What a busy week it has been so far – so many people have been telling me that the festival has been a real success – it is great that even outsiders are hearing what a lovely place Shefford is to live. We have seen two groups of walkers so far with people coming from Royston and St Albans and another group due on Thursday.  Classes are popular with new people joining at the Majorettes and the Shefford in the Past film show a great success.

So on Wednesday I visited the NEED Project at the Methodist Church Hall with free food on offer from a “best before ” supply chain – centrally purchased and donated – alongside was a warm space group enjoying company with soup and a roll, and tea and biscuits. There were various classes through the day including Pilates, Children’s Yoga and Line Dancing.

Later I was able to get along to the Shefford Community Choir also at the Methodist Church Hall which was brilliantly attended with people moving and singing – really enjoying themselves.

The Ramble today started outside Lemon Plaice fish and chip shop with the group walking up Ampthill Road to Chicksands then right through the woods and back into town via the farm with a well earned cup of tea back in town. One couple told me they walked in from Clifton.

The Greenspace Conservation Group were hard at work in Bellcote Meadow with a volunteer work party who were keeping a footpath clear by hand trimming a long hedge before contractors come in with machinery.

I then returned to town and visited the Community Cafe at St Michaels church

Further up town at the Community Hall the Art Society were enjoying a creative session ahead of their annual exhibition at the weekend. I certainly look forward to my regular visit.

In the evening the athletes of Black Ice Academy Cheer were working on their tumbling and balancing in the Lower School hall and looking forward to their session on Saturday.

Down at the STMA the Shefford Majorettes were getting organised  and described the evening :

“Shefford Majorettes held a taster session as part of Shefford Community Festival this Tuesday and welcomed 5 new girls to try out baton and ribbon twirling and Pom Pom skills. The session began with a showcase of this year’s summer routines followed by some ice breaker games including our girls’ favourite ‘Pom’ game! We ended the session with our existing girls teaching our taster girls some skills in small groups. Shefford Majorettes will be welcoming new starters throughout September so if you missed this taster session then get in touch and get booked in for another opportunity to try out Majorettes!

We’re excited to start a new term and welcome some new faces to the Majorette Family, so if you’re interested in joining our troupe, drop us an email at [email protected]”

From there I visited the Community Hall where the WI were being entertained by a talk on Bess of Hardwick – in her day the richest woman in the country. Followed by a presentation of Plastic Free Shefford by Nicola Burr.

Honestly, Mondays are a full day for me – the morning teaching Tai Chi in Marston Moretaine and again here in Shefford Community Hall for the afternoon – in between I was pleased to check in at the Shared Space at the Baptist Church Hall. Apologies to those I could not get to, including Campton Dance at the Methodist Church Hall – also the Karate in the Methodist Hall and the Kick Boxing at the Community Hall – plus the Players at STMA, Karaoke, Shefford Runners and Pilates at the Methodist Hall.

It certainly shows how important our local venues are to the regular activities of the town. Tomorrow looks like it will be another very active day.

The first weekend of our 2025 Community Festival got us off with a day that kept everyone busy – especially me chasing photographs! Sunday started for me with a walk – actually not so much me but the Stag Walkers group who met in the Town Meadow car park around 10.00  where some 14 or so active walkers headed out for Stamford and Summerhill by way of the Navigation river section, They stopped by our village sign for a photo op.

Then I was hot on the trail of Scarecrows and Garage Sale Trail stalls ( after helping to set up our own ) in what has now turned into a garage sale village with three of us combined on the verge in front of our houses. In my travels I saw many family groups walking the town with guide maps in hand and many cars circulating to spot the stalls. Large stalls or groups of stalls seemed to be the way to go this year.

The Flower Festival was on conveying it’s message of “Remembering”

Then the day closed with a Tai Chi beginners class in the Community Hall and a chance to relax!

We had a lot on today with the Community Market which runs every second Saturday and was nicely busy in seasonal sunshine, and the Teddy Zip Wire from the Church tower – go teddy!

My personal favourite was ” Shefford in the Past” a rolling drop in film show with material on the pram races, the floods, and the raft races, also an extensive town centre market.  Street demonstrations featured, and did I mention the floods?

The Flower Festival at the Methodist Church was well worth a visit with so many exhibits, and some on sale I believe.

After all that excitement I visited the St Michaels Community Cafe before venturing out to photograph a brilliant selection of Scarecrows.

Then in the library I found Plastic Free Shefford and Shefford Crafts with Nicola Burr doing an interesting project about “why I like living in Shefford”.

We had a major break in the weather just in time for the opening ceremony which was attended by our present mayor, with our previous mayor and our MP together with Shefford’s own “Belle” – who jointly orchestrated themselves to cut our ribbon and send off the 2025 Festival for the next week.

Also we had the Friday market earlier, and the Community Hall AGM later in the evening.