Flying the flag for project to introduce county day

How about a celebration across the whole county?

The Friends of Bedfordshire Society has undertaken a campaign to find a date for a Bedfordshire Day.

Since the official recognition of Bedfordshire’s flag by the Flag Institute last month, the Friends have been working on the idea of a county day.

Spokesman Luke Blackstaffe said: “Bedfordshire Day would be a day to celebrate the county and everything which is good about the county.

“Many other counties already have a county day in which they celebrate their regional heritage and culture and we hope to do the same for Bedfordshire.”

The Friends have been asking what the date of Bedfordshire day should be via their website www.friendsof
bedfordshire.org.uk.

Once they’ve collated all the suggestions, there’ll be a poll on the website to decide which date is most popular.

Luke added: “Hopefully a county day would be a helpful boost to county pride in Bedfordshire.”

Here are some of the dates suggested so far – and why.

January 19: Earldom of Bedford recreated and granted to the Russell family in 1550 who would go on to be the modern Dukes of Bedford.

April 12: Bedfordshire County Council was officially granted a coat of arms in 1951, from which the design of the new county flag is based.

June 20: Great siege of Bedford Castle (1224) begins, in which it held out for eight weeks against the might of the whole nation.

August 13: Battle of Blenheim (1704) was the regimental anniversary of the Bedfordshire Regiment.

October 14: First flight of R101 airship from Cardington hangers, over London, and back.

November 25: St Catherine’s Day, patron saint of spinners, weavers and lacemakers thus representative of Bedfordshire lace and weaving industry.

November 28: The birth date of preacher and writer John Bunyan, born in Harrowden in 1628.

Do you want a county day and what date should it be? Send your views to [email protected] or direct to the Friends.