This morning I visited Cauldwell Lower School to look round the major extension to the school which opened in September. Head Judith Apps showed me round, and I was very impressed by the extremely high standard of the facilities. The development was part of our major ongoing investment in schools, and it's fantastic to see children in the classrooms at Cauldwell Lower benefiting from the new facilities.
I was honoured yesterday to unveil the blue plaque at the birthplace of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, who was a member of Scott's fateful Terra Nova expedition and author of the book which recounted his experiences on the quest - 'The Worst Journey in the World.'
It was an honour to be involved in the Armistice Service in the town centre yesterday, which saw hundreds of people in town stop to observe the service and pay their respects to fallen soldiers from wars past and present. The services can never fail to be deeply moving, and all involved, from the Standard Bearers to the Salvation Army Band Members and all veterans present combined to ensure that the eleventh hour hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month was marked in fitting fashion.
I am delighted that we have been able to announce free parking in Bedford Town Centre to help kick-start the Christmas shopping season. All Council car parks will be free after 3 pm from Monday to Saturday next week, while Queen Street Car Park will be free all day through the week. Together with events such as the Christmas lights switch on and firework display and the expanded Victorian Christmas Fair, the free parking offer will help make Bedford town centre the place to go in the run-up to Christmas.
The Government's passion for the idea of the 'Big Society' has caused some confusion over what exactly the term means, but for me if it is to prove successful it will be made real not by theoretical discussion of the concept, but by the willingness of those with power to hand it over to the lowest practical level. I've certainly tried to instill this approach in Bedford Borough Council, and recently we've had an excellent example of the way in which the Council can empower communities. We have handed over the management of the Mile Road Allotments to the Mile Road Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Association, who have the capacity, knowledge and the passion to run their own site. This move saves the Council around £3,000 a year, so it makes sense in every respect.
Tonight is the night of the big Christmas Lights Switch-On and Fireworks show on the Embankment. It's very cold, but at least it's dry, so hopefully there'll be a good turnout for what is always a popular event. I have a little inside information about the fireworks display, and without giving anything away, I can promise it will be spectacular. With this event tonight, the free parking offer in the Council's car parks all week and a bigger and better than ever Victorian Christmas Fair coming up, there's a lot going on to make Bedford an exciting place to be in the run-up to Christmas. How sad, then, that I had to defend Bedford this morning live on the radio against those who would seek to talk our town down.
