27 June 2025
Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough and tells us what he thinks of it all.
Flag flap
Much love to the Borough Council’s comms team this week. After the Progress Pride flag was raised on Harpur Square, they predictably also had to raise their patience levels to deal with a tide of angry comments that followed.
Apparently, a rainbow flag is all it takes to summon the gammon brigade.
The post itself was informative, respectful, and inclusive. It calmly explained what the Progress Pride flag represents: visibility for people of colour, the trans community, and those living with HIV/AIDS.
It also pointed out that, just this week, the council had raised three other flags: Windrush, Armed Forces Day, and, as always, the Union Flag.
But no, that wasn’t enough for the trolls who came rushing to the comments section red-faced in outrage.
There were the classics:
- “It’s a celebration of someone’s sexuality, isn’t that private?? Bedford council is a bunch of idiots.”
- “Where is the Armed Forces WEEK flag now?”
- “How about raising the British flag, or is that too much to ask these days?”
- “Pride ‘month’ lol. What a load of nonsense. But I guess it gives the LGBGT (sic) community the chance to call anyone with a differing view homophobic.”
And the all-time forehead-slapping favourite:
- “Pity we don’t have a month to remember our fallen”
Let’s tackle that one, shall we?
We do have months, weeks, days and national events to remember our fallen.
VE Day, VJ Day, D-Day, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday, The Poppy Appeal, and let’s not forget Armed Forces Day, the parade of which is, brace yourselves, literally this weekend and marks the end of Armed Forces Month.
So, maybe do a little research before firing off in the comments like you’ve caught your toe on a flagpole.
And as for the flag and the reason it’s flown, it’s about saying, “You’re welcome here, too.” That shouldn’t be controversial in 2025, but if it is for you, perhaps the issue isn’t the flag itself, but rather what it reveals about you.
So here’s to the council’s social media team, who handled it all with professionalism, kindness, and grace. I really do recommend you check out their responses as a perfect example of how to stay calm in the face of ignorance. You can find the post here.
And to the rest of you, if a rainbow on a pole really ruins your day… maybe take a walk, breathe some air, and remember that the freedoms you so passionately reference also include the freedom for people to be proudly themselves.
Which is the whole point.
Magistrate moan
Of all the things a magistrate could ask a councillor to ask the PCC to ask the Chief Constable to do, this surely doesn’t make the top ten.
Yes, the recent Facebook post by Bedford Community Policing Team about anti-social behaviour at St Peter’s Green might have been a little leftfield for some tastes, but calling it “appalling” is also a stretch too far.
Read: Bedfordshire Police criticised after Facebook ‘banter’ misses the mark on anti-social behaviour
Social media’s a tricky beast, and let’s be honest: if the police write in all-caps warnings and dull legalese, barely anyone pays attention.
Front-line police officers injecting a bit of humour or sarcasm to get the point across isn’t new. It’s a well-used tactic to get engagement and reach.
And given how serious the issues are in that area (drug use, street drinking, etc), I’d say reaching as many people as possible is a good thing.
Instead of asking a councillor to ask the PCC to ask the Chief Constable about tone on Facebook, maybe this particular (unnamed) magistrate might like to spend less time on Facebook and more time understanding the scale of what the police are dealing with.
Contact the Chief Constable’s office directly and see if you can accompany these front-line officers, who, with limited resources, undertake this challenging job on a daily basis.
See first-hand what is happening and see how your branch of justice can do more to understand what it means to be the thin blue line.
As volunteers dispensing justice in our communities, magistrates should focus on supporting, rather than scolding, frontline officers who are trying to achieve results however they can.
Policing is hard enough without worrying about how many jokes are allowed per Facebook post.
Nadine nonsense
In a display of desperation to remain relevant, former MP for Mid Bedfordshire and full-time headline-hunter Nadine Dorries popped up on TV show ‘This Morning’ this week asking, “Why do we even have school trips?”
You know, school trips, those terrible days full of laughter, learning, real-life experiences and memory-making. How dreadful.
She even claimed they contribute to school avoidance, because apparently, fun is now dangerous.
Let’s not forget, this is the same Nadine Dorries who was once Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health, now suggesting we strip away one of the few joyful, confidence-building experiences schoolchildren get.
Not every family can afford holidays, day trips, or even a train ticket to the next town. For many children, school trips are the only chance they get to step outside their postcode, try something new, or connect classroom learning to the real world.
Want educational value? How about teamwork, confidence, timekeeping, communication, handling money, independence, and curiosity? Add in joy, fresh air and a break from endless tests, and the value is sky high.
So no, Nadine, the answer to challenges in education isn’t to take more things away. It’s about investing properly, listening to teachers, and providing all children with a rich, well-rounded education they deserve.
And if you’re still wondering what school trips are really about, maybe volunteer for one. You survived the jungle, so we’re sure a coach full of excited kids will be a piece of cake… well, maybe not.
Mayor result
Overheard at the VIP previews of The St. James Club, a new sports bar and venue on Bedford High Street.
As the mayor was trying to address the noisy crowd, one attendee said: “I can’t hear a word he’s saying… result”.
See you soon, Bedford Ian.
PS: If you see anything Bedford Ian might find amusing, tell us at news@BedfordIndependent.co.uk.
