27 March 2026
Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough and tells us what he thinks of it all…
East is east
It was great to see Bedford named in The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live list earlier this month, one of fewer than ten locations in the East of England to make the cut.
Read: Bedford named one of best places to live in East of England
Of course, some joked the judges must be blind or didn’t visit certain parts of the Borough. But, thankfully, most agreed with what many of us already know: Bedford is a pretty good place to live.
But then came the experts, and as we know, they’re everywhere.
A surprising number (as in more than one) took issue not with the accolade, but with Bedford being described as part of the East of England.
One even suggested there’s no way we can be in the east because we were on the wrong side of the Greenwich Meridian.
But that’s nothing to do with it.
The East of England isn’t defined by lines of longitude. It’s an administrative region that groups together six main ceremonial counties: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk.
It’s about governance, planning, funding and how the country is organised, not whether you’re east or west of an imaginary line running through Greenwich.
Still, it’s reassuring to know that even when Bedford gets national recognition, we can rely on someone, somewhere, to argue about which direction it’s in.
Real plans
Some excellent work from the Bedford Independent’s volunteer sports editor, Tom Carr, this week, as a story he’s been quietly chipping away at for weeks finally came to fruition.
Read: Exclusive: New sports campus plans revealed at Bedford International Athletics Stadium
The reveal of plans for a new sports campus at Bedford International Athletics Stadium is a big one. Ambitious, eye-catching, and, depending on your footballing loyalties, very exciting or deeply suspicious.
Broadly, though, the reaction has been predictably mixed. But these are early days, and Bedford has been here before.
The land around the athletics stadium has been rumoured to be the new home of *insert sports team here* for years, and even the mayor has pushed discussions for a “state-of-the-art leisure village” in recent times.
A grand vision for sport and recreation that, after much fanfare, returned to the drawing board in early 2024.
Read: State-of-the-art ‘Leisure Village’ returns to the drawing board
To their credit, Real Bedford has said they want to develop the project in collaboration with the community. That’s important because if and when formal plans are submitted, local people should, quite rightly, have their say.
So, whether you’re for or against the plans, if there’s a consultation, attend it; if there’s a form to fill in, fill it in; if there’s a planning application to respond to, respond.
Because this is our town, our borough, and our views matter.
Lucky escape
It’s a relief to see action finally being taken over safety concerns at the Manton Lane crossing. An urgent review has been ordered and questions are being asked. Something might now be done.
Read: Mayor orders urgent review after video shows child nearly hit at Manton Lane crossing
But let’s not ignore the uncomfortable truth.
It took a video of a child nearly being run over to make it happen. Not earlier concerns. Not residents raising the issue. Not people quietly flagging the risks before it became a near miss.
A video.
We shouldn’t need filmed footage and heart-stopping moments to prove that something is dangerous. We shouldn’t have to wait until luck, and it was luck, prevents a serious incident before action is taken.
Because next time, there might not be a video, and there might not be a near miss.
Farm to fame
Congratulations to Tim Durrant and the Hawkstone Farmers Choir for their brilliant appearance on Britain’s Got Talent.
Read: From isolation to inspiration: Bedford farmer’s choir triumph on Britain’s Got Talent
What started as a way to tackle isolation and support mental health has grown into something genuinely special. A group of people coming together, finding confidence, friendship and purpose, and then taking that all the way onto a national stage.
It’s easy to forget just how powerful simple things like community and connection can be, until you see it play out like this.
Bedford at its very best.
See you soon, Bedford Ian.
PS: If you see anything Bedford Ian might find amusing, let us know at news@BedfordIndependent.co.uk.
