Bedford with its "lovely parks and red-brick Victorian houses" named among best places to live
Largely thanks to Universal's decision to come to here, Bedford has been thrust into the spotlight.
And what do you know, we’ve made the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
We’re in good company too – with Cambridge, Norwich and Saffron Walden among those making the cut.
Although it says we aren’t renowned for our beauty which some may take exception to, the guide does mention our gorgeous parks, schools and – perhaps triggering for some readers – the East West Rail expansion.
Here’s what the guide had to say about Bedford
Universal Studios’ decision to build a multibillion-pound park has thrust this unsung market town into the global spotlight and raised the prospect of new jobs and improvements.
It may not be renowned for its beauty, but comfortably multicultural Bedford has good schools, lovely parks and red-brick Victorian houses for far less than in neighbouring Herts and Bucks.
And the already convenient connections are only set to get better: East West Rail is scheduled to be fully up and running in the mid-2030s, linking Bedford to Oxford, Cambridge and Milton Keynes.
The town of Manningtree, in Essex, took the top spot for the East of England and Norwich, in Norfolk, was named the overall national winner.
The other locations to make the East of England list are:
Bedford
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Chelmsford, Essex
Saffron Walden, Essex
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain. It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live. One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds and mobile signal to amenities, as well as access to high-quality green spaces and the health of the high street.