We are really excited to announce that, due to popular demand, January 2024 will see the return of the printed version of the Bedford Clanger, available for readers to pick up from locations throughout Bedford Borough.
Launched in May 2011, the original Bedford Clanger was a showcase for the arts, music venues, theatres, shopkeepers, restaurants, museums and the great and the good of Bedford.
We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to bring a print version of the arts and culture magazine back, but with rising costs and limited resources, it’s been a difficult decision.
Published monthly (and for a brief period, quarterly), the Clanger has always aimed to highlight the very best that Bedford had to offer.
Our founding principles were to make Bedfordians proud of our Borough, make people from out of the area want to visit and then make those visitors want to move here.
For almost eight years, the publication thrived, eagerly anticipated by readers each month. But then the pandemic hit, everything shut and the Clanger found a new home online.
Clanger 2.0 – be part of the relaunch
Following the pandemic and its inevitable knock-on effect on our town centres, communities and businesses, it once again feels like there’s a need to highlight the best bits, the off-the-beaten-track gems and the people going above and beyond to put our little Borough on the map.
New businesses have opened, new events are taking place and new initiatives are blossoming. Of course, Social Media is still full of ‘Negative Neds’, but in the real world, they’re always far outweighed by the optimists and enthusiasts.
We’re thrilled that our advertisers share our optimism and belief and are on board to support a planned January re-launch. We’ve also continued our tradition of working with students from Bedford College and have graphic design student, Ben Graham, working with us on a new logo and layout.
But we need your support too.
To ensure the sustainability of the Bedford Clanger, we very much need our readers to support us through a monthly donation.
If you value what we do and believe that independent publishing is an important part of enhancing communities, please consider being part of our future.
For a fiver a month (less than the price of a pint or a couple of coffees), or whatever you can afford, you’ll be contributing to our mission to continue to put Bedford on the cultural map, and in turn support all the local venues, promoters, and creatives who we will write about.
Click here to become a Clanger supporter.
Increasing pride of place in our Borough will help increase footfall in our towns which will encourage more businesses to come to Bedford making this whole mission becomes a beautiful self-fulfilling prophecy.
We want to see Bedford Borough’s town centres continue to thrive as cultural destinations, as hubs of unique independent shops, restaurants and bars and as great places to live.
By helping us support this vision, we can continue to shine a light on the best of Bedford. Become a Clanger supporter here now!
And if your business would like to advertise in the Bedford Clanger, please email Julia at julia@bedfordindependent.co.uk – we’d love to work with you.
