Kempston Calling November 2022

Bedford Blues star opens new facilities at Grange Academy

GRANGE Academy pupils have welcomed families and VIP guests, including former headteachers and staff, to the grand opening of their new building. Local sports star Luke Frost helped officially open the new classroom accommodation.

The much needed new class rooms replaced ten inadequate and dilapidated mobile classrooms The new classrooms were designed and developed in partnership with prop erty and construction consultancy Ingleton Wood after a successful £2.4m funding bid was achieved t h r o u g h t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’s C I F grant

Catherine Assink, Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust (BILTT) CEO and former Grange headteacher, responsible for securing the bid, said: “At what is arguably an unprecedented time of flux in our lives and history, special schools like Grange Academy are holding

by Jane Bird

up a lantern of inclusiveness and hope ”

Rachel Timms, Grange’s new head teacher added: “Grange is a special place for both staff and pupils and we are thrilled to be enhancing the opportunities we are able to provide for our young people ”

Andrew Marchant, Senior Associate at Ingleton Wood, said: “We were delighted to secure such significant funding to replace dilapidated classrooms with a new, state of the art building suitable for the needs of pupils with additional needs ”

BILTT brings together three of Bedford’s specialist facilities: Grange Academy, Greys Education Centre and St John’s Special School and College

a Tesco Community Grant!

Armistice and Remembrance events in Bedford Borough

Bedford Borough Council, the Bedford branch of the Royal British Legion and other partners are working together again this year, with events to mark Armistice Day and Remembrance Day

Friday 11 November Armistice Day Commemoration and Two Minute Silence

There will be an Armistice Day Commemoration and two minute silence in Riverside Square, Bedford Members of the public are asked to arrive for 10 40am

Sunday 13 November Remembrance Day Wreath Laying Ceremony

The traditional wreath laying ceremony and march past will be held at the War Memorial, Bedford Embankment at 11 00am After the wreath laying, the Parade will march down the Embankment, across the High Street and St Paul’s Square, finish ing in Harpur Square

Kempston will also hold a Remembrance Day service and parade at 2 30pm at Kempston East Methodist Church, followed by the parade down to the War Memorial to observe a minute silence and to lay wreaths.

Other Remembrance Day services will be happening across the Borough Please keep an eye out for local parish newsletters

and notice boards details

Bedford Borough’s Armistice and Remembrance Day events are being conducted in association with the Royal British Legion and Bedford Borough Council

Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “Each year on Remembrance Day and Armistice Day we pay our respects to those who have defended our country in the past and at present These days are very important in our national calendar and in Bedford Borough I hope residents will join me and other councillors at a service on Remembrance Sunday and will wear a poppy with pride to help raise vital funds for the Poppy Appeal ”

Robin Thomas, Bedford Branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “I hope the people of Bedford Borough will join us in marking the dedication of our armed forces in the past, present and future We will acknowledge their sacrifice and that of their families

Our hand of friendship and compassion is extended to those families in Ukraine who have lost mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters and brothers in the current conflict ”

Creating Memories’ Pritti Saggi at Tesco, Cardington Road, Bedford

Mohammad Yasin MP and Bedford Blue’s player Luke Frost cut the ribbon and open the new classroooms

Safer roads for Kempston residents

BEDFORDSHIRE, Cambridgeshire & Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit identified Cemetery Road, Kempstpn, as a speeding ‘blackspot’ in January 2019 and when they conducted measurements they found nearly 50% of motorists were exceeding the limit Cllr James Valentine (Labour, Kempston West) presented a petition on behalf of residents to Bedford Borough Council for average speed cameras on Cemetery Road in March 2019 three and a half years ago After lobbying the Council frequently since then, his persistence has finally paid off and cameras are to be installed early in 2023

As well as the danger caused by speeding, resi dents have been troubled by noise, especially at night; evidence shows that a lower and more constant speed reduces traffic noise

Cllr Valentine said: “I look forward to the cameras being installed and hope that residents in this area will have fewer sleepless nights due to noise, and feel safer when they walk and cycle in the area ”

KEMPSTON

Thoughts of Christmas

Time marches on and thoughts are turning to the next big event of the year Christmas!

It is a busy time for very many people but Kempston Town Council hope that you will be able to take some ‘time off ’ and enjoy the festivities planned for the ‘Christmas Lights Switch On’

It is hoped that our favourite Christmas person Father Christmas will visit the Saxon Centre on Sunday 27th November, between 12noon and 6pm

There will also be children’s rides and stalls selling a variety of goods plus other activities Band music is being organised and communal carol singing is very welcome The actual switch on is planned for about 5pm!

Financial considerations

After a report from the finance group, the Council agreed that there would be a slight reduction in the winter flower planting schedule this year in order to remain within the agreed budget

It was further agreed that the previous clock on the office building should be replaced with a new tradi tional style one

Alternatives were considered but were uneconomical

Memorial tree

The joint was rocking…

On Saturday, October 1, 2022, Kempston Town Councillors joined in the all day celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Mulberry Bush

The Mayor of Kempston, Sam Blacklaws; Cllrs Carl Meader and Shaun Bowman eventually managed to get to the bar of the packed Orchard Street pub to add their weight to the occasion

Children enjoyed fun and games throughout the day with live music for the adults in the evening.

Cllr Carl Meader, who lives close by, claims: “He remembers the pub opening in 1972, but he had to wait a few years before enjoying a pint in the pub!”

Carl continued: “It’s always been a community pub and well supported by the locals. In these difficult times when hundreds of pubs are closing, it’s great to see The Mulberry Bush in full swing and local residents coming out in their numbers to celebrate such a milestone in the pub’s history. Long may it continue!”

At a recent meeting of the Kempston Town Council it was agreed that a cherry tree will be planted in the Beds & Herts Regimental Memorial Garden as soon as possible, to celebrate the late Queen Elizabeth ll Platinum Jubilee and lifetime achievements

Dangerous for dogs

Litter is a nuisance for everyone It is unsightly, often a health hazard, illegal and completely unnecessary! Recently, dog walking residents have made complaints about rubbish containing chicken bones being left in park areas

As most of us know chicken bones and dogs do not mix well! Please make sure that rubbish is disposed of responsibly Use available bins (more may be needed), or take it home with you

7.30pm

to Friday

B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L

Saqhib is chosen to run in next year’s mayorial election

THE Bedford and Kempston Labour Party has announced that Saqhib Ali has been selected as Labour ’s Mayoral candidate for Bedford Borough Saqhib has lived in Bedford Borough since 1978 and is a CEO of a children’s mental health charity Commenting on his selection Saqhib Ali said: “I am honoured to have been selected as Labour’s Mayoral candidate for the 2023 May elections Across the Borough there is a clear choice, you can vote for local Labour candidates who are on your side working to improve the services you and your family need and use

“Or you can vote for Conservative or Liberal Democrat candidates which would tell the Government you are happy with things exactly how they are I believe we

send a message that Bedford Borough and our country can be so much better with competent leadership ”

Thr ee ar r ests made during raids on travellers’ sites

TWO men and a woman have been arrested and items seized during dawn raids in Kempston Hardwick and Cardington

In the early hours of Tuesday, October 18, search warrants were executed at locations in Ampthill Road, Kempston Hardwick and Meadow Lane, Cardington

Around 100 police officers were involved in the operation, including community officers, specialist search officers and detectives, along with support from colleagues at Cambridgeshire Police and partners such as Bedford Borough Council, the British Transport Police and the Environment Agency

Officers arrested two men one on suspicion of a public order offence and one on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle A woman was also arrested for failing to appear in court

A/Chief Inspector Mark Farrant, who led the operation, said: “This pre planned operation is part of the wider work we are doing with our partners to

tackle crime, such as theft and burglary, following reports of criminality that have been linked to these locations

“This morning we made three arrests and seized three vehicles and trailers that are believed to have been stolen, various vehicle parts and dismantled a cannabis growing set up ”

Inspector Richard Cunningham, from the local policing team at Bedfordshire Police, said: “We won’t tolerate criminality of any kind in our communities and will do all we can to ensure those involved are brought to justice

“We would also urge members of the public to report any criminal activity to us as any information we receive helps us to carry out further enforcement and related operations ”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting Operation Obama, or call independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111

Special needs school to be built on former Robert Bruce site

by John Guinn

A NEW 200 place special educa tional needs school is to be built in Kempston after planning permis sion was granted this week

The school will be built on land at the town’s former Robert Bruce Middle School site

Janine Laver, Bedford Borough Council’s development manager, told the Planning Committee on Monday, October 17: “The school is to address a significant deficien cy in SEND capacity within the borough

“Over 100 Bedford borough SEND students are currently edu cated in schools outside of the bor ough ”

Cllr Sue Oliver (Labour, Kemp ston North) said: “As a retired special needs coordinator in Bed fordshire, I know how important it is to have the right high quality pro vision for a whole range of needs

“Those numbers of special educational needs pupils have only increased since I retired years ago, so it’s important to have the provision

“[As] a former portfolio holder for children’s social care, I’m

aware of the importance of having that provision for our youngsters close to home or at least within the borough

“At the moment, we’re not managing that for at least 100 of our pupils, we’re sending them

education

“So from an educational point of view, this will be a good thing to have a state of the art 200 place special school within our own bor ough,” she said

Planning permission was grant

ed by committee members The school is set to open in phases, starting in September 2024

Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust, CEO, Catherine Assink commented: “The granting of planning permission after so many years waiting is fantastic news SEND places both locally and nationally are in demand and to have planning confirmed allows us to start the ball rolling to ensure that the additional provision will be fit for purpose and serve our community ”

E D F O R D S H I R E B U

Fujifilm opens new UK HQ in Bedford

FUJIFILM, the healthcare, materials and imaging company, has officially opened its new UK Headquarters called Fujifilm House just off Cardington Road in Bedford.

Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson, joined staff from Fujifilm UK at the new site to give an opening speech, cut a ribbon and receive a tour of the building

Several attendees also took part in a traditional Japanese Kagami Biraki ceremony, which involves jointly opening a wooden cask of sake to represent fortune, good will and new beginnings

The high specification head quarters building is just a stone’s throw away from Fujifilm’s previ ous HQ, which originally opened in 1983, highlighting the compa ny’s historic connection to the Bedford area The signing of a new lease represents a new long term commitment to the Borough and its residents

Southill Estate, a Bedford shire based family trust, own the land and funded development of the new business premises

The cladding on the outside of the building fuses Fujifilm’s Japanese roots with the local her itage and is adorned with shoji screens and designs that are remi niscent of the historic Bedfordshire Lace patterns that are synonymous with the Bedford area

The new building has excellent (BREEAM) environmental cre dentials and provides over 30,000 square feet of attractive working space which embraces innovative sustainable features, including solar panels, and a built in rainwa ter collection and storage system Fujifilm has committed to installing bird boxes and spaces for local wildlife that replicates their natural habitats

In his opening speech, Mayor Hodgson talked about the impor tance of innovative businesses such as Fujifilm setting up in the Borough and the high value jobs that it provides to local people He also remarked on the growing contribution that Fujifilm is making to the UK economy through significant investment and the positive impacts that it has

Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “We’re delighted to have Fujifilm opening their new UK headquar ters, which will bring investment in technology and the sciences to Bedford Borough We are excited to continue the great working rela tionship we have with them mov ing forward

“I’d also like to thank Southill Estate and Graftongate for invest

ing and developing such ambitious premises with sustainability and innovation at its heart

“It’s great to see that large scale international organisations are taking note of the benefits that come with having their headquar ters here in the Borough Alongside great connections to surrounding areas, we also have competitively priced commercial spaces with a high skilled local workforce I and Council officers will continue to support the growth of local busi nesses, and attract new inward investment in high value sectors such as life science to generate wealth locally ”

Tom Watanabe, Managing Director at Fujifilm UK Limited added: “In our 46 year history in the UK, Fujifilm has had a home in Bedford for nearly 40 of those years Today, we bring all our skilled colleagues working across all of our business fields from photography and data storage to healthcare and print under one roof where, together, we hold the opportunities of innovation I truly believe that the innovators of today and leaders of tomorrow are here in Bedford, and I am so excited when I think what this next chapter at Fujifilm holds ”

Charles Whitbread of Southill Estate commented, “The Estate is proud to deliver this attractive environmentally efficient building which cements Fujifilm’s relation ship with the Bedford area ”

Colin Beasley of Graftongate added: ‘’We are delighted to have worked with The Southill Estate, Fujifilm and Bedford Borough Council to deliver this outstanding building and sustainable working environment The completion of Fujifilm House along with our 40 acre Bedford Link Business Park underlines the attractiveness of Bedford as a location for new and expanding business’s given its excellent communication links and being at the centre of the Oxford/Cambridge Arc ’’

Polish House celebrates 60th anniversar y

AKA Stacja Dom Polski in Bedford is a place for cultural entertainment, family and integra tion meetings There are regular events for children and adults such as carnival parties, Easter educa tional workshops, fairs, Children’s Day, St Andrew’s Day, Christmas tree decoration fair, Comedy Stand up’s, music concerts and more

The Polish House was official ly opened in 1962 by Polish war hero, (Monte Casino), General Wlasyslaw Anders and Bedford Mayor Mr Birdwhistle

This year, to celebrate its 60th anniversary there will be a spec tacular two day event on starting on Saturday, November 12

Representatives of the state authorities of Republic of Poland from London and local authorities from Bedford will attend

The Guest of Honour will be Mrs Anna Maria Anders, the

Ambassador of Republic of Poland in Italy who is also a daughter of General Wlasyslaw Anders so a beautiful tradition will continue

The event will start off with a two hour Academy followed by a festive banquet, in the interests of security this will be a closed event and entrance will be by invitation only

On Sunday, November 13 (free event open to the public) the event will highlight Polish traditions, culture, cuisine, with singing and music throughout the day

The Fair will be held from noon onwards and a variety of entertainment will take place on the main stage in the building

Polish House is at 18 20 Ashburnham Road, Bedford MK40 1DS, next to the main entrance of the Rail Station.

Residents demand planning rules are vigorously enforced

by Euan Duncan – L ocal Democracy Reporter

The application submitted by O and H Land lacks a landscape buffer between Marston Moretaine and the 400 homes it proposes to build to the south west of the vil lage, according to the protesters

Screening was asked for in advance by 171 residents of Manor Road, Brook Road, Banks Close and Woburn Road, who petitioned Central Bedfordshire Council in March

They claim the local authority has failed to address the issue and has insisted the developer revises the project to provide sufficient landscaping

Campaigner Andrew Battams, who lives next to the site, said: “The CBC Local Plan explains how the Marston Vale new villages are to be delivered

SCREENED

“One of the policies states ‘the development will form a series of new villages appropriately sepa rated and screened from neigh bouring settlements by green and blue infrastructure’

“And another suggests devel opment ‘will only be permitted where it wouldn’t result in the physical or visual merger of vil lages or where it can be shown appropriate mitigation would pre vent any harm arising’

“A council officer now denies this merger issue policy applies to Marston Vale new villages “

An environmental impact assessment notes the extension will cause “a major moderate adverse visual effect” for Manor Road, he explained “The law expects public authorities to keep their promises

“During the Local Plan public consultation and examination, CBC said there would be ‘clear separation between towns and vil lages and the new developments’

“It suggested ‘comprehensive and quite extensive master plan ning work indicated separation can be provided between current set tlements and the new villages’ ”

Despite submitting a legal opin ion about relevant planning poli cies to the council in July, Mr Battams has yet to receive a response

PRECISE

Planning consultant Andrew Burgess said: “Policy SA 2 doesn’t allow for extensions to villages It states: ‘New villages appropriately separated and screened from neighbouring settlements by green and blue infrastructure’

“The wording is precise and clear, and no justification or mate rial consideration has been put for ward to deviate from this approach

“Unless and until a substantial strategic landscape buffer is pro vided on land to the south of Marston Moretaine, the planning application should be refused ”

Mr Battams added: “This is fundamentally a question of trust CBC spent five years producing its Local Plan

“But within a year of adopting it and before a spade has been put in the ground, planning officers appear to have torn it up, ignoring its policies and the promises made to local residents

“As the council embarks on this 20 year development to provide 5,000 new homes in the Marston Vale, it should be seeking to estab lish strong relationships with resi dents built on trust, not broken promises We need to make a stand now ”

A CBC spokeswoman said: “The application remains under consideration, so we’re still reviewing any comments or repre sentations made ”

A GROUP of petitioners demanding enough planting to screen their homes from a proposed housing development in Central Bedfordshire say the local authority should be doing more to enforce planning rules

B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N

Carbon savings in beautiful building

RESTORING the fabric of Grade 2 Listed Bedford Sixth Form in Bromham Road from a Victorian building into a modern, sustainable, decarbonated property suitable for delivering a 21st Century education has been a challenge for The Bedford College Group

The Bedford Sixth Form, located on the former Bedford Girls’ High School opened a decade ago, faced the immediate challenge of installing telecommunications to support site wide internet connections, repairing the fabric of the building, making improvements such the modern resource centre and upgrading the leisure facilities

The school’s swimming pool, sports hall and theatre were made suitable for the general public to access The old chapel building was transformed into a restau rant/eating area with classrooms on the upper floors The Grand Hall had to be restored so it could be rented out of hours for weddings and events

Now an even bolder step has been made with the help of £6 Million in grants awarded to the Group, of which The Bedford Sixth Form is part of The old building has undergone innovative improvements by Ashe Construction since January 2022

The existing archaic heating system was stripped out along with old gas boilers and cast iron pipework In their place come two giant air source source pumps (ASHP) which will heat the whole building, sup ported by modern insulation methods including secondary glazing enabling lead ed windows to be kept Also kept in place

School set to close

by John Guinn

A SCHOOL near Bedford could be forced to close if a move from three tier to two tier education goes ahead

The middle school in Stewartby would close in 2026 if the school system in Marston Vale and Cranfield moves to the two tier system

The majority of Bedford bor ough’s schools moved to a two tier school system between 2015 and 2019 This is where children attend a primary school from age four, and move to a secondary school at age eleven

But a report due to be presented to Bedford Borough Council’s Executive explains that the Wootton and Stewartby cluster of schools chose to remain in a three tier structure because of the cross border relationship with Central Bedfordshire

Now, the Executive will be asked to agree to undertake a non statutory consultation to seek views on the proposed change to a two tier system for this cluster

The proposals for the four schools in Wootton and Stewartby are as follows:

l Broadmead Lower School in Stewartby (Year R [Reception] to Y4) would become a primary school (YR to Y6) children would remain at the school until they were ready to transfer to secondary school at age 11 to start Year 7

l Wootton Lower School (Year R to Y4) would become a primary school (YR to Y6) children would remain at the school until they were ready to transfer to secondary school at age 11 to start Year 7

l Wootton Upper School (Y9 to Y13) would extend its age range so that it admits children at age 11 (Y7) rather than at age 13 (Y9) (Admissions would con

tinue at Year 9 for a transitional period)

l Marston Vale Middle School in Stewartby would close in 2026 and an alternative educational use may be found for its site and buildings

A letter sent to parents of chil dren at the middle school explained “this conclusion [about the closure] has been reached by Chiltern Learning Trust based purely on pupil numbers in the area and is not a reflection on the leadership, stan dards or quality of education at Marston Vale”

Subject to committee approval, the six week pre statutory consul tation started on October 31

were the decorative radiators in The Grand Hall which were taken off site, power cleaned, restored and put back

Site Manager Peter Gibson, who has worked his way up to his current role from an apprentice carpenter, said: “Working on old buildings brings special trials Trying to maintain the historic integrity of a build ing while reaching Net Zero Carbon targets is a 21st Century challenge

“In addition we were working in a live environment with two weddings booked into The Grand Hall going ahead, one with a horse and carriage which had to come on to site, whilst we completed critical work

“In one case we literally finished off the flooring the night before the wedding The trick is for the building to look as though we haven’t been here that applies to all 60 rooms which required new wiring, and in some cases insulation and secondary windows

“One of the highlights was pulling up old carpet to find fantastic herring bone wooden floors which we sanded and restored

“We put electric underfloor heating in the original wood lined library and opened up a whole new corridor to do away with some of the labyrinth of walkways which had developed as the original school was added to since it opened in 1882 ”

John Paul Cain M & E Design Consultant from Panda CES Ltd, who came up with the mechanical and electrical solutions to the build said:

“Opportunities to insulate were diffi cult but the architect specified natural

breathable roof insulation in the older parts of the building, high performance flat roof insulation to the older parts and sec ondary glazing that complied with Heritage guidance

“In The Grand Hall we had to utilise existing radiators which were not compat ible with the new system so a high temper ature heat pump system was developed with Daikin manufacturers that boosted the 45 c water up to 70 c to ensure the high ceilinged area stays warm

“A new district heating pipework sys tem was installed across the site, complete with new internal pipework and ASHP compatible heat emitters throughout ”

Keeping the project green, Ashe Construction used the very latest electric machines to undertake some of the build ing work, including a Brokk Demolition Robot to smash through old concrete

The Bedford College Group Project Manager Mark Eustace said: “This has been a wonderful investment in a Victorian building, we have retained the beauty and heritage of the site whilst installing the very latest eco technologies which sup ports our target of being Net Zero Carbon ”

CEO of The Bedford College Group Ian Pryce CBE said: “Our key focus is always a better experience for students, but if the use of green technologies means we use less energy then that means more money can go towards our students ” This work is part of £6 9 Million invest ment in upgrades and improvements made to The Bedford Sixth Form which is cele brating its 10th anniversary

Over coming deafness to r each Student of the Year finals

DANIEL McAllister is in the Association of Colleges (AoC) Adult Student (19+) of the Year finals

Daniel, 47, who lives in Ampthill, Beds, was an extraordi nary student who consistently exceeded expectations and went above and beyond during the past five years that he studied at Bedford College

Not only does he work full time and is a busy father, but he is also deaf and communicates in class via a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter who translates spoken English into BSL

Being deaf and using a BSL interpreter live in lessons meant Daniel had to work twice as hard as any other student What’s more, the highly technical and specialised nature of the engineering disci pline, created additional challenges in terms of certain signs simply not existing in BSL

What makes Daniel even more outstanding is that he was one of the top performers on the HND Electrical & Electronic Engineer ing course, achieving excellent grades across the board, including six A+ grades and five A grades

On top of working full time and achieving excellent grades on his course, Daniel also finds time to be the Diversity and Inclusion Champion for Network Rail and the Quadrant: MK Mental Wellbeing Champion

Daniel said: “There is no doubt that the diversity and inclusion role has given me a greater understand ing and appreciation of other people, their backgrounds, culture, and personal experiences it’s been a great way to broaden my mind As my role has developed, I

have also been able to teach basic BSL and Deaf Awareness to those who are interested ”

Through his additional diversity and inclusion responsibilities, Daniel has also visited schools and attended national exhibitions such as The Big Bang Fair in Birmingham, which is the UK’s biggest STEM fair for young people aged 11 14 Daniel’s main objective was to inspire other deaf

children by talking to them about his experiences and career journey to become a successful Engineer

Head of Engineering at Bedford College, Steven Croft, said: “Daniel really is an inspira tional character who is always setting a great example for his classmates He was an active participant in class, sharing his experiences both his life experi ence and his engineering work too Whenever we had discussions he was able to relate how the topic applied to the real world of work, and ask technical questions He also participated in recruitment efforts for the College, sharing his personal experiences of the course with prospective students ”

John Paintin a Senior Trainer at The Bedford College Group said “I’ve worked at the College for many years and I have to say that

the quality of Daniel’s work was incredible He produced some excellent presentations and posters that I’m definitely going to use in future classes to inspire students and give them examples of the sort of level of work they could be achieving ”

Oliver Nenadovic, Senior Engineer at Network Rail and Daniel’s line manager said: “There’s no doubt that Daniel has been a huge inspiration to the team here at Network Rail Returning to learning as a mature student and working full time with a family is a huge commitment and is chal lenging for anyone but Daniel also had to overcome communication barriers within a highly specialist and technical sector that was new to him

The national finalists will be announced in early November

TO THE EDITOR: I was shocked and dismayed to read in a recent press release that the Mayor of Bedford is still blam ing the poor state of Bedford’s roads on the previ ous Bedfordshire County Council

This would not be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that the County Council was abolished in 2009, nearly 14 years ago when the current Mayor took office!

To make matters worse prior to being elected as Mayor he was a Borough Councillor of long standing

The conclusion I come to is that he has been asleep in his office in Borough Hall all this time.

With Mayoral and Borough Council elections due next May, I can only assume he has

only just now woken up and decided to blame someone else!

As our directly elected Mayor he became account able for the upkeep of the roads 14 years ago and needs to stop blaming everyone else of his failures and take responsibility for the poor state of the Borough roads caused by his neglect

Robert Rigby, Bedford

B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N

Bedfor dshir e Ser geant wins Police Of ficer of the Year awar d

years to ensure that our force is representative of the communities we serve and that officers and staff from those communities are sup ported when they join the force

“I will never stop driving for diversity, equality and inclusion and will continue to support the force and the national association to deliver the Race Action Plan ”

Representatives from the force’s DSG attended the confer ence in Gloucestershire which was themed: Institutional Racism, the facts behind the headlines

She said: “I

Local pupils achieve global environmental accreditation

GRANGE Academy has achieved the prestigious Eco Schools Green Flag Award which recognises and celebrates a commitment to raising awareness of environ mental issues

Operated by the Global Foundation for Environ mental Education (FEE), the Eco Schools Green Flag Award is an international accreditation scheme that has been promoting young peo ple’s environmental actions for more than 25 years.

The award has been achieved by the hard work and passion of students and staff who worked together to audit the school’s environmental foot print and improve it

Grange Academy focussed on the elements of energy, waste and improving the school grounds, from a range of ten themes provided by the Eco Schools scheme

“We love saving our planet, we need to recycle with the orange bins and save the oceans We all need to” said one of our Year 10 pupils.

Grange Academy’s headteacher Rachel Timms commented “As a result of teamwork across the school, we have achieved this fantastic award which recognises Grange Academy’s commitment to the environment, sustainabil ity and the importance of each of us taking responsibil ity

“As a school we are passionate about our locality and are currently developing our Forest School as an exciting community resource which echoes all of our commitment to eco living ”

Photograph: NBPA Vice chair Dionne Johnson; A/Sergeant Ruth Honegan and Dr Stuart Lawrence

‘We will learn form this’‘I have learnt from this’ Phrases that we hear often Something has gone very wrong

Quite probably people have suffered or died because of corruption, deliberate error, failed systems or simply because of mistakes that ought to have been avoided Often an enquiry calls people to account

The person with lead responsibility for the organisation then usually avoids apologising directly but says ‘We will learn from this’.

And I ask myself ‘will they?’

The phrase is well intentioned, but it so often irritates me intensely because I doubt that is what will happen

How often do Hospital Chief Executives say after some failure of care, ‘We will learn form this.’ How often do Politicians say, Chief Police Officers say, how often has the church

said ‘We have learnt from this’ We will learn that the poor need to be treated better: that people need to be well cared for; that human rights can’t be trampled over; that systems can’t go on discriminating against some Yet surely, we know all that already If nothing else read the Christian Scriptures and receive their wisdom

Recently I contributed to a celebration of the Windrush generation in our county Those who came to England from the Caribbean to work in our factories, hospitals and in our transport systems.

How often has it been said in relation to the welcome and inclusion of those are black into our society that ‘ we will learn from this’

Learn from the repeated misuse of stop and search; from the persistence of discrimination; from the failure of systems like that which

falsely told many who had lived here for generations to go home, and then bungled the compensation that became due

‘We will learn from this’ and yet so often we don’t We redo the wrongs; we fail to make things right

Zacchaeus, that small of stature, tax collec tor who ripped off his clients hid up a sycamore tree before being summoned down by Jesus It was a life changing event

Zacchaeus could have said ‘I have learnt from this’ and then carried on as before

He didn t. Instead, he said sorry, committed to stopping his corrupt ways, and made amends not just returning the excess he had taken but repaying it fourfold

Do we learn? Do we learn that each person is precious; that wrongs must be righted; that injustice be replaced with justice? I hope so

Dave Hodgson – Mayor of Bedford Charges frozen to help with cost of living crisis

At the October meeting of the Executive we agreed that most fees and charges for Council services for residents will be frozen to help people with the Cost of Living Crisis

This includes freezing marriage and registration costs, cremation or burial service costs and freezing car park charges for the sixth year in a row

It is vital that we help our residents in any way we can which is why we have taken the decision to freeze fees and charges for residents

When the cost of everything is going up, it is important that residents know that

council services will remain the same price.

Many other councils have decided not to support residents with a fees and charges freeze For example, residents in Central Bedfordshire will pay 6 5% more for a wide range of council services next year This will be another blow to residents who are struggling to cope with cost of living pressure as UK inflation hits 10% and energy prices soar

Bedford Borough Council owned car park charges will also be frozen for the sixth year in a row

This decision also includes the two hours free parking deal, which was

introduced in 2013.

As well as two hours free on Saturdays in council town centre car parks, Queen Street car park is free for the first two hours every weekday as well

We have also announced details of the vouchers for those on free school meals for the October half term and Christmas holidays Funded through the Household Support Fund, Bedford Borough Council will continue to provide each eligible child £15 per week

The Council anticipate issuing over 6,650 vouchers to Bedford Borough fami lies for each of the school breaks

Mohammad Yasin MP Kempston and Bedford Chancellor’s Halloween budget promises a fright

This week the emergency Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, made an emergency statement to calm the markets by reversing most of the Prime Minister’s main policy platform that sent the economy into freefall

After just a few short weeks, this Government has had to be bailed out by the banks and we are paying for the catas trophic mistake through mortgage rises, inflation and pension pot reductions Hunt has now reduced the help for energy bills instead of asking the oil and gas giants to pay more from their vast and unexpected profits which even the CEO of Shell agreed to If as expected energy bills double from next April to £4,350 for the average household, it will be disastrous for many low and middle income earners, businesses, schools and public services

The markets have stabilised, but mort gage rates and inflation are still rising The damage is done. Hunt is replacing one failed Tory ideology ‘libertarianism’, with another ‘Austerity’, which the Tories admit failed It led to the devastating decline in public services and the terrible record on growth and productivity which are at the heart of many of today’s ingrained prob lems

You won’t find many NHS workers who have a good thing to say about the Chancellor’s 6 years as Health Secretary from 2012

By the time he left, patient experience and staff morale had both taken a dramatic turn for the worse across many key indica tors The winter crisis became an annual event with official figures showing 2017,

2018 and 2019 were successively the “worst on record”

In recent years, as Chair of the Health Select Committee, Hunt has admitted some of the failures and has campaigned for an NHS workforce plan because of the severe shortage of staff I supported him on this and that’s why, now he’s in charge of the budget, I will make sure he puts the money where his mouth is and ensure the NHS is funded properly We have a record 7 million people waiting for treatment Our NHS will not survive another period of austerity

On Halloween, the OBR will publish its economic forecasts With the Chancellor warning of “ eye watering public spending cuts” we can expect another Tory trick not a treat

B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E

Looking forward to Investment Zone

BEDFORD’S mayor is “looking forward” to identifying potential benefits from the government’s new Investment Zones, but said more detail is needed

In September it was announced that Bedford Borough Council was one of 38 councils that had expressed an interest in the new Investment Zones

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) said Investment Zones will be sites which have “potential to accelerate growth and deliver housing” and will “benefit from a liberalised planning process”

Bedford Mayor, Dave Hodgson, told the Executive Meeting (September 23) that the idea of Investment Zones appears to have developed very quickly

“Details are sketchy,” he said “But I understand that the proposal may include lower tax rates at cer tain sites, streamlining planning

by John Guinn L ocal Democracy Reporter

arrangements to accelerate growth, greater local control over funding, and possibly greater certainty over affordable housing numbers

“The proposals are still, in my view, unclear in many areas, and we need more detail in many areas, including infrastructure scales and timescale

“So I look forward to early dis cussion to clarify these proposals so we can identify the potential benefits for the borough and its res idents,” he said

COMPLEX SITES

The Investment Zones Factsheet said many of the “burdensome” requirements, which have made the planning of large sites slower and more complex, will be reduced

This, it added will enable devel opers to bring forward “good qual

ity” development which responds to the market

However, key planning policies, such as the national policy on the Green Belt, protecting heritage, and addressing public safety matters will continue to apply

A DLUHC spokesperson said: “Investment zones will help unlock growth where local communities want it

“They will incentivise invest ment and liberalise planning rules in specific areas to deliver homes and development

“We are in discussions with Bedford Council about the Borough becoming an investment zone ”

The successful areas will be chosen following a “rapid expres sion of interest process” and after local consent is confirmed

Charity awards grant to local hospice

THE Connolly Foundation has awarded £60,000 to Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice to support the vital services it provides through its Palliative Care Hub to people living with life limiting conditions across the county

The grant will go towards funding specialist care, support and advice to patients who prefer to receive care in their own homes, as well as supporting their families

Last year the hub supported more than 2,600 people over the course of more than 15,000 home visits

Allison Mann, Service Director at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, said: “Our Sue Ryder Nurses provide high quality compassionate care for people with an end of life diagnosis, as well as invaluable practical and emotional support for families and loved ones, by

offering a listening ear, answering their questions and preparing them for the future

We’re immensely grateful to the Connolly Foundation for this very generous grant, which will make a huge difference in helping us to ensure that people across Bedfordshire are able to access special ist palliative care in their own homes ”

St John’s Palliative Care Hub works together with local care providers, GPs, district nurses, specialist nurses, the ambulance service and other health and social care professionals to coordinate and provide the best possible care

The community service helps to improve choice for patients and increase the number of people who die in their preferred place of care It also reduces the strain on the NHS by reducing inappropriate hospital admissions

Colour coded hangers

TWO graphic design students at Bedford College, Ellie Di Carlo and Konrad Konopka, have come through with winning/highly com mended entries in the international ‘Creative Conscience Awards’

Selected from over 1,000 entries from universities and art colleges around the world, the awards were announced at an online ceremony in September Ellie and Konrad worked as a team as Higher National Certificate (HNC) students, developed a strat egy to influence the public’s shopping habits when buying fash ion by introducing a ‘colour coded hanger’ system to confirm a garment’s sustainability credentials

House

This is the second time students from The Bedford College South Bank Arts Centre have received a Creative Conscience Award Ellie (pictured) and Konrad have completed their HNCs, are now starting on the 12 month Higher National Diploma (HND) course

Ellie, aged 24, of Kempston hopes to progress on to a degree in design at the College Her claim to fame is singing at the Royal Albert Hall when a student at Daubeney School in Kempston Konrad, now 19, of Clapham, started as student at the college at the age of 16 Like Ellie he has undertaken a number of freelance design projects

Lurke Street, Bedford MK40 3HZ

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.

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FREE WILL VOUCHER

by Maureen Catlin

ALTHOUGH

the temperature is cooling and the nights are much longer and many of your plants are going dormant there is still a lot to do in the garden during November

Autumn planting of everything from Tulip bulbs to Pansies and Wallflowers is well under way and the moisture in the soil makes it a great time to plant trees, shrubs and conifers In my garden I have colourful fruiting crab apples and winter flowering shrubs such as sweetly scented Mahonias and the variegated ever green leaves of Spotted Laurels and Hollys

November is also a great time for pruning many plants before winter arrives including Apple and Pear trees while many herbaceous perennials benefit from being lifted, divided and replanted Also, there’s still me to treat your lawn for moss as long as the temper ure is not too low and there’s adequate moisture in e ground

Plants requiring winter protection should have een taken to a cold greenhouse, cold frame or

our gardens too Habitats for birds can be improved with all those aforementioned trees and shrubs you could be planting, not just for somewhere to roost, but also for protection from predators Small garden trees such as Sorbus and Malus Fruitilciuos and Red Sentinal with a mass of little branches are favoured by small birds such as Blue Tits, Wrens and Robins where they can keep out of reach from bigger birds of prey especially The fruits and berries of these as well as shrubs such as Pyracantha, Cotoneaster and Holly will provide them with a hearty winter treat while Ligustrum and evergreen Viburnum Tinus are also good for roosting

covered in horticultural fleece by now dependent on their requirements These include Agapanthus, Fuchsias, Cannas, Bananas, Tree Ferns and Citrus If brought indoors most will prefer a light position with just enough moisture to keep them dormant Too high a temperature will start them back into growth

But it is not just the plants that require our care during the winter Spare a thought for the wildlife in

Birds like to be fed all year round but a few bird feeders or a bird table filled up daily with fresh food is particularly beneficial to them from now and through the next 6 months up until after baby birds have fledged from their nests I have been feeding all year long with premium fat balls in a no mess feeder which attracts a family of Blue Tits from my nearby wood land and the impressive Long Tailed Tit Birds prefer various feed blends including peanuts, sunflower seeds, hemp, pulses and more This will greatly increase the diversity of feathered friends that you will see

And it’s not just birds Frogs and Toads love not only a pond but pots laid sideways and log piles from your pruned trees which are perfect places to hide or hibernate Hedgehogs are on the decline nationally so why not install a Hedgehog house and leave parts of your lawn and borders overgrown for them Also ask your adjoining neighbours to make a Hedgehog high way between your gardens so that these friendly crea tures can move around freely

Finally, don’t leave out the insects For every one that damages our plants there are many more that help and protect Ladybirds are classic garden pest preda tors and without Bees and Hoverflies none of your flowers will be pollinated Old plant stalks and wooden window sills are common sleeping places for them and if you leave your shed window slightly open Moths, Tortoiseshell Butterflies and Lacewings may overwinter there too Bug hotels are all the rage and can be bought or simply made by tying together a bunch of bamboo canes and twigs with string

Let’s get gardening for the wildlife and ourselves in November

B GS student awarded prestigious scholarship

A BEDFORD Girls’ School Sixth Form student has been awarded the the prestigious Arkwright Engi neering Scholarship

One of the most esteemed schol arships of its type in the UK, Lower Sixth student, Alex Gentry, was awarded the scholarship upon completing a competitive rigorous selection process, which involved detailed written application and physics department reference followed by a two hour engineering Aptitude examination

Alex was one of 600 to be short listed for the final interview stage In the region of 270 scholarships were awarded to those who have consistently shown an aptitude for engineering and a passion to follow this as a career

Alex who is currently studying the International Baccalaureate

Diploma Programme (IB) said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been selected for this award, and am excited for the potential it will create alongside my studies The scholarship will connect me with an engineering organisation who provide me with mentorship and guidance through the start of my career For me this is Reaction Engines Ltd , a British aerospace company that is developing solu tions for more high speed flight and accessible space travel “

“I cannot wait to begin my jour ney into engineering with an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, between the work experience opportunities, financial aid, and the invaluable support offered to me by Reaction Engines Ltd I feel confi dent this award will kick start my career in engineering ”

Climate grant win

AN innovative climate change, social justice and sustainability course development project has the BERA BCF Curriculum Investiga tion Grant 2022 23

Newly appointed Dr Mahruf Shohel has won the prestigious British Curriculum Foundation’s grant along with his colleagues Alex Mortby and Charles Whewell to support research led course development activities at The Bedford College Group

The British Educational Research Association (BERA)’s biennial awards are much sought after across the UK and Dr Shohel and colleagues won the substantial sum based on The Group’s existing commitment to sustainability issues across the board The title of the project is, ‘Students as the Co creators of the Sustainability Curriculum: Developing an Introductory Course on Climate Change, Social Justice and Sustainability’

The BCF Curriculum Investiga tion Grant won by Dr Shohel is intended to support research led by

schools and colleges with a focus on curriculum inquiry and investi gation The theme for this year ’s applications was “Developing a cur riculum for climate and sustainabil ity education”

Said Dr Shohel: “This demon strates how much work is already being done in relation to climate change, social justice and sustain ability within The Bedford College Group which is worthy of recogni tion at the highest level This will be an exciting project and we look forward to making the project out puts available for others to use them’’

Dr Shohel joined The Bedford College Group (TBCG) as the Research and Development Manager this summer

He previously worked in research, teaching and develop ment roles in several universities including Cambridge, Manchester, Sussex, Glasgow, Leicester, Sunderland, Aberystwyth, the Open University and Bucks New University, as well as development organisations including UNICEF

Lieutenant’s Cadets ready for Ser vice

HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Susan Lousada recently appointed her cadets for 2022/2023 at a ceremony held at The Army Reserve Centre in Bedford, by kind permission of Colonel Ray Wilkinson QVRM TD VR DL

Dignitaries present at the ceremony included the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Lady Clifford, Chairman of Central Bedfordshire Council Cllr Gordon Perham, Chief Fire Officer Andrew Hopkinson, A/Superintendent Rachael Glenden ning, Chief Executive of the East Anglia Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association Colonel Ray Wilkinson QVRM TD VR DL and the President of St John’s Ambulance Anthony Duggan OBE

They were joined at the ceremony by the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Chris Sharwood Smith MBE, representatives from the various

cadet and Youth organisations, military personnel, Deputy Lieutenants and cadets’ family members

The role of Lord Lieutenant’s cadets is to support the Lord Lieutenant in carrying out their duties, typically attending large civic services, Remembrance Parades and occasionally sup porting on Royal visits The cadets’ selection takes into account their outstanding contribution to their cadet community, and they are seen as ambassadors for their organisations

THIS YEAR’S CADETS

This year ’s cadets are Leading Cadet Orry Pestell (Bedfordshire Sea Cadets), Cadet Sergeant Lily Miller (Beds & Herts Army Cadet Force), Cadet Warrant Officer Tegan Dodimead (Beds & Cambs Air Training Corps), Police

Cadet Ella Lawrence (Bedfordshire Police Cadets) and Fire Cadet Lee Clarke (Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service)

At the same ceremony, the Lord Lieutenant presented a Letter of Commendation from the Society of the Protection of Life from Fire to SI Declan Rouse from Fourth Company, Beds & Herts Army Cadet Force

Speaking after the commissioning the Lord Lieutenant said: “I was very honoured to appoint five Lord Lieutenant Cadets and I am looking forward to working with these inspirational young people during the year ahead I was also so pleased to present SI Rouse with his Letter of Commendation His selfless act of bravery and decisive action ensured the safety of others and, for that, I sincerely congratulate him ”

Cople woman completes marathon in memor y of ‘dad’

A BEDFORDSHIRE woman has described running in the TCS London Marathon as quite simply amazing after she joined Sue Ryder ’s 86 strong team at the weekend to raise vital funds for the charity which cared for her father in law in his final days

Lyndsey Taylor, from Cople had never run a marathon before, but went on to complete the 26 mile stretch through the streets of the capital in just over six hours, raising more than £2,500 in memory of her father in law, Derek Taylor, who was cared for at Sue Ryder’s Moggerhanger based hospice eight years ago

Lyndsey, director of events management company, Park Lane Events, said: “It’s was a massive feat for me and something I said I would only do once It was never about the time I ran it in, if it took eight hours that was fine with me, I just wanted to cross the finish line and raise as much money as possi ble for Sue Ryder

“It’s true what people said to me before I ran the crowd really carries you through Seeing the Sue Ryder stand was emotional, espe cially when I saw my family stood at the first stand I passed The second time was quite late in the day, at which point, I really appre ciated the Sue Ryder team still being there It really meant a lot

“I am so pleased to have raised over £2,500 for Sue Ryder but also awareness too On the tube on the way home, I was wearing my medal and a lady asked me who I had run for, she knew who I was talking about and seemed quite touched that I was running for Sue Ryder Moments like this make all the training and effort throughout worthwhile, as well as the medal at the end of the course!

“I would like to say a huge thank you to my husband for keep ing everything going at home whilst I focussed on my training alongside running my business As well as everyone who has donated to my fundraising total,” Lyndsey added

Lyndsey’s father in law, Derek, was diagnosed with cancer in April 2014 He died just six short weeks later leaving his family devastated “He always said I was the daughter he never had, we were really close” said Lyndsey “He was a proper hands on grandad too,” added Lyndsey who has two daughters who were aged four and seven at the time their grandfather died

“I have a number of memories of Derek’s time at the hospice, one being when my four year old daughter was with us on one of our visits and wanted to eat her grandad’s ice cream The nurses didn’t mind; they were so flexible It’s those small things that stay in

my mind those last little memo ries where you can be a normal family in a medical setting that sometimes can feel quite scary

“It was only seven days that he spent at the hospice, but I could talk for hours about the care he received there It’s not only the support that the staff give to the patients that means so much, it’s how they treat the wider family too,” Lyndsey added

Running the marathon was also a personal goal for Lyndsey, after what had been another difficult

couple of years for her “When the Covid 19 pandemic hit, my business was basically flat lined I had over two years’ worth of events cancelled, I pretty much lost my business All that grief that I felt before came back I went through panic and anger the same motions as you do when you lose someone I felt like I needed to get back on track, so when the marathon came up, I was keen to sign up I just thought this is going to be easy in comparison to what I have been through before ”

Left to Right: Police Cadet Ella Lawrence, Fire Cadet Lee Clarke, HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Susan Lousada, Leading Cadet Orry Pestell, Cadet Sergeant Lily Miller and Cadet Warrant Officer Tegan Dodimead

Left to right: Alex, Mahruf and Charlie

Is the party over for night time economy?

by Tony Hendrix

ast few years have seen the decline and ng of traditional British pubs across the r y as the hospitality businesses battled gh the pandemic towns where there were once several pubs, there might now only be a few that have stood the test of time

Pub culture is prevalent in Brits across the countr y, whether you visit a traditional pub for a candlelit dinner, or a drink with friends af ter work

However, the decline in business over the last couple of years has seen village pubs sold to the highest bidder as owners fail to keep up with rent and demand

A Bedfordshire pub, The Red Lion, has for tunately been saved from a similar fate af ter the community banded together to protect their much loved local watering hole

Not only have pubs throughout the UK seen a huge rise in closures the current energy crisis has really sealed the coffin for many

Many landlords have predicted that a pint of

beer could soon cost a staggering £20 for one pint in order to spiralling energy costs under control or simply face losing your local

Thousands of pubs facing spiralling losses will close in 2023, one Bedford restaurant boss I spoke to reveals his bills have soared from £2,989 a year to £22,812, this is simply crazy!

The par ty’s over too for many nightclubs within the UK , the odds that these already financially crippled venues sur viving this energy crisis is highly unlikely Businesses are calling on government to help with five fold increase in bills

Britain s nightlife, which struggled to sur vive when the pandemic kept revelers at home, is facing an uphill battle again as the cost of living crisis squeezes promoters and punters alike

Nightclubs have come to the end of the road if this energy crisis continues, prior to Covid many Clubs were already on their knees then Covid came along to give them a battering and now the Energy crisis has arrived to administer another financial battering!

Clubs are being hit by rocketing energy bills, while inflation has pushed consumer confidence to a record low and convinced many people to cut

out their non essential spending

Nightclubs I feel will soon be a thing of the past, far too many operators cannot see the writing on the walls and insist on tr ying to revive the 90s club today experience which made many of them ver y rich but this is simply now a dead end business and could be an ideal time to throw the towel in!

The trend is threatening to close more of the establishments that have helped make the UK a destination for tourists and which contributed billions a year into the UK economy before the pandemic, according to the Night Time Industries Association

“It’s been tough times,” said Hans Hess, owner of the Egg London nightclub near King s Cross, which along with most other clubs closed temporarily during Covid lockdowns “We re opened a year ago and now we’re faced with new problems such as inflation ”

Next month we will look at what our local venues who have managed to keep their heads above water have on offer over the festive season

MINCE

Two shows to get you laughing

Castle Comedy has two fabulous shows to get ever yone laughing this month

Saturday November 12 Castle Comedy Flitwick, The Rufus Centre

A classic mixed bill of comedy featuring TV names and rising stars!

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

His numerous TV stand up credits include Live At The Apollo Dave’s One Night Stand, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road Show and Live At The Comedy Store (Comedy Central)

“He’s proved himself as a comedian of dizzying inventiveness” ★★★★★ The Times

ANDY STEDMAN is one of the fastest rising musical comedians on the UK circuit! He is a hit at comedy clubs throughout the UK With a mix of jokes comedy songs and plenty of audience interaction he creates a real par ty atmosphere

FIONA RIDGEWELL a twenty something year old female, who has a skewed look at her life experiences whilst continually looking to achieve a fair y tale life Fiona has won a number of stand up comedy competitions and was a finalist in Funny Women 2020

Saturday November 19th Lasting Memories Charity Special at The Swan Hotel

A brilliant night of laughter to raising funds to suppor t those affected by cancer in the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Her tfordshire

PAUL ZERDIN is the UK’s number one comedy ventriloquist and winner of Series 10 of

America

sidekicks have

YouTube,

views

Talent The Champions He has appeared on countless TV shows including The World Stands Up (Comedy Central), Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford (ITV1), and three appearances at The Royal Variety Per formance!

JOHN NEWTON is known for his inventive writing, covering a massive spectrum of subjects from the surreal to the hard hitting, yet still managing to remember that the gag comes first In that respect he’s an old fashioned gag teller/writer and proud of it If you want jokes John is your man!

ANTHONY AYTON is a London kid who was the first black guy at an all white boarding school, Anthony has a unique and hilarious perspective on life which he weaves skillfully with plenty of ver y funny jokes, getting big laughs with all types of audience

PAUL REVILL will host the shows

Doors 7 30pm, shows star t 8 00pm Shows

10 45pm

around

£12/£15

from www castlecomedy co

B

Talent! Zerdin

2018 he appeared on Britain’s Got

Biddenham

Association:

Tuesday Art Group Kempston:

Musicals theme for the 22nd Christmas Tree Festival Christmas Crackers

St Paul’s Church, Bedford 30 November 4 December 2022

Over five days, the Festival will welcome 1000s of visitors to hear local children s and adult choirs and musical groups per form and to explore the display of more than 60 Christmas trees which light up the beautiful St Paul’s Church in the hear t of Bedford, with their vibrancy and twinkling lights The trees are decorated by local community groups, schools and firms and this year ’s theme for the decorations is ‘Musicals’

Entr y to the Festival is £3 and free for children under 16 This year the money raised will go towards funding much needed equipment for Bedford Hospital and suppor ting projects including

the Primrose Car Ser vice taking patients to and from Addenbrookes Hospital for radiotherapy, travelling in comfor t

The annual Festival Concer t on Friday, December 2, at 7 30pm features the ‘Miner va Piano Trio’ per forming pieces by Mendelssohn and Beethoven in addition to Christmas favourites It is a truly memorable evening for concer t goers to enjoy the beautiful trees at night in the majestic setting of St Paul’s Tickets £17 50 include a glass of wine from www peoplesfundraising com/conc er t tickets or phone 01234 783181

Despite the restrictions of COVID, the 2021 Bedford Christmas Tree Festival attracted

over 4,000 visitors, raising £13,411 shared by the two charities: the Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends and St Paul’s Church A separate dedicated Paediatric A&E unit at Bedford Hospital was one of the projects suppor ted by the 2021 Festival Why not star t the countdown to Christmas by helping to raise even more funds this year?

The Bedford Pipe Band will lead visitors to the opening of the Festival by Sue Lousada, our new Lord Lieutenant, at 10 30 am on Wednesday, November 30

The Festival is sponsored by Jayne Beard Associates

Opening hours: Wednesday Saturday 10 5, with a Christingle ser vice at 4 Sunday 12 4

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas

Its jingle all the way at Kempston East Church, Kempston on Saturday, December 3, at 7pm when Bedford Brass will be giving a traditional Christmas Concer t The Band will be playing Christmas favourites that will have you rocking around the Christmas tree

Band Member Jenny Gellatly said: ‘We are delighted to be bringing the sound of Christmas to Kempston for our annual Christmas Concer t All we want for Christmas is for you and your family to buy tickets and enjoy a festive evening’ Doors open at 6 30pm Adults £5 00 Children under16 Free

Sandy Historical Research Group:

Kempston & District Model Railway Society:

Bedford Local History Society:

Oakley Rural Day Centre for the elderly:

Bedford RSPB Local Group:

Folk Dance Club:

Music Club:

Reeds Folk Dance Club:

B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I

There’s a new kid on the football block and it’s certainly kicking off in style

BACKat the start of the ye a r, r u m o u rs s t a r t e d flying around Bedfordshire f o o t b a l l c i rc l e s a b o u t t h e takeover of a small tenth tier football club by a Bedford based podcaster with ambitions for the Premier League.

National media took interest in the story, not only because of the new owner ’ s outlandish claims to reach the Premier League in a decade but also because he said he would do it using B i t c o i n T h a t p o d c a s t e r w a s Pe t e r McCormack, and the club was Step 6 side, Bedford FC.

Fast forward ten months and the club has been renamed Real Bedford FC and sits at the top of the Spartan South Midlands Division 1 table having won 11 out of their first 12 league games. It looks like the plan is working.

“It’s been an incredible first year in football for me, ” says McCormack, from his comfortable open plan kitchen on the outskirts of Bedford.

“I initially hoped to take over Bedford Town FC, who are a couple of leagues higher than we are but they didn’t want to sell. So we went for the next best thing, which was Bedford FC,” says McCormack Bedford FC was originally formed all the way back in 1957 as the footballing t e a m o f B e d f o rd p r i n t i n g c o m p a n y Diemer & Reynolds. Over the next half a century it had various mergers with other clubs, changed its name half a dozen times including a long spell as Bedford United and called a number of different grounds home. However, although it saw the odd relegation and promotion it never really rose up the leagues and languished around the bottom of the English football pyramid.

“It was much more complicated than I anticipated because most clubs at this level are actually membership organisa t i o ns w i t h c o m m i t t e e s, ra t h e r t h a n companies with boards,” he says. “We had to untangle a lot of accounts and relationships to be able to rename and take over the club ”

M c C o r m a c k a n d h is n e w t e a m , eventually took over the club in time for the start of the 2022/23 season, renaming the club Real Bedford “Like Real Madrid, but in Bedford ”

“During the second half of last season,

I learnt a huge amount about football and made a lot of mistakes during that time too,” he confesses. “But the learnings I took from that period have stood us in really good stead for the start of our new campaign ”

McCormack explains that he intro duced wage caps to ensure “ we attracted players who believed in the mission and

aren’t just after money, ” and brought in exciting young manager Rob Sinclair

S i n c l a i r w a s a l re a d y b u i l d i n g h is reputation by turning around nearby club Eynesbury when he joined Real Bedford at McMullen Park

“We knew when we met Rob that he was our man. He’s played professionally at a high level and has a great network

locally to tap into, plus he’s just a really solid guy, ” McCormack says

And it seems it has worked wonders so far. Real Bedford had won every league game bar one, under Rob Sinclair so far this season, leaving them with 33 points, and comfortably top of the league

Off the pitch Real Bedford has invested extensively on the ground and its infra structure, and has partnered with Bedford Ladies and Girls giving the Ladies a new home, a new kit and a new incentive to join the men in their pursuit of climbing the leagues.

Another partnership with Bedford Park Rangers has created a pathway for young players to have the chance to play the adult game, as Real Bedford has also pro vided them with kits, facilities and support to enable any young child in Bedford the chance to play football And as if 45 teams under their banner weren’t enough, they are next setting up a disabilities team.

But Real Bedford’s success will very much lie on the success or failure of the Bitcoin community that McCormack is very much a key figure in.

“I have a podcast all about Bitcoin that has an audience of over a million Bitcoiners around the world These people love anything to do with Bitcoin so having Bitcoin on our shirts and Bitcoin sponsors around the pitch, really enables us to tap into an international audience that many local teams simply can’t do,” he says.

McCormack live streams the games to audiences around the world, many of whom go on to buy Real Bedford merchandise and spread the word of the club that is increasingly being nicknamed the Pirates due to its Skull and Crossbones logo Over 1,500 shirts have been sold so far this season to new fans many who are discovering football for the first time and most who had previously never even heard of Bedford

And it’s not just an international crowd who are following this new team the community in Bedford seem to be loving it too. With gates of only 20 or 30 last season the average attendance so far this season has been around 200, with a younger, family friendly crowd, it is fast becoming a major weekend event for many Bedford families

“We’re on the start of a very exciting journey,” says McCormack “And we ’ re going to be putting Bedford on the map!”

sport

INVITATION TO REDISCOVER BEDFORD THIS CHRISTMAS New manager bringing results

with Bedford

centre

Christmas in Bedford Borough begins on Saturday, November 19, with a Christmas event in Harpur Square and along Midland Road There will be a host of exciting activities taking place, including live music, free rides for children with Gumball’s Amusements and festive food, drink and shopping at a seasonally enhanced Charter Market

Then at 4 30pm in Harpur Square, the switching on of the lights by Mayor Dave Hodgson will illuminate Bedford Town Centre, signalling that the Christmas period is officially here

The merriness continues on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December with The Christmas Town Market, which the Council is holding 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 accompa nied by festive cheer provided by local bands and choirs

The Christmas Town Market will also have free train rides between Silver Street Square and Midland Road on the Love Bedford Express Gumball’s Amusements will once again be returning to offer free rides for children and Santa’s Grotto will be taking place in the Harpur Centre

Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “It is with great excitement that we’re preparing for the Christmas period in Bedford Borough and can announce our plans for this year ’s events on top of everything our local businesses and venues are already deliver ing for our wonderful town centres

“Despite some areas having to cancel their switch on events this year, we’ve managed to keep the Christmas Lights on in Bedford Borough So, whether you’re shopping at one of our amazing independent stores, market stalls and great national chains, visiting our town centre, or coming to one of our many Christmas events, there will be a very festive feel to the town centre while you’re there ”

From December 1, Bedford Borough Council will also be sharing daily activities that you can take part in with their Christmas Advent Calendar, so be sure to follow their social media channels to get ideas for some magical merry adventures

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KEMPSTON Rovers are currently sitting healthy in the Southern League D1 Central following an excellent start under the new leadership of Chris Nunn Nunn has brought in former player Ash Fuller to assist him in the dugout, a player who scored 48 times in 165 games for the club from 2014 2018

Rovers have gained impressive wins over Welwyn Garden City, Hertford Town and FC Romania, all at Hillgrounds over the last couple of months Ben Baker the leading scorer, with Ben Stevens and James Hatch all contributing to the tally as well

The Walnuts have introduced an initiative this season where any season ticket holder of any club of any sport can bring their season ticket to the turnstile (excluding matchday opponents) and gain £5 entry, reduced from £10 for other adults

Youth players at the club wearing club apparel can also attend for free, with accompanying adults also gain ing £5 entry