Shop local this Christmas: 100 Days in Bedford Town Centre complete
Between Saturday 29 May and Sunday 5 September of this year, local Councillor Henry Vann highlighted more than 100 businesses, services and events, many of which were independent, all in Bedford Town Centre.
The purpose was to champion some of our wonderful local businesses in our town centre, but also to challenge the misconceptions (covered in the Bedford Independent just a few days ago) that some people have about our Town Centre.
This was partly inspired by a piece in Bedford Independent earlier this year (January) and followed a call Henry received from an older resident who had lived in Bedford for some years but had only just discovered the Arcade - where every shop bar two are currently occupied.
The businesses highlighted include those in Allhallows, Midland Road, the Harpur Centre, Riverside Square, St Cuthbert's Street and Mill Street, Howard Street, the High Street itself, Silver Street, St Paul's Square, Harpur Street, Greyfriars and our beautiful Arcades.
Speaking about the project, Henry said:
"A couple of months ago, I started documenting some of the independent businesses either that I used as a resident of Bedford, or that were newly opened in our Town Centre. Being aware that around 60% of our businesses locally are independent (and more than 22% the national average) I wanted to highlight the vast range of businesses open in Bedford Town Centre.
"It is frustrating to see people say 'shops are closed' without checking to see for themselves and I would urge people to come in and explore Bedford properly. Not everything is for everyone, but there is something for everyone."
"From Irish, Caribbean, Scottish, Polish and Italian delis, to high-end fashion and clothing stores, gift shops, children's toys, retro/geek/gaming stores, a new arcade, bookshops, shoe-shops and butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers, there is absolutely no excuse not to shop in Bedford for Christmas but also - all year round. Don't believe me? Try it out for yourself!"
Talking more generally about the Council's support for the Town Centre in these nationally challenging times, Henry added:
"Despite our Revenue Funding being cut from £30m a year in 2015 to less than £6m a year today, the Council has continued to invest in what we can control: small businesses get rate relief, we have started the largest ever investment in cycling infrastructure in Bedford Borough, and we have frozen parking charges - unlike our neighbours - for those who need to use vehicles and created new loading bays to help people with heavier shopping.
"On top of this, we have won Government grants that have enabled us to invest in our local environment, support businesses to improve shop fronts, improve pedestrian, cycling and accessibility in the town centre as well as maintain our events space and plant more trees, opening up the riverside more clearly from the Town Centre as well."
Below is Henry's Completed 100 Days in Bedford Town Centre
No. | Day | Date | Type | Business | Location |
1 | S | 29-May | Food | Fealy's | Church Arcade |
2 | S | 30-May | Food | D.P. Clarke | Church Arcade |
3 | M | 31-May | Art | The Vault | High Street |
4 | T | 01-Jun | Bike | Cycle King | Greyfriars |
5 | W | 02-Jun | Book | Eagle Bookshop | St Peter's Street |
6 | Th | 03-Jun | Charity | Autism Bedfordshire | High Street |
7 | F | 04-Jun | Council | Central LIbrary | Harpur Square |
8 | S | 05-Jun | Food | Montego's | Mill Street |
9 | S | 06-Jun | Optician | Brunker | St Peter's Street |
10 | M | 07-Jun | Summary | ||
11 | T | 08-Jun | Reuse, food | The Store | St Cuthbert's Street |
12 | W | 09-Jun | Restaurant | FatCap | Castle Lane |
13 | Th | 10-Jun | Baker | Gunns | High Street |
14 | F | 11-Jun | Museum | Panacea | Newnham Road |
15 | S | 12-Jun | Event | Fiver Fest | n/a |
16 | S | 13-Jun | Market | Flea Market | St Paul's Square |
17 | M | 14-Jun | Gift | Hippy Wytch Cottage | Lime Street |
18 | T | 15-Jun | Coffee | La Piazza | St Paul's Square |
19 | W | 16-Jun | Book | Waterstones | Silver Street |
20 | Th | 17-Jun | Summary | ||
21 | F | 18-Jun | Church | St Paul's | St Paul's Square |
22 | S | 19-Jun | Shoe shop | Odell's | St Cuthbert's Street |
23 | S | 20-Jun | Museum | The Higgins | Castle Lane |
24 | M | 21-Jun | Gift | Epanoui | Mill Street |
25 | T | 22-Jun | Wine | The Flying Cork | St Cuthbert's Street |
26 | W | 23-Jun | Street-scape | Bunyan Statue | St Peter's Street |
27 | Th | 24-Jun | Gift shop / specialist | Harrison & Simmonds | High Street |
28 | F | 25-Jun | Venue | Vaccination Centre / Harpur Suite | Harpur Square |
29 | S | 26-Jun | Charity | Oxfam | St Paul's Square |
30 | S | 27-Jun | Market | Market and The Place | Harpur Square |
31 | M | 28-Jun | Florist | Harpur Centre Florist | Harpur Square |
32 | T | 29-Jun | Dessert | Creams | High Street |
33 | W | 30-Jun | Museum | Bunyan Museum | Mill Street |
34 | Th | 01-Jul | Restaurant | El Picante | Allhallows |
35 | F | 02-Jul | Bike | Rollback World | Church Arcade |
36 | S | 03-Jul | Thing | Green Wall | St Cuthbert's Street |
37 | S | 04-Jul | Stakeholder | Love Bedford | n/a |
38 | M | 05-Jul | Venue | Corn Exchange | St Paul's Square |
39 | T | 06-Jul | Cafe | Frescoes | Mill Street |
40 | W | 07-Jul | Shoe shop | Howorth's | Mill Street |
41 | Th | 08-Jul | Jewellers | Medhurst | Mill Street |
42 | F | 09-Jul | Charity | British Heart Foundation | Silver Street |
43 | S | 10-Jul | Pub / Bar | Vanilla Tree | St Cuthbert's Street |
Pub / Bar | Bears & Tales | St Cuthbert's Street | |||
44 | S | 11-Jul | Art / Gift | The Arc | Howard Street |
Art / Gift | The Gallery Bedford | Howard Street | |||
Café / Baker | Companions Real Bread | Howard Street | |||
45 | M | 12-Jul | Jewellers | Baker Brothers | St Peter's Street |
46 | T | 13-Jul | Restaurant | Amici | St Peter's Street |
47 | W | 14-Jul | Service | Hidden Hearing | Castle Lane |
48 | Th | 15-Jul | Food | Lotus Shop | Castle Lane |
49 | F | 16-Jul | Restaurant | Thali & Tandoor | Castle Lane |
50 | S | 17-Jul | Restaurant | Herd | St Cuthbert's Street |
51 | S | 18-Jul | Venue | The Quarry | St Cuthbert's Street |
Event | BedFringe | St Cuthbert's Street | |||
52 | M | 19-Jul | Tailor | The Zipyard Bedford | High Street |
53 | T | 20-Jul | Estate Agent | Leaders Estate Agents | High Street |
54 | W | 21-Jul | Cafe | Cat Cafe | High Street |
55 | Th | 22-Jul | Cafe | Bridges Espresso Bar | Riverside Bedford |
56 | F | 23-Jul | Market | Bedford Market | St Paul's Square |
57 | S | 24-Jul | Sweets | Arcadia Sweet Shop | Bedford Arcade |
58 | S | 25-Jul | Venue | Don't Get Locked In Escape Room | Allhallows |
59 | M | 26-Jul | Education | Bedford College Learning Centre | High Street |
60 | T | 27-Jul | Food | Kasztelan | High Street |
61 | W | 28-Jul | Venue | Vue | Riverside Bedford |
62 | Th | 29-Jul | Cafe | Coffee with Art | High Street |
63 | F | 30-Jul | Food | Grape Tree | Harpur Centre |
64 | S | 31-Jul | Clothes | All Ears | High Street |
65 | S | 01-Aug | Cafe | Bar Citrus | Harpur Street |
66 | M | 02-Aug | Shoes | Kempston Footwear | Howard Centre |
67 | T | 03-Aug | Jewellery | Barovic | High Street |
68 | W | 04-Aug | Service | Citizens Advice Bedford | Riverside Bedford |
69 | Th | 05-Aug | Beer / Bar | Beerfly | St Cuthbert's Street |
70 | F | 06-Aug | Food | Millennium Kebab Bedford | High Street |
71 | S | 07-Aug | Records / Music | Slide Records | Bedford Arcade |
72 | S | 08-Aug | Café | Coffee at Star | Riverside Bedford |
73 | M | 09-Aug | Gift shop | Made in Bedford at Number 13 | St Paul's Square |
74 | T | 10-Aug | Jewellery | John Bull | St Peter's Street |
75 | W | 11-Aug | Restaurant | Albero | Riverside Bedford |
76 | Th | 12-Aug | Restaurant | Il Basilico | Mill Street |
77 | F | 13-Aug | Gift shop | Charisma Gift Shop | Bedford Arcade |
78 | S | 14-Aug | Charity shop | Sue Ryder | Harpur Street |
79 | S | 15-Aug | Ice cream | Gallone's | Bedford Arcade |
80 | M | 16-Aug | Pub | Bear Pub | High Street |
81 | T | 17-Aug | Clothing | Maysons | High Street |
82 | W | 18-Aug | Comics / Specialist | Close Encounters | Allhallows |
83 | Th | 19-Aug | Fishing tackle | Arcade Fishing Tackle | Church Arcade |
84 | F | 20-Aug | Florist | Magic Garden Florist | Bedford Arcade |
85 | S | 21-Aug | Clothing | Anorak | Bedford Arcade |
86 | S | 22-Aug | Restaurant / Café | Poppins Restaurant | High Street |
87 | M | 23-Aug | Bathing products | Body Shop | Silver Street |
88 | T | 24-Aug | Geek / gaming | Geek Store | Harpur Centre |
89 | W | 25-Aug | Restaurant | Carumbar | Howard Street |
90 | Th | 26-Aug | Stationery | Colemans | High Street |
91 | F | 27-Aug | Event / Street Food | Eat Feast | Merchants Square |
92 | S | 28-Aug | Batteries of all kinds | Battery store | |
93 | S | 29-Aug | Desserts | Sundaes | |
94 | M | 30-Aug | Butchers | Lingers | St Cuthbert's Street |
Fishmongers | GCH Fishmongers | ||||
95 | T | 31-Aug | Upper Crust | Bedford Arcade | |
Health foods | Pumpernickel | Bedford Arcade | |||
96 | W | 01-Sep | Geek / specialist | Rewind shop | Bedford Arcade |
Gaming / arcade | Rewind Arcade | Bedford Arcade | |||
97 | Th | 02-Sep | Hotel | Swan Hotel | The Embankment |
Restaurant | Pen & Cob | The Embankment | |||
98 | F | 03-Sep | Restaurant | Naughty Pizza | Merchants Square |
99 | S | 04-Sep | Deli / Food | The Italian Shop | Harpur Centre |
Café | Roosters | St Cuthbert's Street | |||
Clothing | Kean & Co Clothing | Bedford Arcade | |||
Tailor | Finest Golden Stitch | Bedford Arcade | |||
Charity shop | Cancer Research UK | High Street | |||
Kitchens | R S Kitchens | Bedford Arcade | |||
Restaurant / Café | Mamma Concetta | Harpur Street | |||
Event | Desire Paths @ The Place | Event (Harpur Square) | |||
Event | Bedford Running Festival | Event (Embankment) | |||
100 | S | 05-Sep | Music venue | Esquires | Greyfriars |
Restaurant / Pub | The Embankment | The Embankment |