Occasional newsletter June 2006

 

Few will not know that London is to be the home of the Olympics in 2012. It is hoped that one or two of the events might be staged in Bedfordshire. But as yet few seem to have seized this event with a view to encouraging people to book accommodation in Bedfordshire and, whilst enjoying the many events of the Olympics themselves, can also take advantage of the many attractions and amenities in the area.

To awaken sleepy Bedford to the possibilities Jacquie Manners, who spearheads Manners PR called interested parties together to the Park Hotel (formerly the Moat House) on 12th June,

A Conference has often been defined as a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done, and sadly, one gained the impression that if anything is done, it will be by local (sometimes half-baked) initiatives rather than a coordinated plan where people can share their experience and expertise.

Some years ago when I was a lecturer at what is now de Montfort University, I was invited to make a tape-slide show (that dates me!) advertising Bedfordshire and the College. Discussing the script, when it came to "So why come to Bedfordshire?" the planning committee fell totally silent, and the only valid reason some people saw was that it was an ideal place to come to, in order to see other places! The script, as I recall, said "Why come to Bedford? Because of its ideal situation - close enough to Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Birmingham, yet just far away enough to enable one to breathe!"

Actually, as other pages in this site show, there is much going on in Bedfordshire, though we are not very good at publicizing it! Over the nine years I have run this site, I have been singularly unsuccessful in gleaning material from others, and was seldom invited to any event, so nearly all of what is written has been assembled the hard way. Indeed, when I approached the Borough I had received a brush-off - they were going to present a much better website than I and saw no reason to help someone who they perceived as a competitor! Jobs for the boys, of course, whereas this site has never cost the Borough a penny! It's this tendency to avoid cooperating with others that is so discouraging!

At the meeting some reference was made to hotel facilities - crucial if we are to have people here in short-stay accommodation. Since the dates of the Olympics are 27 July-12 August (and for the Paralympics: 31 Aug-11 Sep) low cost accommodation may be available in the residential parts of Luton and De Montfort Universities (shortly to be amalgamated and renamed The University of Bedfordshire). Accommodation, therefore, may not be the most pressing issue; what is needed is some strategy that makes people aware of what is available in this pleasant county.

Frank Branston, the Mayor, outlined some of the many facilities and possibilities that the coming Olympics will present. From the start he has been trying hard to promote Bedford, but there must be times when even he begins to wonder whether sleepy Bedfordians will ever get their act together!

I'll keep you posted.

Robert Leggat