2017 / Nov / 22 Posted at A Line Taxis
Bedford is the main market town of Bedfordshire, UK. The town has a rich history that shuffles facts and figures from agriculture, civil and world wars, Sports, earliest settlements and much more.
In fact, Bedford is one of the largest settlements supervised by the Borough of Bedford; it was also awarded the Charter status in 1166 by the King Henry II. Here’s a list of few exciting and familiar facts that most of the locals of Bedfordshire tend to either forget or don’t know as yet.
1. Largest Italian Communities
Bedford holds a record to have one of the largest Italian communities outside Italy. Historians say that most of the locals have an Italian descent which makes them as British-Italians.
Also, Bedford is also a place to house hundred different South Asian communities including the largest Sikh Gurudwara (a temple or place of worship of Sikhs).
2. Mi'kmaq Petroglyphs
Bedford has an ancient history, and one could prove that by visiting the town to witness the historic Mi’kmaq petroglyphs that historians say is 500 hundred or more years old.
The carved images of the graphs can be found on rock surfaces with a strange eight-pointed star that might refer to unity. However, no one’s sure why, how or what do these petroglyphs mean.
3. People-Oriented Town
Bedford’s administration is based on what the people suggest. An excellent example is a street naming policy where the names of places and streets are named after receiving suggestions from the public.
This is done to keep intermittence of naming places, streets, and manor after famous people or events of history.
4. Wealth of Hotels
Bedford became an instant fame when several hotels were introduced to the public in the late 1800s. These hotels attracted thousands of people across Bedfordshire including hundreds of Haligonians who used to visit hotels in Bedford in summers.
Hotels such as the Scott Hotel and the Florence Hotel were amongst the top most visited hotels in the 19th century.
5. A Music Refuge
During the World War II, Bedford sheltered BBC music and various religious communities because London was the prominent target due to being the England’s capital and became very dangerous for locals to live in.
Also, famous singers and musicians had also come to Bedford including Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, and Humphrey Bogart.