From favourite places to visit to hidden gems, Bedford Borough Council is shouting about what’s great where we all live in a regular feature.
Every councillor is being invited to answer questions about their ward, to reveal the best places to shop, socialise or spend a lazy Sunday, and to share facts that you might not know or dates that you should put in your diary.
This week it’s Councillor David Sawyer, who represents De Parys ward.
Describe De Parys in five words.
Park, university, schools, NHS, rugby.
Where is your favourite place to eat in De Parys and why?
I like Indian food and Three Rooms at the end of Kimbolton Road has an excellent selection.
Where is your favourite place to go for a drink in De Parys and why?
The Park Pub, further along Kimbolton Road, has great food and drinks, whether for a light lunch or a Sunday roast or simply a relaxing drink, especially in the garden in the summer months.
Tell us a great place for a family to visit in De Parys.
Bedford Park is a Grade II listed English Heritage Victorian park and contains a lake, multiple play areas and sports facilities and a lovely cafe for refreshments after picnics or walking the dog. The park's original bandstand has been recently renovated and is still in use and there is a cricket pavilion that, with renovation, could also be used. There is also a park run every Saturday.
What has been your favourite change that you have seen in De Parys in recent years
The emergence of lots of small bars and restaurants along St Peter’s Street.
What is the highlight of the calendar year in De Parys?
The Bedford Summer Sessions concerts in Bedford Park have developed from a Proms in the Park format to a multi-genre series of musical events. I have particularly enjoyed Simply Red and Sting.
Tell us something most people won’t know about De Parys
Thomas Laxton founded his orchards business in Bedford in 1888, and their apples went on to be some of the most widely planted dessert varieties in the UK. The Devon Park estate was built on their Bedford nursery site after the business finally closed in 1957.