It is often believed that King William III, on his way to Ireland in June 1690, stopped off somewhere in the Northampton area to rest and recuperate. It is now thought that his entourage stopped somewhere near Tring or Northampton and not Bedford itself.

In memory of the King's Glorious Revolution a memorial was erected at Stowe House, Buckinghamshire (click on the images on the right to view).

The memorial tablet to the King reads,"King William III, Who by his virtue and constancy, having saved his country from a foreign master by a bold and generous enterprise, preserved the Liberty and Religion of Great Britain".

Bottom right are two pictures of the riverside area of Bedford which are associated with John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress. A special Bunyan report will be added here at a later stage.

Bedford

The historic market town of Bedford has many surprises in store for the 1000's of visitors who come to the area for one reason or another. As the county town for Bedfordshire it is the administrative centre for the area and with easy road access to both the M1 and the A1 many multinational companies have depots in Bedford.

Indeed, Bedford's location is very convenient for many reasons. It is situated between the two, world renowned, seats of learning at Oxford & Cambridge. It is also within an hour of both London and Birmingham and the nearby London Luton Airport means that travel all over Europe and beyond is quite convenient. The modern shopping complex at Milton Keynes is also within easy reach and is a haven for shoppers of all tastes with its wide range of retailers and designer outlets.

The jewel in Bedford's crown is undoubtedly the beautiful and tranquil River Great Ouse, which provides a splendid backdrop to the immaculately kept Embankment gardens. Two impressive suspension pedestrian bridges span the river along the Embankment and the town bridge is particularly noticeable in the evening thanks to the imaginative lighting scheme that is in place. The river passes close by the town centre, which is dominated by the very impressive St Paul's Church, which dates back to the 13th Century. Bedford Regatta is an important event in the rowing calendar and it attracts large numbers of competing crews and followers. In recent years Olympic Gold Medal winner, Tim Foster, honed his rowing skills on the Great Ouse in Bedford and he regularly lends his morale boosting support to the young generation of rowers that now use the river.

Many famous people have connections with Bedford. Anti-Apartheid campaigner Archbishop Trevor Huddleston and comedian Ronnie Barker were both born in Bedford and musician Glenn Miller's fateful last flight set off from RAF Twinwoods a few miles north of Bedford. However Bedford's most famous son is undoubtedly John Bunyan, who was born at Elstow on the southern outskirts of Bedford. His "Pilgrims Progress" was largely written when Bunyan was imprisoned in Bedford Gaol and has gone on to become a world wide literary classic.

Today, Bedford is a town, which is very cosmopolitan, embracing a wide ethnic mix of many cultures and languages. Looking ahead, the proposed Bedford - Milton Keynes Canal, which plans to link the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes to the River Great Ouse at Bedford, is an exciting prospect and when completed it will bring many more visitors to sample the delights of Bedford and its people.