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Image:Bedford - John Speed's map (1611).jpg Bedford in 1611
Notable BedfordiansIt was the home and prison of John Bunyan, the author of the Pilgrim's Progress. Prison Reformer John Howard, although born in London, was high Sheriff of Bedfordshire. Other prominent Bedfordians include:
EducationBedford is home to five public schools run by the Harpur Trust charity, endowed by Bedfordian Sir William Harpur in the sixteenth century. These are:
Bedford hosts a campus of the University of Bedfordshire, which prior to 2006 was a campus of De Montfort University which is now just based in Leicester. State secondary schools include Mark Rutherford Upper School, John Bunyan Upper School, St Thomas More School (Roman Catholic) and Biddenham Upper School, a local Sports Specialist College. Features and eventsImage:Bedford river.jpg The River Great Ouse in Bedford The River Great Ouse passes through the town centre (see also ford (crossing)), and is lined with attractive gardens known as The Embankment. Bedford's principal church is St Paul's, in the square of the same name at the historic centre of the town. It has a tall spire which is one of the main features of the town. There was a church on the site by 1066 and work on the present structure began in the early 13th century in the early English style, but little remains from that period other than the south porch. Additions were made in the 15th century and the John Bunyan and John Wesley both preached in the church. In 1865-1868 the tower and spire were completely rebuilt and the two transepts added and lesser alterations have been made since. From 1941 to the end of the Second World War the BBC's daily service was broadcast from St. Paul's. The Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, housed in the recreated Victorian home of the Higgins family of Victorian brewers and in a modern extension, has notable collections of watercolours, prints and drawings, ceramics, glass and lace. Every two years, an event called "The River Festival" is held near the river in Bedford during early July. The event lasts for two days and regularly attracts about 250,000 guests. The event includes sports, funfairs and live music. It is the second largest regular outdoor event in the UK beaten in numbers only by the Notting Hill Carnival. The Bedford Regatta each May is Britain's largest one-day river rowing regatta. Other annual events include Bedford By The Sea (when large quantities of sand are deposited in the town centre) and the Bedford Kite Festival in June.'Proms In The Park', held in early August, is a popular musical event. There is an active amdram scene, with groups such as the Swan Theatre Company producing plays and musicals in venues like The Place, and the Bowen West Theatre. There are a number of local bands including Alabama Circus Image:Bedford Shopping Centre - Feb 2004.jpg Bedford town centre Bedford has a rugby union team called Bedford Blues, which is currently in the second tier of English rugby, but has previously been in the top division. Taking into account the size of its overall urban area, it is one of the largest towns in England without a fully professional football team. Bedford Town F.C. currently plays at the seventh level of the English football league system. Film and TV links
TransportBedford has two railway stations:
Bedford lies on the A6 trunk road, and two of the most important north-south routes in Great Britain, the A1 and the M1 motorway pass a few miles to the east and west respectively. Two road improvement schemes are currently in process to link the town to the M1[1] and A1[2] via dual carriageway. This will significantly improve access to the town, which currently requires the use of frequently congested single carriageway roads. Bedford has a southern bypass, and the proposed western bypass, which has been long delayed, has yet to be started although approval has been given. The town's bus services are run by Stagecoach East, and major bus routes run to Northampton, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Oxford and other towns in the region. Most of these services depart from the main bus station in the town. DemographicsImage:Bedford Bridge from Antiquities of England by (1783) by Francis Grose.jpg A former version of Bedford Bridge in 1783. Bedford is home to the largest concentration of Italian immigrants in the UK. According to a 2001 census, 2 in 7 of Bedford's population are of at least partial Italian descent. This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment in the early 1950s by the London Brick Company in the southern Italian regions of Puglia, Campania, Calabria, Molise, Abruzzo and Sicily. Bedford's Little Italy feel is enhanced by a wide variety of Italian bars, restaurants and social clubs throughout the town. as well as a large number of delis and grocery shops selling Italian and continental produce - and by the large Italian mission church run by the Scalabrini Fathers order. Bedford has, since 1954, had its own Italian vice-consulate - the only non-capital city in the world to have one. Image:Bedford centre.png Bedford centre (partial) In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also been the recipient of significant immigration from South Asia, Eastern Europe (particularly in the last few years), Greece, Cyprus, the Middle East and Africa, making it one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse towns in Britain and the world, particularly in proportion to its size. Bedford is home to over one hundred immigrant languages, including Italian, Punjabi, Turkish, Polish, Portuguese and both Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. With one language per thousand residents, the town has twenty-five times as many languages as London in proportion to population size, the most linguistically diverse place in the world. If London had the same proportion of languages to population, every known language on the planet would be spoken there. There are also significant numbers of English-speaking immigrants from former British colonies, most notably South Africa and the West Indies. Bedford also has a high number of Christian churches including four from the Newfrontiers network and various independent churches that cater to the different ethnic and language groups. Twinned townsBedford is twinned with: Nearby towns and villagesReferences
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