Bedford World

11 April 2008

DRIVE-IN reminder, if you are thinking of entering either of the Bedford Drive-In's,  please complete the forms as we need to start planning.

10 April 2008

After over 12 months of inactivity, the Bedford Owners Club website has at last been updated, but sadly the news is not good, just confirmation of the end of the club, another sad day in the life of the Bedford marque

`It reads " As of the 1st April 2008, we regret to announce that due to lack of resourses and support, the Bedford Owners Club no longer exists "  a short and not so sweet ending to a club that has existed for over eight years.

10 April 2008

20 March 2008

SAVE-A-BEDFORD scheme launched by The Bedford Register & Drivers Club International to aquire a suitable vehicle transporter to recover and transport Bedford vehicles of all types up to 7.5 tonnes which have been donated to the organisation.

If any reader can offer assistance here or knows of a recovery firm who might have a surplus vehicle of the required type, the The Bedford Register would be happy to hear from you at  The.Bedford.Register@bedford-world.com

18 March 2008

The Bedford Tour 2008 has been confirmed for the 13-16 August starting in the North West at the Poplar Service area off the M6- M56 at junctions 20/20A.

The exact route will be notified to the participants but we understand will first head out into North Wales with a break at Porthmadog before continuing south into Mid-Wales.

The route continued to the Forest of Dean before crossing the Severn Bridge Crossing [ free on the outward journey] and will finish on Saturday with the option to spend an extra day at a pre.arranged regional rally.  Entried will close on June 1st but as there is a limit on the number of entries,  early registration is recommended.

There are currenlty over 80 owners interested in the tour from many countries including Norway, Holland, Belgium , Switzerland, and of course the UK and Ireland.  This should make for a great atmosphere among these Bedford owners who eventually decide to take part.  A full itinary is available now.  Check out the Bedford Tour page on this website.

7 March 2008

There appears to be some problems over the Bedford Drive-In policy as regards to the TruckFest weekend show at Shepton Mallet which will incorporate a BEDFORD Drive-In as in expressed in two messages we have received.

The event is being run by Live Promotions Ltd who are well established in the field of motoring event organisation, their events are very professionally organised as anyone who has been to any of them will agree.

There is a high level of entertainment in the arena and an evening programme, and the vehicles are there for the visitors to admire. This entertainment costs a lot of money as we can verify, we asked a BBC radio presenter well known to radio listeners as they drive around the country for her traffic news,  she lives in Sussex and wanted £2000 to attend our show at Usk in September which is to raise funds for regional charities in that area.  We did not take up this offer !

It would appear reasonable therefore that everyone should make some contribution towards the cost of the event, truck owners and drivers freely pay £40 for the privilage of attending and an extra £35 for camping.

5 March 2008

A second Drive-In has been announced as part of the Classic Truck of Yesteryear Gathering at the Usk Showground midway between Newport and Monmouth in South Wales.  The dates are 27-28th September.

Entry for all Bedfords is free for the vehicle and up to five passengers plus driver. However if you want to stay overnight you must pay for camping, but there is a free English breakfast included in the price.

You can enter on line now on the Drive In Page on the menu.

21 February 2008

The Bedford Register & Drivers Club has officially linked up with the Welsh Transport Heritage Museum Trust with a view to establishing in the UK a permanent museum of different Bedford types covering the 55 years that the marque was alive.  The Club is setting about to raise almost £250,000.00 to build a dedicated Bedford Hall at the Welsh museum park at Risca in South Wales.

The historic Bedford collection already has a number of vehicles including the last Bedford truck ever built and is set to aquire the Bedford CF electric van shortly as well as a number of other interesting finds.

If any reader knows of other Bedfords in need of a good home then contact the Bedford Registers own Registrar on the contact page.

20th February 2008

The Bedford Drive-In scheduled for 5-6th July at Sheppton Mallet has its own page on this website,  within 48 hours, the entry form will appear on line on that page.

IT is also revelaed that a second Bedford Drive-In is planned for the end of September and details of that will be announced shortly.

If owners give their support to these two events, there will be a series of Bedford Drive-In's planned for most parts of the UK and also in Europe in 2009with the aim of fostering a greater friendship among owners.  You do not have to be a member of the club to take part. 

11 February 2008

It has been confirmed that the Bedford Owners Club has closed its doors effective from  now and all existing memberships will not be renewed, although Howard Thomas, Club chairman has confirmed that the Vauxhall Victor Owners Club will of course continue.

Existing Bedford Owners will be invited to join the Bedford Register & Drivers Club when their memberships come to an end.

11 February 2008

This has not been a good 12 months for the Bedford marque,  first Richard Haughey announced that the Bedford Gathering had reached the end of the road,  then we heard that the Editor of the Bedford Owners Club, Mike Lloyd had resigned his post,  and now we are advised by a club officer that following on from this and  with no offers of assistance or support from The Bedford Owners Club members they find they no longer have the resources for the club to continue.

So now the Bedford Owners Club is in effect also at the end of the road leaving only the Bedford Register & Drivers Club to represent the interests of Bedford owners. Another sad day for Bedford Owners.

26 January 2008

The Welsh Heartlands Transport Festival which takes place on 19-20th April at the Civic Centre in Pontllanfriath near Caerphilly is organised jointly by the Welsh Transport Heritage Museum and the Rhymney Valley Transport Preservation Society.

The Bedford Register & Drivers Club is not taking part this year,  however the R Series Owners and the Bedford CF Owners are involved and of course ALL Bedfords are invited.

Please check the website out and you can enter on line, entry is free for all vehicles and their passengers.  The web address in www.welsh-transport-festival.co.uk

24 January 2008

BEDFORD WORLD is sponsoring a Bedford Drive-In at this years Truckfest South West at Shepton Mallet over the weekend of  5-6th July.

There will be an area set aside for Bedfords of all types and not just lorries,  yes you can enter your Green Goddess, ambulance ,  coach, horsebox, breakdown or pick-up, as long as its a Bedford.  Sorry no buses converted to mobile caravans.

An entry form will appear on this website shortly and ALL entries must be made through us to qualify for the special terms arranged.

14 January 2008

The BEDFORD UK TOUR has turned from an idea to a reality and to date more than seventy owners from all over the UK as well as Belgium, Holland and Switzerland have signed up subject to fianl agreement on dates.

The Tour will start in the North West of England and head through Wales and the Welsh Borders to finish in Gloucestershire and will give owners the opportunity of making new friends from within the Bedford owning community as well as enjoying some beautful scenery along the way.

Currently those wishing to take part include owners of  coaches, lorries, military vehicles and even a Green Goddess fire engine.

Iy is not too late to get involved and if you are interested without firm committment ast this stage visit this page  BEDFORD TOUR

8 January 2008

We would like to thank David Stephenson of Volvo Bus & Coach of Loughborough for donating some photo software to us following our computer loss in 2007.  This will help us organise our photo archives and enable us to improve our service to our site visitors and members.

3 January 2008

It has been reported to us and now verified that the stalwart of the Vauxhall Victor & Bedford Owners Club ,  Mike Lloyd has resigned from all duties associated with the club including the important post of editor.  Mike Lloyd had played an active part in the day to day running of the club for the last five or so years.  The reason for his sudden decision to quit has come as a surprise to many and his departure will be greatly missed by the VVBOC.  He will be an impossible act to replace and one wonders how the Bedford Owners Club will manage without him.

2 January 2008

Sadly we must report that the Bedford Gathering website has now disappeared from the world wide web and this is the final curtain for a wonderful event that has entertained all Bedford fans for the last ten years.

1 January 2008

Well a new day, a New Year  and we will soon have this website back up and running with a lot of new features including its own Site Search Engine to help you find what you need more quickly.  Happy New Year everyone.

28 December 2007

Drivers of commercial vehicles are advised to have a hi-visability vest in the drivers cab at all times and in many European countries it is the law.  Now all owners joining the Bedford Register & Drivers Club in 2008 will receive a hi-viz vest FREE as part of their membership. Be seen and be safe.

27 December 2007

We lost The Bedford Gathering and then we thought we had lost the Classic Commercial Motor Show at Gaydon,  but the GOOD NEWS from the CVRTC is that they have been approached by Live Promotions, the Truckfest organisers, with the idea to join forces with Live Promotions to stage the 2008  CCMS on their own site adjacent to Truckfest at the East of England Showground, Peterborough. CCMS visitors could also gain access to the main Truckfest event if they wish but CCMS show will have its own exclusive entrance and will be contained within a clearly marked boundary. The CVRTC stand and Show Control will also be on site. As a bonus it is planned to hold a parade of CCMS 'old timers' in the main arena.

 This can only enhance the CVRTC and the CCMS since Truckfest is a huge event which receives wide press coverage. Public attendances often exceed 90,000. The three-day show will take place on May 3rd - 5th 2008 and is destined to be the best yet.

A final decision will be made in early January whethere to take up this offer.

22 December 2007

As work on the make-over of this website continues,  you will have noticed that the number of pages has been reduced by more than 50%.  This is but a temporarey measure while we add more photos.  Please bear with us during these changes.

19 December 2007

Following a few problems over insurance caused through the lost data, and computers - so its not only the UK Government who have these problems !  The Bedford Register & Drivers Club is re.negotiating its insurance cover for Bedford vehicles for 2008 and all owners will receive automatic PLI cover which is now required by the VBOA.

If you will require a renewal or new quotation you should visit the Insurance Page on the website for more information.  Breakdown covers is also once again available.

18 December 2007

All roads appear to be leading to South Wales next April,  no sooner than we mentioned the CF club, we now understand that Rhys Hughes of the Green Goddes fame is seeking support for a "pump-in" at the event to move water from a river to a lake and from the said lake to an area of fun for Land Rover 4 x 4 owners who will be celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Land Rover at the Blackwood Festival over the weekend of 19-20th April. 

Check out the website mentioned below or contact Rhys directly on r.hughes16@ntlworld.com . Please note that the Bedford Register & Drivers CLub is not involved in this event.

16 December 2007

The BEDFORD TOUR 2008 was just an idea 9 months ago,  now it has turned into a reality on a grand scale and we want to let you have you say on this hopefully annual event.  Click BEDFORD TOUR and it will take you to the dedicated page for more information or use the menu on the left.

14 December 2007

The Bedford CF Club are organising a special section at the Welsh Heartlands Transport Festival next April on the weekend of the 18-20th at the Civic Centre & Country Park in Blackwood near Caerphilly which is of course in South Wales.  All owners of any type of CF is invited to take part and there is no entry fee.

If you are interested, the man to contact is David Jamieson, a Scotsman lost in the South Wales Valley's, visit the website www.welsh-transport-festival.co.uk  or contact David on dandecjamieson@tiscali.co.uk   Please note this is not a Bedford Register & Drivers Club event

10 December 2007

At long last this website is to receive a complete "make-over" to make it more user friendly,  work has already started and the result will be that many pages will suddenly disappear and appear a few days later in a brighter format.  Please bear with us during these important changes which we hope to have completed by early January.  The next issue of the magazine is already receiving our attention  and will be going to the printers in February.

18 November 2007

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

All Bedford owners who have joined the Bedford Register & Drivers Club in 2007 are automatically having their memberships renewed from 1 January 2008 for one year at no cost.

This is due to the terrible administration nightmare that resulted from the break-in and theft of computers in June and two issues of the club full colour magazine in pdf format ready for printing.

It is doubtful if any other club with an international membership has ever suffered such a dramatic loss and there were several occasions when we wondered if we would ever get back to normal.

But as of December it should be business as usual and the next magazine should roll off the presses in the New Year.

16 November 2007

The Bedford CF-UK Club are holding an early season get together at the Welsh Heartlands Transport Festival in Pontllanfraith, near Caerphilly in South Wales over the weekend of 19-20th April 2008.

14 November 2007

A new classic commercial event at Gaydon to fill the gap left as a result of the CVRTC decision to end their annual show has been announced which will please all Bedford owners.

We have been contacted by Tom Carron who will be organising the new event, The Classic and Vintage Commercial Show which will be
held on the weekend of the 7-8th June at the  British Motor Industry Heritage Trust's Gaydon Museum.

The new event will work in a similar way the the Classic Commercial Motor Show and further information will be posted shortly

2 November 2007

The Bedford Gathering is sadly no more, but its legacy lives on , and especially in terms of the huge amount of money raised for the British Charity McMillan Cancer Support..BG2003 - £2050.00....BG2004 - £4086.50....BG2005 - £3125.00....BG2006 - £3047.76..and BG2007 - £1947.58  and that should make a grand total of a magnificent £14,256. 84.

So despite all the problems during the 2007 Bedford Gathering weekend, a wonderful donation was still possible and Richard  "Mr BG" Haughey deserves everyones thanks for his efforts over the last 10 years, as does his family and friends for their help and support.

Over the last three years Richard, supported by Russell Hollands, son of co.organiser in recent years Allan Hollands, also took part in an annual Riverside Charity Walk near Cambridge in the East of England which also raised quite a bit of money through sponsorship and this amount does form part of the total over the last three years.

As a footnote we should take a minute to remember Sue Haughey who sadly passed away in 2003 and who had been a supporter at Richards side through the early days,  McMillan helped Sue and the Haughey family and Richards achievement will be a lasting tribute to her memory.

11 November 2007

WANTED.  A Bedford CA van to star in a theatre production of Alan Bennett's "The Lady in the van".  The story is built around a lady who lives in an old Bedford van and is based on  true events that took place around and later in Alan Bennett's own garden in Camden Town in the 1980's. 

If you are the owner of a van that can be driven or trailered to the Theatre de Terre Sainte, Coppet, which is just outside Nyon, which is a third of the
way from Geneva to Lausanne.........yes, that is of course in  Switzerland for autumn 2008,  then please contact us and we can put you in touch. They are also looking for a Reliant Robin,  but that is for a different website I think !

5 November 2007

MISSING PAGES.  We have received several messages asking why certain pages are no longer having any content.  This is due to the major upset caused when the computer and files were stolen and as a result we are having to rebuild those pages from scratch,  Sadly there are only so many hours in the day  and it is all taking a longer time than anticipated. Please be patient, we will rebuild these pages as soon as practical.  Editor.

5 November 2007

Calling all Bedford owners in Toowoomba.  Please go along to the Collectors Car Display with your Bedford on November 18th in support of the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland and Cystic Fibrosis Queensland.

Its all happening at the corner of West and Baker Streets in Toowoomba and entry is by presentation of one gold coin ! Should be a good day and a lot of fun and of course two great charities being supported.

1 November 2007

It was yesterday announced by the Chairman of the Commercial Vehicle & Road Transport Club that the club will no longer organise the Classic Commercial Motor Show,  the largest meeting of old lorries anywhere in thee world with around 500 exhibits each year at Gaydon.

The announcement was made with deep reluctance according to Chris Salaman  and your editor heard the news with great sadness as a life member of the club and also one who attended the very first such event in 1979 at Cranfield.

IT appears that the same problems that beset the Bedford Gathering, lack of physical helpers is the main reason,  Every year the vehicles entries increase, yet the number of organisers decreases as we are all getting older !

Are these two announcements the begiining of the end for the classic vehicle show movement....who will be next ? 

25 October 2007

A FILM STAR wanted in Queensland. I'm currently producing a short film to be shot Saturday December 1 in South Ripley (Ipswich area). It's set in the late 30s, and we need a ute or truck or some sort of work vehicle that would likely have existed in a rural area. The period is fairly pertinent to the story but it could be set any time during WW2.

We will gladly reimburse any costs associated with getting the vehicle to the shooting location. The shoot it self will be in the afternoon and will only take a few hours. The vehicle will drive up and down a road a few times.

If any member, reader has or knows somebody who could help then please contact Allan Houston at bedford-world@volny.cz

24 October 2007

One of our Aussie friends has just aquired with interesting old bus,  looks like it was some sort of school bus, but the vendor has no paperwork and no information.  The thought are that it might just be a J2, but we are throwing this open for suggestions,  go to the Owners Forum and have your say please.

13 October 2007

The Bedford Gathering will not form part of next years Luton Festival of Transport advises Richard Haughey who has become known to one and all as Mr BG through his sucessful running of the event over the last 10 years.

Of course all Bedford owners will be welcome to come along as they are in all rallies of course,  but it will not be the same !  Bedford Gathering R.I.P.

8 October 2007

Forwarded by Bedford Owners Club.  We have just received the attached, but there won't be a Bedford Owners Club magazine until December which will be too late to save these vehicles. Can you publicise them on your site, please?  Mike Lloyd.
Two Bedford CF ambulances for disposal,they are the Dormobile bodied type for seated passengers (like the Wayfairer but without the mohican haircut!)
Both vehicles are ready for immediate collection.Please be aware that time is of the essence as Hackney Council has stated its aim of dropping them both in the crusher which would I am sure you would agree is a terrible waste.
If there is any interest please contact me by email or by phone on 020 8885 3600
This is urgent as I dont know how long I can fob off the enemy.Jeff Gibson

26 September 2007

The Wakefield Files have been a must read set of informative pages covering most major coach chassis ranges with lists of survivors included for several years hosted on Richard Haughey's Bedford Gathering website.  However we can now reveal that the Wakefield Files now have their own web address and while we have no official word as to why this change has taken place, it is most likely connected with the recent decision to discontinue the annual Bedford Gatherings.

It would naturally follow that if there is no Bedford Gathering there is little need to have a website about the event.  Accordingly The Wakefield Files would need to find a new home and we presume that this is the current case.

The new website can be found by clicking THE WAKEFIELD FILES

25 September 2007

The Bedford Belangen Club which is a long established  club for Bedford camper vans in the Nederlands has just launched its new website and all Dutch Bedford friends are invited to visit. Sorry, the website is only in Dutch at the present time.  More information and link on our Links page.

FOOTNOTE.  ENGLISH Pages now added. 27.9.2007

25 April 2007

Destination Ulaanbaataar,  well the Green or Yellow Goddess fire engine has been put through its paces and is now receiving a complete check over to prepare it for the forthcoming rally season.

The Aberystwyth based students  who are all under 21 have been insured by the Bedford Register insurance scheme after being rejected by the major classic vehicle insurance companies on the grounds of their age and inexperience.

Ther first rally which they plan to attend is the Heartlands Transport Festival in Blackwood over the weekend of the 7-8 July as it is expected that one year on, their journey will start at this annual vintage event in South Wales with the destination of the Mongolian capitol Ulaanbaataar.

As a co.sponsor of this incredible challenge, Bedford World will keep you updated on the plans, build up and next year set up a dedicated website.

29 March

The Bedford Register Newsletter is about to hit your INBOX ! It will be sent to every Bedford Register member and will contain news of interest to owners all over the world.

29 March 2007

A NEW old truck magazine is on the cards for the South Pacific as a result of  our own Andy Wright's enthusiasm for putting pen to paper after completing a post graduate degree in journalism last year.

Andy, who  edits the HCVC News,  the official publication of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club in Western Australia has decided to launch the new magazine , not to compete with Steve Parrinders " Vintage Commercial Down Under", but rather to supplement it.

This exciting new proposal needs the support of all you old truck fans in Australia and New Zealand and we invite you to contact Andy, give him you thoughts, ideas, suggestions,  but most of all your support,  he already has ours. Andy's email addy  is  andywright@westnet.com.au

28 March 2007

Last year we produced a trial issue of Bedford World, our full colour magazine,  although it was only 16 pages,  it was intended to give an idea of what was in store.

Well we are about to launch the new 32 page full colour magazine which will initially be published quarterly and it will be free of charge to all full members of the Bedford Register & Drivers Club  or by direct subscription.

The Editor welcomes photos for possible inclusion  and is especially interested in full restoration projects with photos.

22 March 2007

Next year's Bedford Gathering in 2008 promises to be awash with water everywhere and we are not talking about wet weather !

Owners of former AFS vehicles including of course the Green Goddess are set to hold a major "pump-in" according to Rhys Hughes, a vocal and enthusiastic owner of a Bedford Green Goddess affectionally called "Gloria".

Through personal contacts Rhys is bringing together what will be the BiG Green Goddess Show and judging by efforts to aquire miles of old flat hose, a few leaks are bound to result giving one and all...... a free Bedford Wash, so "wash" this space for updates over the coming months. 

20 March 2007

Destination Ulaanbaatar in Central Mongolia is the aim of five students of University of Wales at Aberytwyth when they set off in a former Northern Ireland based Bedford Green Goddess painted yellow, as they were in Northern Ireland in July 2008.

As members of the Bedford Register Drivers Club, the boys are already receiving valuable assistance in the planning of this epic journey including insurance, as part of the 2008 Mongol Rally which will see all vehicles set off from Central London and make their way across Europe and Central Asia to there destination which should take between 30 and 40 days !

Due to our direct involvement we will be setting up a sub website of www.bedford-world.com to record the build up to the event and then updates on progree as the rally proceeds.....what an great story this promises to be.

10 March 2007

TURN OUT those old Bedford OB spares, body parts, windows, or mechanical spares. Tim Wootton who is organising this years Great Bedford OB Get-together 2007 on Sunday 5th August is inviting anyone who would like to buy or sell OB parts to get in touch with him any evening on his home telephone - 01296 713860

The Get-together is forming part of the sucessful 3- day Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage Extravaganza which is held at Kemble Airfield on . The rally site is situated on the A429, not far from Cirencester on the edge of the Cotsworlds.