h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire... anybody a real expert on this county? We'd love you to write an entry on it for us!

Paully

Well I was brought up in Bedford so maybe I know some stuff.

Bedford is a very old town, orginally thought to originate as Bede's ford as it is situated on The Great Ouse river.

It is in the Domeseday book and in later ledgers of a similar ilk was listed as a city. Then somewhere around the 13th century (I'll look this up later) the Baron of bedford rebelled against the King. Bedford castle was layed under seige and then sacked. Ever since the castle mound, situated in an attractive setting on the Embankment of the river has been -by law- levelled off to a certain height.

A famous son of Bedford is one John Bunyan author of Pilgrim's Progress. There is a statue of him in the town although somewhat ironically he was incarcerated in Bedford prison when he wrote this work.

The Dukes of Bedford are a powerful aristocratic family. The family home is Woburn Abbey near Dunstable/Luton which are two other large towns in the County (although historically they are in the ancient county of Hertfordshire - I think ) Woburn Abbey of course has a wonderful safari park of fame and repute.

Lace is a historic trade of Bedford apparently - although I only know this from the local news.

Luton is well know for its car making with the Vauxhall works (if they still exist).

With a large amount of clay soil Bedfordshire gardens are a bane to any keen gardner but provided a large industry in terms of the London Brick company which spent many years digging clay from the ground. Nowadays these have been filled with water and Stewartby clay pits are now lakes which are a popular place for yachting. The only chance for this you'll get as Bedfordshire is very far from the sea (about 100 miles to the Wash which is nearest).

Towns in Bedfordshire

Bedford. Luton, Dunstable, Biggleswade. It's one of the smallest counties and so many other significant towns, although close are in other counties. For example, Milton Keynes, Stevenage, Hitchin...
It is surrounded by Hertfordshire to the south, Buckinghamshire to the West, Northamptonshire to the north and Cambridgeshire to the east. Bedford is around 50 miles due north of London and is approximately midway along a line drawn between Oxford and Cambridge.
Despite claims from the local TV region it is highly unlikely that it really truly counts as being in East Anglia.

The modern industries of the Vauxhall Works and London Brick company have led to many migrant workers in the County and Bedford and Luton are amongst the most ethnically divers towns in the UK. Beford has significant communities of Polish, Italian, West Indian and Asian peoples amongst others. This makes the town pretty cosmopoliton. You certainly know it when Italy do well in the world cup

Another feature of Bedfordshire is the Cardington Hangars which house the country's airship industry. This is still operational in a small way but was formerly major until one of the larges airships of all time - the R101 set off from Bedford and crashed in flames over northern France. It is rumoured that the metal skeleton of the R101 was scavenged by the Zeppelin company after the crash and used to make the famous Hindenburg airship.

Sport in Bedfordshire. Bedford Town rugby club (the Eagles) is considered a sleeping giant (although comatose might be a better description these days ) and of course Luton Town football club are a league team and nicknamed the Hatters indicating a historic industry of that town.

Famous sons.
Eddie the Eagle Edwards.
Tim Foster - olympic rowing gold medalist not long ago (a minor claim to fame is that he was in the year above me at school and his brother was mates with mine )
John Bunyan as mentioned earlier.
Bob Monkhouse lived somewhere near Bedford.
er... Lena Zavaroni

There must be someone more serious out there...

Actually saying all that, Bedford is a national rowing centre for the UK as the Great Ouse is a fantastic place to row. The town also has the largest River Festival in Europe every (two?) year(s). Although I've yet to come across another town that does one so I've always beena little dubious to the validity of that particular claim.

Henry III layed waste to Bedford castle in 1224

I've a feeling Paula Radcliffe is from Bedford or is at least a member of Bedford athletics club...

BLimey, I've always been meaning to write an entry on Bedford and there it largely is

On a slightly downbeat note, rereading that I've forgotten that I was going to mention that Bedordshire was the scene of the famous Great Train robbery by Ronald BIggs and co. Bedford was also the scene of the last execution in the UK. The prison still has the gallows inside I believe.

Gotta have some crime in there

Another nice feature of Beds is the Dunstable downs which are a set of hills (the eastern protuberance of the Chilterns I think) which are a place for a lovely day out

Hmm, strike that bit about the hanging. I've just google it and it appears to be cobblers. Something I've always thought was true too

If you do start...start??? writing some entries on Bedford Orcus, then let me know please I lived for Bedford for 4 years whilst I was at....one of THOSE schools...that girly one for those upper-class kids So I could certainly help with how Bedford is now, oh ya know, perhaps I could do an entry on the Harpur Trust, that would make sense...

Oh the entries! They burn my eyes! If only I had time!

Anyway yes do let me know when/if you start...if you like

Kat

Dame Edna, BEdford High?

I was at a lowly State scool meself

Luton has the biggest one day carnival in Britain every year. And Paul Young came form there! They have the Mala and theres the Luton Hoo and the Mossman collection. Not to mention the football team is sitting third in the championship!

Looks like there's a fantastic basis for an entry on Bedfordshire here! This is definitely already one of the most advanced of the County entries - maybe you lovely people might like to try and see if you can manage to get it completed and accepted into the guide before any other County?

Paully

I may try and knock something together at some point tonight...

Trouble is I moved from there in 1989 so my up to date knowledge is rather scant.

However I have the up-to-date stuff and no history, so, when you get to that bit, if you drop me a message and I'll try and answer anything you feel would be good to put in

What a magnificent example of Collaborative Entry-writing!

Paully

So how's all this going then? Any progress?

Paully

I'm delighted to announce that we already have two County entries in Peer Review, waiting to receive any bouquets or brickbats that people might lob in their general direction! If you're currently either working on or contributing to a County entry of your own right now, you might like to have a quick look to see how some other researchers have tackled this challenge. They are: County Fermanagh (A6092606) and Norfolk (A6108473).

Hope you enjoy reading them!

Paully

Cheers, got some of the article done but have been busy IRL - it's coming along though...

Katherine of Aragon lived in Ampthill after her divorce by Henry VIII. You can see a monument, Katherine's cross, in Ampthill park; and there is a road there called Alameda in honour of the spanish former queen.

OOh, that's interesting I'll put that in thanks.

An interesting juxtaposition. I notice you know Bedfordshire but live in Scotland whilst I come from Bedford but have come from Scottish parentage. Small world

Uncanny. I live in Toddington and come from Scotland. And here's me thinking it's only the Irish that have colonised Bedfordshire.

Btw Toddington has the best selection of pubs in the entire county!I vote for the next meet to be in our little village.