Hatters’ hero is prostate cancer crowd puller
In September the group held a mass PSA testing session at the football club’s ground in Luton
Bedfordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group raises money to hold mass PSA testing A PSA test can detect prostate cancer at an early stage, over 500 tests were carried out that day
During the testing session in Luton, Harford met with members of the group’s committee and as they say the rest is history Mick has become a patron of the group
A report presented to the Sustainable Communities Over view and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, November 17, said the council is engaging with key stakeholders to formulate a “holis
tic, joined up” approach to the complex assets within the site Cllr James Weir (Conservative, Kempston Rural) asked who the partners are and if there is a timescale
Mick was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December 2019, which following radio therapy and regular medication is now under control
He would be the first to admit that the thought of prostate cancer hadn’t crossed his mind, after all he was only 60!
But testing revealed his cancer was unfortunately at an advanced stage
CROWD FAVOURITE
Mick has been involved with the Hatters on and off for many years and is a huge favourite of the Town’s supporters He has been called upon several times to cover the team management role, filling in when other managers have departed the club
Mick was part of the Luton team that beat Arsenal in the 1988 Littlewood’s Cup Final
Every 45 minutes one man dies from prostate cancer that's more than 12,000 men every year one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime Around 475,000 men are living with prostate cancer
The Prostate Cancer Support Group holds its meetings in Bedford where they discuss their experiences and have presentations from local doctors and specialists One the best features of the group is the shared experiences that newly diagnosed victims can bene fit from
For more information contact: Steve Pearce: steve@sp vp co uk, 01234 960414 or 07717 531715
A LOCAL prostate cancer support group have announced that the Luton Town football club’s Mick Harford has become a patron of the group.
TALKS ON FUTURE OF FORMER STORES
From page 1
for the project
Debenhams building is owned by a foreign bank after the previous owners went bust
The portfolio holder for town centres and planning, Cllr Henry Vann, (LibDems, De Parys), said: “We are jointly funding a feasibility study which looks at what could happen across that site, I think that’s really significant in terms of their engagement with the council at this stage,” he said
“Hopefully there will be some thing, because until you’ve done a feasibility study there’s nothing to talk about
“But there will be something to talk about soon I hope,” he said Mayor, Dave Hodgson, said: “Basically that the units as you’d expect for Debenhams and Beales are much too big
“The department store has gone, so how do you divide that up?
“The upstairs is likely to be a residential element to actually make it stack up [financially]
“But if you look at the depth of the buildings it means a substantial amount of work, because you wouldn’t have a very narrow, very thin, residential apartment with a
window at the end, you’re going to do substantially more work than that
“There’s obviously the library and I think the one thing we’d said is that there must remain a town centre library
“But we’ve got to make it stack up somehow, and that’s what we’re talking to the landlords or their representatives about “As soon as we’re able to, we’ll share some of those things about their [proposals]
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the area but it is a substantial piece of work
“Key things though to remember smaller units, there will be a library, and there’s bound to be resi dential,” he said
In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a spokesperson for Panther Securities said:”We appreciate that this is an important site, not only for us but the town as a whole, and so it is important that we work closely with the council to ensure the best outcome for all parties
“As with most things of this nature it is not straightforward and will take some time to fully resolve, but we are confident that given the engagement of the council to date and their continued involvement, we will be able to make this site better utilised for the benefit of all stakeholders ”
Gift giving initiative returns to Harpur Centre this Christmas
THE Wishing Tree is back at the Harpur Centre, until Sunday, December 18, which helps give less fortunate children and families across Bedfordshire a happier Christmas.
Make someone else’s Christmas extra special this year with the Wishing Tree at Harpur Centre.
Whilst shopping for presents at the Harpur Centre, staff are asking if you can add an extra present to your basket for the Wishing Tree, to make someone’s day extra special.
All gifts kindly donated to the Wishing Tree will be distributed across the county by organisations that support underprivileged and less fortunate children and families, and will be delivered in time for Christmas Day, to ensure everybody has something to open.
How does the Wishing Tree work, you might wonder – shoppers are asked to head to the Tree in the Harpur Centre, select a ‘Boy ’ or ‘Girl’ gift tag, choose an appropriate gift from a retailer at the Centre, attach the gift tag to the gift (please ensure this is unwrapped), then drop the gift at the tree by Sunday, December 18 when the dona tions close
Volunteers at the organisations will then wrap the gifts once donations have closed and distribute the gifts across the county
Samantha L aycock, Centre Manager at the Harpur Centre, commented:
“
The Wishing Tree is a returning community initiative which we are so proud to have again, here at Harpur. It’s important now more than ever to make sure everybody has a happy Christmas ”
For more information check out the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HarpurCentre, or Website at www harpurcentre co uk
Eddie’s ‘Let Katie Come’ petition reaches over 1,600 signatures
The controversial far right political commentator was due to bring her ‘Live Laugh Love’ show to the town next year
But she was cancelled after a petition signed by 50 people was sent to Bedford Borough Council
Now a ‘Let Katie Come’ counter petition has been organised by Drag Queen Eddie Adams and has over 1600 signatures
Eddie, 33, who has brain cancer, says the council has no right to stop free speech and has over stepped the mark by acting as a censor
He said: “Katie Hopkins has not broken any laws and cancelling her does not sit well with me
“The Mayor is a Liberal and I thought they believed in free speech I don’t agree with everything she says, but I would not want to stop her speaking I would feel the same if Anjem Choudhry (the militant Islamic preacher) was cancelled
“This is over reach by the council ”
His counter petition reads: Bedford Borough Council in coordination with the Corn Exchange must immediately uncancel Katie Hopkins on her tour around the u K If Bedford truly prides itself as being a multicultural community it will only prove it by allowing all aspects of our rich culture to be both seen and heard and leave it up to the community to reach their own conclusions No council should have to right to curtail the free speech of any single person based on a difference of opinion or internet petitions
“I will not allow this kind of inane, pointless, censorship to go unchallenged here in my hometown and I would hope that others can see the potential danger in allowing this to continue uninterrupted ”
“Having been an avid proponent for free speech for many years I found the decision making process the council took in order to cancel Katies event deeply troubling ”
He went on: “The petition to let Katie come has now reached over 1,600 signatures and I’m pleased to know it’s not just me who feels this over reach by Bedford Borough Council and namely Mayor Dave Hodgson is a profound step in the wrong direction ”
Katie Hopkins is backing the campaign on her Instagram account
When Katie Hopkins was can celled Bedford Council said: “We are proud to have a diverse community in Bedford Borough and want to support people to help one another to thrive
“We do not feel the show in ques tion supports this objective
“As a result, we have made the decision to cancel the event at Bedford Corn Exchange ”
Village school site must be used for education
STEWARTBy’S Marston Vale School site “must be used for edu cational purposes for the village of Stewartby” if it closes following proposed school changes, a meet ing heard
A non statutory consultation on changing schools in the Wootton/ Stewartby/Cranfield cluster from a three tier to a two tier education system started this week
Chris Morris, Bedford Borough Council’s acting chief officer for education, gave the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Monday, October 31) a brief overview of the proposals for the four schools in Wootton and Stewartby
“Wootton Lower School and Broadmead Lower School would be converted from lower schools to primary schools,” he said “Wootton upper School would extend its age range to admit chil
Man jailed over serious child sex offences
A PAEDOPHILE who committed a serious sexual assault against a young girl has been jailed for eight years
Derek McGillivary’s victim was only five or six years old when he sexually assaulted her at an address in Bedford
Three years later the victim had a sex education lesson at school, which prompted her to come for ward and report McGillivary
He was found guilty of assault ing a girl under 13 by penetration earlier this year
McGillivary, 48, of no fixed address, was also sentenced in con nection to making indecent images of children
He had more than 3,500 inde cent images on his laptop after offi cers seized the device last year
McGillivary was previously convicted of sexual offences and given a sexual harm prevention order an order made by a court that places restrictions on a person who poses a risk of sexual harm to the public
under the conditions of the order, McGillivary was required to have risk management software installed on his devices to monitor his online activity
In December 2021, the software indicated that McGillivary had been accessing illegal content
The Police’s Offender Manage ment unit seized McGillivary’s laptop, and later discovered inde cent images of children
On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at Luton Crown Court he received an eight year sentence for the sexu al assault He was given an addi tional sentence of four years to be served on licence
Did you see…?
AT 10am on Thursday, September 20, in High Street, Kempston, one of our delivery staff (Beds Bulletin) was involved in a collision The lady concerned was riding her bike when she was struck by a car A good Samaritan helped her to her feet and but left the scene before her contact details could taken We urgently need this person to give a statement to the police regarding this event If you are that person or know that Samaritan please contact Beds Bulletin/Kempston Calling on 07894 935952
by John Guinn Local Democracy Reporter
dren at age 11 in year 7 and become a secondary school
“unfortunately, discussions with the academy trust [Chiltern Learning Trust] that runs Marston Vale has said that actually there aren’t enough pupils to make Marston Vale a viable primary school or a secondary school
“So in the current proposals Marston Vale Middle School would close in 2026 and an alter native educational use may be found for its site and buildings,” he said
Councillor Jane Walker (Conservative, Clapham), asked: “Have you got any idea what that school might become?”
Mr Morris explained that there is a covenant on the Marston Vale School site which states that it “must be used for educational pur
poses for the village of Stewartby”
“When an academy closes down, the site is returned to the Department for Education, who are then likely to return it to the local authority, especially with that covenant on it,” he said
“Then we would be looking at what the alternative uses can be
“The reason why the language is slightly woolly with [what will happen] is because, obviously, it’s not our land and it’s not [currently] our school
“We don’t want to make false promises
“That site covenant does say that it must be used for educational purposes so we can quite safely assume that the land will be returned back to us to then seek alternative educational provisions for that site,” he said
Taxi driver assaulted in Br omham
A BEDFORD
the attack The company is not convinced that much is being done about the attack and would like to have meeting with the police and the local council to investigate what can be done about what appears to be a growing trend
Freemasons parade in public for the first time in nearly 100 years
funerals that were unable to be attended due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic
The service also remembered all those whose
Dr Prior (1820 1907), in addition to being the Coroner for Bedford, was also a Public Analyst and the Medical Officer of Health for the Borough and of several Sanitary Authorities, including Bedford, Ampthill, Biggleswade and Woburn Dr Prior was the acting Provincial Grand Master for Bedfordshire for five years whilst Lord Ampthill served in India.
Council orders 24 battery powered vehicles
BEDFORD Council has ordered 24 electric vehicles to reduce its carbon emissions as it strives to be carbon neutral by 2030
A report presented to the coun cil’s Climate Change Committee on Monday, November 14, said council vehicles generate 2,263 tonnes of carbon emissions
This is nearly a third of the council’s total carbon emissions, second only to operational council buildings (4,636 tonnes 66% of total carbon emissions)
To meet its commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030, the report says the council needs to look at both the numbers of vehicles in its fleet and the fuels used to power them
The council has 250 vehicles, and includes car derived vans, refuse collection vehicles, 32 tonne hook load vehicles, as well as many smaller pieces of equip ment, such as triple mowers and ride on street sweepers
But only four vehicles are Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) two scooters and two small vans
CLS Energy, a specialist energy and fleet transport consultancy service, was commissioned to review the fleet and to establish the most appropriate route to carbon zero
The key findings included installing as many electric vehicle charging points as the council’s three principle operational depots can handle, and to instigate a BEV fleet roll out for vehicles smaller than 3 5 tonnes
As part of this roll out, the report said the council has ordered 24 BEVs This will mean that 12 5 per cent of the fleet will be a BEV before the end of the current finan cial year
The report references a recent survey that found that the average electrification for local authorities in the uK is only 4 2 per cent, adding that the “majority” of those that responded had fewer than 50 charge points in place across public, home, and depot locations
The council says it has over 100 charging points, with more set to be installed this financial year
MK42
Mayor banking on the small independent shops
BEDFORD’S future will be about smaller shops and plenty of events, the Borough’s Mayor has said
On Thursday, November 17, the Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee was given a report on how Bedford Borough Council plans to attract new busi nesses to Bedford
Following the report, the Conservative Group leader, Cllr
by John Guinn Local Democracy ReporterGraeme Coombes (Wilshamstead), asked what Bedford town centre will look like once all the initiatives were completed
“When is the sort of finite date you can say ‘there you go, that’s what we’re expecting it to look like by this specific date,” he asked
The portfolio holder for town centres and planning, Cllr Henry
Vann, (LibDems, De Parys), replied that the vision is published in the Town Centre Plan
“It does say what we want it to look like and what we’re going to try to do,” he said
“And in fact on later pages there to sort of break down what those aims are
“There is a timeline on some of
those clearly, but for others the change over time is going to be you know, slower, I think it’s fair to say,” he said
Bedford Mayor, Dave Hodgson said to Cllr Coombes: “If you can tell me where the events world will be in 10 years’ time, because I think that’s where your specialism is and where it was 10 years ago, please can we have a chat because we can probably make a killing
“And likewise, I don’t think we can say where the town centre will be
“When we originally published the vision for the town centre and Henry said 2020 to 2023, we didn’t know just around the corner was a pandemic
“We’d already set up the Town Centre Priority Fund to try and get events
“Retail in traditional market towns is not going to be what it was in the 1960s, 70s or even the year 2000, it is going to be differ ent
“We’ve seen already, and I think that was happening back in 2020, the demise of the big depart ment store and the big store
“It’s [having] a small town cen tre presence, probably backed up by some internet, either sales or marketing
“It’s [also] about having events happening, it’s about coming into Bedford as somewhere to go “To go to a nice restaurant, but ideally to do a little bit shopping before hand, or go around to see some stuff,” he said
The Mayor said Bedford was “blessed” with many places, both inside and out, that can host events and activities that bring people into Bedford
“And we need to get them in early, [we need] to get restaurants
to say, ‘look if you get in here at six o’clock, we can get you out for your performances by seven, seven thirty’, [this] will be really advan tageous,” he said
“[Bedford] is a place to come and visit, and hopefully you’ll do some shopping, and you’ll wander around and think, ‘I want to come back here because there’s nice little shops’,” he said
Businesses continue to raise questions about parking and public transport, with changing bus ser vices making access to and from the town unreliable
Prominent town centre busi nessman, Robert Rigby, whose family business has been in the town for over 100 years, said: “The Borough has failed in its duty of guardianship of Bedford Town centre by its shocking management of the bus station over many years
“The Lib Dem Mayor’s man agement of car parking has been a disaster driving people to cheap parking at Milton Keynes and free parking at Rushden Lakes
“Well managed council car parking provided income for the council and supported a vibrant town centre. The Mayor saw it as a cash cow and he has driven the shoppers to where the parking is still free or cheaper and the shop ping is still vibrant.”
Just adding to the cost of living crisis
BEDFORD’S market traders have expressed their disappointment that the Borough Council have seen fit to raise their rents by 10%
The tenants’ rents are subject to annual review, but they were hop ing that the council would take into account the decrease in footfall in the town centre before implement ing another cost in these difficult times
One trader (who wishes to remain anonymous) told the Bulletin that: “The council boasts that Bedford is the town of markets but this seems to have a hollow ring about it
“The Mayor has seen fit to freeze fees and charges for residents but seems to think it’s OK to hammer small traders
“And the recent announcement about the £60,000 investment in the market seems to be paid for by us tenants!
“The council are adding to the ‘cost of living crisis’ as we will have to pass on the extra costs put on us ”
Design of the decade
Better than 1.7 million
STuDENTS from The Bedford College Group beat millions of others to take the runner up positions in two categories of award given by the national Association of Colleges
“Daniel McAllister and Ellen Stultiens(pictured) were runners up for student awards imagine coming second in a sector of 1 7 million students?,” said Group CEO Ian Pryce CBE,
“We are so proud their achievements and to be able to say they are part of The Bedford College Group ”
Daniel of Ampthill works for Network Rail https://bedfordcollegegroup ac uk/about/new s/daniel overcomes deafness to reach national finals for student of the year/
Ellen is now at university
https://bedfordcollegegroup ac uk/about/new s/ellen goes higher than she ever dreamed possible/
At the same AoC conference it was announced: The Bedford College Group overall was a finalist in this AoC’s Beacon Awards for Diversity
The National Centre for Diversity’s Award for Inclusive Learning Leadership category is
TO mark the 10th anniversary of The Bedford Sixth Form a logo competition was launched among students and the winner was Harry Herd, 17
Harry, from Biggleswade, is studying Graphic Communications at A Level with a view to going on to university His design appealed most to a judging panel of profes sionals and he was rewarded with a Love Bedford shopping voucher
The logo will now be used across all platforms to promote the anniversary of the popular educa tional establishment in Bromham Road, Bedford
Did you attend The Bedford Sixth Form we want to hear from you
The Bedford Sixth Form is planning a series of celebrations to mark its tenth anniversary
Since opening up in the historic building in Bromham Road in September 2012, The Bedford College Group has upgraded and improved the facilities to mod ernise and improve the student experience
Now 800 are studying A Levels and other nationally recognised Level 3 qualifications which are setting them for great careers, or to get a place at their choice of uni versity
Former students are being asked to get in touch and give The Bedford Sixth Form an update of how their lives have progressed They will be invited to an event in 2023 to see how the college has progressed and how the building has been improved over the past 12 months as a result of millions of pounds eco grants
The campus maintains its the atre, sports and swimming facili ties which are used by the public and the Grand Hall is a popular place for weddings and special parties out of school hours
The Bedford Sixth Form is part of The Bedford College Group, one of the most successful FE and HE providers in the South East Midlands region
Find the Alumni Link on www bedfordsixthform ac uk
http://www.bedsbulletin.com/door-door-
one of 12 examined under the AoC scheme and all those highlighted have all demonstrated “a high level of innovation, impact and sustainabil ity ”
The report into The Bedford College Group said:
“For nearly a decade, this College has led the way in championing diversity and inclusion, putting it firmly at the heart of the organisation and embedding it within its corporate culture In 2013 the College created its first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion role and by 2019 it became the only uK college to achieve the Stonewall Silver Award In December 2021 it was the first college to be awarded Gold from Stonewall for its LGBGT+ inclusion work on campus and in the community
“The extensive work this College has under taken includes making EDI training compulsory for every new member of staff and providing all employees with ongoing access to professional development in this areas
“The College is now using this best practice approach and applying it to inclusion work for other protected characteristics, focussing next on race equality ”
Government’s Safer Str eets fund to make str eets safer for ever yone
BEDFORD Borough is to benefit from funding for local Safer Streets projects
The Home Office funding is for specific projects that reduce the risk of violence against women and girls, reduce criminal activity in local hotspots and create safer places for everyone
The funding will support a pro ject to improve visibility and light ing for four areas in Bedford
Cost of Living Grant Fund launched
A NEW grant funding scheme has been launched in Bedford Borough for voluntary organisations and community groups to help people struggling with the cost of living Bedford Borough Council is working with Compass Wellbeing and the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Health and Care Partnership to provide £170K of grants to community, voluntary and social enterprise organisations, or town and parish councils, which are supporting individuals and families during the current cost of living crisis
Grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 are available to organisa tions that are helping local resi dents to stay warm, well and socially connected this winter
Examples of support include those that support people to access hot, healthy, nutritious meals in community settings, help with social isolation and loneliness and support for people to access health care
Cllr Louise Jackson, portfolio holder for Health and Wellbeing said, “Most of us will have been affected in some way by the cost of living crisis, and our charitable and voluntary sector is not immune to rising costs and falling donations “By working closely with local community groups, we are aiming to ensure that as many residents as possible continue to get the support that they need ”
To apply visit www compass wellbeing co uk/latest funding opportunities The deadline for applications is December 18, 2022.
CCTV will be installed and moni tored to provide reassurance and reduce antisocial behaviour Police data was used to identify the areas, these are:
n The footpath from Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh Temple, leading along the river to the Prebend Street Bridge n Ford End Road from the Guru Nanak Gurdwara to the railway bridge
n Tavistock Street, plus adjacent areas of Boswell Pace and the alleyway beside Queen Street Car Park
n The Ampthill Road hospital bus stop seating and the alleyway between Victoria Road and Edward Road
The design stages are now complete and work is underway and it will be completed by Christmas
Mayor Dave Hodgson, said, “Bedford Borough Council are tak ing safety seriously, I am pleased we can provide extra security for these four areas We will continue to work with partners to further reduce criminal activity and pro vide safer streets for all ”
Further information on the local Safer Streets initiatives can be found at www bedford gov uk/ saferstreets
Lauren’s a stHr
RECEIVING the Silver Award in ‘Business Woman Of The Year ’ Awards at the SME Luton & Bedfordshire Awards was Lauren Shepherd
The awards evening was held at Bedford’s Corn Exchange in September
Lauren opened her first babyballet Franchise in Biggleswade in 2015, since then she has expanded her award winning classes both to Bedford and Stevenage stars
The award was rewarded for the best female business owner or a female who has had a positive impact on a business/es They will have shown how they have exceptional drive to succeed and how they have been integral in making the business or businesses a success
Lauren has starred as a per former in West End theatres and around the world but decided to open her first babyballet franchise in Biggleswade af ter the bir th of her first child
Receiving the award Lauren said:”I cannot tell you how humbled and proud I am to receive this recognition af ter struggling through the pandemic and fighting to keep my business alive af terwards, I am thrilled to have won this award! Being able to introduce the magic of ballet to our little stars is the most rewarding feeling and the best job in the world!
babyballet is for children aged six months to six years and the door is always open if you d like to join them
and
The shop has suitable presents for younger children right up to the not so younger children!
Stockists of Lego, Playmobil, Sylvanian Families, games, jigsaws, pre school toys and much more!
Why not pay them a visit and see what gems you can find on their shelves?
Also they cater those of you who building or thinking of building a model railway track, locomotives, rolling stock and no end of model making supplies are all in stock
Email: stjohnshomes341@gmail com
Bourns in Bedford display: 75 years of innovation
Higgins Bedford is hosting an anniversary display, Texas Instruments to Bourns in Bedford: 75 years of Technological Innovation, exploring the early years of the Texas Instruments site at Manton Lane, and its transition and takeover by Bourns in 2000
Over the last 22 years, Bourns have continued to drive technological innovation in Bedford continuing to manufacture state of the art semi conductor wafers, which can be found in a range of business and domes tic products including mobile phones, cars and vacuums
Councillor Doug McMurdo, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, said, “The company continues to be a valued employer for Bedford still based at its
original site at Bedford Heights It’s great to be able to celebrate their 75 years with this excellent display of Texas Instruments and Bourns products ”
Come and enjoy reminiscing over Texas Instruments products such as Speak and Spell, Little Professor and hand held calculators and laptops Learn more about the semi conductor wafers and products created by Bourns today and how they are used Watch the film of Bourns employees speaking about their long service with the company, what it was like work ing there over the decades to the present day
The display continues until the end of June 2023 and is free to visit
For more details: www thehigginsbedford org uk
Generous approach can be an attraction to homeless people
by John Guinn Local Democracy ReporterAROuND £600,000 a year is being spent putting homeless peo ple in temporary hotel accommo dation despite the council having no statutory duty to do so, a coun cillor has claimed
Bedford Borough Council cur rently has 34 people placed at the Mercure, according to a report given to the Housing Committee on November 2
HOW MUCH?
Cllr Stephen Moon (Great Barford) asked whether the council had a statutory duty to place any of those 34 people at the hotel and how much this was costing
Lee Phanco, the council’s chief officer for assessment, application and business support, said there wasn’t a statutory duty to house any of them, and the net cost was around £50 per person per night He added that there is some grant funding for this
Cllr Moon said by his quick arithmetic that this is around £600,000 a year “That seems to me to be a lot of money for those of whom we have no statutory duty,” he said It seems to me this is a matter that should have been given some consideration and should have been subject to a decision
“As I understand it, there has been no specific decision in this respect which seems to me to be a gap,” he said
The council’s portfolio holder for finance, cllr Michael Headley LibDems, Putnoe), said: “We need to really remember the context of
this first of all, and it’s been refer enced in this report, we had some of the highest levels of rough sleep ing in the country
“I don’t want to return to that, I don’t want those people who have got nowhere else to go, no recourse to any other support or accommo dation to basically go, ‘right you, back on the streets’
“That’s what we’re providing this service for, and we might not have a statutory duty, but there’s other things to consider beyond what is a legal necessity
“We should continue to do work to make sure that we’ve got the best and most cost effective provision for people
ROUGH SLEEPERS
“But on the fundamental point I do not want to return to the position where Bedford had one of the highest levels of people sleeping rough on the streets, that is not where I want to be,” he said
Cllr Moon referred to a section of the report “[It says] ‘an overly generous approach providing accommodation can increase demand by attracting people to the borough because they believe they are more likely to be provided with accommodation’,” he said
“The issue is not about the overall temporary accommodation
“We will be better able to cope with those for whom we have a duty if we are not equally at the same time trying to cope with those for whom we do not have a duty, that is my basic point,” he said
Business raises thousands of pounds for Sue R yder Hospice
BIG HEARTED fundraisers from a Bedford based insurance firm have handed over more than £40,000 to their local hospice as part of their ongoing commitment to fundraise for the charity
M&DH Insurance Services Ltd have supported Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger for the last 16 years, but have gone above and beyond in the last two months, raising a staggering £41,137 from a trio of fundraisers held across September and October
Richard Hames, Managing Director at M&DH Insurance Services Ltd, said: “We are really proud of our long standing support of Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice over all the years, it’s always great to give something back to our local community, and as a busi ness we’re delighted about the amount we have raised and hope it will help other families needing the care of Sue Ryder
“The hospice is a cause close to many of our hearts The Sue Ryder Nurses, volunteers, care and support teams all work incredibly hard 365 days of the year providing compassionate support and care at the most difficult time for those in need ”
The fantastic fundraising saw staff scale the peaks of Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike, hike under the stars in Bedford, and swing into action for their annual charity golf day held at Pavenham Park Golf Club in Bedford Further support was offered by M&DH Insurance Services Ltd as the main sponsor of this year ’s Sue Ryder Starlight Hike Bedford, an evening of celebration and remembrance of loved ones
Peaks Challenge in under 24 hours on 13th September They raised over £14,000 towards the fundraising total She added: “It was a team bonding experience and despite the pain, it was definitely worth it we all said we would love to do it again ” Naomi has since decided to step things up further in her fundraising for Sue Ryder, signing up to run the London Marathon for the charity in April 2023 “It will be my first ever marathon and a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, whilst continuing to raise vital funds for such a worthy cause ” she added
Nick Burr, Senior Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, said: “We have been com pletely blown away by the incredible support of our friends at M&DH and the staggering amount they have raised in such a short amount of time Our corpo rate partners play a key role in working to ensure that we can be there for people during the most difficult times of their lives We can’t thank M&DH Insurance Services Ltd enough for their unwavering support of our hospice over the years With their help we can con tinue to be there when it matters for families and give more care to more people ”
Celebrating 1300 years of Volunteering
FROM 18 to 80 you’re never too old to volunteer with Bedfordshire Girlguiding!
Saturday, November 19, saw the annual, Bedfordshire Girlguiding Valuing our Volunteers Awards Ceremony, being hosted at the King's House Conference Centre in Bedford Awards were presented in a number of categories, from five years of service to an outstanding 60 years of service, as well as 52
Special Recognition Awards
The ladies honoured have, between them, given over 1300 years of volunteering, to work with girls and young women from all across Bedfordshire
Anne Gibbons and Janet Owen from the Luton Division received their award for 50 years of service and Chris Short from the Bedford Division received her 60 years of service award
Chris said: “Girlguiding has always been a part of my life, being a member of the Guiding movement has given me so much over the past 60 years, fun, friend ship, and adventure ”
Chris added: “It has been an honour to work with so many great young people and wonderful volunteers!'
County Commissioner Karen Keeling said: “We are thrilled that so many girls and young women are joining Girlguiding It is a testa ment to our Leaders and Volunteers that Guiding is seen as a fantastic organisation to be a part of ”
The event was not only attended by volunteers from across Bedfordshire, but also by Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Ruth Bell and the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Lady Jane Clifford who were both delighted to hand out a number of awards
The Will Writing Company
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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.
I am not sure I have ever recovered from being demoted from playing Angel Gabriel to being recast as the Innkeeper in my infant school nativity I think it was for some perceived misdemeanour, but it may have been because the staff realised that I couldn’t sing
Whatever, I went from centre stage as the bearer of God’s good news to Mary, to an inhospitable tavern keeper who could only provide a dirty stable for the holy family
There probably aren’t as many nativity plays as there used to be, but schools and churches will be bringing out the tea towels and cloaks as young (and sometimes old!) dress as shepherds and kings, or the range of animals who witnessed the birth of Jesus There will be other characters as well As a teenager, I once
wrote a nativity story that had coal miners instead of shepherds Who can forget the octo pus in ‘Love Actually’ with Natalie’s classic line ‘Eight is a lot of legs David!’
However, whether the manger is attended by octopi, members of the NUM, or the more traditional sheep, and shepherds, the message is the same The child wrapped in swaddling clothes whilst sharing our humanity, is God with us As the angels sang to the shepherds, ‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord’
He is the one who by his life, death and resurrection will reveal to us what God is like What it is to live a flourishing life that is filled with the love of God As Christina Rossetti expresses it in one of her carols:
Dave Hodgson Mayor of Bedford Christmas is coming…
You cannot miss that we have entered the Christmas season with the adverts on televi sion, mince pies in the shops and even Christmas songs on the radio
The Christmas lights have now been switched on in Bedford town centre and Kempston town centre. Before the lights were switched on there were events in both Bedford and Kempston with stalls, fair rides and music, it was good to see so many people enjoying themselves
There will also be lights and decorations in a number of the villages around the Borough and I am looking forward to seeing as many of these as possible
Throughout December there will be many reasons and ways to celebrate
Small Business Saturday takes place on 3rd December so please support our wonderful Independents and small busi nesses
Bedford will see a special Christmas Town Market on 10th and 11th December in collaboration with BedfordBid and Made in Bedford
Over the weekend, there will be local artists and makers with artisanal gifts and decorations on offer accompanied by festive cheer provided by local bands and choirs. There will also be free family amuse ments rides for children and lovely live performances too Santa’s Grotto will also be taking place in the Harpur Centre BedfordBid will also be hosting seasonal
Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas; star and angels gave the sign
I hope you will get the opportunity to attend a nativity To come yourself to the manger and hear again the story of Jesus To sing carols and celebrate God’s love for each of us
In the end being the Innkeeper wasn’t as bad as I feared, although I never had the courage of one disgruntled child who had this role Approached by Joseph seeking a room for his pregnant wife, he announced with glee, ‘There is plenty of room, do come in!’
It isn t the script as we know it, but it does get to the heart of Christmas God’s love and welcome for all
and family free festive fun between 10am and 3pm on 17th and 18th December
There will be face painting, balloon artistry and fairground rides for children and young people You can find out more at https://www lovebedford co uk/
The ever popular Christmas Tree Festival will be returning to St Paul's Church in Bedford from Wednesday 30th November until Sunday 4th December
This year ' s theme is 'Musicals' and you can find out more about this event at https://www facebook com/bedfordchrist mastreefestival
I would like to also take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Mohammad Yasin – MP Kempston and Bedford
Tory austerity is the last thing the British public can afford
Last week in Parliament, only one Tory MP voted with Labour’s Motion to protect the Pension Triple lock
Despite it being a Tory manifesto pledge for the state pension rate to increase each year in relation to highest of three indicators; inflation, the average increase in wages or by 2 5%, the future of the triple lock has been placed in jeopardy as the government tries to fill the £60 billion black hole in public finances caused by their mismanagement of the economy
Breaking the manifesto pledge would deprive people on the new state pension of £443 a year at a time when British pension ers already struggling on one of the lowest state pensions in the developed world can’t afford the basics
The only credible defence I’ve heard anyone say of not protecting the triple lock, is that it’s not fair to all the other people
this Government has let down
The nurses having to use foodbanks, the teachers who feed hungry kids with their own money, the public service workers who after years of stagnant wages dare to ask for a pay rise because they can’t afford to feed their families properly, who are frightened to put the heating on and are now worried they can afford their home
They have a point. When the Government hasn’t yet committed to keeping benefits in line with inflation, when young people must saddle themselves in enormous debt to get themselves a good education, when home ownership is nothing but a pipe dream for a whole generation of young people the argu ment is, it’s not fair to protect pensioners
Well, what a race to the bottom!
How dreadful, that we are being invited to be envious of other people s rights, pitting workers against pensioners, young against
old, when the truth is, nearly all of us will lose out in this week’s Budget
Cutting the pension pots of people who have paid into them their whole lives in a cost of living crisis will cost lives
As the Chancellor himself now admits, “‘Austerity’ didn't work the first time and it's not going to work now ”
How about trying to recoup some of the £80 billion a year the Tories’ disastrous Brexit is costing the country and the £4 3 billion the Prime Minister wrote off for Covid loan fraud first?
It’s not pensioners or workers seeking modest pay rises that are costing this country
It’s this Conservative Government’s mismanagement of the economy that once again means that those who are least able to afford it will be expected to foot the bill, with disastrous consequences
Community her oes r ecognised by Manton Heights Car e Centr e
MANAGEMENT at Bedford Manton Heights Care Centre are extremely proud of their staff and wanted acknowledge that they really appre ciate the hard work and commitment they show every day. While recognising the heroes amongst their own dedicated teams, the Care Centre
wanted to celebrate the amazing volunteers and professionals across the Bedford Community. So on September 28, an afternoon tea was held at the centre after which a prize giving took place recognising those people who through their work help the community.
Here we have a photographic record of the event but many of these wonderful people wished to remain slightly anonymous, so there are no captions People in the community who received help from these selfless people will know who they are.
‘Call-in’ site being abused? Two more schools for 2024
AN online form on Bedford Borough Council’s website allowed members of the public to make ‘spurious’ requests to ‘call in’ planning applications, a meeting heard under the current scheme of delegation planning applications are sent to the planning committee if one (or more) of eight triggers are activated
One of the triggers is a call in by a ward councillor or an adjoin ing ward councillor if there would be a significant impact on their ward
Most planning applications in the borough are determined by planning officers, but ‘calling in’ an application means it will be determined by the planning com mittee
Janine Laver, manager of development management, told Monday’s planning committee (November 21) that previously,
call ins were sent via email to a planning officer, but this method meant that they could sometimes be missed
The process was then moved to an online form but was hidden from the public after being ‘mis used’
Ms Laver explained: “We’ve moved the call in form behind the scenes, so it’s only available to members, because some members of the public used to be able to access that from the committee page and we started to see spurious call ins from several of you, even though you haven’t called applica tions in
“Those applicants thought they could use the form on your behalf, so we’ve taken that out of the public domain so that it is only available to members and hopefully we’ve eliminated that discrepancy,” she said
MAYOR Dave Hodgson has announced the Council will invest millions into the School Capital Programme in 2024.
This will fund two new primary schools in Wixams and Sharnbrook and around 40 new classrooms through expansions to Wixams Academy, Bedford Academy and schools west of Bedford
The investment will make sure that there is strong education infrastructure across the Borough.
Mayor Dave said: “Investing in schools and education is a top priority It is vital that we have the classrooms in place so that our school children can have the best start to life.
Bedford Borough is a popular place for young families to settle down, so it is important that we look ahead and invest
in schools to match that demand ”
The School Capital Programme sets out plans to build two new primary schools in Wixams (approximately 28 classrooms) and Sharnbrook (at least seven classrooms)
There will also be expansions to existing schools, with around 40 new classrooms being built across Wixams Academy, Bedford Academy and schools west of Bedford
Since Mayor Dave was elected in 2009, there have been 10 new schools built across the Borough
The next school to be built has now been given the planning green light, meaning there will be a brand new 200 place Special Education Needs and Disabilities School in Kempston opened in September 2024
eCar go Bikes hit 1,800km
eCargo Bikes used by Bedford Borough Council have been a huge success having travelled over 1,800km
Since being introduced in December 2020 the six eCargo bikes, purchased by the Council with Department of Transport funding, have travelled over 1,800km by several council teams and Flamme Rouge, saving approximately 200kg of CO2 com pared to using a van for the same journeys
The eCargo bikes have been used by the Council’s Sustainable Transport Team weekly to trans port materials to schools and run events The Council’s Parks and Open Spaces and Tree Inspection Teams have found the bikes partic ularly useful as it is easier to access the majority of their sites via bike rather than car One eCargo bike has been well used by Flamme Rouge to collect supplies for the
wholesalers and to run mobile Dr Bike sessions
Dave Hodgson, Mayor of Bedford Borough said, “It’s great to see the eCargo bikes being put to use These bikes have helped our teams to operate in an eco friendly way, and hopefully encourage oth ers to think about doing the same ”
they have concluded they might as well spend some of it!
“We had the money in the bank doing nothing so the we’ve installed £11,000 of solar panels.” NORTH BEDFORDSHIRERESIDENT
“£4,000 for a garden room, I can now sit and admire the view.” BEDFORDSHIREWIDOW
“I’ve had my best year ever since I moved my advertising spend to the Bulletin.” MOBILITYCOMPANY
“My customers have greater discretionary spending power –no mortgage!” BEDFORDCLOTHIERS
Centre of Excellence for WorldSkills
THE Bedford College Group is now a member of the WorldSkills uK Centre of Excellence with key members of Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) sub ject staff undergoing an advanced training pro gramme for educators.
Hosted at Tresham College Wellingborough campus and S h u t t l e w o r t h C o l l e g e i n B e d f o r d s h i r e , t h e c l a s s e s were led by WorldSkills uK professional Frazer Minskip who challenged the team to e m b r a c e n e w a p p r o a c h e s which will result in students achieving better results and improved career prospects
This included considering moving students outside of “ p e r f e c t t r a i n i n g e n v i r o n ments” to instead adapting their application to a real world environment, which is very often less than perfect, but, where they still have to perform to the highest stan dards
Bedford College has been a long standing supporter of WorldSkills uK and its com p e t i t i o n d e v e l o p m e n t p r o gramme
DOZENS
Over the past decade dozens of students have been entered for awards, with medals being won in key categories
Two IT students Daniel Cobzariu and James McKay are in the final of the WorldSkills uK website development com petition at Middlesbrough College https:// bedfordcollege group ac uk/ about/news/show casing world class it/ The success of Bedford College has been shared across the Tresham College campuses since the merger in 2017 into The Bedford College Group
It is fitting that as the college celebrates becoming a member of the Centre of Excellence, a record number of students entered WorldSkills uK compe titions this year
Dr Jo Baxter, Vice Principal of Tresham College, said: “We’ve worked hard to level up the world class skills taught across campuses within The Group, and this move to join the Centre of Excellence has been welcomed by staff who have given some great feedback to the course
“We look forward to embed ding the practices they learn across all our STEM subjects which lead into the highest qual ity careers and where employers are crying out for well skilled staff ”
WorldSkills uK’s Centre of Excellence is supported by its partner NCFE
Pictured: Top college teaching staff with Frazer, third from left
Celebrating School’s ‘Good’ Ofsted rating
STAFF and pupils at Springfield Primary School were delighted to welcome con stituency MP Mohammed yasin who person ally congratulated the school for their latest Ofsted inspection, which found the school to be ‘Good’ in all areas
The academy, which is part of Chiltern Learning Trust, was rated ‘Good’ across all five key areas within Ofsted’s framework the quality of education, behaviour and atti tudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision
Pupils, along with their parents, enjoyed an afternoon of activities including a wel comed visit from Mr yasin, MP for Bedford and Kempston who helped to unveil a con gratulatory Ofsted banner created by the school The celebrations carried on with cakes, balloons handed out to all the children and songs performed by a group of pupils Claire Andrews, Headteacher at Springfield Primary School, said: “Though I am honoured to lead a team that has worked to achieve the success of Good in all areas from our Ofsted in June 2022, the greatest privilege is being able to achieve this for the children of Kempston and Springfield Primary School ”
Cllr Carl Meader, Deputy Leader of
Kempston Town Council, who couldn’t make the visit but told the school: “Congratulations to all staff and pupils on their latest Ofsted report I recognise the hard work that goes into an Ofsted visit so you should all be proud of your achievement ”
Other positive aspects in the report focused on the high standard of education and support the pupils receive at the school The report stated: “Leaders have clearly designed a curriculum that lays out the important knowledge” and “teachers have strong knowledge of the subjects they teach”
Excellent repor t
Speaking of her pride, Claire added: “This is an excellent report, particularly at a time when the benchmark for ‘Good’ is widely acknowledged as being at the highest level it has ever been The report recognises that ensuring keeping pupils safe is at the centre of everything adults do in school
“I would like to thank the parents and car ers who have supported the school during this time Ofsted recognised the journey of improvements made at Springfield Primary School over the past four years We will con tinue working together and empowering learning!”
Other areas praised in the report included that “leaders prepare pupils to be responsible citizens Pupils know about the differences between themselves and others They are clear that everyone should be treated equally no matter their background, culture or beliefs ”
The report also recognised the strong relationship the school has with the local governing body and Chiltern Learning Trust’s senior leadership team The report stated: “They have a shared and accurate view of the strengths of the school and what needs to improve The local governing body does not stand still It regularly reflects on its own practice ”
Reflecting on the report and the visit, Adrian Rogers, CEO of Chiltern Learning Trust, said: “Springfield Primary School is one of the most recent schools to join the Chiltern Learning Trust and we are tremen dously proud to have them as part of our fam ily
“This report is a testament to the dedica tion of the school’s senior leaders, teachers, pupils, parents, carers and everyone else connected with this fantastic school I would like to congratulate all for their ongoing hard work and enthusiasm ”
Empty chair campaign helping to deal with grief
A WOMAN from Bedfordshire is bravely giving her support to a national campaign by healthcare and bereavement charity Sue Ryder, in response to new research which shows mealtimes are the most challenging times for those who are grieving
Helen Daniels from Biddenham will have a seat dedicated to her mum, Elizabeth, at a dining table surrounded by 13 empty chairs at a special exhibition taking place in Victoria Leeds this week, encour aging people to offer those that are grieving a seat at their table
Choosing to remember her mum by displaying a leopard print scarf at her dedicated seat at the dining table, Helen said, “It may be a cliché but my mum was my best friend, she was the least judgmen tal person I knew and I would speak to her about eight times a day! That was the hardest part when she died, that empty space, life had become silent Being part of this exhibition is my opportunity
to remember mum, but also to help others who are grieving ”
Helen's mum Elizabeth was cared for by the Sue Ryder St
John's Hospice's Palliative Care Hub and died in January 2019
Alongside Elizabeth’s seat at the table, will be chairs dedicated to loved ones being remembered by other families supported by Sue Ryder across the country, and Sue Ryder celebrity supporters Lisa Riley, Gail Porter and Lottie Tomlinson
Lisa Riley, Sue Ryder Ambassador, said:”I always say that mum was the oxygen in the room Mum made me look timid and that's not an exaggeration Mum loved the colour yellow and whenever I see it, I think of her and feel her with me
“Mum’s empty chair is felt by everyone who knew her, not just me She is always missed at special occasions and celebrations, because she was the life and soul of every party ”
gifts for Christmas from the popular Poinsettias and Cyclamen to the more unusual Anthuriums Here’s how to look after some during the festivities and afterwards
Poinsettias are a Christmas favourite which produce modified coloured leaves (bracts) from classic red to shades of pink, cream, variegated and spotted ones too To keep them looking perfect put them in a light position out of direct sunlight at a temperature between 15 20°c There is no need to feed these plants but avoid overwatering them by allowing the compost to dry before plunging in a bowl of water The coloured bracts should last for about three to four months
Christmas Prepared Hyacinths will flower early for
uncovered above the top of the compost Water and place in a warm environment to bring into growth where the flower will come first followed later by the leaves They grow best when put in a light place while keeping them just moist but not too wet After flowering keep Amaryllis indoors during the cold months then put outside in the summer where they can be left to dry out and bake in the sun
The Paperwhite Narcissus is a tender Daffodil that produces delicate white flowers with a delightful sweet scent just seven weeks after planting Plant as many of them as you can fit in a pot filled with bulb compost and keep the top half of the bulbs exposed unlike some Christmas flowering bulbs there is no need to ‘prepare them’ with a period of darkness and cold Instead put them straight into a warm and light room
The beautiful Rhododendron like flowers of Indoor Azaleas come in many colours and a few are also scented They are very easy to keep as long as they remain moist during their flowering period Keep a good eye on them though as they can dry out very quickly causing the petals to drop early Their ideal growing temperature is 10 15°c so avoid warmer places which will cause the flowers to finish sooner Aftercare involves replanting in to a bigger pot of ericaceous compost before putting them outside from the middle of June A shady position is best before eventually bringing them back indoors at the end of October Always keep the compost moist
Cyclamen is one of the most popular houseplants
They are perfect for the cooler parts of your house and have compact stems of white, pink, red or bicoloured nodding flowers over intricately patterned leaves The perfect temperature for them is 10 15°c in a light posi tion away from radiators Kitchens, bathrooms, studies and by the front door are all great places for them
Christmas so by December there should be a 2 5cm flower bud protruding from the bulb Grow on indoors in a coolish spot at around 15°c By the middle of the month the flower bud will be show ing colour Move to a cooler room where growth will slow and the flower emerges and will last longer Keep the compost just moist and increase watering once the flower opens
Amaryllis is usually sold in garden centres as dry bulbs or as a part of gift kits with the pot and soil also included They produce long stems with a large trumpet single or double flower in a range of colour from white, pink, orange, red, bicolour to striped Some reach 80cm tall It is easy to grow if placed in a pot a little wider than the bulb making sure the top half sits
Pull or twist off the flowers once they have finished and more will follow for many months to come Grow them inside until the leaves start to go yellow and then you can either rest the corms for a while or repot them and grow into a bigger plant to flower again next winter
Christmas Cacti are one of my favourite house plants They are slow growing succulents with flat and fleshy leaves that by the end of the summer produce exotic looking flowers of cerise pink, white, orange or apricot Flowering can start as early as the middle of November and continue to late January
Give them a period of time outside in the summer before moving them back indoors in October They are good in light or shady places and allow the compost to dry before re watering Checking the soil regularly is the best policy Remove the old flow ers to keep the plant looking tidy
In mixed containers the plants that need the same conditions are
Poinsettia, Azalea, Peace Lilly, Coral Bead Plant, Polka Dot Plants and more Have a Happy Houseplant filled Christmas Everyone.
Daxtonbury Festival
that might be in a similar situation to share suppor t
Plenty of awesome events this Christmas
Society (BDCPS) for a whole year
The project is called “Little Sweet Peas” named af ter one of the children who passed away This offers a specialist early years suppor t/stay and play group for families with children between the age of 0 and five years old The children will have severe complex, physical, learning and medical disabilities, increasingly life limiting This group is also available to those children’s mainstream siblings under school age
BDCPS was originally approached by several parents who had tried mainstream play groups and family centres but found the constant comparison with others too much They asked us if we could star t groups that would enable them to come along to a safe setting and meet other families
Said Dax Miller who hosts the festival on his land: “Thank you all from the bottom of my hear t and thanks to my amazing team you know who you are Much love ”
Daxtonbur y came back in 2022 af ter an gap of two years during lockdowns when the team behind this boutique festival hosted “The best three day par ty in Bedford shire” during the weekend of 8/9/10 July Held on farmland near the village of Podington in Nor th Bedfordshire, the festival featured over 30 bands including local favourites
Ever yone involved with the festival bands, organisers, volunteers and backstage crews etc give their time for free in order to raise money for cancer charities
Originally just a friends and family barbecue, Daxtonbur y has grown into a memorial to Chris Kelly, one of those friends, who passed away a few years ago
www daxtonbur yfestival co uk
by Tony HendrixAs we approach the much anticipated festive season 2022, I am pleased to see that many local venues have some awesome events lined up for December
Despite the financial challenges that have faced many venues within the hospitality sector power ful marketing techniques have been adopted to get people through the doors, the ue generated over the festive season for venues could well be a deciding factor for val during the early months of 2023 when c spending is low here are so many venues with events on over hristmas, I have chosen just a few of the larger events to mention this year he Corn Exchange is proud to welcome back Drif ters as par t of their UK tour 2022 on day, December 15, with a brand new show rming all their classic hits from the last six des The legendar y group have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, per formed for the President of the United States and listed among the Greatest Ar tists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine
Just a few of the hot soul classics to expect on the night include ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’, ‘You’re More Than A Number ’ ‘Come on Over to My Place’, ‘Up On The Roof,’ ‘Under the Boardwalk’, ‘Kissin In The Back Row’, ‘Save The Last Dance For Me’, ‘Down On The Beach’, ‘Hello
Happiness’ and many, many more! A great family event Tickets are available from the Bedford Corn Exchange
Old School Garage fans will be pleased to hear that on Friday, December 23, Esquires Music Venue 60A Bromham Road Bedford MK40 2QG will be hosting a night called ‘Give Me Garage’ Esquires, Bedford’s most iconic music venue has been exclusively selected for this event due to its amazing sound system and histor y ‘Give Me Garage’ will be presenting the ultimate Old School Garage Cracker, with loads of your old school favourite club anthems
Special guest per formance on the night will be ‘Richie Dan’ who has an array of garage hits and undoubtedly one of the most recognisable voices in UK Garage histor y
The night will also honour appearances from DJ/Producer ‘STICKY’ he was the producer behind UK Garage anthems such as BOO featuring Ms Dynamite and ‘The Things We Do For Love’ featuring Kele Le Roc UK Garage Legend MC KIE will also be gracing the stage during the event, he is the peoples UKG Champ, his biggest claim to fame
was from his massive UKG bangers ‘FLY BI’ and ‘Flow’
The legendar y MC RANKIN will also be on the bill, he is undoubtedly a favourite MC with many DJ’s & Ravers with the voice of one of the most recognisable singalong lyrics: there s no question of a doubt, I’ve checked all the ladies out ” if you’re a true old school raver I’m sure you’ll recognise that verse!
Finally ‘DJ Sen Har vey’ will be Flying the flag for Bedford in the UKG scene, an energetic DJ complemented by top ar tists and ravers for his selection and mixing Sean is a Garage Nation & Halloween Town Festival resident DJ
There will be several Christmas Eve and New Year ’s Eve events at many local bars and pubs, I’ve noticed that some venues tend to charge a nominal entr y charge via tickets which I assume is to cover buffet spreads where applicable
Hopefully you will be in a financial position to suppor t your local venue as they need as much suppor t as they can get during these uncer tain times
Have a great Christmas and all the best for the New Year
comedy
Shows you won’t want to miss
Castle Comedy is bringing the Christmas cheer to Bedfordshire! The shows will feature star names, mince pies, crackers, and lots of laughter
Saturday December 3rd, The Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade Headlining the show is LARRY DEAN He is one of the hottest stars in British comedy He has starred on Live at the Apollo Mock the Week and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show!
This year he was nominated for Best Show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Having been compared to Kevin Bridges and Billy Connolly he is on the road to becoming a household name
“Has the easy charm of an arena comic and the high joke rate too The Guardian
Also appearing is FINLAY CHRISTIE who has appeared on ITV1 s The Stand Up Sketch Show and 8 out of 10 Cats do Countdown!
Thursday December 8th, Henlow Bridge Lakes, Henlow Headlining the show is PAUL McCAFFREY He has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Impractical Jokers, Russell Howards Good News and Stand up Central on Comedy Central
He is an award winning act who headlines the biggest comedy clubs at home and abroad He has suppor ted Kevin Bridges and Michael McIntyre on their UK tours
“A total natural, his stor ytelling is utterly unique, never anything less than gut bustlingly hilarious” GQ Magazine
Also appearing is FIONA ALLEN, a twice Emmy winning
actor and comedian who has been a mainstay of our TV screens over the past two decades She has starred in various sketch shows, most famously Smack the Pony!
Thursday December 15th, The Quarry Theatre, Bedford Headlining the show is IVO GRAHAM He is a regular fixture in the clubs and theatres of the UK circuit, his gauche charm and craf ty, self aware wit has proved a hit with audiences of all ages, and
led to appearances on multiple TV and radio shows including Backstage with Kathrine Ryan, Live At The Apollo, British as Folk, Have I Got News For You Mock The Week and Fighting Talk
‘Beautifully constructed comedy’ The Scotsman
All shows feature full suppor t from top UK comedians and Paul Revill will host the shows!
Doors 7 30pm, Shows Star t 8 15pm Shows finish 10 45pm Book via www castlecomedy co uk
Biddenham Gardeners
Tuesday Art Group
Kempston:
Sharnbrook Men’s Group:
Kempston & District
Railway Society:
Bedford Probus Club:
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 oakleyruraldaycen tre weebly com Email: oakleyruralday centre@yahoo com
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
Bedford Folk Dance Club:
Friendly Country and Folk Dance Club Thursdays 8:15pm to 10:15pm St Mary’s Church Hall Church Lane Goldington Bedford MK41 0HL No partner required Good fun for only £3 Contact: Ron Law 01234 825574
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 refresh ments 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
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: 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 Research
Group: Beeston Methodist Church Hall, The Baulk, Beeston, Sandy SG19 1NR New members always welcome Contact: Sally Carlow 07722 121691t:
Bunyan
Saturday
St
St
THE Eagles have found the last few weeks difficult on the pitch failing to get wins in their league games since the end of October, meaning they have dropped from a mid table posi tion to one hovering around the relegation places.
Worryingly the defence is conceding more goals than Bedford fans have come to expect from recent reasons, while struggling to find the net in some matches as well The poor run started after two successive wins, when a buoyant Alvechurch went home with three points and three goals without return from a Bedford side that couldn’t take control of the game
A goalless draw saw Bedford’s only point in their last five outings as they travelled to Needham Market, but then it was a run of three further league defeats
The trip to play off placed Mickleover saw a two goal defeat, while mid table Basford put three goals past the Eagles defence
New frontman Afolabi Soyemi Ololade scored the second half equaliser, which proved to not be enough in a game that saw Charley Sanders sent off and Bedford denied a penalty, both decisions that Eagles Manager Gary Setchell questioned after the game
Bedford’s last home match saw another three one defeat and another sending off, this time Drew Richardson deemed to be the offender Bedford’s goal came in the fourth minute of the game courtesy of a St Ives Town player
BRIGHT SPOT
A small bright spot in November saw progression in the Bedfordshire Senior Cup against Stotfold, where a much changed side came out top in a penalty shoot out after Charley Sanders equalised from the penalty spot near the end of the first half
Bedford keeper Alex Street is taking time out from playing to get treatment for a long term injury that is increasingly affecting his playing ability His intention is to once again play for Bedford, but in the meantime Setchell is looking for a replacement for the next two critical home ties against Kings Langley and Bromsgrove Sporting, where he hopes to pick up points against two teams near the foot of the table
To keep track of the latest updates to fixtures, and ticketing information, visit www bedfordeagles net Pictured right: Sam Dreyer tries to force the ball home against St Ives
by Rowland White