So you think you can dance, act, sing.....

James Mann at the Bedford college South Bank Arts Centre - supporting BedFringe

Bedford College students past, present and future are to be found supporting and taking part in the increasingly popular BedFringe annual festival.

Two events are being stage in the College South Bank Arts Centre as part of BedFringe:

Sunday 17th July The Big Dance by Bedfordshire Youth Theatre will encourage 11 - 18 year olds to try out some new dance ideas - and there is a competition element for those who come prepared with a dance routine.

Friday 22nd July An Army of Lights will perform at the Studio Theatre at the South Bank. The group has singles out on release now - and rave reviews from serious music media.

Monday 25th former Bedford College student James Mann (pic) will be starring on stage at The Place in The Memory of Water. His brother Richard is one of the key figures behind BedFringe - the other being James Pharoah.

Bedford College Director of the Arts, Sue Blackman, says:

“The South Bank Arts Centre is a contemporary arts facility within Bedford College and we are delighted to host Bedfringe events. Our aim is to promote the arts in and around Bedford and we welcome opportunities to engage with individuals and groups to achieve this.

Details of all events via www.bedfringe.com

Cloud computing for Bedfordshire businesses

What is Cloud Computing and what does it mean for your business?, is the topic of a talk by Ted Shultz, Business Development Manager, Cloud Services, Microsoft Corporation.

Ted has over 15 years of experience in the telecommunications and IT industry. He is currently ‘evangelising’ Microsoft’s Cloud Services to Microsoft’s partner community in the UK. He previously held roles within AT&T, Level (3) and Verizon and has a BS in Accounting and MBA in International Business.

The talk at Bedford College on Wednesday 5th October begins at 6.30pm and is the latest in a series of outstanding seminars organised by the computing department and IT training team for businesses. At the last event about on-line marketing more than 200 local business people attended.

If you would like to know more then join Bedford College Training Services on facebook or follow them on Twitter to keep up to date with news, offers & events.

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Do you want to enhance your own career prospects, or update the IT networking skills of your staff?
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Did you know that Bedford College offers a Foundation Degree in IT Networking and Security in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire?
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You will not only achieve a Degree - but also have the opportunity to gain a range of industry recognised qualifications - CISCO CCNA, Microsoft, CompTIA and Oracle.
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For further details contact Sue Brandreth on 01234-291559

You’ve heard of EAT as much as you like - now it’s PAY as much as you like

The Bedford Swan Hotel is opening its doors to all-comers from Tuesday March 1st to Saturday March 5th with a “special pay what it is worth” promotion.

While other venues regularly offer “eat as much as you like” deals, Bedford Swan Manager Dominic Mills wants people to tell him what they would want want to pay for meals in the hotel’s award winning River Room restaurant.

“I am throwing open the doors and saying: Come inside. And again people may be put off by the perceived prices - which in fact are not very different to any of the town’s gastro pubs.

“So we are asking people to come along and try the menu and then give us feedback and pay us what they expect to pay to make them come back again.

The daring strategy is part of a price-busting season at the 113-bedroom Bedford Swan. Currently on offer is the £3,000 wedding offering a bride and groom an “all-inclusive” wedding package with reception: three course dinner with unlimited house wine an evening finger buffet and disco as well as room for the bridal couple for the night.

“You hear so much about weddings costing £30,000 or more we thought we would show that people could bring their big day down to a reasonable price and still enjoy the loveliest setting in the town,” added Dominic.

For booking details go to www.bedfordswanhotel.co.uk

Bedford College in TOP 5 % in UK !!

Bedford College celebrated another year as shining beacon of success in these difficult economic times.
A packed Bedford Corn Exchange heard how its student successes are in the top 5 % in the country and for the first time in its history, it has 18,000 signed up to courses. That is one in ten of the local population.

Soon after achieving its Outstanding Ofsted status, Bedford took over Shuttleworth College in Central Beds. That merger has become a model for how to integrate two very different colleges and improve the standards and services of both.

The College has secured £2 Million to redevelop the workshop block on the Cauldwell Street campus, its new BROOKS hair and and beauty opened on the High Street and The Mansion House at Shuttleworth was relaunched as a quality conference and weddings venue.

Bedford College has won the right to use the Olympic logo - which was particularly apt as the Outstanding Student of the Year was 2012 hopeful sprinter Deji Tobias, who is the fastest under 20 year old in the UK. Deji is taking a BTEC National Diploma in Sports Development, Coaching and Fitness.

School links
Together with the Bedford Charity, Bedford College is one of the sponsors of the Bedford Academy which is one of the few secondary schools in the UK to be awarded millions of pounds for a new building project. More than 900 pupils from upper schools attend vocational courses at the College.

Business boost
Working closely with local employers to help ensure students have the right skills for employment is key to the contribution the College makes to the local economy. “We are an engine for growth for the local economy,” said Principal and Chief Executive Ian Pryce, “We want Bedford College to be a badge of honour on the CVs of students when they apply for employment.”

The support by local businesses, hundreds of whom work with the College, was demonstrated by the commercial sponsorship of the prizes at the Achievements Ceremony.

Inspirational Speaker
Guest speaker at the Achievements Ceremony on Thursday 25th November was Bedford Borough Council award winner, John Barnes.

John has become a regular in the Transplant Games having been given a new heart ten years ago - an anniversary which coincided with the latest College celebrations. “John has some lessons for us in overcoming adversity and pushing yourself to achieve greater things,” said Ian.

Special presentation
Among the students who won an award was the late Gary Townsend who sadly died after achieving his CPCAB Introduction to Counselling. His sister Verity collected his award on his behalf.

Higher Education
A wide range of Higher Education, or degree level learning courses are run at Bedford College, many of them in conjunction with the University of Bedfordshire. Students complete the first two years of Foundation Degrees at the College campus before moving on to university but before they leave, they take part in the Achievements Ceremony in their university gowns adding a “Higher” level of excitement to the occasion.

“I would like to thank the University of Bedfordshire for allowing our students to wear their degree wear at our ceremony,” added Ian.

ends

Note to Editors - Bedford College has a range of awards and special status ratings including Outstanding Ofsted, Beacon College Status, management and student care awards. It is in the TOP 5% of FE Colleges were it counts most of all - student results

Photos to follow - or available upon request

we have photo of Outstanding Student Deji Tobias "on the run" in the College gym if you like to see

A perfect setting: The Mansion House Old Warden Park

Tea and tours at The Mansion House

Hundreds of VIPs and guests from across the County were treated to tea, cakes and tours of The Mansion House, Old Warden Park on Thursday 23rd September.

Celebrating its relaunch, the country house opened its doors to invited guests to tour the historic building and enjoy a fabulous afternoon tea. Whilst relaxing to the sounds of a harpist many guest faces were captured on paper by a roving cartoonist.

Tours of The Mansion House were conducted by Cyril Thomas who has worked at the house, originally as the footman, for nearly 50 years and knows every inch of the building which dates back to 1872.

Guest Anna Viola of Heart Radio said: “What a wonderful afternoon, a lovely traditional cream tea served by white-gloved waitors. A real treat!”

Shuttleworth Park was relaunched as The Mansion House (on Thursday 23rd September) - the leading country house venue for weddings, private hire, corporate hire and parkland events in the local area.

www.themansionhouse.org

tel 01767 626200

Face to face with the magic and mystery of legend

Pic captions:

(1) Jeffrey Tribe, Arts Advanced Practitioner at Bedford College.
(2) Giant Ralph, the seafarer’s nightmare.

Bedford College Arts Advanced Practitioner, Jeffrey Tribe, has an eye for faces - in the most unusual places.

His ability to see profiles and portraits of human faces in the rocky edges of the UK coastline led him to work the idea into an art project. Faces of legend from kings to dinosaurs, warriors to whirlpools, each with an intriguing story to tell of the mysteries of the sea and surrounding coastline.

With the help of Google Earth, Jeffrey Tribe has discovered 12 human heads emerging from the British coastline, as presented in his project, Headlands. Each coastal face is shown alongside a narrative based on the location and in the form of iconic cigarette cards. The amazing images are exactly as seen on Google Earth, with no retouching. So famous have his "coastal faces" become that they have been picked up and published in the USA and India.

Jeffrey explained: “I came up with the idea when watching the BBC weather on TV. I noticed that parts of the coast had features resembling faces. On closer inspection (via Google Earth) I noticed they really were there. The narrative on the reverse is based upon the locality the face was located.

“This is a personal project that now has a life of it’s own - spreading around the web and posted on several sites and blogs including the Dallas Times and a newspaper in India.”

To find out more see
http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2010/august/headlands-google-earth-uk-coastline-faces

A meal for two for someone wonderful

Not one but two rosettes have been won by Bedford Swan's restaurant......

Bedford Swan Hotel is celebrating having the only restaurant in town to have TWO AA Rosettes by offering a celebration meal to two individuals who themselves deserve a winner's rosette.

Recently the restaurant, overlooking The Embankment, became the first in Bedford to be awarded double rosettes by the AA, there are only two venues in Bedfordshire which have achieved the same distinction: Luton Hoo and The Inn at Woburn.

Said Bedford Swan General Manager Dominic Mills: "We are delighted that our restaurant is in such top class company and we would like local people to come along and have lunch or dinner with us. To encourage people to remember that the restaurant is open to non-residents, we are running a special competition for local people who deserve a rosette."

Nominations for people who have gone the extra mile for the local community, who have raised money for charity, or who are simply the best mum or daughter are sought. Simply email your story to: swanrosettes@hotmail.co.uk

Two Prizes of a meal for two in the award-winning restaurant to include starter, main course, dessert, coffee and complimentary bottle of wine and soft drinks.