NOVEMBER 2021
H
STAR LETTERS Committee meeting
TO THE EDITOR: It is hard to believe
that, in these days of increased concern about climate change, anyone could seriously propose building on the flood plain in Kempston. This development would be on fields that were flooded as recently as December 2020. As you can see from the attached picture, which was taken when the waters had gone down far enough for us to get down the lane, there is still flood water in the field. These fields are also needed to absorb the excess water, as that would otherwise be channelled towards existing homes in both Kempston and Great Denham. If they are concreted over to provide the Grace Church with a 700 seat auditorium with 300
blasted as ‘hypocritical and irresponsible’
parking spaces, plus 80 houses, there will be nowhere else for that water to go. It is time that building on flood plains was stopped to protect existing homes. Lorna Ogle Church Walk, Kempston
TO THE EDITOR: I have enjoyed
Kempston Calling for many years and am shocked by the blatant propaganda in this article. Are you being sponsored by the developers? This is the first time I have heard this scheme being called ‘Amazing’ by anyone who is not a member of Grace Church. I would call it ‘DisGraceful’ that any church would consider building on a flood plain that is one of our few remaining
defences of the catastrophic flooding we suffered last Christmas. Why did you not mention the huge car park which will cause water to run into the river or express concerns for the new residents who will be at high risk of flooding and find difficulties getting a doctor or a place for their children at local schools? The fields are one of the few remaining green spaces for local residents to enjoy and are rich in biodiversity. This is the wrong scheme in the wrong place. I hope you intend to print the other side to this threat to the flood plain as it is causing great distress to many local residents who are in fear for their homes. Elizabeth Jones, Kempston
£25,000 raised and still counting IN September’s edition of Kempston Calling we wrote about Richard Hart’s fundraising for Guys and St Thomas’s hospitals. Richard was aiming to raise £20,000. We can report that he is fast approaching the £25,000 mark! He recently took part in the London Marathon for which he received a great deal of sponsorship. Richard said: “The marathon went really well, I had a lot of fun, it was a great atmosphere and the total has gone up to nearly £25.000, which is amazing. People have been so incredibly kind and generous.” He is raising money for the hospital where hopefully his daughter, Emily will receive a kidney transplant shortly. Richard added: “We still have no date for a Kidney transplant for Emily but it can’t be far away as she is so near the point where they will take action.”
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
KEMPSTON CALLING
There will be a church service at Kempston East Methodist Church on Sunday, November 14, at 2.30pm, followed by a parade down to the War Memorial on Kempston High Street for a minutes silence and the laying of wreaths.
COUNCILLOR Kay Burley (Labour, Kempston Central and East Ward) asked the Bedford Borough Council committee’s chair why the meeting on October 11 was convened as a face-to-face one in the council chamber, and not virtually. The committee chair said the council was ‘leading by example’ – and added that the government had not extended the period where local authorities were allowed to hold virtual meetings. “As you are a member of the local outboard, you will therefore be aware of the recent increase in coronavirus infections,” Councillor Burley said: “You’ll also be aware that this council is encouraging agile working for employees, and it has committed to reducing climate change. “Do you not think that it’s both hypocritical and irresponsible to have 15 or so people here, many of whom have travelled some distance, presumably by car, when everything could have been discussed, and the same conclusions reached, by meeting virtually?” The chair, councillor Graeme Coombes (Conservative, Wilshamstead Ward) said: “Personally, I have always felt that we need to get back to business [as usual] as soon as possible,” he said. “And I have a
by John Guinn – Local Democracy Reporter
personal belief that we need to have face-to-face meetings. “In order to actually transact business properly, the committee has to meet as an in-person meeting.” Councillor Coombes added he is aware that other members do not hold the same view, but that guidance from “up top” is needed on the matter. “I do think it is the right thing [to meet face-toface],” he said. “But I have to say there has not been anything that has come from the top that says, ‘this is what we are doing’.” Councillor Burley said that her question was not answered, and added that coming into the chamber was not a good example to give to council employees, who are asked to come in only if it is necessary. “I did ask you whether you thought it was hypocritical and irresponsible,” she said. “But it seems by your answer you clearly don’t.” “I disagree, we’re not being hypocritical,” Continued on page 3
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TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Magpas take teddies to the skies
THE Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) scheme, funded by Freemasons across the country, has now launched into the skies over Bedfordshire and the East of England after being taken up by Magpas Air Ambulance. At times of trauma, which the Magpas medical team deal with 24/7, something as simple as a teddy to hold can calm young patients, or the children who unfortunately witnesses accidents. As Magpas Air Ambulance only attend the most seriously ill and injured patients in the region, keeping young patients and witnesses calm is a great help to their doctors and critical care paramedics. Daryl Brown MBE, Chief Executive at Magpas Air Ambulance said, “We’re excited to be one of the first air ambulance services to take part in the Teddies for Loving Care scheme. Last year, Magpas Air Ambulance attended one critically ill child a week on average, and our clinicians’ work really hard to provide these children with the very best possible care in really difficult circumstances – having the TLC teddies to hand will help our doctors and paramedics give these children some extra comfort and something to cuddle while we treat them or a close member of their family.” Someone who knows how crucial the care Magpas Air Ambulance provide is, is Edie, who at the age of 9 suffered such severe breathing difficulties her mum, Claire, couldn’t wake her up. After calling 999 an EEAST paramedic crew arrived but
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The Beds Bulletin and Kempston Calling are independent publications part of Rosetta Publishing Ltd. Published by ©2021 Rosetta Publishing Limited 30 Radwell Road, Milton Ernest, Bedford MK44 1SH Tel: 07894 935952 Editorial: editorial@rosettapublishing.com Advertising: advertising@rosettapublishing.com Printed by: Iliffe Print Cambridge Ltd. Winship Road, Milton, Cambridge CB24 6PP Regulated by IMPRESS: The Independent Monitor for the Press CIC IMPRESS. 16-18 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6AG T 020 3325 4288 E complaints@impress.org.uk w impress.press To view our complaints policy, please visit our website www.rosettapublishing.com
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recognised they needed the advanced skills and knowledge of the Magpas Air Ambulance team – who flew hospital level care straight to Edie, at her family home – before accompanying her to hospital. Claire explained: “Thanks to the excellent care Edie received from the Magpas team, she did really well and was home the next day. Edie has Rett syndrome which in itself brings so many challenges, I honestly think if it wasn’t for Magpas Air Ambulance coming and giving her specialist antibiotics before we left for the hospital, it may have been a very different story.” Now part of the Teddies for Loving Care scheme, the first child to receive a bear from Magpas Air Ambulance was Edie – who was sent one in the post. Claire said, “Edie smiled as soon as I gave her the bear! She is non-verbal so the eyes and smiles speak volumes!” Tony Henderson, the head of Bedfordshire Freemasons, told us: “The TLC teddy has become an invaluable tool for medical professionals and a real comfort for children. All children who receive a bear of course get to take it home. We have distributed over 29,000 teddies to Bedford and Luton A&E departments.” Magpas is the oldest emergency medical charity of its kind, and since 1971 they’ve treated over 60,000 patients. They are also the Air Ambulance service most likely to attend a Bedfordshire incident.
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Car parking charges £4.3m gateway to the future frozen in Bedford
MAYOR Dave Hodgson has announced a further freeze on parking charges in council run car parks. He says: “This is great news for our residents who have already been through so much in the last 18 months, freezing car park charges for the fifth successive year is one way in which the council can provide support.” This news has been met with derision by the Borough’s Conservatives. Their Deputy Group Leader, Cllr Roger Rigby said: “A freeze just does not cut the mustard here, the town desperately needs more free and cheaper car parking. “In July 2018 there was footfall in the town centre of over 1.282 million, by July 2021 despite some small recovery since the end of lockdown it is almost half at 688k. “Furthermore, in the current year the Council is forecasting a reduction of £1.279m in car parking income as fewer people are coming to town. “Our struggling town centre businesses need much more from this Mayor. Indeed, a Conservative administration would do so much more with Christmas coming up.
“We would give three hours free car parking every day and all day Sunday and we would cut car parking prices going forward until a successful town centre is reestablished. “Bedford town centre’s economic revival rests on the Mayor realising that squeezing the motorists just won’t doesn’t work anymore. He is creating a perfect backdrop to encourage people to shop in other towns or on the internet.” The Mayor’s decision also includes the two hours free parking deal, which was introduced by him in 2013. As well as two hours free on Saturdays in council town centre car parks, Queen Street car park is free for the first two hours every weekday as well. Mayor Dave added that “This decision will also provide a major boost to Bedford town centre, attracting shoppers to our local businesses. “I know that local people want to see a town centre full of life and the free parking deal really helps, especially in the run up to Christmas.
Providing affordable parking options incentivises our residents to shop locally helping to reduce the carbon impact.”
Committee meeting comes under fire
Continued from page 1
Councillor Coombes replied. “I think we are leading by example. “We are expecting bin men or women to go out and empty the bins, we are expecting carers to go into care homes, we are expecting teachers to teach. “I don’t think it is right for us to expect some workers to go out and do their jobs face-to-face and for us to hide behind screens all the time. “So I see no hypocrisy, I see a difference of opinion and you’re entitled to your opinion as I’m entitled to mine. “But I think we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on this.” As the next Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on November 8 is informal it will be held virtually.
ACCESS to skilled jobs from apprentices to degree-level roles, will be opened via the Connolly Centre of Modern Construction (CMC) at Bedford College. The shiny £4.3 Million net carbon building has been made possible by funding via regional agency SEMLEP of £2.9 Million. The £4.3 Million includes £750,000 donated by the Connolly Foundation towards the very latest construction equipment inside the building. The Wixamtree Trust also donated £10,000. Declared open by Mark Farmer, the Government’s champion of Modern Methods of Construction, on Wednesday October 20th, the CMC contains some highly specialised equipment on which up to 100 will train for jobs, or upgrade their existing skills to match up to emerging ‘modern methods of construction’. Ian Pryce CBE, CEO of The Bedford College Group (TBCG): “We are closing that gap which we see between what happens in industries, and what is taught in college.” Mark Farmer congratulated Ian and TBCG team for their vision in building the dream: “This facility will be helping to re-shape how we deliver construc-
Left to right: Ian Pryce CBE, David Wilkins Director of Construction Bedford College, Judith Barker SEMLEP, Mark Farmer Government Champion of MMC, Andrew Rowe Connolly Foundation and Charles Whitbread Wixamtree Trust.
tion in the future. It meets the Government agenda for skills and sustainability and I can see it being an exemplar for the rest of the country. “Leadership has made this possible with Ian and The Bedford College Group being well placed to support the demand for skills in London and the Oxford-Cambridge Arc.” Judith Barker Director of SEM-
LEP congratulated TBCG and said this was a pioneer of such construction training buildings planned.
State-of-the-art equipment
Howick Frama 5600 metal profiling machine to produce metal components ready for self-assembly (Biggest investment in college con-
Continued on page 5
KEMPSTON CALLING
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TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Mayor Dave leads march towards zero carbon improvements that reduce carbon emissions and energy costs of community buildings within Bedford Borough. 2011 Adopted the Carbon Management Plan to set out a programme to achieve a 40% reduction in carbon emissions. 2018 The council exceeded this target, achieving a 62% carbon reduction. 2019 The council declared a Climate Emergency and pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030. 2021 Annual Greenhouse Gas Report shows council carbon emissions have reduced by a further 15%. The council, led by the Mayor, have also worked hard to ensure the Borough continues to find new ways to reduce carbon emissions. These projects include a new solar farm at Bedford Green Technology and Innovation Park, electric
by John Guinn – Local Democracy Reporter
THE recent Climate Change Committee welcomed the Annual Greenhouse Gas Report that showed the council had reduced its carbon emissions by a further 15%. Commenting on the report, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “These fantastic results show that we’re on course to hit our carbon neutral target by 2030. I want to thank the phenomenal work of the team behind the changes we’ve made to become a more environmentally efficient council. “We have invested in measures such as upgrading our heating system to biomass, installing smart LED lighting and moving to an evaporative cooling system for our data centre. We want to demonstrate leadership by getting our own house in order and encouraging others to do the same.” A timeline of Bedford Borough Council carbon reduction strategy: 2009 Mayor Dave Hodgson’s Climate Change Fund set up to provide 50% match funding for
vehicle charging points, and most recently a collaboration with Enterprise to set up its electric/hybrid vehicle Car Club at River Street Car Park. Mayor Dave Hodgson continued: “Despite our progress within the council and as a Borough, more can be done to tackle the climate emergency. “This is why I have signed a letter calling on the Prime Minister to announce at COP26 that he will be giving more powers and funding to local government. I encourage all councils to do the same so that we have the capacity to meet our net zero carbon targets.” “Another way Bedford Borough Council could reduce its carbon emissions would be to sell Borough Hall and rent it back, but this is “ultimate greenwashing”, a meeting heard. Bedford mayor Dave Hodgson was responding to a question from Councillor Lucy Bywater (Green, Castle Ward) at the October 4, Bedford Borough Council’s Informal Climate Change Committee.
Following a presentation of the Annual Greenhouse Gas report by Paul Pace, the council’s chief officer for environment, Councillor Bywater asked: “Can we have a bit more information about what is contracted out, and is excluded in the emissions? “If there’s a service that comes under the council’s responsibilities, it should be included, shouldn’t it?” The mayor said, “When it comes to the Statutory Returns, one of the easy ways [to reduce the recorded emissions] is to outsource refuse collection. “Some councils are making lower returns because they don’t actually include refuse collection. “But that’s the way the government collects the data. The other way you can do this, and some councils have done this, is to sell Borough Hall and hire it back again. “This will immediately wipe out Borough Hall as a carbon asset that we have to declare. Deputy Group Leader, Cllr Roger
Rigby commented: “The Conservative Group has supported Bedford Borough council on its journey to reduce carbon emissions and I also thank the work of the team behind the changes. All carbon reduction is good but as usual the Mayor is overblowing his own trumpet. The ever-lengthening traffic jams caused by roadworks around the borough will have a serious environmental impact. The Mayor needs to look at the bigger picture, not only on how the council can cut its own carbon emissions but the impact of its decision making and activities on all other aspects of life in Bedford. We will continue to keep the Mayor in check to ensure the future sustainability of our borough.” “That is greenwashing of the ultimate type, we’re not intending to do that, that’s not the way we would go. “If you outsource that isn’t a reduction, that’s moving stuff around. We need to review the statutory terms as they make a bit of a mockery of it.”
Racing ahead in motor sports
FORMER St Thomas More School student Joel Arguelles is moving ahead in the fast lane of karting and motor sports. He won the British Indoor Karting Championship earlier in 2021 and then accelerated into outdoor kart racing in the prestigious Club 100 world. Now he has moved into car racing with his own self-built vehicle. Joel, aged 26 of Bedford, completed a degree in Computer Science at UWE Bristol university before setting up his own business producing custom-made steering wheels volantech.co.uk This activity dovetails with his passion for motor vehicles, as from an early age he has repaired his own cars. Now he has built his
own racing car, and another for friend Mathew Mandipira, another ex St Thomas More boy, and they are sharing their successes online: Instagram: gas_motorsport_ “I am grateful to have been able to do all this through my passion for cars and racing,” said Joel who is looking for sponsorship or support for the Spring 2022 season, “Everything we do is selffunded so any support from anyone with an interest in the field of motorsports would be great. “We hope to put Bedford on the map as a fast-moving place which fosters technical skills in the motor trade. Our ambition is to start a motorsport team based in Bedford.
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Continued from page 3
WE all need a touch of Christmas magic this year. That’s why Santa’s workshop is open, and Santa and his elves are busy writing, sealing and posting letters that will put smiles on the faces of children everywhere! With a letter from Santa, you’ll bring magical tales from the North Pole right to your doorstep. There are eight fantastically festive designs, from traditional Christmas to a North Pole Safari – so there really is something for every child, or even the family pet!
Whichever letter you choose, each one is more personalised than ever this year. You can add your child’s name, age, hobbies, what they want for Christmas and your very own P.S. message. Plus, it will be addressed and posted directly to your child via sleigh mail – so they’ll feel like they’re at the very top of Santa’s good list! After sending a massive 170,000 letters last year, we’re looking forward to reaching even more children this year.
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And with a donation to the NSPCC, you’ll help Childline be here for children who need someone to listen. That’s the true spirit of Christmas. So, what are you waiting for? Order your personalised letter from Santa by December 14, to make sure yours arrives before Christmas. Order here: www.nspcc.org.uk/santa Emma Motherwell Local Campaigns Manager
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Foundation, and housed on campus in the Advanced Engineering Buchanan Centre. https://bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk/a bout/news/see-into-the-future-withvirtual-reality/
It is expected the building will receive an official A+ on its energy performance certificate making this The Group’s first Net Zero Carbon building. https://bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk/a bout/news/towards-net-zero/
Net Zero carbon
The exterior of the CMC complements the shiny look of the adjoining corner-site Brundtland Building, itself a pioneering example of eco-retro fitting. The stylish silver and grey colour scheme is highlighted across the Cauldwell Street/Riverside campus which blends one of the very oldest buildings in Bedford* with the latest in modern, green construction. *College House on the corner of Cauldwell Street and St Mary’s is said to be the oldest brick-built building in Bedford.
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TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Former police officer would have been dismissed for targeting vulnerable victims In 2017 the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Professional Standards Department received a report that Mr Ephgrave had sent text messages to a member of public while on duty. As a result, a thorough investigation was launched and uncovered that Ephgrave had actually sent messages to four female victims of crime between December 2016 and December 2017. A one-day public hearing con-
A PANEL has ruled that a former police officer who sent inappropriate text messages to victims of crime would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not already resigned. Former PC Mark Ephgrave left Bedfordshire Police in August 2018 after allegations around his conduct came to light, however under new regulations misconduct proceedings could still be brought against him.
ducted via Teams on Monday (11 October) ruled that Mr Ephgrave had breached the Standard of Behaviour for Professional Authority, Respect and Courtesy and Discreditable Conduct. The chairman of the independent panel concluded that he would have faced instant dismissal for his actions. Mr Ephgrave did not attend nor contest the hearing. Assistant Chief Constable Sharn Basra said: “Targeting vul-
nerable victims of crime is completely unacceptable. People come to us for help and support and should be able to have full trust and confidence in our officers. This was a case of an officer abusing that position of trust for his own gratification and gains and such behaviour has no place in this force. “As soon as we became aware of the allegations a full investigation was launched by the Independent Office for Police
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Conduct, which subsequently identified further victims. “While the officer resigned after being confronted with the accusations, it was only right to ensure a full hearing was held and ensure Mr Ephgrave will be placed on a barred list which could prevent him working in similar roles in future. “I would urge anyone who has been victim to similar behaviour to please call us. “This case shows we will listen and take action against anyone who behaves in such a way and betrays the uniform we all wear with such pride.” Since April 2016 there have been 22 sexual misconduct cases recorded against Bedfordshire officers or staff with 10 live cases still being investigated. In that time period three people have been dismissed from the force for gross misconduct, Mr Ephgrave is one of an additional three three officers who would have been dismissed had they not already resigned.
A further former officer who has left the force is also awaiting a hearing. Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye said: “Quite rightly, the public expect the highest standards of professional conduct from police officers and staff. Actions that fall below this level potentially tarnish the image of the vast majority of officers who go about their work as expected. “I am pleased that, despite the resignation of former PC Ephgrave, Bedfordshire Police has proceeded with a gross misconduct hearing which found that he would have been sacked had he remained in the role. He will now go on the barred list. “As Police and Crime Commissioner, I am fully committed to holding the Chief Constable accountable for the maintaining of the highest standards from our officers and ensuring Bedfordshire Police provides absolutely no room this sort of behaviour for any member of staff.”
Long arm of the law successfully prosecutes rapist after 19 years THE past finally caught up with Bedford man Alan Addison on Friday, October 15, 2021, when he was jailed for raping a teenage girl in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2002. Addison had been 36 when he raped the 14-year-old girl in a flat in the town, having been out drinking in a local pub. Addison, (57) appeared for sentencing at Luton Crown Court. He admitted a charge of raping the girl and of indecently assaulting her. Michael Williams prosecuting said the defendant had spent the evening of New Year’s Eve drinking in a pub in Bedford and at the end of the night, went back to a flat with others.
BEDFORDSHIRE BULLETIN
The court heard also present in the flat that night was the 14-yearold girl who, having consumed alcohol, was lying on a sofa in the lounge. Judge Gary Lucie, hearing the case, was told that as the night wore on, the defendant and the teenager ended up the only ones in the room. The prosecutor said Addison asked the girl for a cuddle and then “proceeded to kiss her and take her clothes off.” Mr Williams said the girl was left panic stricken and froze as he indecently assaulted her and then raped her. “She said it was rough and it hurt her. She doesn’t know how long it took but she said it felt like forever,” he said. The court was told the girl pretended to fall asleep, but was awake all night. Mr Williams said the girl, having spoken to a relative about what had happened, was taken to a police station, but then “abandoned her complaint” fearing that she had no support. As a result of what happened to her that night and the aftermath, Mr Williams said the victim’s life “went downhill.” She was plagued by nightmares and flashbacks and began using drugs. Eventually, she turned to sedatives to “black things out,” he said. She left school without any qualifications and in her 20s was using Ketamine which damaged her health. “She said the defendant stole her childhood and the years taken from her she will never get back.” Rishy Panasar, defending, said Addison had shown “remorse” for what had happened and had suffered a “breakdown.” Judge Lucie jailed Addison for nine years, explaining that he would have to serve two thirds of the sentence behind bars before being eligible for release on licence and serving the remainder in the community.
NOVEMBER 2021 —
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THE Addison Centre in Kempston is coming back to life. Now out of hibernation following lockdown/restrictions, people new to the area may be surprised to hear this hall seats 250, has a sprung floor (ideal for the sequence and ceroc dancing groups that meet there), a large stage, catering kitchen, bar and separate side area. This venue has good disabled access and its own dedicated 90+ car park which makes it so much more convenient for parties, functions, weddings, memorial services, awards ceremonies catering for all ages and abilities. The Addison Centre is an independent registered charity held in trust by the Kempston Community Association, and is run by volunteer Trustees and committee
Kempston Mill Huge hall for hire Bridge update
members, together with a small number of paid staff such as a part-time secretary, caretakers and bar staff. Funds are raised through bookings and the occasional bid fund. Chair of the Trustees Pat Buttrum says: “New people to the area may not be aware of this fantastic facility on their doorstep. It is used by a some groups who make long-term bookings, but can also be hired for family and organisational events. We would like to welcome more. “Our very great asset is our car park which means people can easily and safely park next door to the facility.
Faces of Kempston
Continuing our “sharing” from Facebook of stories from life in Kempston:
This month on FB we spotted another interesting article about Kempston by Les Barker: Some famous residents with Kempston connections, are remembered in street names. Balliol Road was named after John de Balliol who founded the college of the same name in Oxford and married Devorguilla, a descendant of Countess Judith. She was the mother of a second John de Balliol who became King of Scotland. Cater Street was named after William Cater who bought the Kempston Greys Estate in 1624 for £7,200.
The family owned the Kempston Mill and remained in Kempston for a further 175 years.
Dennis Road was named after William Dennis, a London merchant who bought the Daubeney and St. Johns Manors in c.1603 for £7,356.00. Williamson Road is named after the Rev. Edmund Williamson who bought the Manor from William Dennis. Subsequently in 1815, he built “the house between the street and the river”, namely The Manor. It was Mrs. Williamson in her will who made possible the building of the Church of the Transfiguration and had the St. John’s almshouses in Bedford Road, built in her
“Many older Kempston families will have enjoyed wedding receptions and anniversary parties here since it opened in 1969, we hope that all those in newer estates will consider making a booking.” The car park is locked when the hall is not open, as required by insurers. The next AGM will be held at 2.30pm Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at the hall – any anyone interested in coming along to learn more or consider volunteering is welcome. For more information: Tel: 01234 340997. mail:addisoncentre@yahoo.co.uk www.addison-centre.org
FOLLOWING an invitation to tender, a contractor has been finally been appointed to repair the bridge. But the timescale has slipped and they only anticipate starting work at the end of January. I’m disappointed by this delay. Reasons offered include the supply chain crisis in the building industry and an unexpected Environment Agency demand for a permit, which is subject to a minimum eight week processing period. I and other Councillors are doing our best to get the work started sooner. In any case, Council engineers have been invited to Kempston Town Council* to explain the repair process; these meetings are open to the public. *7.30pm on Tuesday, November 9, in the Centenary Hall, 104 Bedford Road
Report from Cllr James Valentine
Ink or toner low? Think...
husband’s memory.
Littledale Street was named after Henry Littledale, a director of the Sun Insurance Company, who built the Kempston Grange in 1845 in an area known then as Ham Field. Thornton Street was named after Harry Thornton, a nephew of Henry Littledale who inherited the Grange in 1866. Howard Street is named after James Howard, who purchased the Grange in 1885 and whose widow bequeathed the Grange and its surrounding parkland to the people of Kempston in memory of her son Addison who died in World War 1. The parkland is now known as Addison Park.
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KEMPSTON TOWN COUNCIL KNOW YOUR TOWN COUNCILLOR Kempston North
Kempston Central and East
Sam Blacklaws
Ali Akbor
c/o 104 Bedford Road, Kempston MK42 8BG sgblacklaws@gmail.com 07513 705791
c/o 104 Bedford Road, Kempston MK42 8BG aakbor@hotmail.com
Sue Oliver
Kay Burley
4 Loveridge Avenue, Kempston MK42 8SD sue.oliver@bedford.gov.uk 303029
7 Westdale Walk, Kempston MK42 8NX gordoncolling@btinternet.com 843805
Kempston South
Shaun Bowman 5 Harrier Way, Kempston MK42 7TY shaun-bowman@virginmedia.com 07905 780603
Carl Meader 39 Highfield Road, Kempston MK42 7JH carl.meader@bedford.gov.uk 857621 or 07557 800156 Kempston West
Steve Conway c/o 104 Bedford Road, Kempston MK42 8BG steve@steveconway.net 07592 483336
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Fiorentino Manocchio 32 Hartwell Drive, Kempston MK42 8UY fiore.manocchio@gmail.com 07818 426266
Mohammed Masud 46 Henderson Way, Kempston MK42 8NP cllrmasud@bedford.gov.uk 07974 276944
Remembrance Day Kempston’s Remembrance Day Service will take place on 14th November at 2.30pm Kempston East Methodist Church. It will be followed by a parade to the War Memorial to observe a minutes silence and laying of wreaths.
Special visitor Time is passing fast and preparations are progressing well for the annual ‘Christmas Light Switch on’ in Kempston. It will take place at the Saxon Centre on 7th December between 4pm – 7pm. The lights will actually be turned on at 6pm. There will be some stalls plus a couple of ‘childrens’ rides’ and festive music. A very special visitor is also likely to drop by! He has a long white beard and usually wears a red suit. Hopefully he will take some time off from his ‘toy workshop’ and come and meet the good folk of Kempston.
Mohammed Nawaz c/o 104 Bedford Road, Kempston MK42 8BG mn4bedford@gmail.com 07786 160607
Recycle more
Ross Purves
Climate Change is a topical subject at the moment so Kempston Town Council was especially pleased to have a report at their October meeting from Councillor Ross Purves on recent local actions . The ‘meadowing’ of a part the ‘Wood Park’ or ‘The Pitts’ (depending on your age) had to be postponed last year due
Terri Conway
c/o 104 Bedford Road, Kempston MK42 8BG rmpkempston@gmail.com 07732 969871
c/o 104 Bedford Road, Kempston MK42 8BG terri@steveconway.net 07592 483336
MAYOR AND DEPUTY: Cllrs Meader and Blacklaws
to Covid restrictions. It is hoped that it can now go ahead this autumn. Volunteers from the Climate Change Group with support from Camestone School will be involved in the preparation and sowing of the meadow. More good news on the recycling front is that both Sainsbury’s and the Co-Op stores in Kempston are providing collection points for ‘soft plastic’. This means that clean soft plastic wrapping from a wide range of products can be recycled. Crisp packets, sweet wrappers, plastic film, pouches and sachets, fruit/vegetable/salad bags and flowers wrapping plus a whole lot more can be deposited at these local stores and then recycled. It is good to know that very little now needs to go to landfill. Another addition to the opportunity to avoid the use of single use plastic is available in Kempston at the refill corner in So Healthy, (family chiropractor) which is at 160 Bedford Road. It is open on Saturdays and Tuesdays 9-1pm and on Thursday 1-5pm.
Tuesday November 9 6.30pm Planning
FUTURE MEETINGS
7.30pm Town Council All future meetings will be held in Centenary Hall until further notice
KEMPSTON CALLING
104 Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8BG Tel: 01234 851005 www.kempston-tc.gov.uk Email: clerk@kempston-tc.gov.uk Office hours: 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday
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— NOVEMBER 2021
TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Double trouble Kirsty and Kerri are set to share their slimming secrets in a double relaunch for November IT’S exciting times in Bedford for Slimming World members as we have a double re-launch of groups happening in November, we are well and truly open for business, and we have 2 gorgeous new consultants joining our team to share their success and inspire members to lose weight. Kirsty who joined her local group in Ampthill has lost over 1st 7lbs in just 9 months and is going to use this success to shape a new career re-launching our town centre Saturday morning group on the 6th November. Kerri is a member who has been going to the group on a Thursday night in Putnoe since March 2020, and in that time has lost over 2 stone 8lbs, Kerri will be taking the reins of her group from the 18th November, and can’t wait to get stuck in to helping people with their weight loss. Now they are both trained as Consultants for Slimming World, at their national training academy in Derbyshire ‘the sparkly castle’ as it’s known. They can’t wait to get the word out right across town that their groups are the place to be to get the support and guidance needed to lose weight and feel great. The latest government figures reveal that around one in four adults are obese and it is estimated that, by 2034, this will increase to one in three. 61.3% of the Bedford population is now overweight or obese, and this means Kirsty and Kerri’s new role has never been more important. Kirsty says: “Obesity is becoming such a huge issue across the UK. When I first joined Slimming World as a member, I never dreamed that I would end up helping other people to lose weight but now I just can’t wait to get started. After losing 1.5st and completing my training, it’s a privilege for me to be able to pass on the experience, insight and understanding that helped me, so that I can give my members the support they need to get to target. Kerri also can’t wait to get stuck in supporting her members “Support is really the
most important thing. It all starts with feeling that you’re not alone. I couldn’t have lost over 2 stone without the weekly help, encouragement and understanding of my own Consultant and group. As someone who has lost weight myself I know the challenges people can face, which is why, along with the group, I will be there to support every one of my members all the way to their chosen target weight. Setting targets, sharing recipes and other ideas, and working together as a group to overcome challenges and celebrate success is so important to a successful journey. That’s why, at my Slimming World group, there’ll be tons of support, encouragement and fun. “Like a lot of slimmer’s, I had tried to lose weight so many times before by following numerous diets but they were never sustainable because I’d always get tired of restricting what I ate. I thought I was destined to struggle with my weight for the rest of my life, but when I came to Slimming World it was different. “I never felt like I was on a diet. The eating plan encourages you to eat lots of tasty, filling foods like pasta, rice, potatoes and lean meat and fish, you are never hungry and no foods are banned so there’s no deprivation. I couldn’t believe I’d found a way to lose weight without starving myself. Activity is also important as said by Kirsty “Slimming World isn’t just about changing what you eat. Becoming more active is important too. Our Body Magic programme takes the threat out of activity by showing people, many of whom have unpleasant memories of being forced to take part in activity at school, how they can build activity into their daily routine without having to take up traditional forms of exercise like going to the gym or running. Everything counts from walking to gardening to washing the car. I started running to get my Body Magic award, and even ran a marathon out of choice! Don’t worry though, any and all activity counts (not just running) you can walk yourself to your body magic success. As a Consultant it’s my role
to create that warm, supportive atmosphere to get people sharing their ideas and experiences to help others - it’s going to be great fun!” Like both Kirsty and Kerri, Slimming World Consultants are all former members who have lost weight at their local group themselves and groups are set up as micro businesses in the heart of local communities. There are currently around 4,000 Slimming World Consultants across the UK and Ireland running 15,000 groups. Consultants receive training in Slimming World’s healthy eating and physical activity programmes and learn how to use the power of group support to empower members to take control of their own weight loss journey. As selfemployed micro-entrepreneurs, Consultants also learn how to build a successful communitybased business. Susan Phillips who runs Slimming World’s Bromham group and manages both Kirsty and Kerri as a Team Developer, says: “Slimming World Consultants are chosen for their positive outlook and because they genuinely care about the health and happiness of others. With both of these ladies experience of being a successful Slimming World members and their kind and warm personality and great sense of humour I just know that they will be an amazing support to members, cheering them all the way to their target weight.” Kirsty’s Slimming World group will be held at Bedford Trinity Chapel, Trinity Leisure Centre, Bromham Road, MK40 2QD every Saturday at 8:30am or 10am from 6th November. For more information or to join Kirsty’s group either pop along on the 6th November or call her on 07596 990733. Kerri’s Slimming World group will be held at Bedford Athletic Rugby Club, Wentworth Drive, Putnoe, MK41 8QA every Thursday at 5:30pm from 18th November. For more information or to join Kerri’s group either pop along on 18th or call her on 07368 189540. Or: For more information visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897
BEDFORDSHIRE BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 2021 —
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A song of Remembrance for the generations… BEDFORD School’s Chapel Choir and Chelsea Pensioners Release Remembrance Day Single ‘White Doves of Peace’ with classical singer/songwriter Jamie Lonsdale. Boys from Bedford School’s Chapel Choir will feature in a special Remembrance Day single with the Chelsea Pensioners, which is due to be released on 5 November 5. The boys, who were excused from lessons specially to take part, were recorded singing ‘White Doves of Peace’ written by singer and songwriter Jamie Lonsdale, back in September inside the school’s iconic and beautiful grade II chapel. Alexander Olleson, a music scholar at the school and current BBC Young Chorister of the Year shares his beautiful voice as he sings solo as lead vocal as the song opens. The choir’s recording has been cleverly blended with the beautiful and heart felt voices of The Chelsea Pensioners, a full symphony orchestra and a military brass band which were recorded at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in London. There is also a mention of the late ‘Captain Sir Tom Moore’, who is referenced in the song lyrics for the way he ‘stepped towards his goals’. Captain Tom captured the nations hearts after he raised £38.9m in three and a half weeks, with donations from 163 countries. Bedford School have a close link with his family, as his
grandson attends the school and the school were put firmly in the media spotlight as part of Captain Tom’s 100th birthday celebrations when the school received and displayed the thousands of birthday cards that were sent to him from across the world. The single commemorates Remembrance Day and all the souls who fought so valiantly across the world, with an emphasis on the importance of peace and respect for one another. It was produced by record producer Robert Emery who is currently directing the musical ‘Bat Out of Hell’ which is touring the UK. Head of Choral Music at Bedford School, Mr Keith Roberts said, “It was a great privilege for our choristers to be involved in this project, to work (albeit remotely) with the Chelsea Pensioners and to have an orchestral backing track. They were a credit to the Chapel Choir and school
and should be very proud of their singing and their professional behaviour.” In the words of singer songwriter Jamie “The song aspires to global peace, a fairer world, living in harmony whilst always remembering those who gave their lives…” The juxtaposition of the young boys who will be the heroes of tomorrow, the Chelsea Pensioners who are the heroes of yesterday and Jamie in the middle, is a powerful message. Jamie himself is an ex-military man having served with the Royal Navy on board the Royal Yacht Britannia and he also has a strong serving military family history with his 55 Great Uncle being the Duke of Wellington and Jamie is also a descendent of Lord Raglan (the British commander in the Crimean War) and he had a further three great uncles on the battlefield at Waterloo.
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BEDFORDSHIRE BULLETIN
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— NOVEMBER 2021
TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Bedford Modern School gets Bedford School crowned Smart with Michael R Peters Independent Boys’
School of the Year 2021
MICHAEL R Peters, the Bedford electrical retailer, has been busy over the school summer holidays. Back in March this year the Harpur Trust School, Bedford Modern, invited Michael R Peters to help in the planning and implementation of a major project to refurbish 34 classrooms and three common rooms. Paul Mead, managing director, said “we were delighted to be involved with such a prestigious local school and it is fantastic that the school are using local trades to complete this extensive project.” Planning took place between April and June and the work commenced at 12 noon on the day the
students broke up for the summer holidays. Each room was completely refurbished with new floors, decoration and furniture all supplied and fitted by local contractors. Paul said, “ for our part we supplied and fitted thirty-five 75” and 86” Smart educational touch screens, imaging cameras, wiring looms, data cabinets, whiteboards and PA speakers. Extensive data termination took place with over 989 ethernet connections being completed.” “The project went extremely well with all our products being installed and tested before school started In September.
BEDFORD School wins Independent Boys’ School of the Year in the Independent Schools of the Year awards. Boys and staff at Bedford School are celebrating after beating stiff competition from across the UK to be named ‘Independent Boys’ School of the Year’ in the much-coveted annual Independent Schools of the Year Awards. The esteemed independent allboys school in the heart of Bedford was humbled to receive the soughtafter award after demonstrating how it has embraced and maximised the unique opportunities that an all-boys school can offer. The awards were hosted online and chosen by a prestigious panel of judges, who know the sector well, including the CEO of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), the CEO of the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) and the CEO of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), a number of others in senior association roles and five serving Heads. This year, they were overwhelmed by the strength and volume of nominations received with over 700 entries submitted. Jim Massey who presented the award explained they chose
Bedford School for “its holistic school experience, tailored to the specific needs of the all-boys community, designed to ensure that students’ individual qualities are nurtured without inhibition and lived without awkwardness, so that they be good men.” James Hodgson, Head Master at Bedford School, commented, “This is reward for the hard work of an entire community: over 1100 boys, their teachers, non-teaching staff, families, governors and Old Bedfordians, all of whom have played their part in making the school the happy, vibrant and successful place that it is today. “I feel immensely lucky every day to be working here and contributing what we can to the town in which we all live.” Independent Schools of the Year is an awards scheme that aims to showcase the excellence of the educational experience available to students of all backgrounds. It recognises and applauds the varied and imaginative ways in which independent schools prepare young people for their future lives and is a real celebration of the diversity of the sector and the impact that it has on the lives of children and young people.
Plea to businesses – help send a Scout to Korea
NICK Kealy a Scout Leader for Colmworth has been given the amazing honour of being selected to lead the Bedfordshire Contingent of Scouts (36 children and four Adults) to South Korea for the World Scout Jamboree in 2023. This international event takes place every four years and draws around 40,000 children from all over the world in a festival of solidarity and culture like no other. It is kind of the Scout Olympics if you will. Traditionally this has been considered quite an elite event with individuals needing to raise around £4000 each over a two year period to attend. This is often done through fundraising events and donations which really helps bring the Jamboree Contingent together as lifelong friendships. Fund raising is already six months behind due to COVID. You can imagine with COVID and the financial challenges over the last 18 months the thought of needing to pay £4000 would seem very daunting and put a lot of parents (and children) off of applying! Nick is really keen to change this perception so that people from disadvantaged backgrounds apply for the opportunity to attend this event. By changing the message from ‘To attend you will need to raise around £4000’ to ‘You will need to commit time and energy to help raise the money’ means the attendees that could really get the most
from this are not put off by the money element. Nick has been given some support from the County Scouting Association to subside places and has a plan to try and gain sponsorship from local businesses in the Bedfordshire area. Applications are now live and open to all eligible Scouts/ Explorers regardless of background. n Applications are open, download or complete the form at www.bedswsj.org.uk and they will be closed from midnight on the November 4 n To be considered for the selection weekend on November 20/21you need to be a current Scout or Explorer in the Bedfordshire district and born between July 22, 2005 and July 31, 2009 n It truly is open to all eligible members of Scouting with the emphasis for selection to the contingent being about who is thought will get the best out of it not just the best people at lighting fires and tying knots. n Any Bedfordshire businesses that wishes to support please do get in touch. It’s not just about giving money but if you can offer any products or services or venues for fundraising events it will all be helping us to achieve our goal of changing 36 young peoples lives. Please feel free to get in touch Nick via phone on 07903 553 134 if you can help.
To advertise your service or products – print has lot going for it, after all you are reading this! Call 07894 935952 for a chat.
Awards go to Mark Rutherford students in writing competition
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jected into the future to explore the possibility of a Coronavirus museum. I would encourage any young person to get involved in the competition as you can express yourself fully and feel a sense of pride in having your voice recognised and rewarded”. This year, the school encouraged its British Council partnered mixed secondary school, Kamasengre in Kenya, to also enter the competition and were thrilled to learn that one of their students secured a Bronze Award. The international schools’ writing contest used the theme of “Community in the Commonwealth” to reflect on the global spread of COVID-19 and how it has affected the lives of many Commonwealth citizens. Students were encouraged to consider how, through adversity, societies came together and share their stories of growth, community, and hope. The final judging decision was made by an expert panel that included the famous author Imtiaz Dharker.
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TEN students from Mark Rutherford School are celebrating their success in an international essay writing competition run by the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS). More than 13,000 young people from across the Commonwealth entered the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay competition run by the RCS, which has a rich history of promoting literacy, expression and creativity by celebrating the excellence and imagination of young people. Six Mark Rutherford students successfully secured a Bronze Award, a further three students achieved a Silver Award, whilst one student, Joseph, was proud to continue the school’s success in receiving a Gold Award for the second year running. Gold Award winner, Joseph, said: “It felt great when I found out that I had won, it filled me with pride knowing that I had achieved an extraordinary accomplishment through my reflections on the pandemic. My entry pro-
NOVEMBER 2021 —
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View from the Rt Revd
Richard Atkinson
In Focus with
Dave
Yasin
by Dave Hodgson Mayor of Bedford
The Bishop of Bedford
ALL SOULS
In Focus with
Our Lord Lieutenants’ Service of ‘Thanksgiving, Remembrance and Hope’ on October 10th at St Paul’s Church in Bedford was a special opportunity to reflect on the impact of the pandemic. T he service is available through this link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=aCfNb59jDUU&t=0s. I encourage you to watch it. Representatives of those who provided medical care, staffed and organised vaccination centres, provided meals for those in need, managed care homes and of those affected by the virus focused our thankfulness for the response to the pandemic. So much care and dedication, given and experienced, across our county. At the end of the service, we looked forward with hope and dedicated ourselves to working together for a stronger and more just society; a hope symbolised by the blessing of three saplings which were later planted at local schools. A visible symbol of how we must plant and build for future generations. Very much the challenge of COP26. Finally, at the heart of the service was time to remember. To remember all those affected by the virus (and those still affected today) especially those who died. For many of us are carrying the sorrow and pain of losing loved ones. Not just the loss, but the experience of not being with them when they died, of not being able to hold the funeral as we wished and so much more. As is necessary with all bereavement we have missed the opportunity to grieve and to mourn well. One opportunity to do this is All Soul’s Day (November 2nd). Known also as ‘The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed’ it is an opportunity to remember the departed and to commend them to the love of God, often by lighting a candle in church. To enable this, many of our local churches will be holding special services either on the day or on an adjacent Sunday. If there is one near you, you will be very welcome. However, whether or not, there is a service near you, I encourage you to use this time of All Soul’s to remember those who have been lost. It could be sitting in a quiet space at home and lighting a candle. It might be finding a church or another place of worship that is open, lighting a candle if that is available, and spending time giving thanks for your loved ones and offering up to God your sadness, pain and grief.
15
MP for Bedford and Kempston
REMEMBRANCE AND CHRISTMAS
FACE THE RESIDENTS
November and December will see a number of events across the Borough. On Thursday, November 11, we will commemorate Armistice Day at Riverside Square in Bedford with a presentation of Standards and a two-minute silence. Remembrance Sunday will take place on Sunday, November 14, at War Memorials and Roll of Honours across the Borough, In Bedford the traditional wreath laying will take place at the War Memorial on Bedford Embankment at 11am and will be followed by a parade down the Embankment, finishing in Harpur Square. In Kempston the Town Council have arranged a Remembrance Service at Kempston East Methodist Church at 2.30pm followed by a parade to the War Memorial for a silence and wreath laying. There will also be Remembrance events in many of the villages across the Borough. It is good that we will be able to commemorate Remembrance properly again this year following a reduced number of events last year. However, I would urge people to remember Coronavirus is still present in the community and to remind you to continue to take precautions such as wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces or when in large groups and try to maintain a social distance where possible. Later in November and in early December we will see the Christmas Lights switched on in Bedford and Kempston as well as some of the villages and I am looking forward to seeing displays across the whole Borough. Throughout December there will be events in Bedford town centre every weekend running up to Christmas and other events across the Borough, please do check social media to see what is happening in your area. I recently launched my Christmas Card competition for Primary aged children to design my Christmas Card, you can find more at https://rosettapublishing.com/bulletin/2021/10/13/mayordave-hodgson-launches-the-2021-christmas-card-competition/.
On October 15, the CEO of East West Rail, Simon Blanchflower and EWR Operations Director, Will Gallagher came to Bedford at my request to meet elected representatives and members of the public. I invited ward Councillors on a walkabout’ to show Simon Blanchflower and EWR Operations Director, Will Gallagher first-hand the homes that would be affected in the vicinity of Bedford station because of the Government’s plans to extend the tracks from 4 to 6. The Councillors and I called for the electrification of the line and EWR confirmed that they have been making the case to Government for the line to be electrified rather than using diesel trains. We pressed EWR on the four-track option and EWR confirmed that they were still looking at all possibilities to minimise the effect on the local community ahead of the publishing of their consultation response early next year. The public meeting at St Cuthbert’s Hall was constructive and although we limited the numbers to 40 to observe social distancing and keep the public Covid-19 safe in an indoor space, it did mean we were able to cover a wide spectrum of questions. We would have liked to have given more notice to the public, but we didn’t get confirmation for the public to be involved in the visit until a week before. We grabbed the opportunity because we didn’t want the date to drag into the winter when we know residents have already waited so long for a meeting and when Covid infection rates may rise to a level where public meetings are unsafe. Residents from the Poets area and Ashburnham road were given priority but there were also residents from Brickhill, Queen’s Park, De Parys, and Kempston, including members of the BFARe group and Protect Poets. Some brilliant questions were asked by residents on the Need to Sell Scheme, the four-track option, freight, the consultation process, and the prospect of further disruption to the Bromham Road Bridge, but it was the passion to save not just homes, but a whole community that struck a chord. One Poets’ resident described the years of uncertainty because of the Government’s potential compulsory purchase order plans, made her feel like a prisoner in her own home. Some answers by EWR were useful for residents, including a clearer timeline for the next steps of the consultation process. While no solutions were offered up at this point by EWR, they repeatedly told us that they’re still working with their engineers to find possible solutions to all the issues that repeatedly came up in 9,000 respondents to the consultation.
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Lord Lieutenant’s Service at St Paul’s
BEDFORDSHIRE BULLETIN
THE people of Bedfordshire came together at St Paul’s Church, Bedford on Sunday, October 10, 2021 to give thanks, remember and look forward in hope as the nation emerges from the challenges of the pandemic. HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Helen Nellis was accompanied by her husband Professor Joe Nellis, and supported by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Colonel Chris Sharwood-Smith MBE and three of her Lord-Lieutenant Cadets. The High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Eric Masih, the Speaker of Bedford Borough Council, the Mayor of Luton, the Chairman of Central Bedfordshire Council, the Chief Fire Officer, the Chief Constable, the Police & Crime Commissioner, Town Mayors from across the county and many other representatives of countywide organisations joined the congregation. The service, which was held in line with current Covid19 guidelines, was led by the Revd Canon Kevin Goss and the address and blessing was given by the Bishop of Bedford The Rt Rev Richard Atkinson OBE. The Royal British Legion County Standard was presented during the first hymn and two of the LordLieutenant’s Cadets presented the Lieutenancy Flag and the Bedfordshire Flag. The service was in three parts. People from all sec-
tions of the community who were involved in the pandemic were invited to share their experiences and this was an opportunity to give thanks for their contribution. This included local GPs involved in setting up vaccination centres, a volunteer who provided meals for key workers and people in need, a Care Home Manager, Military personnel, a Vaccination Centre volunteer and a Covid survivor. Each of them had a different story to tell, all of which were truly inspiring. The service then had a period of remembrance when representatives of faith communities were invited to light candles whilst the choir sang and the congregation were given time to reflect. This led the service into the final part when the Bishop of Bedford blessed locally grown saplings representing the new hope of life. The saplings were presented to the Bishop by Lord-Lieutenant Cadets and will be planted in three schools in Bedfordshire to celebrate HM The Queen’s Green Canopy. Speaking after the service the Lord-Lieutenant said “It was a very emotional Bedfordshire Service of Thanksgiving, Remembrance and Hope at St Paul’s Church. I was really inspired and greatly moved by the stories of how so many went the extra mile to help during the pandemic.”
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— NOVEMBER 2021
TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
film review comedy Castle Comedy spreading the humour across Bedfordshire
The Lost Daughter ‘The Lost Daughter’ is a story about Leda (Olivia Colman), a Leeds-born lecturer who goes alone on a beach holiday from her house in Massachusetts to a paradise island in Greece. It is clear from the get-go that she has no intention of socialising with anyone. She’s even unapproachable to Lyle (Ed Harris), the elderly property caretaker. Later, Leda discovers a deserted beach, only for a big family of New Yorkers to intrude on her space. She gently declines to move when the annoying Callie (Dagmara Domincyk) asks her to. However, two family members – Nina (Dakota Johnson) and her little daughter Elena – fascinate her, and she becomes engrossed in watching the pair. As she watches them, she is overcome by her recollections of the horror, uncertainty, and intensity of early parenthood. Eventually, she is thrown into the weird and scary realm of her own mind, where she must confront her unorthodox past choices as a young mother. ‘The Lost Daughter’, based on a book of the same name by Elena
Castle Comedy is spreading its wings in November and heading to new venues across Bedfordshire! Castle Comedy Flitwick – The Rufus Centre – Saturday November 13 Flitwick Town Council teams up with Castle Comedy to put on a brilliant comedy special at the Rufus Centre.
Ferrante, is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut after a long acting career. She received recognition for her performance in ‘The Dark Knight’ (2018) and won a Golden Globe award for Best Actress for her performance in the BBC politicalthriller miniseries ‘The Honourable Woman’ (2014). Olivia Colman and Dakota Johnson feature in this starstudded drama. Colman has appeared in a number of films, including ‘The Iron Lady’ (2011),
‘The Lobster’ (2015), ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (2017), and ‘The Favourite’ (2018), for which she received an Academy Award for Best Actress. Johnson, on the other hand, is most known for her role in the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ film trilogy (20152018). She won a BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016 for her part in the series. ‘The Lost Daughter’ will be released on UK’s Netflix on December 31, 2021.
ANGELA BARNES, after a career in health and social care, Angela decided to realise a longheld ambition and give comedy a go. Within a couple of years, she had won the 2011 BBC New Comedy Award with her gloriously down-to-earth and straight-talking humour. Since then Angela and her witty world view have been catapulted onto numerous radio and television
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shows including appearances on Russell Howard’s Good News, Russell Kane’s Whistle Stop Tour on BBC Radio 2, Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, Stand up for the Week and BBC Radio’s The Now Show. “Brilliantly funny” Sarah Millican GLENN MOORE is an Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and one of the best and most prolific joke writers in the country. Glenn is a regular face on TV, having appeared on Mock The Week, Rob Delaney’s Stand Up Central and The Stand Up Sketch Show. Castle Comedy Leighton Buzzard – The Crooked Crow Bar, Wednesday November 24 The Crooked Crow Bar teams up with Castle Comedy to put on a classic mixed bill of comedy featuring TV names and rising stars. STEPHEN BAILEY is one of the fastest rising stars in UK comedy. He has appeared on Live At The Apollo and has a stand-up special on Comedy Central. He is the presenter of Channel 5 and 5Star’s new show Celebs on the Farm and flew out to America to host Celebs on the Ranch! He has also appeared on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, ITV2’s The Stand Up Sketch Show, The Apprentice: You’re Fired and Coronation Street! “He’s an archbitch with a winning smile, everyone’s favourite gay best
friend. Bailey’s confident, funny & suitably rude” - The Reviews Hub NEIL MCFARLANE is a Scottish stand up comedian hailing from Glasgow. He performs across the length and breadth of the British Isles and has also entertained international audiences. He has reached the finals of both The Scottish Comedian of the Year and the BBC Comedy awards. Castle Comedy Christmas Specials – December 2, 9, 15 and 16. The ultimate Christmas shows are back in December! There will be shows in Bedford, Biggleswade, Leighton Buzzard and Henlow. So, if you fancy some festive cheer you know what to do. Tickets: castlecomedy.co.uk
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Kempston, MK42 8PN. Tuesday November 16, Tuesday 2.30 Speaker Jason Middleton on ‘Pearl. A famous Gemstone’ Contact: Betty Thomas 01480 860421
Kempston Senior Citizens Club: DANCING,
WHIST, BINGO. Meets Wednesday 10am-12noon Friday 10am-4.00pm, CENTENARY HALL, behind Kempston Town Hall, for further information contact: Sheila Cobban, on 01234 347306. 1-5 December. Theme: ‘It’s Panto!’. St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Sq, Bedford, MK40 1SQ. Wed-Sat 10-5, Sunday 12-4. £3.00. Free under 16 years. Daily community concerts and competitions. Festival concert: Minerva Piano Trio Friday 3rd December 7.30 pm. In aid of the church and Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends. Further details at http://www.stpaulschurchbedford.org. uk/ Minerva Piano Trio: Friday 3rd December 7.30pm. Works by Ravel, Stravinsky, Mozart, Vivaldi and others. Contact: Tel 01234 340163
Christmas Tree Festival:
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Food served: Mon-Sat 12-2, 6-9 Sunday 12-4 See our Facebook page for upcoming events
Kempston Musical Society: Christmas Carol
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Concert, Kempston Musical Society will be performing a selection of Christmas carols and festive music on the evening of Saturday 18th December at Priory Methodist Church, Newnham Avenue, Bedford. Tickets will cost £7.50 on the door, which will include refreshments. This concert is guaranteed to get you in the mood for Christmas. To find out more about all our forthcoming concerts or information about the choir Contact 01234 781010 or email prestissimo@btinternet.com MKNTA and £4 for non-members
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by Tony Hendrix I don’t usually get the chance to cover up and coming local artists, my editor recently received a biography of a local artist which was passed my way, I had a listen to music which I found very impressive! Jonathan Stolber is a Data Administrator by day for Aston Training which is part of The Bedford College Group. Away from his desk the staff member changes into a music composer whose work is a big hit with the worlds leading music platform Spotify. Jonathan, aged 41, has worked for Aston for three years. The office is located in Gold Street, Northampton which is right next door to a destination vinyl store ‘Spun Out’ where some of his music can also be found. Jonathan is an outstanding multi-talented instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer, who has twice been nominated for BBC awards and was a winner of a place to join Masterclass sessions at the world famous Abbey Road studios. He spent most of lockdown locked in his home studio putting final touches to his new release ‘An Unshakeable Demon.’ The record was mixed by legendary engineer Steven Durose (Oceansize) and mastered at the icon Abbey Road studios by Frank Arkwright( Mogwai/The Killers). The EP is a bristling, industrial collection of synth-heavy song writing; theatrical, brooding and ominous. Tackling themes of mental health heightened by the pandemic, and exacerbated by social media, Stolber confronts issues we all face in re-
Christmas Tree Festival Concert: St Paul’s church, St
Paul’s Square, Bedford, MK40 1SQ. Tickets £17.50 Contact: 01234 783181/ 01234 340163 or www.peoplesfundraising.com/concert-tickets. In aid of the church and Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends.
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Don Broco
Bedford Esquires – November 10 A ferociously good live band acclaimed for their relentless highoctane performances, Don Broco are heading out on a massive uk tour stopping off at 10 cities. They’ve added Bedford’s Esquires to the list of venues! The tour supports the release of the band’s new album, ‘Amazing things’, which was released digitally this on Friday, October 22. ‘Amazing Things’ is the band’s fourth album, and follows the release of 2018’s ‘Technology’, which was was a top five album in the UK charts and has had over 100 million streams to date.
Fund Raising Tea Dances: Addison Centre,
Kempston, Mondays November 8 and 29, 2pm to 4.30pm. £3.00 including a cuppa Contact: 01234 851877 or 01234 340997
emerging into a post-COVID world. The Debut Single ‘Coming Up For air’ taken from the EP has now gained radio play across a variety of platforms including The BBC, Exile Fm, Radio Wigwam and Amazing Radio UK. Progradar have described the ep as “one of this year’s most enlightening releases and one that still intrigues after every listen.” During early 2020, Jonathan shared a Piano Day release entitled ‘The Minotaur’ under his solo artist name ‘The Holy Road’ to raise money for Mental Health Awareness (TinyChanges.Com). The track was then selected to feature on Nils Frahm’s curated Official Piano Day, global playlist. The track has gone on to feature on Spotify’s Roadburn Essential Sounds playlist to reach a further 4.6K listeners. Have a listen to his music I’m sure it will attack your rhythm buds! ‘An Unshakeable Demon’ is available across all streaming services:
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‘Music on Thursdays’ Concert Season. November 11, a recital for French horn by a sensational new talent, Ben Goldscheider and his partner on the piano, Huw Watkins. January 20, a concert of classical Indian ragas by a true master of the sitar: Mehboob Nadeem. February 24, a recital of songs by Vaughan Williams, Rachmaninov, Brahms and Schubert by the Russian-British baritone Theodore Platt who joins us from his day job at the Bavarian State Opera. March 24, a programme of trios by Haydn and Beethoven, together with a recent work they commissioned from local composer Cherlyl Frances-Hoad. The Season concludes on April 28 with a brilliant young quintet, Connaught Brass, who took first prize in the inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Competition in 2019. Contact: www.bedfordmusicclub.co.uk
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— NOVEMBER 2021
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Colourful foliage plants for winter gardens N
by Maureen Catlin
OVEMBER is the first winter month when the light levels are lower and there’s a general sad feeling that the bright colours of summer in the garden have come to an end for another year. Gardens though need not be gloomy. Brightly coloured winter evergreens will light up our borders and tubs and there is a vast array to choose from. Here are a few proven old favourites and some interesting new introductions. Let’s start with some suggestions to grow in a mixed border or as feature and focal plants. Abelia Gold Jewel is an attractive compact semi evergreen shrub with pure golden foliage that fades to a deep copper colour as the plant ages and goes through
the winter months. The trumpet flowers are pink and white and scented from June until late autumn. Plant in moist well drained soil in sun or partial shade. Escallonia Gold Brian is a bushy, compact, evergreen shrub with bright yellow scented new foliage that turns burnished gold and holds this colour throughout winter. The bell shaped rosy red flowers appear during the summer months. One of the brightest yellow variegated evergreen shrubs in winter is good old “Golden Privet” a much undervalued plant possibly due to the “suburban clipped front garden hedge” of the 1930’s. The foliage positively shouts out I am here on a dull November day. Euonymus Silver Queen which holds the Royal
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It is also good in a patio container. It can be used to help add light and colour to areas of lightly dappled shade and in winter adds another feature to the garden. It grows well in moist well drained soil and benefits from some winter protection. Senecio Angel Wings is a striking perennial plant that has been achieved lots of awards. Its large, silvery white leaves have a soft, downy texture making it ideal for a sensory garden. It is an eye catching feature for a border or pot where it will thrive in a hot sunny spot. It quickly forms a good sized clump and will become tolerant of drought once established. Move to a dry sheltered spot if temperatures dip below minus eight degrees. Lomandra Whitesands looks
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Horticultural Society’s prestigious Award of Garden Merit. It is a versatile evergreen shrub with dark green leaves and pretty pink white margins. Inconspicuous pale green flowers appear in summer, sometimes followed by pale pink fruits. Skimmia Japonica Perosa is a compact, rounded evergreen shrub which produces grey green leaves with creamy yellow margins. The dense clusters of red to pink buds are held all winter above the leaves giving a good splash of colour before opening to small star shaped white flowers in spring. This is a male variety of Skimmia which will pollinate varieties like Skimmia Reevesiana or Skimmia Nymans to produce bright red berries that hold on the plant for at least six months. It grows well in shady places. Euphorbia Ascot Moonbeam is an upright, bushy, evergreen perennial with shoots bearing dense whorls of light grey green leaves with creamy white margins and from spring into summer. The small pale yellow flowers are surrounded by large, pale yellow bracts. It associates well near the front of the border with red Heucheras and silver Brunnera requiring no maintenance. Fatsia Japonica Spiders Web is a new Fatsia grown for its handsome foliage which looks as though it has been dusted with icing sugar. It makes a wonderful specimen particularly when planted near white flowering plants like Hydrangea Annabelle that complement the leaf variegations.
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like a grass but has recently been reclassified as a member of the asparagus family so is actually a variegated perennial. Its grass like foliage is attractively striated with cream lines against dark green. In the spring flower spikes emerge from the plant bearing small scented yellow blooms. It is hardy and will tolerate frost and drought and grows well in containers. Plant in semi-shade amongst the broad spotty leaves of Pulmonaria or Symphytum where the spiky upright leaves provide a visual foil. Many of these suggestions for the border can also be planted in tubs like Euonymus, Fatsia, Senecio, and Skimmia using John Innes or a good fibre based compost. A group of plants that can
always be relied upon to give brilliant colour and a sculptured shape for winter Patio Tubs are the dwarf conifers. The picture shows the variety of shapes and colours available in these colourful evergreens. To name a few for yellow foliage Cupressus Wilma, Chamaecyparis Pearly Swirls, Karamachiba, and White Beauty and Thuja Goldy. Chamaecyparis Curly Tops has bright silver blue leaves while Juniperus Lime Glow,Cryptomeria Mushroom, Thuya Anniek and Fire Chief and Chamaecyparis Rubicon all turn a bronze red colour as the weather gets colder and the light levels reduce. With some of these additions to your planting scheme The Garden is never dull in winter.
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Colts’ tournament attracted over 100 teams
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KEMPSTON RURAL PARISH COUNCIL
by Matthew Vine Youth development Officer
THE Kempston Rovers Colts tournament returned after a year off as over 100 teams (including over 20 Kempston teams) took part in their annual pre-season competition. Taking place on the first Sunday in September, a week before the team’s seasons starts, it is a great opportunity for the players and coaches to ready themselves for the new season, as well as having some enjoyment before the dreaded early start of the return to school the day after. Kempston hosted teams from all around the midlands and the south east, with seven different counties represented within the age groups, ranging from U7 up to U16.
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The youth committee volunteers started in the early hours by setting up the goals, preparing parking, as well as getting the food and drink ready for the hundreds of visitors on the day.
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Kempston Rovers Colts are proud to host this tournament and celebrate all the benefits that football brings to the Kempston community. Player progression within the youth teams up to senior teams
is a pathway that all parts of the club strives to deliver, with 10 players featuring for the first team already this season who had previously played for Colts in the past. Kempston town mayor Carl Meader was invited along to celebrate the event, here he can be seen with one of Kempston Rovers Colts’ U8 teams. Also pictured is the U13s who won the their age group for the first time. For anyone looking to join the club, Kempston Rovers host open sessions for ages 4-12 for both girls and boys on the AstroTurf pitches from 9-10 on Saturday mornings, excluding half term weeks. These are priced at £3 per session. For older players, please email matthew.vine@kempstonrovers.co.uk to make an enquiry.
The Parish Council is responsible for a number of local services, including: roadside seats, Bus shelters, Litter bins, Dog waste bins, Wood End Play Space, the closed church yard at Church End. In addition, the Parish Council liaises with the Borough Council on matters that are their responsibility such roads and footways. It also considers and responds to local planning proposals and other matters that might affect the lives and well-being of residents. The Parish Council meets on the third Thursday of the month (except August and December), at 7.30pm in All Saints Church Hall. There is always 15 minutes set aside for public questions.
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