Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the Bedford borough. According to Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town of Kempston. The wider borough, including a rural area, had a population of 153,000. There is an active amdram (community theatre) scene, with groups such as the Swan Theatre Company, Bedford Dramatic Club (BDC), Bedford Marianettes and ShowCo Bedford producing plays and musicals in venues like The Place, the Civic Theatre, the Corn Exchange and the Bowen West Theatre. The Bedford Pantomime Company produces a traditional pantomime at the Civic Theatre each Christmas. July 2007 saw the first Bedfringe festival, a pre-Edinburgh Fringe festival, centred on the Civic Theatre. There are a number of local bands including Alabama Circus Bedford has two rugby union teams called Bedford Blues and Bedford Athletic. Bedford Blues are currently in the second tier of English rugby, but has previously been in the top division. Taking into account the size of its overall urban area, it is one of the largest towns in England without a fully professional football team. Bedford Town F.C. currently plays at the seventh level of the English football league system and Bedford Valerio United F.C. play at the 11th level. More on Bedford 

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