’s a special time as we prepare for another year of plant delights

Planting in autumn allows more time for new roots to grow in warm soil so plants are less vulnerable to dry periods the following summer

The colder soil during the winter encourages flowering as soon as the weather warms up Evergreens become particularly well established in autumn without the difficult fluctuations of spring weather and need less water to establish Autumn is also the time to plant all spring flowering bulbs like daffodils crocus and tulips and change the summer flowering bedding plants in our patio tubs to primroses winter pansies and violas

Towards the end of October is the best time to plant hedges and soft fruit which are usually available as bareroot plants, an economic way to buy them, when you are planting larger quantities

It is a good time to take stock of what is actually providing that last burst of colour and interest to our gardens before winter sets in Here are some additions you might like to include to increase the spectacle

Two new varieties of the Smoke Bush Cotinus are a must The pale orange new leaves of Cotinus Golden Lady in spring turn a gorgeous pure yellow in summer and then brilliant orange in autumn before leaf fall It is a large shrub for the back of a border which is easy to grow bushy and drought tolerant It is a good foil for Cotinus Lilla which is a compact form growing to 1m with rich purple leaves from spring to autumn when the foliage turns pink orange scarlet and red

Another new variety is Weigela florida Sunn Fantasy It has a very long flowering period from May to October with interesting colourful leaves variegated green cream and red that show good autumn colour before leaf fall It is very easy to grow, compact and performs well in patio tubs if garden space is limited

It is drought resistant like many weigelas and loves sunny places

Physocarpus All Black is another dramatic deciduous shrub with very dark purple black foliage and stems in summer The leaves in autumn turn red orange and yellow giving an entirely different contrast to any surrounding plants in the border It has pink flowers in May and June and will thrive in sun or part shade

New introductions for Buddleias are the Humdinger series They are compact semi evergreen shrubs more suitable for smaller gardens and patio tubs The flowers appear in early summer as 20 to 30 cm long panicles and last well into autumn All varieties are very easy to grow in a sunny place and are loved by Butterflies

Moths and Bees Buddleia Little Angel has long white flowers and silvery foliage while B Candy Little Lila has beautiful pale lilac flowers

Another exciting semi evergreen shrub with especial autumn interest is Abelia Kaleidoscope In spring the leaves are yellow and green intensifying in colour throughout summer and turning bright orange red and purple in autumn The flowers are pale pink and appear in summer lasting well into autumn It grows to about 1m and likes a sheltered sunny place and compost rich soil

All borders in the garden benefit from some evergreens which keep the colour going when other plants have lost their leaves Choisya Sundance is an absolute favourite with bright golden waxy leaves that when crushed have a herby scent It also has white flowers during summer which smell of orange blossom Another variety Choisya Goldfinger has the same golden foliage which is finely cut with white flowers in late spring a beautiful contrast when planted near Berberis Darts Red Lady

Two Pittosporums are worth a mention for prolonging the evergreen theme Pittosporum Tom Thumb has purple leaves which darken as the weather gets colder In spring the new leaf growth is bright apple green with small dark honey scented flowers It is small compact easy to grow and very drought tolerant a good contrast to Lavender and other silver foliage evergreens Pittosporum Silver Queen is a larger variety with silver variegated decorative foliage