A sunny afternoon saw the opening of the recently rebuilt Jubilee Skatepark. Situated in the Kingsbrook area of Bedford, this provides a fantastic free facility for everyone. About 200 people gathered at the park to hear the Mayoress, Marlies Branston, announce the new ramps officially open. There followed an afternoon of general skating, competitions and expert performances. The winners of each category in the competition were presented with trophies and medals donated by the Beds and Herts Skating School Club, and prizes donated by Enemite. Music, a bouncy castle and a compere were provided by the Party Doctors, and St John Ambulance kindly gave their time for the afternoon.

The winners were: Inline 11-14 yrs Shaun Norman; over 15 yrs Brendan Sanger: Skateboarding 8-10 yrs Jamie Ward; 11-14 yrs Will Mitchell; over 15 yrs Luke Capehorn: BMX 11-14 yrs Joe Cook; over 15 yrs Curtis Marshalleck.

The funding for the new skatepark largely came from YOC (Beds County Council), WREN, Biffaward (these two administered by ENTRUST) and The Bedford Charity. Gravity Engineering designed and constructed the new layout. Bedford Borough Council and Bedford Design Group guided the project through to its conclusion.

Maggie Whiteley