Bedford
Encyclopedia
Bedford is the county town
of Bedfordshire
, in the East of England
. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford
. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council
's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town of Kempston
. The Bedford Urban Area which includes Kempston, Elstow and Biddenham forms the 69th largest Urban Area in the UK with a population of 104,548. The wider borough, including a rural area, had a population of 153,000.
crossing the River Great Ouse
. Bedford was a market town for the surrounding agricultural region from the early Middle Ages
The Anglo-Saxon
King Offa of Mercia
was buried in the town in 796. In 886 it became a boundary town separating Wessex
and Danelaw
. It was the seat of the Barony of Bedford
. In 919 Edward the Elder
built the town's first known fortress, on the south side of the River Ouse and there received the area's submission. This fortress was destroyed by the Danes. William II
gave the barony of Bedford to Paine de Beauchamp who built a new, strong castle. The new Bedford Castle
was razed in 1224 and today only a mound remains.
Bedford traces its borough charter in 1166 by Henry II
and elected two members to the unreformed House of Commons
.
Bedford remained a small agricultural town, with wool being an important industry in the area for much of the Middle Ages
From the 1560s Bedford and much of Bedfordshire became one of the main centres of England's Lace
industry, with skilled lace-makers such as the Flemings and then later the Huguenots emigrating from Europe to settle in the town and surrounding county
. Lace continued to be an important industry in Bedford up until the early 20th century.
The River Great Ouse became navigable as far as Bedford in 1689. Wool declined in importance with brewing becoming a major industry in the town.
In 1660 John Bunyan
was imprisoned for 12 years in Bedford Gaol
. It was here that he wrote The Pilgrim's Progress
.
The 19th Century saw Bedford transform into an important engineering
hub. In 1832 Gas lighting was introduced, and the railway reached Bedford in 1846. The first Corn Exchange
was built 1849, and the first drains and sewers were dug in 1864.
. The borough council is led by a directly elected mayor
who holds the title 'Mayor of Bedford', an office which was first held by Frank Branston
, until his death in 2009. The newly elected Mayor of Bedford is Dave Hodgson
from the Liberal Democrat
Party.
Bedford itself is divided into 10 wards
: Brickhill
, Castle
, Cauldwell, De Parys
, Goldington
, Harpur
, Kingsbrook
, Newnham, Putnoe
and Queens Park
. Brickhill elects its own parish council, while Queens Park and Kingsbrook & Cauldwell have their own urban community council
s (which have similar powers to a parish council). The rest (and majority) of Bedford is an unparished area
.
Bedford forms part of the Bedford constituency
, represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament
. The current Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bedford is Richard Fuller
, who is a member of the Conservative Party
.
or areas: Brickhill
, Castle
, Cauldwell, De Parys
, Goldington
, Harpur
, Kingsbrook
, Newnham, Putnoe
and Queens Park
.
The town of Kempston
is adjacent to Bedford, as are the villages of Elstow
, Renhold
and Ravensden
. Villages in the Borough of Bedford with populations of more than 2,000 as of 2005 were Biddenham
, Bromham
, Clapham
, Elstow
, Oakley
, Sharnbrook
, Shortstown
, Wilstead
, and Wootton
. There are also many smaller villages in the borough. The villages in the borough are popular with commuters to Bedford, and also with people who commute to Milton Keynes
and to London.
Nearby small towns include Ampthill
, Biggleswade
, Flitwick
, and Sandy
, all of which are in Central Bedfordshire
. The nearest towns and cities with larger populations than Bedford are Northampton
to the north west, Cambridge
to the east, Milton Keynes to the south west, and Luton
to the south, all of which have urban area populations of 130,000 or more.
, with a limited range of temperatures, and generally even rainfall throughout the year. The nearest met office weather station to Bedford is Bedford(Thurleigh) airport, about 6.5 miles north of Bedford town centre at an elevation of 85 metres. Since 1980, temperature extremes at the site have ranged from 35.9°C in August 2003 and 35.3°C during July 2006 down to -15.3°C in January 1982. However, such extremes would likely be superseded if longer term records were available - Historically, the nearest weather station to Bedford was Cardington about 2.4 miles south south east of the town centre with an elevation of 30 metres. This location recorded a minimum of -18.3°C during January 1963.
Rainfall averages around 585mm a year, with in excess of 1mm falling on 109 days.
Sunshine at around 1500 hours a year is typical of inland areas of southern-central England.
immigrants in the UK. According to a 2001 census, 2 in 7 (almost 30%) of Bedford's population are of at least partial Italian descent. This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment in the early 1950s by the London Brick Company in the southern Italian regions of Puglia, Campania
, Calabria
, Molise
, Abruzzo
and Sicily
. Bedford's Little Italy
feel is enhanced by a wide variety of Italian bars, restaurants and social clubs throughout the town. as well as a large number of delis and grocery shops selling Italian and continental produce - and by the large Italian mission church run by the Scalabrini Fathers order. From 1954 to 2008 Bedford had its own Italian vice-consulate
.
In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also been the recipient of significant immigration from South Asia
(8.1% of Bedford's population), Eastern Europe
(particularly in the 2000s), Greece, Cyprus
, the Middle East and Africa (3% of Bedford's population is of Sub-Saharan descent), making it one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse towns in the UK in proportion to its size. Bedford is home to over one hundred immigrant languages, including Italian, Punjabi, Polish, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, and both Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese.
The River Great Ouse
passes through the town centre and is lined with gardens known as The Embankment. Within these gardens stands a war memorial to the fallen of the First World War, opposite Rothsay Gardens. The memorial was designed in 1921 by the sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger
and depicts a Knight vanquishing a dragon. The inscription reads
Bedford Castle Mound
is the remnant of Bedford's medieval castle
, located close to the centre of the modern town, less than a hundred yards from Bedford Bridge and the high street. Bedford Borough Council built a sloping retaining wall on the south side, facing the river in circa 2000. Though almost completely modern, the wall does incorporate a few pieces of original masonry. A paved path leads round the side of the mound up to the top, which is a flat circular grassy area. A small wooden structure of the same date at the top of the wall, much like a bus shelter, protects tourists from the rain while they view the river embankment.
Bedford's principal church is St Paul's Church, Bedford, in the square of the same name at the historic centre of the town. It has a tall spire which is one of the main features of the town. There was a church on the site by 1066 and work on the present structure began in the early 13th century, but little remains from that period. John Bunyan
and John Wesley
both preached in the church. In 1865-1868 the tower and spire were completely rebuilt and the two transepts added and lesser alterations have been made since. From 1941 to the end of the Second World War the BBC
's daily service was broadcast from St. Paul's. Another church of note is St. Peter's Church, Bedford
(Situated on St Peter's Street) which contains some of the oldest architectural remains in Bedford, the most ancient being the two monoliths.
Bedford Park
is the town's largest urban park
, and is located drectly to the north of the town centre. The park retains many original features from its Victorian design and construction, including a cricket pavilion
and bandstand
which are both still in use. Priory Country Park
is a large country park
located on the northern bank of the River Ouse
in eastern Bedford. Both parks have been awarded Green Flag status
.
system which is arranged into lower, middle and upper schools, as recommended in the Plowden Report
of 1967. The arrangement was put to the vote in 2006 with a view to moving to the two-tier model, but was rejected. State upper schools in the town include St Thomas More Catholic Upper School
, Bedford Academy, Mark Rutherford Upper School
and Biddenham Upper School
. On 17 November 2009, borough councillors voted 19 to 17 in favour of a two tier system, which will now be phased in. However, following the defeat of the Labour Government in 2010, the new coalition government announced that the funding necessary for the switch to a two-tier system would no longer be available. As a result, the switch is now in limbo, as national funding was due to cover most of the cost.
Bedford is home to four private schools run by the Harpur Trust
charity
, endowed by Bedfordian Sir William Harpur
in the sixteenth century. These are:
Smaller private institutions include Rushmoor School
(boys aged 3–16, girls 3-11) St. Andrew's School
(girls aged 3–16, boys 3-9), and Polam Oaks School, none of which are part of the Harpur Trust.
Bedford hosts a campus of the University of Bedfordshire
, which prior to a merger with the University of Luton in 2006 had been a campus of De Montfort University
(itself now solely based in Leicester
). For further education, the town is served by Bedford College
. Additionally, Stella Mann College
is a private college, which offers a range of further education courses relating to the performing arts
.
Bedford has a high number of Christian
churches including four from the Newfrontiers
network, several Polish and Italian Roman Catholic churches, LDS (Mormon
) meetinghouses, and various independent churches that cater to the different ethnic and language groups. There are also three mosques located in the town, as well as the largest Sikh
temple in the United Kingdom outside London. There are also Quaker, Jehovah's Witness
and Wicca
n communities who meet in the town. There is no longer a synagogue
in Bedford, but Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue, based in Luton
, meets in Bedford once a month for the town's Jewish
community. The nearest Orthodox
synagogue is the Luton Hebrew Congregation, a Lubavitch synagogue in Luton. Bedford is also the headquarters of the Panacea Society
who believe that the town will have an important role in the Second Coming
of Jesus Christ
.
Bedford Museum & Art Gallery
is housed in the recreated Victorian home of the Higgins family of Victorian
brewers and in a modern extension. The museum has local history collections, while the galleries have notable collections of watercolours, prints and drawings, ceramics, glass and lace.
The Bedford Corn Exchange
is the largest entertainment venue in the town and plays host to a variety of performances, meetings, conferences, concerts and private functions. The Corn Exchange also operates the Harpur Suite exhibition hall and the Bedford Civic Theatre
which, in 2007 played host to the 'Bedfringe festival', a pre-Edinburgh Fringe festival (Bedfringe has now expanded into multiple venues in the town). The Corn exchange has been host to many great entertainers such as Glen Miller and Bob Hope. The University of Bedfordshire Theatre
is the largest theatre
in Bedford and hosts many larger productions as well as projects from the university. There is an active amdram (community theatre) scene, with groups such as the Swan Theatre Company, Bedford Dramatic Club (BDC), Bedford Marianettes and ShowCo Bedford producing plays and musicals in venues like the Civic Theatre and the Corn Exchange. The Bedford Pantomime Company produces a traditional pantomime at the Bedford Corn Exchange each Christmas. Esquires
(one of the town's premier live music venues) regularly plays host to many notable bands and acts from all over the UK as well as showcasing local live music.
Every two years, an event called "The River Festival
" is held near the river in Bedford during early July. The event lasts for two days and regularly attracts about 250,000 visitors. The event includes sports, funfairs and live music. It is the second largest regular outdoor event in the UK beaten in numbers only by the Notting Hill Carnival. The Bedford Regatta each May is Britain's largest one-day river rowing regatta.
Other annual events include 'Bedford By The Sea' (when large quantities of sand are deposited in the town centre) and the 'Bedford International Kite Festival' in June. 'Proms In The Park', held in early August, is a popular musical event.
national on November 2010 which resulted in his later death in hospital this attack led to the arrest of five teenagers on suspicion of murder. Many of these recent murders involved stabbing
s such as the murder of Inderjit Singh who was found dead on Christmas day 2010, the murder of a mother of six in May 2011 and another murder of Piotre Polanski also in May 2011. As well as stabbings Bedford has also been the location of the non fatal shooting of an alleged police informant in January 2011. Another murder took place in September 2011 when a man who lived in Raunds
but worked in Bedford died after being assaulted on a night out.
Bedford has also been the site of a number of drug related crimes, including a drug bust which led to police recovering £2.6 millions pounds worth of Heroin and led to two drug dealers, Omar Khayam and Mohammed Arfaan, being jailed for thirteen and six years, respectively. As well as this a number of drug raids on cannabis farms have also occurred in Bedford with one such farm found to be booby trapped.
RFC’s Goldington Road ground holds in the region of 5000 spectators with an average gate of 3000 for home games.
Rowing is also a major part of the sports scene with a number of regatta events hosted throughout the year from February through to October; the most significant of these being Bedford Regatta, which in terms of numbers of crews participating is the second largest in the country. It was on Bedford’s River Great Ouse that Olympic rower, Tim Foster
, honed his skills as a member of Star Club; indeed the Borough has produced many other champions of sport past and present including Stephanie Cook, Gail Emms
, Liz Yelling
and Paula Radcliffe
who is Life Vice President of Bedford & County Athletic Club
Bedford has four rugby union
teams called Bedford Blues, Bedford Queens, Bedford Swifts and Bedford Athletic, and, since 2004, has also a rugby league
team; Bedford Tigers
, who compete one tier below the National Conference
. Bedford Blues are currently in the second tier of English rugby, but have previously been in the top division.
Taking into account the size of its overall urban area, Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a fully professional football
team. Bedford Town F.C.
currently plays at the seventh level of the English football league system
and Bedford F.C. play at the 11th level.
Viking Kayak Club
organise the Bedford Kayak Marathon with canoe racing
held along the Embankment on Bedford's riverside and organise national ranking Canoe Slalom events at the Cardington Artificial Slalom Course
(CASC), which was the first artificial whitewater
course in the UK. CASC is also the venue each year for the UK's National Inter Clubs Slalom Finals, the largest canoe slalom event by participation in the UK.
Bedford Hospital
is a district general hospital that operates from two sites in the town, providing a wide range of services, although patients requiring advanced health services are referred to specialist units elsewhere, particularly Addenbrooke's Hospital
in Cambridge, which has a partnership with Bedford Hospital. Bedford Hospitals catchment area is based on the Borough of Bedford and parts of Central Bedfordshire
.
The Bedfordshire Police Authority
is responsible for policing in Bedford, and operates a main police station
in the town centre. Fire and rescue services in Bedford are coordinated by the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service
. Bedfords fire station
is located in the Newnham
area of the town, and is staffed 24 hours a day.
, Germany Arezzo
, Italy Rovigo
, Italy Włocławek, Poland
It was the home and prison of John Bunyan
, the author of The Pilgrim's Progress
.
Prison Reformer John Howard
, although born in London, was high Sheriff of Bedfordshire.
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, in the East of England
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford
Bedford (borough)
Bedford is a unitary authority with the status of a borough in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is based at Bedford, which is also the county town of Bedfordshire. The borough contains a single urban area, the 69th largest in the United Kingdom that comprises Bedford and...
. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council
Bedfordshire County Council
Bedfordshire County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Bedfordshire in England. It was established in 1889 and was abolished on 1 April 2009. The county council was based in Bedford. It was replaced with three unitary authorities: Bedford Borough Council, Central...
's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town of Kempston
Kempston
Kempston is a town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. Once known as the largest village in England, Kempston is now a town with its own town council. It has a population of about 20,000, and together with Bedford, it forms an urban area with around 100,000 inhabitants, which is the...
. The Bedford Urban Area which includes Kempston, Elstow and Biddenham forms the 69th largest Urban Area in the UK with a population of 104,548. The wider borough, including a rural area, had a population of 153,000.
History
The name of the town is thought to derive from the name of a Saxon chief called Beda, and a fordFord (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
crossing the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
. Bedford was a market town for the surrounding agricultural region from the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
The Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
King Offa of Mercia
Offa of Mercia
Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
was buried in the town in 796. In 886 it became a boundary town separating Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
and Danelaw
Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
. It was the seat of the Barony of Bedford
Barony of Bedford
-First creation:*Created for Paine de Beauchamp, by William Rufus*William de Beauchamp - forfeit for rebelling in the First Barons' War*Faukes de Brent - sent by King John of England to enforce William's forfeit, forfeit himself for rebellion under Henry III of EnglandExtinct? Merged?Merged to...
. In 919 Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
built the town's first known fortress, on the south side of the River Ouse and there received the area's submission. This fortress was destroyed by the Danes. William II
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
gave the barony of Bedford to Paine de Beauchamp who built a new, strong castle. The new Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly extended in stone, although the final plan of the castle remains uncertain...
was razed in 1224 and today only a mound remains.
Bedford traces its borough charter in 1166 by Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
and elected two members to the unreformed House of Commons
Unreformed House of Commons
The unreformed House of Commons is the name generally given to the British House of Commons as it existed before the Reform Act 1832.Until the Act of Union of 1707 joining the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , Scotland had its own Parliament, and the term refers to the House of Commons of England...
.
Bedford remained a small agricultural town, with wool being an important industry in the area for much of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
From the 1560s Bedford and much of Bedfordshire became one of the main centres of England's Lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
industry, with skilled lace-makers such as the Flemings and then later the Huguenots emigrating from Europe to settle in the town and surrounding county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
. Lace continued to be an important industry in Bedford up until the early 20th century.
The River Great Ouse became navigable as far as Bedford in 1689. Wool declined in importance with brewing becoming a major industry in the town.
In 1660 John Bunyan
John Bunyan
John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
was imprisoned for 12 years in Bedford Gaol
Bedford (HM Prison)
HMP Bedford is a Category B men's prison, located in the Harpur area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
. It was here that he wrote The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come is a Christian allegory written by John Bunyan and published in February, 1678. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been...
.
The 19th Century saw Bedford transform into an important engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
hub. In 1832 Gas lighting was introduced, and the railway reached Bedford in 1846. The first Corn Exchange
Corn Exchange, Bedford
Bedford Corn Exchange is located on St Paul's Square in the Castle area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.-History of the Corn Exchange:The building was designed to be a concert venue and meeting space, as well as a place of business. The basement contained offices, cloakrooms, kitchen, hall...
was built 1849, and the first drains and sewers were dug in 1864.
Governance
Bedford is the largest settlement in Borough of BedfordBedford (borough)
Bedford is a unitary authority with the status of a borough in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is based at Bedford, which is also the county town of Bedfordshire. The borough contains a single urban area, the 69th largest in the United Kingdom that comprises Bedford and...
. The borough council is led by a directly elected mayor
Elected mayors in the United Kingdom
Directly elected mayors are council leaders elected by the general electorate of a council area for local government, instead of being appointed by members of a local authority, which is common in the United Kingdom. The Elected Mayor is elected from a number of candidates who put themselves up for...
who holds the title 'Mayor of Bedford', an office which was first held by Frank Branston
Frank Branston
Frank Branston was a journalist, novelist and newspaper proprietor, and the first directly elected mayor of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England.-Early life and career:...
, until his death in 2009. The newly elected Mayor of Bedford is Dave Hodgson
Dave Hodgson
Dave Hodgson is the directly elected mayor of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. Hodgson is the second elected mayor to represent the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom....
from the Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
Party.
Bedford itself is divided into 10 wards
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
: Brickhill
Brickhill
Brickhill is a civil parish and electoral ward within northern Bedford in Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Brickhill are approximately Kimbolton Road to the east, Bedford Park and the old Bedford cemetery to the south, with Cemetery Hill and the Manton Heights Industrial Estate to the...
, Castle
Castle, Bedford
Castle is an electoral ward and area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Castle are approximately Bromham Road and Goldington Road to the north, Denmark Street and George Street to the east, Rope Walk to the south, with the Midland Main Line railway line and Ashburnam Road to the...
, Cauldwell, De Parys
De Parys
De Parys is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of De Parys are approximately Bedford Park and Stancliffe Road to the north, the Bedford campus of the University of Bedfordshire to the east, Goldington Road to the south, with De Parys Avenue...
, Goldington
Goldington
Goldington is an electoral ward and former village within the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Goldington are approximately Norse Road and Cemetery to the north and east, Goldington Road to the south, with Church Lane and Haylands Way to the west...
, Harpur
Harpur
Harpur is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.The boundaries of Harpur are approximately Manton Lane to the north, De Parys Avenue to the east, Bromham Road to the south, with the Midland Main Line railway line to the west....
, Kingsbrook
Kingsbrook
Kingsbrook is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.The boundaries of Kingsbrook are approximately the River Great Ouse and Priory Country Park to the north, Cambridge Road and the A421 to the south and east, with Redwood Grove and Willow Road to the west.The Fenlake and ...
, Newnham, Putnoe
Putnoe
Putnoe is an electoral ward and area on the northern side of the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Putnoe are approximately Mowsbury Park and golf course to the north, Church Lane and Haylands Way to the east, Polhill Avenue to the south, with Kimbolton Road to the west...
and Queens Park
Queens Park, Bedford
Queens Park is an electoral ward and area in Bedford, England. The areas borders are approximately Bromham Road and Beverley Crescent to the north, the Midland Main Line railway line to the east, and the River Great Ouse to the south....
. Brickhill elects its own parish council, while Queens Park and Kingsbrook & Cauldwell have their own urban community council
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
s (which have similar powers to a parish council). The rest (and majority) of Bedford is an unparished area
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
.
Bedford forms part of the Bedford constituency
Bedford (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was established in its current form in 1997, restoring a centuries old name. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
, represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. The current Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Bedford is Richard Fuller
Richard Fuller (politician)
Richard Fuller is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Bedford, where he was born.-Early life:...
, who is a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Geography
The town of Bedford is divided into 10 wardsWards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
or areas: Brickhill
Brickhill
Brickhill is a civil parish and electoral ward within northern Bedford in Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Brickhill are approximately Kimbolton Road to the east, Bedford Park and the old Bedford cemetery to the south, with Cemetery Hill and the Manton Heights Industrial Estate to the...
, Castle
Castle, Bedford
Castle is an electoral ward and area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Castle are approximately Bromham Road and Goldington Road to the north, Denmark Street and George Street to the east, Rope Walk to the south, with the Midland Main Line railway line and Ashburnam Road to the...
, Cauldwell, De Parys
De Parys
De Parys is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of De Parys are approximately Bedford Park and Stancliffe Road to the north, the Bedford campus of the University of Bedfordshire to the east, Goldington Road to the south, with De Parys Avenue...
, Goldington
Goldington
Goldington is an electoral ward and former village within the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Goldington are approximately Norse Road and Cemetery to the north and east, Goldington Road to the south, with Church Lane and Haylands Way to the west...
, Harpur
Harpur
Harpur is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.The boundaries of Harpur are approximately Manton Lane to the north, De Parys Avenue to the east, Bromham Road to the south, with the Midland Main Line railway line to the west....
, Kingsbrook
Kingsbrook
Kingsbrook is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.The boundaries of Kingsbrook are approximately the River Great Ouse and Priory Country Park to the north, Cambridge Road and the A421 to the south and east, with Redwood Grove and Willow Road to the west.The Fenlake and ...
, Newnham, Putnoe
Putnoe
Putnoe is an electoral ward and area on the northern side of the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Putnoe are approximately Mowsbury Park and golf course to the north, Church Lane and Haylands Way to the east, Polhill Avenue to the south, with Kimbolton Road to the west...
and Queens Park
Queens Park, Bedford
Queens Park is an electoral ward and area in Bedford, England. The areas borders are approximately Bromham Road and Beverley Crescent to the north, the Midland Main Line railway line to the east, and the River Great Ouse to the south....
.
The town of Kempston
Kempston
Kempston is a town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. Once known as the largest village in England, Kempston is now a town with its own town council. It has a population of about 20,000, and together with Bedford, it forms an urban area with around 100,000 inhabitants, which is the...
is adjacent to Bedford, as are the villages of Elstow
Elstow
Elstow is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire. John Bunyan, was born here - at Bunyan's End, which lay approximately halfway between the hamlet of Harrowden and Elstow's High Street.-History:...
, Renhold
Renhold
Renhold is a village and civil parish located on the river Ouse, in the hundred of Barford, in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It is just to the north of Bedford...
and Ravensden
Ravensden
Ravensden is a village and civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The parish borders the town of Bedford, with Mowsbury Park and farmland acting as a buffer between the two settlements. The village hosts Ravensden Lower School, and a pub called The Horse and Jockey, as...
. Villages in the Borough of Bedford with populations of more than 2,000 as of 2005 were Biddenham
Biddenham
Biddenham is a large village and a civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, located to the west of Bedford near the A428 road.The village largely serves as a dormitory settlement for Bedford, and also for commuters to London, being on the same side of the town centre as Bedford railway station...
, Bromham
Bromham, Bedfordshire
Bromham is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, west of the town of Bedford. It is within commuting distance to London via Bedford railway station.-Notable features:...
, Clapham
Clapham, Bedfordshire
Clapham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. It has a population of 3,643.-Facilities:Clapham has numerous public houses and several small shops; including a post office, Chinese and Indian takeaways, fish and chips, a florist, a hairdresser and a small...
, Elstow
Elstow
Elstow is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire. John Bunyan, was born here - at Bunyan's End, which lay approximately halfway between the hamlet of Harrowden and Elstow's High Street.-History:...
, Oakley
Oakley, Bedfordshire
Oakley is a village and civil parish located in northern Bedfordshire, England, about four miles north west of the county town of Bedford and lies by the River Great Ouse...
, Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey but was probably first developed in Saxon times. The oldest surviving building, St Peter's Church, is...
, Shortstown
Shortstown
Shortstown is a village on the outskirts of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The village was originally built by Short Brothers for its workers, but evolved into a settlement for people working at the RAF Cardington base....
, Wilstead
Wilstead
.Wilstead is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, just off the A6 Bedford to Luton road, about five miles south of Bedford town centre, and within the Borough of Bedford. The name of the village has been spelled in many different ways, including Wilshamstead, Wylhamstead, and...
, and Wootton
Wootton, Bedfordshire
Wootton is a large village and civil parish located to the south-west of Bedford, in the north of Bedfordshire, England. The parish also includes the hamlets of Hall End, Keeley Green and Wootton Green....
. There are also many smaller villages in the borough. The villages in the borough are popular with commuters to Bedford, and also with people who commute to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
and to London.
Nearby small towns include Ampthill
Ampthill
Ampthill is a small town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population of about 6,000. It is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council. A regular market has taken place on Thursdays for centuries.-History:...
, Biggleswade
Biggleswade
Biggleswade is a market town and civil parish located on the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, England. It is well served by transport routes, being close to the A1 road between London and the North, as well as having a railway station on the main rail link North from London .-Geography:Located about 40...
, Flitwick
Flitwick
Flitwick, pronounced , is a small town and civil parish in Central Bedfordshire, England. The nearby River Flit runs through Flitwick Moor, a nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.-Location:...
, and Sandy
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy is a small market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to...
, all of which are in Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created from the merger of Bedfordshire County Council, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire on 1 April 2009...
. The nearest towns and cities with larger populations than Bedford are Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
to the north west, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
to the east, Milton Keynes to the south west, and Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
to the south, all of which have urban area populations of 130,000 or more.
Climate
As with the rest of the UK, Bedford has a maritime climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
, with a limited range of temperatures, and generally even rainfall throughout the year. The nearest met office weather station to Bedford is Bedford(Thurleigh) airport, about 6.5 miles north of Bedford town centre at an elevation of 85 metres. Since 1980, temperature extremes at the site have ranged from 35.9°C in August 2003 and 35.3°C during July 2006 down to -15.3°C in January 1982. However, such extremes would likely be superseded if longer term records were available - Historically, the nearest weather station to Bedford was Cardington about 2.4 miles south south east of the town centre with an elevation of 30 metres. This location recorded a minimum of -18.3°C during January 1963.
Rainfall averages around 585mm a year, with in excess of 1mm falling on 109 days.
Sunshine at around 1500 hours a year is typical of inland areas of southern-central England.
Demography
Bedford is home to one of the largest concentrations of ItalianItalian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
immigrants in the UK. According to a 2001 census, 2 in 7 (almost 30%) of Bedford's population are of at least partial Italian descent. This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment in the early 1950s by the London Brick Company in the southern Italian regions of Puglia, Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Molise
Molise
Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
, Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. Bedford's Little Italy
Little Italy
Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta*Little Italy, Montreal, in Quebec...
feel is enhanced by a wide variety of Italian bars, restaurants and social clubs throughout the town. as well as a large number of delis and grocery shops selling Italian and continental produce - and by the large Italian mission church run by the Scalabrini Fathers order. From 1954 to 2008 Bedford had its own Italian vice-consulate
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
.
In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also been the recipient of significant immigration from South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
(8.1% of Bedford's population), Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
(particularly in the 2000s), Greece, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, the Middle East and Africa (3% of Bedford's population is of Sub-Saharan descent), making it one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse towns in the UK in proportion to its size. Bedford is home to over one hundred immigrant languages, including Italian, Punjabi, Polish, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, and both Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese.
Landmarks
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
passes through the town centre and is lined with gardens known as The Embankment. Within these gardens stands a war memorial to the fallen of the First World War, opposite Rothsay Gardens. The memorial was designed in 1921 by the sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger
Charles Sargeant Jagger
Charles Sargeant Jagger MC was a British sculptor who, following active service in the First World War, sculpted many works on the theme of war...
and depicts a Knight vanquishing a dragon. The inscription reads
Bedford Castle Mound
Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly extended in stone, although the final plan of the castle remains uncertain...
is the remnant of Bedford's medieval castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, located close to the centre of the modern town, less than a hundred yards from Bedford Bridge and the high street. Bedford Borough Council built a sloping retaining wall on the south side, facing the river in circa 2000. Though almost completely modern, the wall does incorporate a few pieces of original masonry. A paved path leads round the side of the mound up to the top, which is a flat circular grassy area. A small wooden structure of the same date at the top of the wall, much like a bus shelter, protects tourists from the rain while they view the river embankment.
John Bunyan
John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
and John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
both preached in the church. In 1865-1868 the tower and spire were completely rebuilt and the two transepts added and lesser alterations have been made since. From 1941 to the end of the Second World War the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's daily service was broadcast from St. Paul's. Another church of note is St. Peter's Church, Bedford
St. Peter's Church, Bedford
The Parish Church of St Peter de Merton with St Cuthbert is an Anglican church based on St Peter's Street in the De Parys area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.-History:The site has been used for Christian worship for more than a millennium...
(Situated on St Peter's Street) which contains some of the oldest architectural remains in Bedford, the most ancient being the two monoliths.
Bedford Park
Bedford Park, Bedford
Bedford Park is a large urban park, located in the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The park is the largest urban park within the town of Bedford, and is owned and maintained by Bedford Borough Council....
is the town's largest urban park
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
, and is located drectly to the north of the town centre. The park retains many original features from its Victorian design and construction, including a cricket pavilion
Cricket pavilion
A cricket pavilion is a pavilion at a cricket ground. It is the main building within which the players usually change in dressing rooms and which is the main location for watching the cricket match for members and others...
and bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
which are both still in use. Priory Country Park
Priory Country Park
Priory Country Park is a country park located in the Newnham area of Bedford, England alongside the River Great Ouse. The park is managed by Bedford Borough Council....
is a large country park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
located on the northern bank of the River Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
in eastern Bedford. Both parks have been awarded Green Flag status
Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
.
Education
Unlike most of England, Bedford Borough operates a three-tier educationThree-tier education
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....
system which is arranged into lower, middle and upper schools, as recommended in the Plowden Report
Plowden Report
The Plowden Report is the unofficial name for the 1967 report of the Central Advisory Council For Education into Primary education in England. The report, entitled Children and their Primary Schools reviewed Primary education in a wholesale fashion. The collation of the report took around 3 years...
of 1967. The arrangement was put to the vote in 2006 with a view to moving to the two-tier model, but was rejected. State upper schools in the town include St Thomas More Catholic Upper School
St Thomas More Catholic Upper School
St Thomas More Catholic Upper School is a Roman Catholic school located in Bedford, England.The school is located on Tyne Crescent in the Brickhill area of north Bedford. 'Tommy More' is the only Catholic upper school in Bedford...
, Bedford Academy, Mark Rutherford Upper School
Mark Rutherford Upper School
Mark Rutherford Upper School is a coeducational upper school located in the Putnoe area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The school is named in honour of the writer William Hale White who used 'Mark Rutherford' as a pseudonym....
and Biddenham Upper School
Biddenham Upper School
Biddenham Upper School is a 13-19 coeducational state comprehensive school serving the Brickhill, Harpur and Queens Park areas of Bedford plus the village of Biddenham, England. The school holds Specialist Sports College status...
. On 17 November 2009, borough councillors voted 19 to 17 in favour of a two tier system, which will now be phased in. However, following the defeat of the Labour Government in 2010, the new coalition government announced that the funding necessary for the switch to a two-tier system would no longer be available. As a result, the switch is now in limbo, as national funding was due to cover most of the cost.
Bedford is home to four private schools run by the Harpur Trust
Harpur Trust
The Bedford Charity is a charity in Bedford, England which is principally concerned with the operation of private schools. The Bedford Charity is the legal name, but it is most often referred to as the Harpur Trust....
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, endowed by Bedfordian Sir William Harpur
William Harpur
Sir William Harpur was a merchant from Bedford who moved to London, amassed a large fortune, and became Lord Mayor of London. In 1566 he and his wife Dame Alice gave an endowment to support certain charities including education...
in the sixteenth century. These are:
- Bedford SchoolBedford SchoolBedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
for boys aged 7–18 - Bedford Modern SchoolBedford Modern SchoolBedford Modern School is a British co-educational independent school in the Harpur area of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire, in England.Bedford Modern comprises a junior school and a senior school...
, a former boys' school which became co-educational in 2003 for pupils aged 7–18 - Bedford Girls' SchoolBedford Girls' SchoolBedford Girls' School is an independent school for girls which opened in September 2010 in Bedford, England. The school is a result of a merger of Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School, and is operated by the Harpur Trust...
for girls aged 7–18 This is a merger of the two current schools; Dame Alice Harpur School and Bedford High School and will formally start from September 2011 although the current pupils in years 10 and 12 will stay in their respective schools as year 11s and 13s and only merge as of September 2012 - Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory SchoolPilgrims Pre-Preparatory SchoolPilgrims Pre-Preparatory School is a co-educational, Independent day school for children aged between 3 months and 8 years. The Little Pilgrims unit is a nursery school catering for children from the age of 3 months–3 years...
.
Smaller private institutions include Rushmoor School
Rushmoor School
Rushmoor School is an independent day school, located in the Harpur area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. It is coeducational from ages 3–11 then boys only from 12-16. The school is located at 58-60 Shakespeare Road.- History :...
(boys aged 3–16, girls 3-11) St. Andrew's School
St Andrew's School (Bedford)
St Andrews School, is a coeducational independent day school in the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. St Andrews educates girls aged 3-16 and boys aged 3-9. It was founded in 1896 as a school for the daughters of gentlemen...
(girls aged 3–16, boys 3-9), and Polam Oaks School, none of which are part of the Harpur Trust.
Bedford hosts a campus of the University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
The University of Bedfordshire is based in Luton and Bedford, the two largest towns in the English county of Bedfordshire. The university was created by the merger of the University of Luton and the Bedford campus of De Montfort University on 1 August 2006 following approval by the Privy Council...
, which prior to a merger with the University of Luton in 2006 had been a campus of De Montfort University
De Montfort University
De Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens...
(itself now solely based in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
). For further education, the town is served by Bedford College
Bedford College (Bedford)
Bedford College is a further education college in the Cauldwell area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. It is the only public further education college in the Borough of Bedford, and it is a member of the 157 Group of high performing schools....
. Additionally, Stella Mann College
Stella Mann College of Performing Arts
Stella Mann College of Performing Arts is an independent, co-educational performing arts school and college specialising in dance and musical theatre. The college is located in the Harpur area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, in the United Kingdom.-Overview:...
is a private college, which offers a range of further education courses relating to the performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
.
Religious sites
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches including four from the Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers is a neocharismatic apostolic ministry network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 50s and 60s combining features of Pentecostalism with British evangelicalism...
network, several Polish and Italian Roman Catholic churches, LDS (Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
) meetinghouses, and various independent churches that cater to the different ethnic and language groups. There are also three mosques located in the town, as well as the largest Sikh
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
temple in the United Kingdom outside London. There are also Quaker, Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
and Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
n communities who meet in the town. There is no longer a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Bedford, but Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue, based in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, meets in Bedford once a month for the town's Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
community. The nearest Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogue is the Luton Hebrew Congregation, a Lubavitch synagogue in Luton. Bedford is also the headquarters of the Panacea Society
Panacea Society
The Panacea Society is a religious group based in Bedford, England. The Society was founded by Mabel Barltrop in 1919 at 12 Albany Road, Bedford. Its inspiration was and is the teachings of the Devonshire prophetess Joanna Southcott . Barltrop took the name Octavia and believed herself to be...
who believe that the town will have an important role in the Second Coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
Culture
Bedford Museum & Art Gallery
Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum is the principal art gallery and museum in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, run by Bedford Borough Council and the Trustees of the Cecil Higgins Collection.- Overview :...
is housed in the recreated Victorian home of the Higgins family of Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
brewers and in a modern extension. The museum has local history collections, while the galleries have notable collections of watercolours, prints and drawings, ceramics, glass and lace.
The Bedford Corn Exchange
Corn Exchange, Bedford
Bedford Corn Exchange is located on St Paul's Square in the Castle area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.-History of the Corn Exchange:The building was designed to be a concert venue and meeting space, as well as a place of business. The basement contained offices, cloakrooms, kitchen, hall...
is the largest entertainment venue in the town and plays host to a variety of performances, meetings, conferences, concerts and private functions. The Corn Exchange also operates the Harpur Suite exhibition hall and the Bedford Civic Theatre
Bedford Civic Theatre
The Bedford Civic Theatre is a theatre located on Horne Lane in the town centre of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The theatre is operated by the Corn Exchange, Bedford and hosts a variety of events, exhibitions and performances. Groups such as the Bedford Marianettes regularly produce plays and...
which, in 2007 played host to the 'Bedfringe festival', a pre-Edinburgh Fringe festival (Bedfringe has now expanded into multiple venues in the town). The Corn exchange has been host to many great entertainers such as Glen Miller and Bob Hope. The University of Bedfordshire Theatre
University of Bedfordshire Theatre
The University of Bedfordshire Theatre is a theatre situated in the De Parys area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.-The venue:Formerly known as the Bowen West Theatre, the venue is not only for use by the university, but serves the entire population of Bedford...
is the largest theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in Bedford and hosts many larger productions as well as projects from the university. There is an active amdram (community theatre) scene, with groups such as the Swan Theatre Company, Bedford Dramatic Club (BDC), Bedford Marianettes and ShowCo Bedford producing plays and musicals in venues like the Civic Theatre and the Corn Exchange. The Bedford Pantomime Company produces a traditional pantomime at the Bedford Corn Exchange each Christmas. Esquires
Bedford Esquires
Bedford Esquires is a pub, nightclub and live music venue, located in the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The venue is housed in a converted 19th century chapel. On the ground-floor is a regular pub and nightclub, mostly specialising in indie and alternative rock music.Both floors are used...
(one of the town's premier live music venues) regularly plays host to many notable bands and acts from all over the UK as well as showcasing local live music.
Every two years, an event called "The River Festival
Bedford River Festival
The Bedford River Festival is held biannually in Bedford, England, on the banks of the River Great Ouse. It was founded in 1978 to celebrate the completion of a navigable route, by water, between Bedford and the coast and is held over a weekend, normally in July...
" is held near the river in Bedford during early July. The event lasts for two days and regularly attracts about 250,000 visitors. The event includes sports, funfairs and live music. It is the second largest regular outdoor event in the UK beaten in numbers only by the Notting Hill Carnival. The Bedford Regatta each May is Britain's largest one-day river rowing regatta.
Other annual events include 'Bedford By The Sea' (when large quantities of sand are deposited in the town centre) and the 'Bedford International Kite Festival' in June. 'Proms In The Park', held in early August, is a popular musical event.
Crime
Although not usually considered a high crime area. In recent years Bedford has been the site of a number of high profile murders. Including an attack on a PolishPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
national on November 2010 which resulted in his later death in hospital this attack led to the arrest of five teenagers on suspicion of murder. Many of these recent murders involved stabbing
Stabbing
A stabbing is penetration with a sharp or pointed object at close range. Stab connotes purposeful action, as by an assassin or murderer, but it is also possible to accidentally stab oneself or others.Stabbing differs from slashing or cutting in that the motion of the object used in a stabbing...
s such as the murder of Inderjit Singh who was found dead on Christmas day 2010, the murder of a mother of six in May 2011 and another murder of Piotre Polanski also in May 2011. As well as stabbings Bedford has also been the location of the non fatal shooting of an alleged police informant in January 2011. Another murder took place in September 2011 when a man who lived in Raunds
Raunds
Raunds is a small market town in rural Northamptonshire, England. It has a population of 8,275 , is a civil parish, and is part of the East Northamptonshire district.- Geography :Raunds is situated 21 miles north-east of Northampton...
but worked in Bedford died after being assaulted on a night out.
Bedford has also been the site of a number of drug related crimes, including a drug bust which led to police recovering £2.6 millions pounds worth of Heroin and led to two drug dealers, Omar Khayam and Mohammed Arfaan, being jailed for thirteen and six years, respectively. As well as this a number of drug raids on cannabis farms have also occurred in Bedford with one such farm found to be booby trapped.
Sports
There is a long standing sporting heritage in Bedford Borough with long established rugby and football clubs. Bedford BluesBedford Blues
Bedford Blues is a rugby union club in the town of Bedford, England, currently playing in The RFU Championship. Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a league football club, and one of the few towns in England where the rugby club is better supported than the football team. The...
RFC’s Goldington Road ground holds in the region of 5000 spectators with an average gate of 3000 for home games.
Rowing is also a major part of the sports scene with a number of regatta events hosted throughout the year from February through to October; the most significant of these being Bedford Regatta, which in terms of numbers of crews participating is the second largest in the country. It was on Bedford’s River Great Ouse that Olympic rower, Tim Foster
Tim Foster
Timothy "Tim" James Carrington Foster MBE is a British rower. He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987 and 1988. In the latter he competed in a pair with a Matthew Pinsent. He became the first British rower to win gold medals at two...
, honed his skills as a member of Star Club; indeed the Borough has produced many other champions of sport past and present including Stephanie Cook, Gail Emms
Gail Emms
Gail Elizabeth Emms MBE is a retired English badminton player who has achieved international success in doubles tournaments....
, Liz Yelling
Liz Yelling
Elizabeth Anne Yelling is a British long-distance runner currently based in Poole, Dorset...
and Paula Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe
Paula Jane Radcliffe, MBE is an English long-distance runner. She is the current women's world record holder in the marathon with her time of 2:15:25 hours...
who is Life Vice President of Bedford & County Athletic Club
Bedford has four rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams called Bedford Blues, Bedford Queens, Bedford Swifts and Bedford Athletic, and, since 2004, has also a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team; Bedford Tigers
Bedford Tigers
Bedford Tigers RLFC is a rugby league club based in Bedford, England. The first team plays in the Rugby League Conference, with a second team in the London League.- History :...
, who compete one tier below the National Conference
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
. Bedford Blues are currently in the second tier of English rugby, but have previously been in the top division.
Taking into account the size of its overall urban area, Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a fully professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team. Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
currently plays at the seventh level of the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
and Bedford F.C. play at the 11th level.
Viking Kayak Club
Viking Kayak Club
Viking Kayak Club is an open, community-based, multi-disciplinary club and is now one of the foremost canoe and kayak clubs in the UK. The club offers a broad range of paddling opportunities from easy recreational paddling to competition in canoe slalom, canoe racing and canoe polo and is active in...
organise the Bedford Kayak Marathon with canoe racing
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
held along the Embankment on Bedford's riverside and organise national ranking Canoe Slalom events at the Cardington Artificial Slalom Course
Cardington Artificial Slalom Course
Cardington Artificial Slalom Course was the first artificial whitewater canoe slalom course in the UK when it was completed in July 1982, having been first discussed in 1972....
(CASC), which was the first artificial whitewater
Artificial whitewater
An artificial whitewater course is a site for whitewater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, whitewater racing, whitewater rafting, playboating and slalom canoeing with artificially generated rapids.-Flow diversion:...
course in the UK. CASC is also the venue each year for the UK's National Inter Clubs Slalom Finals, the largest canoe slalom event by participation in the UK.
Filmography
- The popular BBC TVBBC TelevisionBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'EmSome Mothers Do 'Ave 'EmSome Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was a BBC situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice.The series followed the accident-prone Frank Spencer and his tolerant wife Betty through Frank's various attempts to hold down a job, which frequently end in...
was filmed in and around Bedford during the 1970s. - In the 2005 motion picture Batman BeginsBatman BeginsBatman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
scenes were filmed at the CardingtonCardington, BedfordshireCardington is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, EnglandPart of the ancient hundred of Wixamtree, the settlement is best known in connection with the Cardington airship works founded by Short Brothers during World War I, which later became an RAF training station...
Sheds in Bedford and featured extras from Bedford. The sequel, 'The Dark Knight', was also partially filmed at the sheds using the fake working name 'Rory's First Kiss' and members of the production cast stayed at various hotels around the town. - In the 2006 Comedy CentralComedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and DVD versions of Russell PetersRussell PetersRussell Dominic Peters is an Indo-Canadian comedian, actor and disc jockey. He began performing in Toronto in 1989 and has been nominated for four Gemini Awards.-Early life :...
' Outsourced, a good natured Bedfordian bears the brunt of Russell's comedic segment "I'm From England".
Public services
Bedford Hospital
Bedford Hospital is a District General Hospital located in the English town of Bedford, serving north and mid Bedfordshire. It is run by Bedford Hospital NHS Trust.-Main site :...
is a district general hospital that operates from two sites in the town, providing a wide range of services, although patients requiring advanced health services are referred to specialist units elsewhere, particularly Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital in Cambridge, England, with strong links to the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1766 on Trumpington Street with £4,500 from the will of Dr John Addenbrooke, a fellow of St Catharine's College...
in Cambridge, which has a partnership with Bedford Hospital. Bedford Hospitals catchment area is based on the Borough of Bedford and parts of Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created from the merger of Bedfordshire County Council, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire on 1 April 2009...
.
The Bedfordshire Police Authority
Bedfordshire Police
Bedfordshire Police, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire in England, which includes the unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. Its headquarters are in Kempston. The county had an estimated population of 602,500 in...
is responsible for policing in Bedford, and operates a main police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
in the town centre. Fire and rescue services in Bedford are coordinated by the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service
Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service
Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Bedfordshire and the unitary authority of Luton.The Service was formed on 1 April 1997, following the creation of a separate unitary authority of Luton....
. Bedfords fire station
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
is located in the Newnham
Newnham, Bedford
Newnham is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.The boundaries of Newnham are approximately Goldington Road to the north, the River Great Ouse to the south and east, with Denmark Street and George Street to the west....
area of the town, and is staffed 24 hours a day.
Twinned towns
Bedford is twinned with: BambergBamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
, Germany Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, Italy Rovigo
Rovigo
Rovigo is a town and comune in the Veneto region of North-Eastern Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. -Geography:...
, Italy Włocławek, Poland
Notable people
John Bunyan
John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
, the author of The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come is a Christian allegory written by John Bunyan and published in February, 1678. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been...
.
Prison Reformer John Howard
John Howard (prison reformer)
John Howard was a philanthropist and the first English prison reformer.-Birth and early life:Howard was born in Lower Clapton, London. His father, also John, was a wealthy upholsterer at Smithfield Market in the city...
, although born in London, was high Sheriff of Bedfordshire.
Other prominent Bedfordians
- Harold AbrahamsHarold AbrahamsHarold Maurice Abrahams, CBE, was a British athlete of Jewish origin. He was Olympic champion in 1924 in the 100 metres sprint, a feat depicted in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
, 1924 Olympic1924 Summer OlympicsThe 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
100 metres100 metresThe 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
champion and character in the film Chariots of FireChariots of FireChariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice.... - Sam BaldockSam BaldockSamuel Edward T. "Sam" Baldock is an English professional football striker who plays for West Ham United in the Football League Championship....
, MK Dons footballer - Lacey BanghardLacey BanghardLacey Banghard is a glamour model and Page 3 Girl from Bedford, England. She was the winner of The Sun newspaper's roughly-annual Page 3 Idol competition in 2011.-External links:****...
, Page 3 girl - Ronnie BarkerRonnie BarkerRonald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
, the late comedian - Matt BerryMatt BerryMatthew Charles "Matt" Berry is an English actor, writer, comedian and musician. Berry is perhaps best known for his appearances in The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh; he also had his own series, Snuff Box...
, comedian, star of Garth Marenghi's DarkplaceGarth Marenghi's DarkplaceGarth Marenghi's Darkplace is a British dark comedy show made for Channel 4 by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade. Following on from Garth Marenghi's Netherhead, which won the 2001 Perrier Awards, the show revolves around fictional horror author Garth Marenghi and his publisher Dean Learner...
, The Mighty BooshThe Mighty BooshThe Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
and The Peter Serafinowicz ShowThe Peter Serafinowicz ShowThe Peter Serafinowicz Show was a BBC Two comedy sketch show written by and starring Peter Serafinowicz. The first series started on the 4 October 2007 at 21:30 as part of the newly launched "Thursdays Are Funny" brand on BBC2 and Thursdays on ABC2...
as well as the voice of George the talking volcano in the recent Volvic (mineral water)Volvic (mineral water)Volvic is a brand of mineral water. Its source lies just to the north of the Puy de Dôme. The water's distinctive mineral content is due to the nearby volcano which last erupted in 5760 BC....
adverts - Colonel Frederick Gustavus BurnabyFrederick Gustavus BurnabyColonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby was an English traveller and soldier.-Life:He was born in Bedford, the son of the Rev. Gustavus Andrew Burnaby of Somersby Hall, Leicestershire, and canon of Middleham in Yorkshire , by Harriet, sister of Mr. Henry Villebois of Marham House, Norfolk...
, traveller - Apsley Cherry-GarrardApsley Cherry-GarrardApsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard was an English explorer of Antarctica. He was a survivor of the Terra Nova Expedition and is acclaimed for his historical account of this expedition, The Worst Journey in the World....
, Antarctic explorer - Calum DavenportCalum DavenportCalum Ray Paul Davenport is an English footballer, who is currently playing for Wootton Blue Cross after being released by West Ham United. He plays as a centre back.-Coventry City:...
, West Ham United footballer - Kelvin DavisKelvin DavisKelvin Geoffrey Davis is an English footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for newly-promoted Championship club Southampton. Born in Bedford, Davis began his career with Luton Town as a youth player in 1991 and remained there until 1999. Davis later played for Wimbledon, Ipswich Town and...
, Southampton F.C.Southampton F.C.Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
footballer - Gail EmmsGail EmmsGail Elizabeth Emms MBE is a retired English badminton player who has achieved international success in doubles tournaments....
badmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
doubles 2004 Olympic silver medallist - William FitzhughWilliam FitzhughWilliam Fitzhugh was an American planter and statesman who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress for Virginia in 1779. -Life:...
, also known as William the Immigrant, founder of an American dynasty that married into the lines of George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and General LeeCharles Lee (general)Charles Lee was a British soldier who later served as a General of the Continental Army during the American War of Independence. Lee served in the British army during the Seven Years War. After the war he sold his commission and served for a time in the Polish army of King Stanislaus II... - Tim FosterTim FosterTimothy "Tim" James Carrington Foster MBE is a British rower. He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987 and 1988. In the latter he competed in a pair with a Matthew Pinsent. He became the first British rower to win gold medals at two...
, men's coxless fours OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalGold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
list - Lil FuccilloLil FuccilloPasquale "Lil" Fuccillo is a former footballer and is currently chief scout for Swansea City .-Playing career:Fuccillo was born in Bedford to Italian parents and joined Luton Town from school. He established himself in the their starting line-up, and there was even talk of a call-up to the Italian...
, former footballer and manager - Richard FullerRichard Fuller (politician)Richard Fuller is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Bedford, where he was born.-Early life:...
, Member of Parliament for Bedford and Kempston since 2010 - Sir William HarpurWilliam HarpurSir William Harpur was a merchant from Bedford who moved to London, amassed a large fortune, and became Lord Mayor of London. In 1566 he and his wife Dame Alice gave an endowment to support certain charities including education...
, who became Lord Mayor of LondonLord Mayor of LondonThe Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
. - Bishop Trevor HuddlestonTrevor HuddlestonErnest Urban Trevor Huddleston CR, KCMG was an English Anglican bishop. He was most well known for his anti-apartheid activism and his 'Prayer for Africa'...
- Andy Johnson, EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Fulham F.C.Fulham F.C.Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
footballer - John Le MesurierJohn Le MesurierJohn Le Mesurier was a BAFTA Award-winning English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army.-Career:...
, actor and comedian - Hubert Horace Lamb (1913–1997) English climatologist who founded the Climatic Research Unit in 1972 in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia.
- Toby LittToby LittToby Litt is an English writer, born in Bedford in 1968. He studied at Bedford Modern School, read English at Worcester College, Oxford and studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia where he was taught by Malcolm Bradbury....
, writer, went to Bedford Modern SchoolBedford Modern SchoolBedford Modern School is a British co-educational independent school in the Harpur area of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire, in England.Bedford Modern comprises a junior school and a senior school...
and lived in nearby Ampthill. - Alfred Mitchell-InnesAlfred Mitchell-InnesAlfred Mitchell-Innes was a British diplomat, economist and author. He had the Grand Cross of the Medjidieh conferred upon him by Abbas II, Khedive of Egypt.-Family:...
, diplomat, who also served on Bedford Town Council for 23 years and resided there from 1920 until his death in 1950. - Dame Bertha PhillpottsBertha PhillpottsDame Bertha Surtees Phillpotts was an English scholar in Scandinavian languages, literature, history, archaeology and anthropology.-Biography:...
, Scandinavian scholar and pioneer of university education for women - Matt SkeltonMatt SkeltonMatt Skelton is an English boxer who changed sports from kickboxing. He is a former English, British, Commonwealth and European Heavyweight champion. He has also held the lightly regarded WBU "World" Heavyweight title....
, heavyweight boxer, commonwealth champion - Carol VordermanCarol VordermanCarol Jean Vorderman MBE is a British media personality, best known for co-hosting the popular game show Countdown for 26 years from 1982 to 2008. In September 2011 she became a co-anchor of the ITV1 panel show Loose Women....
, born in Bedford, television personality best known for being a long-standing co-presenter of Channel 4 game show Countdown. - Laura WadeLaura WadeLaura Wade is a British playwright. Wade grew up in Sheffield, where her father worked for a computer company....
, playwright - Charles Wells, founder of Charles Wells Brewery, a company still located in the town
- William Hale WhiteWilliam Hale WhiteWilliam Hale White , known by his pseudonym Mark Rutherford, was a British writer and civil servant.-Life and career:White was born in Bedford and educated at Bedford Modern School...
, a minor Victorian novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Mark Rutherford - Greg TaylorGreg Taylor (footballer)Gregory 'Greg' Vaughan Taylor is an English footballer who plays at left-back for Conference National club Luton Town, on loan from Darlington...
, Northampton Town footballer - Lance PainterLance PainterLance Telford Painter is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played for the Colorado Rockies , St. Louis Cardinals , Toronto Blue Jays , and Milwaukee Brewers . Although he started 28 games, Painter is most known as a reliever.-Professional career:Painter played college baseball...
, MLB player with the Colorado RockiesColorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, and the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - Basil RogersBasil RogersBasil Leonard Rogers was an English cricketer. Rogers was a right-handed batsman. Born in Bedford, Bedfordshire, he was the son of Richard Rogers and Julia Marsh. His father was head groundsman at Bedford Modern School, there is also an indication that he played for Bedfordshire or Oxfordshire,...
(1896–1975), cricketer
People associated with Bedford
- Frank BranstonFrank BranstonFrank Branston was a journalist, novelist and newspaper proprietor, and the first directly elected mayor of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England.-Early life and career:...
, first directly elected mayorElected mayors in the United KingdomDirectly elected mayors are council leaders elected by the general electorate of a council area for local government, instead of being appointed by members of a local authority, which is common in the United Kingdom. The Elected Mayor is elected from a number of candidates who put themselves up for...
of Bedford and former owner of the Bedfordshire on SundayBedfordshire on SundayBedfordshire on Sunday is a free local newspaper published in Bedfordshire, England.The newspaper is distributed as two editions, one covering Bedford borough and its surrounding villages, the other edition serves Central Bedfordshire...
newspaper - Joe BugnerJoe BugnerJózsef Kreul "Joe" Bugner is a Hungarian-born British-Australian former top heavyweight boxer. He holds triple nationality, being a citizen of Hungary and a naturalized citizen of both Australia and the United Kingdom where he learned to box and spent his peak years.Born in Szőreg, a southeastern...
, heavyweight boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. - Eddie 'the Eagle' EdwardsEddie 'the Eagle' EdwardsMichael Edwards , better known as Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, is a British skier who was the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping...
, ski-jumping legend - Patrick HallPatrick HallPatrick Hall is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Bedford from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
, Member of Parliament for Bedford and Kempston from 1997 to 2010 - Dave HodgsonDave HodgsonDave Hodgson is the directly elected mayor of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. Hodgson is the second elected mayor to represent the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom....
, current directly elected mayorElected mayors in the United KingdomDirectly elected mayors are council leaders elected by the general electorate of a council area for local government, instead of being appointed by members of a local authority, which is common in the United Kingdom. The Elected Mayor is elected from a number of candidates who put themselves up for...
of Bedford - Paula RadcliffePaula RadcliffePaula Jane Radcliffe, MBE is an English long-distance runner. She is the current women's world record holder in the marathon with her time of 2:15:25 hours...
, the UK's top female long-distance runner and current world record holder for the women's marathon - Phoebe PrinceDeath of Phoebe PrinceThe suicide of Phoebe Prince, on January 14, 2010, led to the criminal prosecution of six teenagers for charges including statutory rape and civil rights violations, as well as to the enactment of stricter anti-bullying legislation by the Massachusetts state legislature.Prince had moved from...
, Irish teen who committed suicide after bullying from classmates - Charles Edward MallowsCharles Edward MallowsCharles Edward Mallows , often known as C. E. Mallows, was an English landscape architect. He was born in Chelsea, London and spent his childhood at Flatford Mill, East Bergholt, Suffolk where his uncle ran the mill. He studied in Bedford and London...
, (5 May 1864 – 2 June 1915) Arts and Crafts MovementArts and Crafts movementArts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
architect, draughtsman, and garden designer who studied at Bedford SchoolBedford SchoolBedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
had an office in Bedford. His major commission was Tirley GarthTirley GarthTirley Garth is a large country house some to the north of Tarporley, Cheshire, England. The house together with its entrance courtyard walls have been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.-History:...
, Cheshire. - Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (23 October 1865 – 10 February 1945) Arts and Crafts MovementArts and Crafts movementArts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
architect and designer. Held an office on St. Cuthbert Street, Bedford from 1901–1903 and lived at Fenlake Manor, Cardington Road, where he wrote 'Houses and Gardens' until the house was destroyed by fire in 1911. Lived variously between London and Bedford until moving to Kent in 1916.
People schooled in Bedford
- Paddy AshdownPaddy AshdownJeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC , usually known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician and diplomat....
(now Lord Ashdown), former leader of the Liberal Democrats attended Bedford SchoolBedford SchoolBedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom... - Gurpareet BainsGurpareet BainsGurpareet Bains is an Anglo-Indian chef and Nutritionist.His first book - Indian Superfood - was released in July 2010, published by Absolute Press....
- chef, food writer and pioneer of Indian Superfood. Attended Bedford College*Michael BrunsonMichael BrunsonMichael Brunson OBE is a British political journalist.He was educated at Bedford School, a boys' independent school in Bedford, Bedfordshire, and read Theology at Queen's College, Oxford University. Michael Brunson began his broadcasting career at the BBC and later served as Washington...
, journalist, attended Bedford School and Goldington Road School - Alastair CookAlastair CookAlastair Nathan Cook, MBE is an English international cricket player. He is a left-handed opening batsman who plays county cricket for Essex and International cricket for England, where he is their ODI captain. Cook played for Essex's Academy and made his debut for the first XI in 2003...
, England cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er attended Bedford School - Christopher FryChristopher FryChristopher Fry was an English playwright. He is best known for his verse dramas, notably The Lady's Not for Burning, which made him a major force in theatre in the 1940s and 1950s.-Early life:...
, playwright, attended Bedford Modern School - Jeremy IrvineJeremy Irvine-Early life:Irvine was educated at Bedford Modern School, an independent school in the county town of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, followed by the National Youth Theatre and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.-Acting career:...
, actor, attended Bedford Modern SchoolBedford Modern SchoolBedford Modern School is a British co-educational independent school in the Harpur area of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire, in England.Bedford Modern comprises a junior school and a senior school... - Dan WheldonDan WheldonDaniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon was a British racing driver from England. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in both 2005 and 2011...
, IndyCar driver. - David MahmoudiehDavid MahmoudiehDavid Mahmoudieh is an Iranian film and music video director, screenwriter and guest film critic. He directs music videos under a variety of pseudonyms, including "R&D", "Merlin", "Uncle Rumple" and "Jury & Executioner"....
, screenwriter, film director and film critic attended Mark Rutherford Upper SchoolMark Rutherford Upper SchoolMark Rutherford Upper School is a coeducational upper school located in the Putnoe area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The school is named in honour of the writer William Hale White who used 'Mark Rutherford' as a pseudonym.... - Jean MuirJean MuirJean Elizabeth Muir, CBE, FCSD was an English fashion designer .-History and early career:...
CBE FCSD, fashion designer, attended Dame Alice Harpur SchoolDame Alice Harpur SchoolDame Alice Harpur School is an independent girls school in Bedford, United Kingdom, for girls aged 11-18. In September 2010 the junior department of the school merged with the junior department of Bedford High School... - Al MurrayAl MurrayAlastair James Hay "Al" Murray , is a British comedian best known for his stand-up persona, The Pub Landlord, a stereotypical xenophobic public house licensee. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy...
, comedian, also known as The Pub Landlord attended Bedford School - John OliverJohn Oliver (comedian)John Oliver is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for which he won an Emmy in 2009. He also plays a recurring character, Professor Ian Duncan, on the television series Community...
Emmy-winning stand-up comedian, actor and correspondent/writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Attended Mark Rutherford School. - Monty PanesarMonty PanesarMudhsuden Singh Panesar, known as Monty Panesar , is an English cricketer who currently plays for Sussex. A left-arm spinner, Panesar played Test and one-day cricket for England until 2009. In English county cricket he played for Northamptonshire until 2009...
, England cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, attended Bedford Modern School - James PlaskittJames PlaskittJames Andrew Plaskitt is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington from 1997 until his defeat at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
, Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington between 1997 and 2010, attended Pilgrim School