Your weekly what’s on guide for Bedford and the surrounding area from the Bedford Clanger.
Never miss a thing in Bedford ever again. From theatre to film, live music to art exhibitions, The Bedford Clanger what’s on guide lands every Thursday and is the only guide you need to know what’s on and what’s happening across the Borough for the next 10 days.
The Bedford Clanger’s What’s On Guide is kindly sponsored by The Cellar Bar.
Thursday 12 September 2024
Live music: Lebrock + Wolf Cub
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £15
Retro, synthwave-rockers, LEBROCK are coming to Bedford for the very first time in September, when they visit the venue as part of their UK tour.
Combining ‘80s melodic rock riffs with shimmering synthwave melodies and a heartfelt vocal delivery, LeBrock members Michael and Shaun have established themselves as some of the most uniquely compelling artists within the world of retro music. The results speak for themselves.
hursday 12 September 2024
Dancing: Planet Swing featuring The Umbrella Big Band
The Dance Hall, Wixams Retirement Village, Bedford Road, Bedford, MK42 6EA @ 8pm – 10.30pm
Tickets: £12.99
An evening for dancers and music enthusiasts alike. Cashless bar, plenty of seating (night club set up) and dance floor. Book in advance and come along at 7.15pm for a 45 minute dance class in Balboa, one of the original swing dances of the era. For the main event, just turn up – pay cash at reception – have fun, no booking needed.
Friday 13 September 2024
Theatre: The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £12
Wives may be merry, and yet honest too!”
Sir John Falstaff, everyone’s favourite Shakespearean sleazeball, has fallen on hard times. In order to fix his finances he plans to seduce the wives of two wealthy merchants. But, wise to his wily ways, the ladies take the opportunity to punish Falstaff by playing a series of hilarious tricks on the nincompoop knight.
Expect silly slapstick, abundant anachronisms and memorable music nestled amongst Shakespeare’s poignant poetry as the critically-acclaimed Pantaloons put their own innovative and interactive spin on this classic comedy.
Friday 13 September 2024
Live music: Live music by Rouge 92
The Castle, 17 Newnham Street @ 5.30pm – 8pm
Free entry
Jazz Duo singing modern day songs with a jazzy twist as well as some old school jazz classics.
Friday 13 September 2024
Live music: AK/DK + Thick Richard + Max Fulcrum & the Win
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
Tickets: £12.50
Dynamic Post-Punk Synth alchemists AK/DK will be making their debut at Bedford Esquires in support of their new album ‘Strange Loops’.
Influenced by their love of analogue synthesisers and acts like LCD Soundsystem, Holy F**k and The Prodigy, their live shows are the stuff of legend with appearances at festivals such as End of The Road, Blue Dot, and Green Man cementing their reputation as one of the most thrilling live acts around.
AK/DK’s fourth album, ‘Strange Loops’ sees the band collaborating with guest vocalists for the first time, adding a new dimension to their already rich soundscape. Inspired by iconic albums like Talking Heads’ “Remain In Light”, Bowie’s “Low” and Kate Bush’s “Hounds Of Love”, Strange Loops is a conceptual masterpiece, split into two distinct halves.
Friday 13 September 2024
Comedy: Jeff Innocent: Smart Casual
The Quarry Theatre @ 8pm
Tickets: £20
After a hugely successful first leg, British Comedian of the Year Winner and social media sensation Jeff Innocent is back for the second half of his debut nationwide tour, Smart Casual.
Jeff is bringing his unique and hilarious cultural insights on the road for the first time in a career that has spanned almost three decades and earned him a reputation as one of the greatest living comedians the country has to offer. Highly anticipated and long overdue. This will be an hour of stand-up comedy that you do not want to miss.
Friday 13 September 2024
Live music: Sophia Soul & Matt Bedford
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens at 6pm
Free entry
The wonderful Sophia Soul is appearing again at The Cellar Bar. Modern-day Diva Sophia has had an outstanding career in live vocals spanning over 14 years. Having previously been the frontwoman for several successful groups and bands, she’s currently taking the UK by storm venturing into her solo career.
Afterwards taking everyone into the small hours is the incredibly talented Matt Bedford, back on stage to perform some classic 80’s songs. Matt hosts the Thursday Karaoke nights, so those of you who have been will have had a glimpse of Matt’s talent. Now it’s time to watch the full show.
Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 September 2024
To Be Continued convention
Bedford Corn Exchange and Bedford Central Library
Ticket prices vary. Please see website
Some of the top names in storytelling will be in Bedford this weekend as part of a new event to showcase the best in comics, serial fiction and Manga.
To Be Continued (TBC) will take over Bedford Corn Exchange and Bedford Central Library on Saturday, 14 and Sunday, 15 September with panels, workshops and signings by internationally known writers and artists.
Organised by the team behind the NICE comic con and Close Encounters on Allhallows, highlights of the convention include appearances by Garth Ennis, writer of The Boys (now a successful TV series), British comics icon John Wagner creator of Judge Dredd and David Hine whose creation Spider-Man Noir was voiced by Nicholas Cage in the Into the Spider-verse movie.
Read more here: The best in comics, serial fiction and Manga at Bedford’s new storytelling convention
Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 September 2024
Children’s Theatre: Anna Hibiscus’ Song
The Place Theatre @ Saturday 5pm / Sunday 11am & 2pm
Tickets: from: £14
This is the story of a young girl named Anna Hibiscus. Anna lives in amazing Africa. Ibadan, Nigeria to be exact.
Anna Hibiscus is so filled with happiness that she feels like she might float away. And the more she talks to her family about it, the more her happiness grows! There’s only one thing to do… sing!
Told through music, dance, puppetry and traditional African storytelling, this theatrical adaptation of Atinuke’s much loved children’s book will have you beaming from ear to ear. For children aged 3+ and their grown-ups.
Saturday 14 September 2024
Community: The Big Bumper Book Sale
The Place Theatre @ 10am
Free entry
Help the Place Theatre by attending their first Big Bumper Book sale in aid of their Raise the Roof campaign. Browse a huge selection of second-hand books including fiction, non-fiction and children’s books.
Pick up a bargain and relax with a cuppa and a piece of cake while you enjoy your latest purchase!
All proceeds go towards their Raise the Roof campaign.
Saturday 14 September 2024
Live music: Organ recital
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ noon
Free entry with retiring collection (suggested donation £5)
Organ recital with Christopher Hughes. Free with a retiring collection.
Saturday 14 September 2024
Heritage Open Days: Walking tour of the Panacea Museum
Panacea Museum, 11 Newnham Road, MK40 3NX @ 1.30pm
Free entry
On Saturday 14 September, Adrian Bean, a long-standing volunteer at the Panacea Museum will share his extensive knowledge about the Panacea Society, its history and its members.
He’ll be drawing on his many years of research, including information he discovered when researching his book, Imagining Eden. The tour begins at 1.30pm and will last approximately 90 minutes. It’s free and there is no need to book.
Saturday 14 September 2024
Live music: Dom Childs – Saxophone Concert & Workshop
St Andrew’s Church, Kimbolton Road, Bedford, MK40 2PF
Free saxophone workshop @ 2pm – 3.30pm
Performance @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £12
Dom is much in demand as a classical saxophonist and music educator who enjoys a multi-dimensional career. Dom will be joined by Simon Callaghan in piano and Stephen Upshaw on voila.
At 2pm, Dom will be holding a free workshop for saxophonists of any age (Grade 5+). Players will learn from the master during the workshop and are invited to perform as a group in the evening’s concert. See the website for details standrewsbedford.org.
Saturday 14 September 2024
Music: Keith James – The Music of Leonard Cohen
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £18
Enigmatic, mysterious and sub textural, songwriter Leonard Cohen was an unflinching character, with an exact sense of prose, wry humour and the courage to wrestle with the unspoken, forgiving human frailty and indulgence with the stroke of each word.
With an undying love of the ‘pure song’ Keith James gives you a concert of Cohen’s amazing material in the most intimate and sensitive way imaginable, exposing the solitary inner strength of his greatest songs in their original perfect form.
Saturday 14 September 2024
Live Music: Megapint? Jacob’s Birthday Bash
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens at 6pm / Happy Hour until 9pm / 3am close
Free entry
The guys are back for another regular gig at The Cellar Bar and it’s Jacob’s birthday a few days before so it’s another excuse for a Cellar Bar Party!
The Cellar Bar is so excited to have them play and the good news is that they will be a regular addition to the venue’s schedule during 2025. For those that don’t know – expect musical excellence mixed with a wonderfully curated list of rock/pop classics.
Saturday 14 September 2024
Live music: Peter Bruntnell Band with Support from Small Town Jones
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
“Peter Bruntnell has a remarkable knack for turning out big, dreamy, melodic, memorable songs” – MOJO
“His songs are warm and beautifully radiant” – Uncut
“One of the finest songwriters in Britain” – The Independent
“One of England’s best kept musical secrets” – Rolling Stone
Sunday 15 September 2024
Walking: “The Rise and Fall of Bedford Castle” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the gold postbox in St Paul’s Square
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
The Norman Conquest of Britain witnessed the introduction of castles to the landscape and in Bedford, a major castle was built in the 12th century. Walk through the old castle grounds, see the mound on which it once stood and hear the story of the castle and its demise in the siege of 1224. This year witnesses the 800th anniversary of the Great Siege of Bedford Castle in 1224.
Join the Association of Bedford Tour Guides for one of their fascinating weekly walks. Each walk is of 90 minutes to two hours duration and covers a distance of one or two miles. Most walks are suitable for people who are less mobile.
Children of all ages are most welcome on all of the walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £4 per adult or £2 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.
Sunday 15 September 2024
Live music: U18’s Open Mic
The Cellar Bar @ 5pm – 7.00pm / bar opens at 3pm
Free entry
The Cellar Bar is throwing its doors open to the next generation of Bedford musicians, with a dedicated junior open mic session for under 18s.
Whether you sing, play guitar, drums, or any other musical instrument, or are a band already, you are welcome to take part. It’s a chance for you to perform on a stage in front of an audience with a full pa, drum kit, amps, lighting.
Hosted by none other than Mat Roberts, Mat will be on hand to offer support and advice, as well as doing a few jam sessions of his own.
Under 18’s are welcome in the bar from 5.00pm until 9.00pm on Sundays for Junior Open Mic.
Tuesday 17 September 2024
Live music: Lunchtime recital
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ noon
Free entry with retiring collection (suggested donation £5)
Tuesday lunchtime recital featuring June Lee on violin and guitar. Free with a retiring collection.
Tuesday 17 September 2024
Quizzing: Fran’s monthly quiz night
The Castle, 17 Newnham Street @ 7.30pm
Free entry
Fran’s monthly Quiz Night at the Castle has moved to the third Tuesday of September for one month only (it’s usually on the second Tuesday of the month).
Maximum teams of six and £2.00 per person entry per person. Winner gets the pot plus there’s a chance to win the bonus rollover.
Tuesday 17 September 2024
Comedy: Ben Elton – Authentic Stupidity
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £35.75 incl booking fee
Ben Elton returned to live comedy in 2019 after a fifteen-year hiatus and the undisputed godfather of modern stand-up is going back on the road with his new show – Authentic Stupidity.
Ben says, “Since my last live tour a whole new existential threat has emerged to threaten humanity! Apparently Artificial Intelligence is going to destroy us all! Well, I reckon our real problem isn’t Artificial Intelligence it’s good old-fashioned Authentic Stupidity! Forget AI! It’s AS we need to be worrying about!”
Wednesday 18 September 2024
Karaoke: Drag karaoke and Bingo hosted by Drag Queen Fanny Burns
The Cellar Bar @ 8.00pm. Bar opens at 7.00pm.
Free entry
She’s back and ready to entertain – and there’s a cash jackpot of £250 to be won!
Drag queen Fanny Burns will bring her own spin on karaoke and bingo, it’s hilarious and good fun. It’s £2 per card of six tickets, giving you six chances of winning. Raffle tickets for Fanny’s Flaps game are just £1.
This show contains adult humour and swearing and is strictly an over 18’s event.
Thursday 19 September 2024
Bedford Skeptics: Corporate Psychopaths with Dr Clive Boddy
The North End Social Club, Roff Avenue @ 7pm
Donations appreciated
Dr Clive Boddy has been researching the effects of having psychopaths in the workplace since 2005. His ground-breaking work on corporate psychopaths was initially subject to ridicule and rejection, but the idea of the corporate psychopath is now firmly established and accepted.
Clive will discuss who corporate psychopaths are, why they are obsessed with getting career advancement, what they do to their colleagues and organisations and what the effects of this are and, what the effects are that they ultimately have on society and why they should be controlled.
Clive is currently the Deputy Head of the School of Management at Anglia Ruskin University and was previously Professor of Management at the University of Tasmania, and before that Professor of Leadership in London.
He has also held visiting Professorships at Lincoln and Middlesex Universities. Clive’s research interests include qualitative research techniques, toxic leadership and particularly in researching the effects of corporate psychopaths on employees, the organisation and society.
Clive’s publications on corporate psychopaths include over 50 papers, several chapters, two doctorates and two books: ‘Corporate Psychopaths: Organizational Destroyers’ and, most recently, ‘A Climate Of Fear: Stone Cold Psychopaths at Work’. He has published more on corporate psychopaths than any other academic globally.
Thursday 19 September 2024
Comedy: British Comedian of the Year: Bedford Heat
The Quarry Theatre @ 8pm
Tickets: £14
Castle Comedy and the Quarry Theatre host the British Comedian of the Year: Bedford Heat. This competition has the biggest comedy prize in the UK, a whopping £10,001.
This will be a special show where some of the UK’s best acts do their best 10-minute sets in the hope of going through to the final for the chance to win the mega cash prize! The standard of entrant has been outstanding, with established headliners putting themselves forward and some of the most exciting upcoming talent. The quality will be sky high.
Judging at each heat will be by you, the audience!
Thursday 19 September 2024
Live music: Melt Banana + Burning Ships
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £18
Melt Banana, the two-piece Tokyo-based band, are coming to Bedford this month.
To date, the band has released seven studio albums, two live albums, and two singles collections. They have been performing together for more than 25 years, and their range of work is pretty wide. They seem to be in so-called underground scene in Japan such as noise music scene or hard-core scene, and at the same time, they also played shows as support act for the Wire, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Tool, MGMT, Napalm Death.
Thursday 19 September 2024
Dancing: Planet Swing featuring The Cody Lee 3
The Dance Hall, Wixams Retirement Village, Bedford Road, Bedford, MK42 6EA @ 8pm – 10.30pm
Tickets: £12.99
An evening for dancers and music enthusiasts alike. Cashless bar, plenty of seating (night club set up) and dance floor. Book in advance and come along at 7.15pm for a 45 minute dance class in Balboa, one of the original swing dances of the era. For the main event, just turn up – pay cash at reception – have fun, no booking needed.
Friday 20 September 2024
Workshop: Comic Timing
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £10
Come along and share a laugh because laughter is the best medicine. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced performer, this is a safe space to flex those comedic muscles. Don’t miss this opportunity to hone your skills and have a great time!
Friday 20 September 2024
Comedy: Dad’s Army Radio Show
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £20
The nation’s favourite sitcom returns and the boys are delighted to be back at The Quarry with three new episodes. Two actors, two microphones, over twenty-five characters – and lots of sound effects! The Dad’s Army Radio Show brings Perry and Croft’s classic BBC comedy to life in this highly acclaimed stage production.
Three episodes of the popular sitcom – adapted for radio for the very first time – are hilariously and lovingly enacted on stage by two master performers – complete with sound effects, vintage music and all your favourite Perry and Croft characters and catchphrases.
Friday 20 September 2024
Live music: The Magic of the Bee Gees
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £28.50
Direct from London’s West End and now in their ninth spectacular year, the Magic of the Bee Gees is the night out you’ve been waiting for. A night to celebrate the songs of music royalty – The Bee Gees.
This breath-taking concert spectacular, includes all your favourite songs, including Night Fever, Stayin’ Alive, More Than a Woman and many more, ensuring the Gibb brothers’ incredible legacy of classic hit songs is well and truly stayin’ alive!
Friday 20 September 2024
Live music: Mat Roberts
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm. Bar opens at 6pm
Free entry
Mat Roberts has been a huge supporter of The Cellar Bar from the start, hosting their open mic night and junior open mic, so they are delighted to welcome him back for a night of musical entertainment.
Expect a diverse range of music, from pop to rock and anything in between. He may even take requests!
Friday 20 September 2024
Live music: Gemma Rogers + Grinners + Tie-break
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
Tickets: £11
Gemma Rogers is a London based singer-songwriter who released her debut LP ‘No Place Like Home’ to critical acclaim in 2022. Her single ‘My Idea Of Fun’ won the BBC 6 Music ‘Round-Table’ and in 2023 her EP ‘The Great Escape’ and single ‘New World Order’ – both Play-Listed on BBC 6 Music – were performed live on BBC Radio 4.
Since performing at Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party and opening up for Paolo Nutini in Brighton’s Stanmer Park and recently at Wasing Estate Reading – Gemma has been writing for her next project. ‘COMING FOR THE TOP’ binds anger and frustration with a potent message of hope, solidarity and love capturing the zeitgeist of UK life right now. It dropped in April as the lead single from an upcoming 4 track EP.
Medway’s prancing Dada sensations, Grinners are a four piece riff heavy punk pop group with a sardonic mischievous bent. Recent single Donut received airplay on BBC Radio6 Music and the band recently did a live session for Marc Riley in Salford. Expect gonzo noise laden tuneage a plenty.
Indie rabble rousers from the shires Tie-break open up the show after winning admires as support to Sounds Mint earlier in the year.
Friday 20 September 2024
Live music: Total Stone Roses + Bowfinger
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £15
The UK’s best Stone Roses Tribute returns to the Esquires stage to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the band’s eponymous debut album.
If you love I Am The Resurrection, Made Of Stone, Fools Gold, Waterfall, She Bangs The Drums and many more then do not miss this exclusive opportunity to hear your favourite Stone Roses anthems performed live.
Saturday 21 September 2024
Children’s Theatre: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
The Quarry Theatre @ 2pm
Tickets: from £12
The People’s Theatre Company bring the world’s best-loved nonsense rhyme to life just in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pam Adams’ best-selling book.
In this enchanting stage adaptation, aliens from a distant planet have crash-landed on earth and need our help to get home. But there’s a problem. Their rocket runs on stories, not fuel, and only the greatest story in the universe will be enough to save them. With a captivating combination of live action, animation and puppetry, this magical re-telling of There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly is sure to surprise and delight children and nostalgic adults in equal measure.
Saturday 21 September 2024
Comedy: Danny Beard: Straight Expectations
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £22
Join Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard and their full live band for a five-star night of killer vocals, snappy comedy, put-downs and pick-me-ups. Get ready for an evening of scandalous behaviour, lots of laughs, and an honest insight into what life’s really like as a Z-list ‘celeb’ as
the host of BBC3’s ‘The After Shave’ take to the road in this brand-new international tour for
2024.
In addition to a sell-out debut UK tour and critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe residency, the last 12 months have also saw Danny take to the stage alongside Graham Norton at London’s O2 Arena, plus multiple TV appearances including The Weakest Link, The Traitors
Uncloaked and Hollyoaks.
Saturday 21 September 2024
Live music: Cud + Silver Biplanes
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £16
Emerging from the same art/design cauldron that produced fellow Leeds legends Soft Cell, Scritti Politti, The Wedding Present and The Mekons, CUD were the pre-Britpop answer to doleful shoegazing bands – fun-loving, light-hearted, romantic and downright groovy.
CUD are indie rock gods for the unpretentious pleasure seeker, boasting as they do the rich deep-lunged voice of Carl Puttnam, edgy guitars of Mike Dunphy and tight, funky rhythm section of William Potter (bass) and Gogs Byrn (drums).
CUD were initially lauded for their quirky Peel session cover of ‘You Sexy Thing’ in 1987. They soon built up a huge live following and buffed up their repertoire with a string of unstraight pop beauties, best exemplified by the 1990 album ‘Leggy Mambo’. This led to a major-label deal with A&M in 1991, front-page NME coverage, massive sellout gigs and proper Top 30 hits, ‘Rich and Strange’ and ‘Purple Love Balloon’.
Returning to Esquires for only the second time as a full band, this will be unmissable for indie kids of a certain vintage. In conjunction with Arts Council England there will be limited number of tickets available for just £5 to anyone who is on a low income or who is struggling with increases in the cost of living.
Saturday 21 September 2024
Theatre: Bedford Creative Arts presents – Tugging at the Sea
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets:
Tugging at the Sea is an absurdist comedy about the dangers of propaganda. Set on a fog-enshrouded island, its inhabitants adhere to a strict daily routine, engaged in a bizarre mechanical task: generating the fog through a complex contraption known as the F.O.G.
At night, they are soothed to sleep by slogans: “Love the Fog, avoid the Others, We are the Best.” The island is governed by three Leaders whose primary mission is to craft these slogans and keep the F.O.G. operational. One day, an islander begins to question the identity of “the Others.”
Throughout the performance, the narrative is interspersed with “meta” moments where performers share stories, poems, or songs with the audience. As the play progresses, boats are constructed onstage, symbolising hope and connection.
Tugging at the Sea is a community show produced by LegalAliens Theatre in collaboration with Bedford Creative Arts, and supported by Jackson’s Lane, The Place Bedford and The Engine Room Tottenham Hale.
Every year migrants and refugees who are regular participants in LegalAliens’ free theatre classes create a show. The performances teach them how to reclaim full ownership of their stories; build a better connection with people from a variety of backgrounds; develop confidence; and for those interested in a career in the arts, it’s a way to discover different jobs not only on stage but behind the curtains.
This year, a smaller, Bedford-based group, has also been offered the opportunity to develop material via a series of workshops run by our facilitators at The Place, Bedford.
Saturday 21 September 2024
Live Music: Generation 5pan
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm. Happy Hour until 9pm. 3am close.
Free entry
Generation 5pan head to The Cellar Bar for their debut performance, playing a mix of Rock/pop & blues covers from the 50’s to the modern day. These guys know how to rock a venue!
Saturday 21 September 2024
Dance music: Boombastic 90s
Bedford Esquires @ 9pm
Tickets: £7.50
Boombastic is back at Esquires with a night of 90s pop gems, anthems and floor fillers.
As ever, they’re bringing you the biggest hits of the nineties from Take That to TLC, Blackstreet to Blur.
Expect the hits of Spice Girls, Take That, Robbie Williams, Kylie, Oasis, All Saints, Boyzone, E17, Blur, S Club 7, TLC, Pulp, B*witched, Five, N-Trance, Eternal, Hanson, Will Smith, Westlife, Blink 182, Prodigy, Whigfield, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Savage Garden, Jamiroquai, Gabrielle, Fatboy Slim and many many more…
Sunday 22 September 2024
Walking: “The Life and Times of John Bunyan” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the gold postbox in St Paul’s Square
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
Discover the story of Bedford’s most famous son who was imprisoned for his non-conformist preaching. Visit the site of the cottage in which John and his family lived, the churches in which he worshipped and the site of the gaol in which he spent 12 long years and began to write one of the best selling books in history, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
Join the Association of Bedford Tour Guides for one of their fascinating weekly walks. Each walk is of 90 minutes to two hours duration and covers a distance of one or two miles. Most walks are suitable for people who are less mobile.
Children of all ages are most welcome on all of the walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £4 per adult or £2 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.
Sunday 22 September 2024
Live music: Soul Factory – Sunday Chillout with DJ Rocky
The Cellar Bar @ 3pm
Free entry
An afternoon of music with Soul Factory. Happy Hour is also from 3pm now on a Sunday.
Sunday 22 September 2024
Music: Richard Jobson in conversation – Another Dead Soul
Bedford Esquires @ 7.45pm
Tickets: £5
Richard ‘Jobbo’ Jobson will be ‘in conversatin’ at Esquires this month, sharing stories, answering questions and reading from his new novel, ‘Another Dead Soul’.
Best known as The Skids and The Armoury Show frontman, Richard Jobson is also a celebrated author. The book will also be available to buy on the night.
Another Dead Soul is a reflection on the corruption of responsibility to an artists vulnerability, where art is a money making tree that is shaken until nothing is left. Set as a series of dreamlike vignettes, memories overlap and collide as a manager is haunted by his actions.
Living in a parallel universe to the fans who buy the music and attend the shows, his drug-addled personality finds a natural home in a world of private planes, five star hotel suites and Russian billionaires parties.
He deceives, abuses, extorts, and makes people disappear who might get in the way of his vision. At the heart of that vision is him: the deal-maker, the untouchable king of all he surveys. A combination of moral decrepitude and nihilism as a lifestyle, leads him on a downward spiral of paranoia and fear.
At the Higgins Bedford
Exhibition: Rediscovering Black Portraiture
The Higgins Bedford
Free entry
The newest exhibition at the Higgins began as a diversionary lockdown project in 2020 and can now be seen at Kensington Palace, the Bodeian Library in Oxford and now in Bedford.
It features the work of Manchester-born professional opera singer, Peter Brathwaite, who has lived in the Black Tom area of Bedford since 2018.
With all his singing work cancelled during the pandemic, Peter began looking for an outlet for his creative talents and started recreating famous and lesser-known Black portraiture paintings using as props whatever he could find around his house.
It was inspired by the Getty Foundation’s lockdown project, but quickly took on a life of its own, gathering a large international online following. You can explore the project at his Instagram page @peter_brathwaite.
And from Saturday, 18 May, they will form part of an installation at the Higgins Bedford which will lead visitors through the main collections and into Cecil Higgins’ house, with Peter’s interpretation of The Paston Treasure at its heart.
Read: ‘Rediscovering Black Portraiture’ at the Higgins Bedford this May
Exhibition: Edward Bawden & Me
The Higgins Bedford until
Free entry
Brand new work by some of the biggest names in contemporary British art, illustration and textiles are on display at an exhibition at the Higgins Bedford in celebration of the work of one of Britain’s most inventive and influential artists
Entitled Edward Bawden & Me, the exhibition has been curated by Bawden’s good friend, illustrator and printmaker, Chris Brown and also features work by local artists’ collective, the Circus of Illustration.
Read: Star-studded new Edward Bawden exhibition opens at the Higgins Bedford
You can also read the full article in the February issue of The Bedford Clanger.
At the Panacea Museum
Exhibition: ‘Panacea: A Cure for All Ills’
Thursday – Sunday @ 10am – 5pm
Free entry
The current exhibition at the fascinating Panacea Museum explores the ministry which gave the Panacea Society its name.
Originally titled ‘The Community of the Holy Ghost’, their more famous name came later, connected with their international Healing offer. The Society sent out linen squares, blessed by their leader Octavia, these were placed in water to make a therapeutic elixir.
This exhibition explains the origins of the Healing, how it became so well-known, and why it finally ended.
Entry to the museum and exhibition is free. More information about visiting the museum can be found on their website here.
Every Thursday
Cocktails, Quiz Night & Karaoke
The Cellar Bar from 5.00pm
Pit your wits against The Cellar Bar’s resident quizmaster to see if you can win the jackpot every Thursday from 8pm. £2 per person entry and a maximum of six per team. The winning team will win the jackpot PLUS a round of shots. Followed by Karaoke til close
Every Saturday
Food & drink: Cocktail mixology masterclass
The Cellar Bar @ 3pm / doors open at 12 noon
£30 per person
The Cellar Bar’s resident mixologist, Marley, will explain how to create some outstanding cocktails for your tasting enjoyment. Then, it’s your turn to put what you’ve learned into practice by making (and drinking) three cocktails!
Every Sunday
Live Music: Open Mic Night
The Cellar Bar @ 7.30pm
Free Entry
Every Sunday, join Mat Roberts for the Cellar Bar’s weekly Open Mic night. An opportunity for new and experienced performers to get up on stage and perform.
So whether you think you are the next Tom Grennan or just want a good night of entertainment, head the to Cellar Bar from 7.30pm.
Theatre highlights by Paula Walker
