Dave Hodgson - Mayor of Bedford

Two weeks ago the festive season in Bedford Town centre was kicked off in customary, spectacular style with the Christmas Lights switch-on and firework display along the Embankment. Even better, this year, we were honoured to be joined by a true hero of 2012 and a great Bedfordian, our very own Olympic Gold Medallist Etienne Stott. Etienne once again gave his time selflessly in support of a great community event, as families and people of all ages enjoyed the fun. The lights are looking great, and with late night shopping on Wednesdays and every day in the week prior to Christmas, not to mention events and festivities coming thick and fast, there are so many reasons to come into Bedford for your Christmas shopping. The array of excellent independent shops have something for everyone, and just as the Portas Pilot Bedford Town Team's postcards (see right) have it, if we all enjoy a Very Bedford Christmas this year and shop locally, the better it is for our economy and for our community as a whole.

This week we received the very welcome confirmation of the award of £3.1 million from the national weekly collection support fund. The grant award is in recognition of our commitment as one of the minority of councils to have protected weekly black bin collections and our plans to increase recycling and reduce waste even further.

There was a lot of coverage in the national media earlier this week of the first Ofsted 'league table' of local authorities, which ranked council areas based on the number of children attending good or outstanding primary or lower schools. Bedford Borough comes in at 11 out of 150 authority areas, with 85% of children attending a good or outstanding school. This is obviously a ringing endorsement of the efforts of pupils, families and teachers to drive up standards, working in partnership with the Council. The fact that you are more likely to be able to send your child to a good or outstanding school here in the Borough than almost anywhere else in the country is something we need to broadcast loud and clear, in particular in order to give our schools the recognition they deserve, and also to promote our Borough as a great place to live and, of course, to invest and create jobs and growth.

Yesterday I went out and about to see some of the areas in the Borough worst-affected by the floods, or at least some of those which were accessible. There has obviously been real disruption for many people, and I spoke to people about how they are prepared for the high waters, and how it has affected them locally. One of the places I visited was Bromham which, as you may be able to see in the photo with Herons Mead resident Mr Webb on the right, has seen very high levels on the river. None of the homes had been flooded, although I visited some properties where the water has come perilously close.

Tonight is the night of the big Christmas Lights Switch-On and Fireworks show on the Embankment. This is always a great event, and in addition to the customary appearance of Father Christmas himself, we also have another very special guest joining us tonight. Bedford's very own 2012 Olympic hero Etienne Stott will be there, adding to the excitement around this ever-popular free event. The weather has at least improved on this morning, and I know that there's a spectacular show in store. The show starts at 7pm, so get along and help kick-start this year's festivities in Bedford Town Centre!

My latest regular column for the Times and Citizen, published in this week's paper, considered the similarities between the threat posed to our local police force a couple of years ago at the time of the attempted merger with Herts Police and that which faces Bedford Hospital currently in the form of the plans to downgrade two of five hospitals in our area. In case you haven't seen it, I've pasted a copy of the article below:

The Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service in Bedford on the Embankment was, as always, a moving experience. There was a very strong turnout of people who had come out to pay tribute and to observe the act of remembrance together. It was a beautiful morning, allowing a fine view of the parade and service for the many in attendance, and once again all those involved, young and old, were a credit to all the services and various organisations represented.

The recent meeting of the Full Council was the first since the conclusion of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In light of the remarkable summer of sport we all enjoyed, and in particular the unique contribution made by Bedford Borough throughout, I wanted to take the opportunity to say a special thank you to all those locally who, in their different ways, helped make it such a special experience for all. I am delighted that my motion expressing thanks and congratulations to so many received unanimous backing from all Councillors present, with a number of people speaking warmly of the efforts made by volunteers, athletes and many more. Also on the night, my request for Etienne Stott to be considered for the award of Honorary Freedom of the Borough, the highest honour the Council can give, reached the Full Council, and also received unanimous backing. I will write about Etienne and how richly deserving he is of this honour on here separately, but in the meantime, here's the full text of the Olympic and Paralympic 'thank you' motion:

I was honoured to be invited to open the Bedford Poppy Shop on Saturday, which is once again located in the Harpur Centre. The volunteers do a fantastic job in staffing the store, helping to raise money for the crucial support and welfare work carried out by the Royal British Legion. I want to take this opportunity to thank Angela Parker and her team once again for all they do. They will be open throughout the Poppy Appeal period, so do pop along to the Harpur Centre, say hello to the volunteers and support the RBL in the vital work they do to support serving members of the Armed Forces, ex-Service men and women, their families and dependants all year-round.

If you've not done so yet, don't forget to sign the petition to save Bedford Hospital from downgrading and severe service cuts. You can find it here: www.savebedfordhospital.org.uk . NHS plans under the 'Healthier Together' review of hospital services in the South East Midlands could mean downgrading for Bedford Hospital and a reduced A&E role, no trauma unit, no emergency surgery, no complex surgery and no obstetrics for high risk births. We need to speak with one voice as a community and make sure these plans do not become a reality for our local hospital.