Parliament has decided we will have our first December General Election since 1923!

This election will be crucially important to the future of our country - regardless of how you vote. Please make sure you have your voice heard and ensure you are registered to vote.

It just takes five minutes to register and you have until midnight on 26^th November to sign up. You can register at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

It is just a month until Christ the King Church's Christmas Fayre. The Fayre will have a tombola and many stalls.

The Fayre will take place between 1pm and 3pm on Saturday 8th December at Christ the King on Harrowden Road.

On Purple Tuesday, Tuesday 12 November, Bedford Borough Council and partners are launching a survey to help inform an Inclusive Town Charter.

Leading on the Inclusive Town Charter will be the new 'Bedford- An Inclusive Town Group. This sees the Council working in partnership with Access Bedford, Autism Bedfordshire, Bedford BID, Bedford and District Access Group, Bedford and District Cerebral Palsy Society and the Harpur Centre.

Bedford Borough Council is making it much easier for local residents to save time by offering lots more online options at www.bedford.gov.uk.

Maybe you need to pay for a Council service or maybe you want to book a sports pitch, apply for a school place or tell the Council about a problem in your area. You can do all of these things, and many more, online.

The Minister Counsellor for Economic & Commercial Affairs in the Chinese Embassy, Ms. Bao Ling, visited Bedford on Tuesday 22nd October to learn more about the town as a destination of choice for Chinese investment.

The visit showcased the ongoing investment and business potential within Bedford. Bedford's unique position within the Oxford-Cambridge-Arc was of particular interest, with regards to technology, research, business and infrastructure.

Bedford has boosted national screenings of the Pilgrim's Progress movie by stepping up to support the animated film in the home town of author John Bunyan.

After a sponsored preview at Cineworld Aspects on October 21st which was a full-house, despite the short notice, Vue Riverside took up the option to show the film on the afternoon of November 2nd. It sold out within hours prompting the national chain to put on a Saturday Matinee on the same day which again sold out. A further screening was scheduled for Sunday Nov 3rd and more are now expected on Nov 9th and 10th. https://www.myvue.com/cinema/bedford/film/the-pilgrims-progress

Mayor Dave Hodgson attended the Bedford Pipe Band Highlander Division Service of Remembrance this morning at Foster Hill Road Cemetery.

As part of the strategy to tackle rough sleeping, Bedford Borough Council has extended services for people sleeping rough with the opening of an 'Assessment & Somewhere Safe to Stay' Hub, in the heart of Bedford town centre.

This Hub will be open 24 hours a day, offering emergency homelessness advice and somewhere safe for people who are sleeping rough to stay for a short time. Professional advice will be on offer from a variety of support services to help people find the best way back into a settled home.