Flitwick

:"This article is about the town of Flitwick. See Filius Flitwick for the Harry Potter character."infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 52.00384
longitude= -0.49656
population = 12,700 [cite web | publisher = Office of National Statistics | url = http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=791904&c=Flitwick&d=16&e=15&g=422892&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1202156412656&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 | title = Neighbourhood Statistics - Flitwick (CP) Parish | accessdate = 4 February | accessyear = 2008]
official_name= Flitwick
shire_district= Mid Bedfordshire
shire_county = Bedfordshire
region= East of England
constituency_westminster= Mid Bedfordshire
post_town= BEDFORD
postcode_district= MK45
postcode_area= MK
dial_code= 01525
os_grid_reference= TL033350

Flitwick is a small town in mid Bedfordshire, England. About 5 miles from junction 12 of the M1. Flitwick also has a station on the Thameslink line (First Capital Connect took over the franchise from 1st April 2006) to London. Trains from Flitwick station go north to Bedford and south to Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, St Albans, London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton, making it a popular place to live for commuters.Pronounced "Flit-ick", the town is named after the nearby River Flit, which runs through Flitwick moor, a nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Flitwick moor claims to be the first place in the world to bottle tonic water. It also used to be the site of much peat extraction.Flitwick has a large Tesco superstore, a Barclays Bank, Flitwick Motorcycles (Yamaha specialists), three lower schools (Kingsmoor, Templefield and Flitwick Lower School), a middle school (Woodland School), a skate park, a doctors' surgery, at least five play parks, several pubs, two dentists, a barber shop, several hairdressers, a large industrial estate, and a wood ( bluebell Wood). The town also has branch of the The Co-operative Group, which provides a secondary food source to the community, and many smaller shops and estate agents.It is famous for its Manor House, which is currently used as a hotel. The hotel is said to be haunted. Flitwick has six pubs, The Swan, The Bumble Bee, The White Horse (now closed down), The Blackbirds, The Crown, The Wheatsheaf.There is an open-air market every Friday selling local produce, which is set up on the car park of the village hall, the market has many stalls from a fresh Fish man to a baker, haberdashery, fruit and veg, and also a stall selling locally made Jams and chutneys.There is a sports centre with a 25m swimming pool with kids pool attached. Lessons for children are very popular. The centre also has a gym, squash courts and gymnasium. The town's civic centre (Rufus Centre) has good conference facilities and has a popular Toddler's group called Hopscotch. Public transport links to Bedford are good both with both rail and bus services running multiple times per hour.Currently the old Flitwick School is undergoing refurbishment, and will when finished serve as a further community centre, youth club and toddler group.Most children attend the local Upper school (Redborne Upper) which contains two separate schools, north and south, and is situated between Flitwick and Ampthill along Flitwick road.

References

External links

* [http://www.flitwick.gov.uk Flitwick Town Council]
* [http://www.redbornecommunitycollege.com/ Redborne Upper School and Community College]
* [http://www.flitwicklower.co.uk Flitwick Lower School]
* [http://flitwickcc.play-cricket.com/home/aboutUs.asp Flitwick Cricket Club]
* [http://www.humbershomemade.co.uk Humbers Homemade Jams & Chutneys]
* [http://www.flitwickmotorcycles.co.uk Flitwick Motorcycles]