People and Events
Demolition of Abbey School
Fireworks at Thomas James Close
Heritage Day 1990
Hot Air Balloon launch January 1989
Lifepath 2009
Every two years, in May, Scripture Union hold an educational event, called Lifepath, on Elstow Green, in Moot Hall and the Abbey.
The event is staffed mainly by volunteers, assisted by musicians, schoolteachers, the Abbey's vicar and the curator of Bunyan Museum.
Children come from schools in Bedfordshire and the surrounding counties to take part in a one day event.
The Lifepath team run the event four times in four days, with a total of approximately 1,000 children and over 100 teachers attending.
The event is themed on Bunyan's life and times and, of course, his greatest creation - The Pilgrim's Progress. Part of the event involves the children walking a trail, representing the journey of the book's main character - Pilgrim. At stages along that trail, the children encounter some of the scenes, characters and places that Pilgrim encountered on his journey in The Pilgrim's Progress.
The children also get to play games that Bunyan would have played - eg Bowling, Maypole dancing and Tip-cat.
Please note; The copyright to all these photographs is held by Scripture Union.
Moot Hall staff
Sally Myers was a much loved custodian of Moot hall for several decades. She is pictured here in the 17th century costume that Bedfordshire County Council had her wear for heritage events. Formally a Librarian with Beds CC, Sally lived in Clophill and traveled everywhere by bus. At one point, following the death of Moot Hall's caretaker Peter Pestell, Sally took on that additional role for several years, until a new caretaker - Gary Fuller - was found. Sally retired, aged 75, shortly before Beds CC was abolished in 2009, and her role was taken on by her assistant, Clive Arnold. It was he who began creating gardens on and alongside, the green, something that had been planned for the Festival of Britain in 1951 but which had never been completed.
When Bedford Borough Council took over in 2009, Clive's role was expanded to incorporate the former manager's tasks and the post was renamed 'Curator'.
At the end of March 2014, because of cuts in local government funding, both caretaker Gary Fuller and curator Clive Arnold were made redundant.
Clive returned to Moot Hall in early 2016, resuming his role of curator, but as a volunteer.
Moot Hall's customer service staff are Gary Mudd and Andy Jarosz. Caretaking tasks are shared by Clive Arnold and Sameena Jarosz.
Remembrance Sunday 2017
Restoration of Bunyan's Mead
In 1976, the Southill Estate sold the old cottages on High Street to Bedford Borough Council. The cottages were restored and bungalows were built at the back, at the end of the cottages' large gardens. The Mead was then opened in October 1977 as a sheltered accommodation facility.
VE Day 2020.
On 8th May, A group of Elstow residents held a 'socially distant' VE anniversary celebration in the grounds of the old school on May 8th 2020.