23 January 2026
Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough and tells us what he thinks of it all…
Half clean
Credit where it’s due, Panther plc has done a proper job cleaning up its half of the former Beales building, after the Bedford Independent highlighted to them that the tenant had left it in a right state.
Read: Beales clean-up to be completed by “end of next week”
And then there’s the council-owned half. A shopfront that looks more like a post-apocalyptic backdrop than something to be proud of.
What makes this awkward is that a clean, welcoming town centre is exactly what councillors campaign on to get our vote. That while a shop may be empty, at least it will look nice to encourage civic pride and help investors see a unit’s potential.
Well, they’re elected now, so where are they?
Why are they not leading by example and doing the simple basics? We’re not asking for a full refit, so surely they can stretch to a bucket, some hot water and a scrubbing brush.
If councillors want residents to believe they care about Bedford’s town centre, they might start with the buildings they’re responsible for.
Monsieur Mangetout
The council’s announcement that it was launching kerbside food waste collection received a typically recalcitrant (look it up) response on social media.
The negative responses fell into three categories. Firstly, those who stubbornly wrote, “Well, I won’t use it”, with one even declaring they’d already launched it into their orange recycling bin.
Read: Weekly food waste collections to launch across Bedford Borough in March
Secondly came the doommongers, predicting plagues of maggots, rats and foxes despite mountains of evidence to the contrary from other local authorities that have been collecting residents’ food waste for years.
And finally, the man I call Monsieur Mangetout, who claims not to have any food waste at all.
One can only assume he either has the luxury of a large compost heap or is partial to chowing down on chicken bones, tucking into tea bags or feeling peckish for some potato peelings.
Distressing times
There was an interesting moment on LinkedIn this week when Bedford Borough Council’s chief executive, Laura Church, posted an image of the Bedfordshire flag… upside down.
Now, for anyone fluent in flag etiquette, that’s traditionally a sign of distress. Which, given the council’s current financial situation, the post may have come across as a genuine cry for help.
Read: The latest on Bedford Borough Council’s financial situation
In reality, it was part of a good-natured post about aspects of community identity, which included a line about what the shells on our county flag represent.
Regular Bedford Independent readers will know, without Googling, thanks to our recent piece on the escallops and their roots in Bedfordshire’s history.
Read: 19th-century shield reveals Bedfordshire’s links to an ancient pilgrimage
For the record, escallops symbolise pilgrimage. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims collected the shell from the Galician coast as physical proof that they had completed the journey to Santiago
Church has, in good spirit, left the post up but added an apology and thanks to those who spotted the error.
And if nothing else, it gave us another excuse to talk about Bedfordshire’s history, its symbols, and why paying attention to the details still matters.
Whether we’re in distress or not.
Blues superstition
It was a shame to see Bedford Blues’ impressive unbeaten run come to an end against Chinnor in a rearranged fixture last weekend.
That run began back on 18 October with a thrilling 38–30 home win over Hartpury.
Coincidentally, and I’m sure this means absolutely nothing, it was also the first match where Bedford Independent editor Paul Hutchinson stepped in to help with match-day PA announcements, while the ever-reliable Sam Roberts took on Clubber TV duties.
Paul’s temporary stint has now come to an end, and he says it’s been a real pleasure to support the club when needed and to play even the tiniest part in a bit of Blues history.
A 10-match unbeaten run, the best for 28 years, is something special to be around, whatever your role in the #BluesFamily.
Now, experts in causation versus correlation will quite rightly dismiss any link between the PA microphone and the final whistle at Chinnor. But a superstitious rugby fan?
Well… they might raise an eyebrow or two.
See you soon, Bedford Ian.
PS: If you see anything Bedford Ian might find amusing, let us know at news@BedfordIndependent.co.uk
