The Bedford Kite Festival was visited by over 40,000 people last weekend - a record turnout. I was there on Saturday and spent time talking to kite flyers, stall holders and residents who had come down to enjoy the wonderful array of kites. Unfortunately the conditions on Saturday were not helpful to kite-flying, but that didn't seem to be hampering anyone's ability to enjoy themselves.
What a thrill it was to welcome 6 world class Kenyan athletes to the Mayor's Parlour yesterday. Huge credit must go to Kenya Community Bedford and all those who have worked to make the prestigious visit happen. It was a great pleasure to meet them all and to thank them for coming to Bedford to take part in a full programme of events through the week for the benefit of the local community.
I am delighted to have been elected as the first Chair of the new Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Consortium. Following the sterling work of the volunteer-run Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterways Trust in taking the project to a stage beyond the capabilities of a charitable trust, I am looking forward to working with the ten other partners who join Bedford Borough Council in working jointly to take make further progress.
Liberal Democrat Mayor Dave Hodgson has been elected as Chair of the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterways Consortium, a new body set up to take on the leadership of the exciting Bedford to Milton Keynes Canal project. The consortium, which is comprised of the eleven key partners working together to deliver the project, was established this week and elected Dave Hodgson as Chair at its inaugural meeting.
Mayor Dave Hodgson has said that Bedford Borough will 'rise to the challenge' following the news that the Government's first round of spending cuts announced this week could require the Council to make around £3 million of urgent savings.
Pints in the Parishes gets underway tonight. I'll be at the Swan in Elstow from around 7.00pm. I'm looking forward to meeting people in a local, informal setting, and giving them the chance to bend my ear about what's important to them and to their local community.
