Football club owner expands his hometown investment

A football club owner says investing in his hometown's high street could be the "blueprint" for other towns.

Peter McCormack, "a proud Bedfordian", and chairman of non-league Real Bedford, has just opened Real Coffee, in the heart of the town.

He said Bedford, close to where Universal Studios could be built, was a "good investment" and he was "putting my time where my mouth is" and doing his bit to raise the area up.

"If people are coming into the town and spending money, I will open other businesses and other people will," he said.

Mr McCormack, who is hoping his club will merge with Bedford Town FC, has already persuaded Gemini founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss to invest $4.5m in Bitcoin (about £3.6m) in his team and become co-owners.

He said Bedford was like many other places affected by the opening of retail parks and the expansion of supermarkets.

"I hope it's the start of me creating more business in the town, whether that is Real branded or independent businesses I set up," he said.

"I see the town centre as a good investment opportunity," he said.

"Town centres need rethinking and in redesigning town centres we can create new businesses locally which means money stays locally."

He also has his eyes set on the town's currently empty Debenhams store, purchased by Bedford Borough Council for £1.8m.

"It should have high quality flats above and build a hub for families to be entertained and where they can get food and drink."

If Universal Studios goes ahead, he can see it acting as a regeneration project for Bedford.

"If you want Bedford to be better, you have to play a part otherwise you have no argument," he said.

"It might be coming into the town once a week more than you do, buying a cup of coffee, having a mooch around the shops, buying a card, getting your hair cut.

"Every time you spend money in the town centre that might be paying for some kid's ballet lessons or another kid's football boots."

He also hopes to see a "cafe culture" in Silver Street with more restaurants and bars opening with people coming out in the evening.

"We can do this, and just raise the town up, and if we get this right, if enough people help and my thesis is right, this could be the blueprint for other towns," he said.

Laura and Jonathan Cook, a married couple, live 15 minutes away from the town in Keysoe.

They said they believed the opening of any new business was "fantastic".

"A lot of people diss Bedford and run it down. We're the opposite, we've been here for five years and we love it," Mrs Cook said.

"There's nice parts and not so nice parts, but if you demolish the past and look to the future - you need to invest in small business."

Mr Cook said: "For someone to say I'm a business man, I want to to invest in Bedford, is great for Bedford, there's great potential here.

"It's a great place to invest in right now, with everything that's going on in the future, we need people to come into Bedford and visit more."

Richard Tattle, from Bedford, thought the opening of the new business was "good news" and he was pleased there were plans to improve and change the town.

"If you look at the High Street it's disappointing the number of empty shops there are, so people who are taking things and redeveloping things can only be good for the town," he added.

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