On Saturday at 3pm the Duke of Edinburgh will be laid to rest. The Funeral Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor will begin with a National Minute's Silence. The service will be preceded by a ceremonial procession inside the grounds of Windsor Castle.

An online book of condolence is available for people across Bedfordshire to write their messages and pay their respects, and you can access the book here. The Lord Lieutenant has also arranged a Church Service of Thanksgiving on Friday at 5pm which will be streamed live on YouTube here. An edited version will be available after the service.

The Royal Family ask that members of the public consider making a donation to a charity instead of leaving floral tributes in memory of The Duke. My thoughts and condolences are with Her Majesty the Queen and The Royal Family at this sad time.

For more than 50 years Royal Mail's Special Stamp programme has commemorated British history and achievement. Stamps have also been issued to honour the achievements of many British people. Often, the people who appear on stamps are already famous. They include scientists and explorers, writers, artists, musicians, athletes, and Prime Ministers.

Bedford Borough Council is urging people to be sensible and dispose of their rubbish properly when visiting parks and open spaces within the borough. If bins are full, visitors should find another bin or take their rubbish home with them.

A Borough Council Spokesperson said, "We are really fortunate in Bedford Borough because we have access to award winning parks and open spaces, which is what makes it such a shame when litter is left on the floor or by the bin, rather than being thrown away. We want to keep our parks and open spaces clean so they can be enjoyed by everyone, but we all need to play our part. What we would like to say to the people who are littering is that if you bring something with you to the parks, then you should also be able to take it away and dispose of it properly. We would also like to remind everyone using our parks and opens spaces to adhere to guidance on social distancing and washing or sanitising your hands regularly."

The East West Rail Company has now opened their Virtual Consultation Rooms. You can access at https://eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation/virtual. The rooms will remain open for the duration of the consultation.

I am also starting, from today, a series of meetings with Parish Councillors to discuss the Council's response to the consultation.

From today (Monday 12 April), further lockdown restrictions have been lifted and businesses in Bedford Borough will once again be able to open their doors to local residents, shoppers and visitors.

Alongside non-essential retail, we have also welcomed back outdoor hospitality, indoor leisure facilities including gyms, personal care services such as hairdressers and beauty salons, and libraries.

From Monday 12 April, Bedford Borough libraries will begin to reopen on a phased basis in line with the "next step" of the Government's Coronavirus roadmap out of Lockdown.

Bedford Central and Kempston libraries will open from 12th April 2021, with Putnoe Library opening from 19th April 2021. Bromham and Wootton libraries will open from 26th April 2021, with a Select and Collect service available at these two sites for some hours between 14th and 26th April 2021. You can check the website for opening hours and further service updates on the Virtual Library website.

Mayor Dave Hodgson recently wrote to petrol stations in Bedford Borough urging them to reduce their prices so Bedford residents are not charged more than those living in Milton Keynes.

Prices have remained high in Bedford (as of Friday 9th April), for unleaded petrol, according to according to PetrolPrices.com range between was 124.9p and 129.9p. The prices in Milton Keynes range between 116.7p to 126.9p.