River Festival to honour harbour master of 46 years

A free-to-attend water and boating event that is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors is honouring its former harbour master who carried out the voluntary role for more than 46 years.

Martyn Pearson, who died in December, became involved at the very first Bedford River Festival in 1978 and managed all its river activities.

The cabin cruiser and narrow boat parades at this year's event on Saturday and Sunday afternoon will now be known as the Martyn Pearson Grand Parades.

Bjorn Hove, the biennial event's organiser for Bedford Borough Council, said: "He put a lot of time, energy and passion into the event - he was a great man who is going to be greatly missed."

A harbour master's role is to oversee river traffic, enforce maritime regulations, ensure safety and protect the marine environment, and they have statutory powers to enforce regulations.

Hove said this year there would be about 85 boats on the River Great Ouse at the town's Embankment during the newly named parades, with a special illuminated one taking place at about 21:00 on Saturday.

Joy and David Nottingham took five days to travel on their boat from Peterborough, via Ely and The Fens, to moor up along the River Great Ouse.

They said they did it as a "challenge and to keep fit".

Joy, 75, said: "It's going to be amazing, it's just lovely to be part of it."

They are planning on decorating their boat for the parades.

David, 82, said they aimed to come back in two years' time "if we're still hanging about and fit enough".

The festival, which takes place every two years, is held around Russell Park and across the centre of Bedford.

It costs about £500,000 to stage which is mostly covered by sponsorship and trade spaces, but the money it generates "does not match the cost", Hove said.

"We don't put this event on to generate profit," he said.

"It's huge for the town, for the local economy... to showcase everything we have here in Bedford.

"It puts money into hotels, bars, restaurants, taxi firms.

"We know from footfall that the festival causes a spike and that stays high for weeks after."

Gareth Barber, the director and head booker at Bedford's Esquires music venue, said it was important to offer free events to help people who are "struggling with money".

"It's a great event; it's important for us; we book multi-genre music for families," said Barber, who is also national and regional promoter for The Pad Presents.

"We try and make it as interesting as possible and introduce people to brand new artists, to heritage artists [which this weekend includes The Beat, ft Rankin' Junior] and gives local artists a platform to play on the biggest stage on the weekend."

Sadie Hunt, who organises the Arts & Culture Island on Mill Meadows, said it would be "packed with free activities, performances and immersive experiences for all ages".

There would be "cutting-edge virtual and mixed reality experiences" including being able to "climb inside the engine cab of a historic airship with Bedford Creative Arts' Airships XR project".

Hunt said their aim was to build community pride in the people and organisations that shape Bedford's cultural life.

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