Our 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 11 days.
The Bedford Clanger’s What’s On Guide is kindly sponsored by The Cellar Bar.
Wednesday 27 November 2024
Comedy: The Cellar Bar Comedy Club with headliner Phil Nichol
The Cellar Bar @ 8pm
Ticket Price: £10
The Cellar Bar Comedy Club is back, featuring some of the best comedians from across the country from club legends to TV superstars for the cool, cool price of just £10.
This month’s headliner Phil Nichol is a truly unique performer. An acclaimed actor, award-winning comedian, producer, presenter, writer and musician there is no end to his talent.
His skill as an improviser whether it be musical, comedy or straight is unparalleled. With a surreal edge to some of his mischievous rantings, Nichol always brings something new to the stage, his keen sense of fun and eye for the shocking and absurd has cemented his position as one of the best comedians on the circuit today.
Also featuring: Tom Alban, Emily McQuade, Alexis Coward
Hosted, as always, by Mr Sparkly Boots himself, Simon Hall.
Wednesday 27 November 2024
Comedy: Milton Jones
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £32.50
This is not a musical. Milton Jones is tone deaf and has no sense of rhythm, but at least he doesn’t make a song and dance about it.
He has more important things to discuss. Like giraffes…and there’s a bit about tomatoes. You might know him from Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo or Radio 4. Or that time he stood for the Scottish National Party, fought a hard campaign, but in the end had to respect the wishes of the people of Cardiff.
A whole new show of daftness. You know it makes sense.
WARNING: contains jokes from the start.
Thursday 28 November 2024
Live music: Juicebox 1264 presents Carole King’s Tapestry
Bedford Esquires @
Tickets: £15
This event sends us back to California in the 1960s and 1970s as the hippies took over the Sunset Strip. With the house prices too costly in the centre of town, a creative hub emerged in Laurel Canyon; an area overlooking Los Angeles in the Hollywood Hills. Just some of those who took advantage of this cheaper living space included members of The Byrds and The Doors as well as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Carole King…
In the first half of this concert, you will hear music from the artists listed above as well as many others by the Laurel Canyon residents during this time.
In the second half, the band will perform in its entirety Carole King’s masterpiece Tapestry. Of all the albums released at this time in the Laurel Canyon community, Tapestry, arguably, sums up this counter-culture best. It is a statement of togetherness, love in all its forms, feminism, and endless hope for the future.
Thursday 28 November 2024
Dancing: Planet Swing featuring The 251s
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 29 November 2024
Storytelling: Exploring with Kaye Leidoscope
The Place Theatre @ 10am
Tickets: from £2
Join Kaye Leidoskope for these lively & lovely interactive storytelling sessions for under-fives and their grown-ups. Expect songs, games, crafts and dancing …perfect for little ones to creatively learn through play!
Friday 29 November 2024
Live music: Kerry Jo Jazz Trio
The Castle, 17 Newnham Street @ 8.30pm
Free entry
Join Kerry Jo Hodgkin and her band this Friday night singing Jazz, blues and soul vocals.
Friday 29 November 2024
Live music: Roxy Searle
D’Parys, D’Parys Avenue @ 7 – 9pm
Free entry
Roxy Searle performs live at the D’Parys tonight.
Friday 29 November 2024
Comedy: Tony Slattery- Resuscitated
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £16
Back from the dead following a failure to file his living will, please welcome Lord of Misrule Tony Slattery (Kingdom, The Crying Game, Coronation Street) for this rare discussion show with his good friend, Erica Lear, as they chart the highs and lows of his life and career, including his time as a stalwart on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and how he nimbly dodged the global superstardom that claimed so many of his colleagues.
Includes an unusual opportunity to ask your own questions of Tony without recourse to a Ouija board. Then Tony – together with his improv accomplice James Payton (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Captain America: The First Avenger, Glass Onion) and their troupe of friends – will turn your brilliant suggestions into unforgettable, never-to-be-repeated improvised comedy, or at least that’s the plan.
Friday 29 November 2024
Live music: But of Course
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens at 6pm / happy hour @ 6pm – 9pm
Free entry
You’re in for a treat folks, as brand new duo, But of Course, make their The Cellar Bar debut. While they are not exactly strangers (those that frequent The Cellar Bar regularly will know Hugo and Markos from Five Five Six), come along and see these incredible musicians perform a mix of pop and rock classics all night long.
Friday 29 November 2024
Live music: One Night in Dublin
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £23.50
One Night in Dublin will come to Bedford when The Wild Murphys will set up Murphy’s Pub at the Corn Exchange, guaranteeing one glorious night of high-energy Irish Music and more than a little bit of Irish Craic.
In their inimitable style, multi-award-winning Irish band The Wild Murphys perform classic tracks including: Galway Girl, Tell Me Ma, Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover, Brown Eyed Girl, Seven Drunken Nights, Sally MacLennane, When You Were Sweet Sixteen, Whiskey in the Jar, Wild Rover and Molly Malone – all guaranteed to have the audience’s hands clapping and toes tapping all night long.
Friday 29 November 2024
Live music: Baalam and the Angel
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £18
Balaam and The Angel first emerged on the scene in 1983 and by 1984 had set up their own record label Chapter 22 releasing three classic singles before signing a worldwide deal with Virgin Records.
As a major label act the band released a number of critically acclaimed albums (The Greatest Story Ever Told and Live Free Or Die) and were included on the soundtrack of John Candy/Steven Martin movie “Trains, Planes And Automobiles”.
The band have toured consistently as headline act and as a guest to the likes of The Cult, Iggy Pop, Aerosmith, Kiss and more recently by request of The Almighty.
Still one of the few bands from their era to boast the original line up of the three brothers Jim, Mark and Des Morris they continue to generate deeply authentic and accomplished performances that makes them a phenomenal live act making the forthcoming tour something to savour.
Saturday 30 November 2024
Festive fun: Wreath-making workshop
Panacea Museum, 11 Newnham Rd, Bedford, MK40 3NX @ 10.30am – midday
Ticket price: £5 (booking essential)
Join local artist Anne-Marie Abbate to make wreaths using foliage from the Panacea Museum’s ‘Garden of Eden’.
Saturday 30 November 2024
Festive fun: Christmas origami
Panacea Museum, 11 Newnham Rd, MK40 3NX @ 1pm – 3pm
Free drop-in session
Join local artist Anne-Marie Abbate to make origami Christmas trees, drop-in with no need to book.
Saturday 30 November 2024
Shopping: Makers’ Market
Absolutely Shabbylass, 108a Castle Road @ 10am
Browse the work of Bedford’s crafters, makers and artists at this month’s Makers’ Market at Absolutely Shabbylass. Perfect to find that unique Christmas gift!
Saturday 30 November 2024
Festive fun: Wixams Christmas Fayre
Wixams Village Hall, Brooklands Avenue, Wixams, MK42 6AB @ midday – 6pm
Free entry
Step into Wixams Winter Wonderland for some family-friendly festive fun. From exhilarating fairground rides to cozy stalls inside and out, there will also be holiday treats and seasonal sips at the bar.
The highlight? A special visit from Santa and the grand Christmas tree light switch-on to set the season aglow. Bring family, friends, and all your holiday cheer—it’s an event you won’t want to miss.
Saturday 30 November 2024
Classical music: Philharmonia Orchestra presents Santtu and Jess Gillam
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 – £40
Celebrated saxophonist Jess Gillam joins the Philharmonia’s Principal Conductor for an evening of irresistible tunes.
Jess will show audiences exactly what the saxophone can do, in Glazunov’s 1934 concerto – a staple of the repertoire. Santtu opens the concert with music by Glazunov’s student, Shostakovich: the suite from his satirical operetta, Moscow, Cheryomushki. The concert ends with Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony, the work of a composer at the top of his game and remains one of the most popular in the canon.
Saturday 30 November 2024
Live music: Special Kinda Madness
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £15
Back at Esquires for their annual gig, Special Kinda Madness will once again bring their classic take on Madness and The Specials.
Here’s the lowdown; SPECIAL KINDA MADNESS perform a truly authentic set from each band, combining the phenomenally energetic stage presence of The Specials with the wonderful iconic tunes of the Madness ‘Nutty Boys’. Playing a set from each band and producing a show that will have the audience up and dancing from the off, Special Kinda Madness will have everyone hankering after that exciting era of 2-Tone and ska.
Saturday 30 November 2024
Live music: Blackridge
The Standard, Bedford High Street @ 8pm
Free entry
Blackridge, one of the best young bands from Bedford, are playing at the Standard on Bedford High Street tonight, playing songs by bands including QOTSA, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Muse, Royal Blood and more…
Saturday 30 November 2024
Live music: Zeroes
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / ar opens at 6pm / Happy Hours @ 6pm – 9pm
Free entry.
Zeroes hail from Hitchin and play a heady mix of the best 00s Indie tunes (think Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, The Kooks, Kaiser Chiefs, The Wombats) as well as a smattering of 90s classics (Pulp, Blur, James) and a few timeless gems (Smiths, Joy Division). Not to be missed.
Sunday 1 December 2024
Dance: The Nutcracker
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 2.30pm
Tickets: £27/£25
After last year’s successful tour, Crown Ballet returns to the UK to enchant audiences with a delightful production of The Nutcracker – a charming and kind fairy tale that is one of the jewels of Tchaikovsky’s repertoire.
The original Christmas story is based on The Nutcracker and the Mouse King written by E.T.A. Hoffmann. It tells the story of Marie, a sad little girl, whose godfather, Drosselmeier, gives her a Nutcracker doll as a present on Christmas Eve. In her lively imagination, it turns into a prince and the magic starts…
This eternal seasonal favourite will be an unforgettable journey and an ideal introduction to audiences of any age to the magic that is classical ballet.
A wonderful treat full of glitter for the whole family!
Sunday 1 December 2024
Live music: Moulton 77 Brass Band play Christmas carols
The Cellar Bar @ 4pm / bar opens @ 3pm / Happy Hour @ 3pm – 9pm
Free entry
To kick off the festive season, Moulton 77 Brass Band will be at the Cellar Bar on 1 December for a fabulous performance of Christmas Carols.
The venue will be decorated and there will be free mince pies for customers with special Cellar Bar mulled wine available to purchase.
Sunday 1 December 2024
Live music: The Dirty Rhodes Band play the Sunday Afternoon Session
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
The Dirty Rhodes Band are all about the gritty sounds of 1970’s Jazz, Soul and Motown, bringing it up to date with a touch of neo-soul, jazz funk, and Lo-Fi influences.
The electric Fender Rhodes piano is the signature sound from the Motown era, and that’s what they love. Add a bit of vintage snap, crackle and pop … and hey presto, you got the Dirty Rhodes Band.
With a repertoire including classic Motown tracks from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye and Al Green, they also play more modern influences from artists such as D’Angelo, Lenny Kravitz, Jamiroquai and Mamas Gun.
Sunday 1 December 2024
In conversation: Richard Jobson
Bedford Esquires @ 7.45pm
Tickets: £5
Richard ‘Jobbo’ Jobson returns to Esquires for conversation, stories, a Q&A and readings from his new book ‘Another Dead Soul’. Best known as The Skids and The Armoury Show frontman, Richard Jobson is also a celebrated author and the book will also be able to buy on the night.
Another Dead Soul is a reflection on the corruption of responsibility to an artist’s 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.
Tuesday 3 December 2024
Film: Bedford Film Society presents – Robot Dreams
The University of Bedford, Polhill Avenue @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £70/annual membership, £5/day guest
DOG lives in Manhattan and he’s tired of being alone. One day he decides to build himself a robot, a companion. Their friendship blossoms, until they become inseparable, to the rhythm of 80’s NYC.
One summer night, DOG, with great sadness, is forced to abandon ROBOT at the beach. Will they ever meet again?
Wednesday 4 – Sunday 8 December 2024
Festive fun: Bedford Christmas Tree Festival
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square MK40 1SQ @ Wed-Sat 10am – 5pm / Sunday 12pm – 4pm
Entry: £3 / Under 16s go free
The countdown is on for the annual Bedford Christmas Tree Festival as it once again casts its spell over St Paul’s this December and sprinkles some festive magic for visitors of all ages.
From 4 – 8 December, the festival returns for its 24th year, featuring 68 glittering trees decorated by local community groups, schools and businesses on the theme of ‘The Magic of Christmas’.
Against this sparkling backdrop, a total of 42 choirs and other performers will entertain guests throughout the festival.
Wednesday 4 December 2024
Festive fun: Fizz at the Festival
St Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Square @ 6pm – 8pm
Tickets: £10
Enjoy fizz and canapes at this private viewing of the Christmas trees with decorations inspired by ‘The Magic of Christmas’.
Wednesday 4 December 2024
Comedy: Jack Dee – Small World
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 8pm
Tickets: £30
CULTURE WARS, THE ENVIRONMENT, BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY and SOCIAL JUSTICE: these are just a few of the topics that Jack spectacularly fails to address (or even mention for that matter) in his brand new show. Instead, for reasons known only to him, he doubles down on his fascination with the meaningless small things of life like Zoom protocol, what’s new in the world of radiators and the worst careers advice office in the world.
Join Jack as he guides you through his varied life and career with his customary charm and well known gift for talking absolute rubbish on any given subject.
Thursday 5 December 2024
Photography: Glass plate negative workshop
The Higgins Bedford @ 11am and 1.30pm
Free but must be booked at the website here
As part of the Community Portrait Exhibition at the Higgins, you can take part in a free family workshop to produce a glass plate photograph of yourself, just as the Victorians did in the late 1800s.
Using a vintage camera and through the collodion wet plate system you will produce your image on glass as the Victorians did in the 1850s to 1880s. You then will be able to pick up your image after the exhibition to keep.
Suitable for children over the age of 12. All children must be accompanied by adults. For families attending places need to be booked for children and adults.
The Higgins Bedford, Castle Lane, MK40 3XD thehigginsbedford.org.uk
Thursday 5 December 2024
Creative: Wreath-making masterclass
Absolutely Shabbylass, 108a Castle Road
More information on their Facebook page here
Celebrating their first Christmas on Castle Road, Absolutely Shabbylass will be hosting a series of events through December to get everyone in the festive mood. From a wreath-making masterclass and late-night shopping event on 5 December, there will be a Christmas craft-making event on 14 December. Find out more at the Facebook page.
Thursday 5 December 2024
Live music: Seth Lakeman
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £22.50
Seth Lakeman is back in Bedford for the first time in over a decade, when he last made an appearance at The Corn Exchange, way back in 2013. The West Country folk singer and multi-instrumentalist is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of his album Kitty Jay and comes to Bedford as part of a super-intimate run of dates this December.
Seth was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for Kitty Jay and his thrilling solo performance of the eponymous title track on live television won him unanimous praise and started him on an incredible solo journey which has included record deals, 11 album releases (including 6 Top 40), BBC Radio 2 playlisted singles, a clutch of awards and touring all over the world.
This show is a mixture of unreserved seating and standing.
Thursday 5 December 2024
Dancing: Planet Swing featuring The Untouchables
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.
Thursday 5 December
Karaoke hosted by Sarah Ellen
The Cellar Bar @ 9pm / requests from 8pm
Free entry
The Cellar Bar is the only place to be on a Thursday night, with over 50,000 karaoke songs to choose from, professional lighting multiple microphones so you can share the stage with your mates.
Thursday 6 December 2024
Quiz: Esquires Monthly Music Quiz
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
£2 per person / max six people per team
Brain cells at the ready, it’s Esquires music quiz and everyone’s welcome. Featuring music from the 50’s to the present, it’s £2 per person to enter with teams of up to a maximum of six people.
Cash prize for the winning team.
Thursday 5 December 2024
Comedy: The Dark Room
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £12.50
Now in its 10th year, welcome to The Dark Room – the world’s only live-action, text-based adventure game. It’s strange, insane and addictive – it’s a choose-your-own-adventure, so choose it!
How do you play? The audience is trapped in a retro videogame with a sadistic end-of-level boss. Choose your options, survive the abuse simulator that is the improv comedy overlord John Robertson, and escape to win £1,000 – or, be brutally murdered by the rest of the crowd!
Friday 6 December 2024
Classical music: Amici Music perform seasonal favourites
St Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Square @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £20
As part of the annual Christmas Tree Festival, Amici Music Woodwind Ensemble will perform music by Handel, Mozart and a selection of seasonal favourites at St Paul’s church to raise money for the church fund and Bedford Hospital Charity and Friends.. Tickets for the concert are £20 and include a glass of wine and a mince pie. Book your tickets here.
Friday 6 December 2024
Quiz time: Quiz Night
The Place Theatre @ 7pm
£3/person
Join the Place team for their last Quiz Night of 2024 on Friday, 6 December at 7pm. Tickets for the fun-filled festive quiz are just £3 per person and money raised will contribute to their fundraising target. Doors open from 6pm with the Quiz starting at 7pm.
Friday 6 December 2024
Classical music: Christmas Orchestral Concert
Bromham Baptist Church, Village Road, MK43 8LJ @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £15/£10
Enjoy a classical Christmas concert by the King’s Chamber Orchestra to raise money for the Utange Orphans charity.
Friday 6 December 2024
Theatre: A Pleasing Terror
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £14.50
Over a century after they were first published, the ghost stories of M R James retain their power to terrify and amuse. This gripping one-man show retells two of the earliest and eeriest.
Friday 6 December 2024
Live music: Tess & The Durbervilles
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens at 6pm / Happy hour 6pm – 9pm
Free entry
Bedfordshire four-piece, Tess & The Durbervilles, are back at The Cellar Bar and are guaranteed to get you dancing throughout the night. With hits from six decades, they cover everything from The Beatles to Jessie J, Dusty Springfield to Kings of Leon, Aretha to the Scissor Sisters and Madonna. You’re guaranteed to be left wanting more more more!!
Friday 6 December 2024
Live music: Lost in Music
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £29
Get ready to recreate the Magical 70s and let us take you on a musical journey straight to the heart of Disco. Relive some of the greatest songs of all time from Artists such as Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sister Sledge and Chic.
This show boasts a sensational live band, an incredibly talented cast and stunning vocals. So, come dressed to impress as we celebrate the golden age of Disco! With songs such as Never Can Say Goodbye, On The Radio, Hot Stuff, Car Wash, Boogie Wonderland and many, many more.
Friday 6 December 2024
Live music: WHITE TOWN + Guests
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
Tickets: £12
White Town is the pseudonym for musician/producer Joyti Prakash Mishra, most well known for the 1997 worldwide hit single ‘Your Woman’. With its trumpet hook, shuffling drum beat and plaintive lyrics, it was subsequently sampled by Dua Lipa for her song ‘Love Again’.
Although still a prolific recording act, White Town do very few live shows, so we are delighted to welcome them to Esquires for the very first time.
Friday 6 December 2024
Live music: Mat Roberts & J37
The Cellar Bar @ 11pm / bar opens at 6pm / Happy hour 6pm – 9pm
Free entry
Mat Roberts has been a huge supporter of The Cellar Bar from the start, hosting the venue’s 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. Performed with Mat’s partner in music – the duo J37.
Saturday 7 December 2024
Books: The Big Bumper Book Sale
The Place Theatre @ 10am
Free entry
The Place Theatre is holding its last Big Bumper Book sale of the year this weekend – the perfect time to grab some literary stocking fillers and all in aid of The Place Raise the Roof campaign.
Local author, Barbara Kastelin, will be there to talk about her latest book – Full Moon Over Kabul and there will also be an opportunity to get your copy signed.
Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 December 2024
Shopping: Bedford Christmas Markets
Harpur Suite and Harpur Square @ 10am – 5pm (Saturday) 10am – 4pm (Sunday)
Explore the Bedford Christmas Market and soak up the festive atmosphere with local artisan stalls, delicious treats and free festive children’s fairground rides.
The traditional charter market traders will be also bringing their festive collections at St Paul’s Square and along Midland Road and Allhallows.
Saturday 7 December 2024
Dance music: Mr Scruff
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
Tickets: £12
After 20 years, Esquires is finally bringing Mr. Scruff to Bedford for a mammoth five-hour set. Manchester-based Mr. Scruff has been DJing since 1984, and his DJ sets can range from deep soul/funk/reggae/afro/jazz /latin/hip-hop to harder-edged electro/house/new wave/techno /electronic all knitted together with supreme technical skill and a keen sense of fun.
Saturday 7 December 2024
Live music: Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac tribute
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £26.50
Go Your Own Way is a brand new spellbinding show featuring the music from the legendary multiple Grammy Award Winning Fleetwood Mac.
Their rock n roll legacy is beautifully performed by a highly talented and acclaimed ensemble of musicians who will take audiences on a powerful journey through their incredible songbook.
With hits including “Dreams”, “Don’t Stop”, “Everywhere”, “Rhiannon”, “Gold Dust Woman”, “Little Lies”, “Big Love” and many more.
Paying tribute to their “Rumours” lineup of Stevie, Mick, John, Christine and Lindsey, which remains their most commercially successful to date, this show perfectly recreates the live energy and passion of Fleetwood Mac.
Saturday 7 December 2024
Live music: Double header of live music Cameo & Five Five Six
The Cellar Bar at 8.30pm. Bar opens at 6.00pm. Happy hour 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Free entry.
They are back and first up is Cellar Bar favourite Cameo with a stellar solo performance. Expect a beautiful voice and some cracking party tunes from Dolly Parton to Fleetwood Mac to The Red Hot Chili Peppers and so much in between.
If you’ve not seen Five Five Six at The Cellar Bar before, you are in for a treat, get ready for a great night of legendary rock tunes. The Cellar Bar literally rocks when these guys play!
Sunday 8 December 2024
Shopping: Bedford Flea, Affordable Art and Local Produce Christmas Market
St Paul’s Square @ 10am – 3.30pm
Free
Visit St Paul’s Square for the perfect opportunity to shop small and local this Christmas at Bedford’s ever-popular Flea, Affordable Art and Local Produce market.
Discover antiques, vintage and retro in their Flea section. Find an array of talented local artists and skilled makers in Affordable Art, and fill your bags and your bellies with delicious food and drink in Local Produce. There’ll be winter wreaths, festive decorations plus plenty of ideas for gifting.
Warm up with mulled wine and hot chocolates and refuel with tasty street food while you enjoy the live music supported by Seeing Eye Rum, which is guaranteed to get us all in the Christmas spirit!
Sunday 8 December 2024
Film: Muppets Christmas Carol
The Place Theatre @ 3pm
Tickets: £5
Come to the Place Theatre for a joyous sing-along screening of arguably the greatest version of Dickens’ classic tale of loneliness and redemption, The Muppets Christmas Carol!
we invite you to an evening of hot chocolates, mince pies and muppet mayhem.
The fun will begin at 3pm, perfect for a family afternoon out or, If you find yourself on your own why not come along and meet a room full of like-minded Muppet movie fanatics over a hot chocolate, mince pies and Muppet mayhem?
Sunday 8 December 2024
Dance music: 80’s daytime disco for grown-ups
The Cellar Bar @ 3pm
Free entry
Fancy dancing along to some 80’s retro bangers on a Sunday afternoon? You’ll be transported back in time to an 80’s retro nightclub where night and day become one, where puffed sleeves rub shoulders with leather and lace and more is more! The party starts at 3pm and you can be home in time for tea.
Sunday 8 December 2024
Theatre: A Christmas Carol
The Quarry Theatre @ 2pm & 7pm
Tickets: from £13.50
Olivier Award winner, Guy Masterson, veteran of many smash hit solo works such as Under Milk Wood, Animal Farm and Shylock, now brings us Dickens’ classic festive fable.
Famed for bringing multiple characters to vivid life, Masterson recreates Scrooge, Marley, the Fezziwigs, Tiny Tim et al in an enchanting, performance that will dazzle and linger long in the memory.
Sunday 8 December 2024
Live music: The X Certs play the Sunday Afternoon Session
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
Expect a full house for The X-Certs last show of the year at Esquires, playing a mix of songs from their record collections 60’s to 90’s.
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
Permanent exhibition: Discover the amazing story of a unique religious community
Panacea Museum, 11 Newnham Rd, Bedford MK40 3NX
11am – 5pm (last entry 4.30) Thursday – Sunday | From 3 October: Thursday- Saturday – 10am – 4pm (last entry 3.30)
Free entry
This fascinating hidden gem of a museum tells the story of the Panacea Society – a Christian group formed in the early twentieth century who created their own ‘Garden of Eden’ in the centre of Bedford.
The Panacea Museum is located across several Victorian buildings that formed the community’s headquarters. It tells the story of the Panacea Society and other similar religious groups.
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
