Gareth Barber tagged articles - Bedford Independent

Review: Hometown hero Tom Grennan shines at Esquires homecoming

You can take the boy out of Bedford, but you won’t ever take Bedford out of the boy – this much is true for local legend Tom Grennan, who played two special shows at Bedford Esquires on...

Music lovers ‘gutted’ as Bedford’s Slide Record Shop announces closure

The owners of the "much-loved" Slide Record Shop in The Arcade in Bedford town centre have announced the independent store is closing down after serving local vinyl fans since 2017...

Obituary: Michael Herd (1958-2026)

Tributes have been paid to a true champion of Bedford's grassroots music scene, Michael Herd. The team at Esquires, and local record shop, Slide, were among the first to share their...

The Bedford Clanger at 15: Celebrating a decade and a half of local art, culture, shopping and more

Back in May 2011, if you’d told me the magazine we were about to launch would still be going strong 15 years later, I would have laughed you out of the room. But here we are, celebrating the...

Business rates changes welcomed by pubs and music venues but more reform needed

At the end of January, the government announced a new support package for pubs and live music venues, including a 15% cut in business rates from April 2026. The U-turn followed...

Fans, venues and local heroes shine in Bedford’s “love letter” to Tom Grennan

Bedford fans, businesses and community groups star in a new Tom Grennan ‘Remind Me’ video, created by Cuffe & Taylor ahead of his 2026 Bedford Park homecoming...

A Pete McKee Celebration: music and art at Esquires

This month, for one day only, the artist and musician Pete McKee invites you to attend a unique event where he will be bringing together his two greatest passions of music and art...

Opinion: You say there’s nothing to do in Bedford. Have you actually looked?

Every time I step off the train for the university holidays, the first question that hangs in the air is, “So… what is there to do in Bedford?” Stroll through the town centre, or glance...

Locals urged to secure the future of Esquires through pioneering community ownership project

A legendary award-winning music venue in Bedford could secure its future as part of a groundbreaking community ownership project - and local people are at the heart of its success...

Bedford Esquires celebrates 35 years

2025 sees a milestone in Bedford’s live music history as it marks the 35th anniversary of the town’s iconic, award-winning live music venue, Esquires. Originally a 19th-century Methodist chapel (you can still see some...

Gareth Barber

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