Bedford, England
Introduction
Many of you probably have not heard of Bedford unless you are from England or have family from there. I for one had not heard of it until I met a friend from there while he was studying abroad at UNL. Bedford is a quaint town of approximately 80,000 people. It is approximately an hour and a half from London and 50 minutes from Cambridge. Bedford would be a great town for people to visit who love sports and history. Bedford has a variety of football and rugby clubs along with rowing being a major point of the sports scene. This ‘Day in the Life Arcticle’ will explore the history of Bedford, what to do when sightseeing there, and ways in which to properly communicate.
Brief History
The town of Bedford was founded by the Danes in the late 9th century. The Danes controlled the town of Bedford until 915 when Bedford was recaptured by King Edward. From 915 onward the town of Bedford continued to prosper with a weekly market. Bedford was granted borough status in 1165 and has been represented in parliament since 1265.
65 years before Bedford was granted borough status Bedford castle was built. Bedford castle has played a significant role in the history of Bedford. Bedford Castle was built in 1100 by Henry I during the first year of his reign. In the early 12th century the castle was controlled by the royal castellan, Simon de Beaucgange. Bedford Castle played a small role in the First Baron’s War. In 1215 rebel barons tried to beseige Bedford Castle but were unsuccessful. In 1216 William de Beauchamp held the castle but Falkes de Breaute resisted and seized Bedford Castle for King John. Once King John died, Falkes made Bedford Castle his headquarters. In 1224 the castle was sieged by Henry III, King John’s son, who ordered the castle to be dismantled. All that survives today is the moat.
In more recent history Bedford was home to a unique religious group that existed for almost a century. This religious group was the Panacea Society which was created in 1919 by Mabel Barltrop and was continued by its members until 2012 when the last member of the society died. These members followed the late writings of the 19th century “prophetess” Joanna Southcott. The history of this society and the goals will be further explored when we venture the Panacea Trust and Museum.
What to Do and Say
I am going to outline a few different things that I would do with my time in Bedford and how to communicate appropriately at these places. I will first start with heading to a museum, then we will hop over to lunch at Blue Ginger and will finally end the day with going to a show at the Corn Exchange.
Panacea Trust and Museum
The museum I would visit is the Panacea Trust and Museum. The Panacea Society was a unique religious group that was founded by Mabel Barltrop in 1919. When Mabel formed the society she changed her name to Octavia and took on 12 apostles. Her and her apostles followed the writings of the 19th century “prophetess” Joanna Southcott who wrote more than 60 books on her religious thoughts.
The goal of this society was to persuade 24 Anglican bishops to open Southcott’s sealed box of writings. While they were waiting on 24 bishops to meet and discuss the issue the women would meet each day and listen to the message that Octavia received from God each afternoon. The women of this society believed that Bedford was the true “Garden of Eden” and would be the sight for the Second Coming. They worked to prepare themselves for Second Coming. In 1926 the society even began to undertake healing. In order to receive “healing” one sent in an application for a linen square. Once this application was approved Octavia would soak the linen in water and would change the water into a healing power. This linen would then be sent back to the person who applied and that person would be healed.
In 1936 Mabel, aka Octavia, passed away. At the time of Mabel’s death there were about 70 members, however as the years went on the membership dwindled. In 2012 the last member of the society, Ruth Klien, passed away and the society ceased to exist. Today the home of the society is a museum and charitable trust.
Blue Ginger
A tour like that one can make one hungry so next we shall head to dinner at Blue Ginger. However, before you head out to dinner you may want to head back to your hotel and make sure you have the appropriate attire on. You’ll want to dress smart. The word smart is equivalent to dressing nicely. In England it is typical for everyday wear to be smart. You won’t find women in yoga pants and men in basketball shorts unless they are headed to the gym.
Now, that you have prepared yourself with a smart look there is one last thing that needs to be done before heading out to dinner. You need to make sure that you’re not wearing anything chavvy. The term chavvy is associated with chavs. Chav refers to an anti-social youth culture in England who can act as hooligans. In order not to wear anything chavvy make sure to not wear workout clothes, bling and Burberry. The chavs overtook the Burberry famous checker design and so one must be sure not dress in Burberry. Once you are dressed appropriately it is time to head to dinner.
At Blue Ginger you will find some of the best contemporary Indian food. When you walk in you may be greeting with “Hello Mate” which is common way to welcome someone. Once you have been seated I would suggest ordering any type of curry as curry is the national dish of England. The restaurant also hosts a variety of other Indian dishes and even some English dishes for those who are not as adventurous. An average meal here will cost you about $20–30 including drinks and appetizers. To end the day we will head over to the Corn Exchange and catch a show.
The Corn Exchange
The Bedford Corn Exchange was built in 1874 and was designed to be a concert venue and meeting space. From 1941 to 1945 the space was home to the BBC Symphony Orchestra. During WWII the BBC Music and Religious Departments moved to Bedford along with almost 400 musicians in order to safely perform their music. Some of the stars that were hosted at the Corn Exchange during WWII were Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Humphrey Bogart, and Gracie Fields. In 1995 the Philharmonia Orchestra began its residency at the Corn Exchange and is still home to the orchestra today.
In addition to the Philharmonia Orchestra there are a variety of shows that one can see such as the Bedford Comedy Club, Les Miserables, Ga Ga — A Tribute to Queen, Tea Dance-Summer Ball, and many others. Tickets to these shows range anywhere from $10–30. Each year the Corn Exchange will host approximately 800 events including weddings, meetings, parties and those events listed above.
While at the Corn Exchange you can expect to hear a variety of different English accents and English words. The accents can range from being traditional Bedford accent to a London accent to an East Midlands accent. This is due to the variety of people that have moved from these places to Bedford. In addition to the accents you may hear some English words that you are unfamiliar with. I have complied a short list of these English words and their American English equivalents to help you understand some of the language that might be used at one of the events that you might attend:
Bruv- this is equivalent to the American “Bro” as in “What’s up bro?”
Sic- this is equivalent to the word awesome. In England a fellow concert goer might say “mate, this concert is sic”
Mardy- this word is completely made up and is widely used in northern England. In America this is would be equivalent to the word grumpy. Someone who may not be enjoying a show at the Exchange could be called mardy.
Loo-this is equivalent to bathroom or lavatory. When you are asking for the bathroom ask for the loo.
Safe- this is an all purpose term of approval. If you were buying a ticket from someone off the street before an event you could say “safe” in order to make a deal so to speak; safe can also be used to say Goodbye.
Final Thoughts
I hope this short blog entry has enlightened everyone to take a break from going to more touristy destinations, such as London, and instead head over to Bedford where great history, music and cuisine can be shared with the company of friends. Although I have not yet had the pleasure to visit this town I do hope to do so the next time I’m in England. I have had the pleasure of befriending a fellow student from this region and continue to stay in contact with him although we are almost 4,300 miles apart. I look forward to the day that I can visit him in his hometown. I also look forward to hearing from anyone who may have visited here as well! Happy Travels!
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This article was written as part of an Intercultural Communication class at University of Nebraska — Lincoln under the direction of Jennifer Kienzle. Students chose different regions of the world to explore the unique history and cultural practices in those places. Please contact Jennifer Kienzle at jen@huskers.unl.edu if you have any questions or comments.
