Bedford vs Reims

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Bedford is a historic market and the county town of Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area was 106,940. At the same census, the Borough of Bedford had a population of 157,479.Bedford was founded at a ford on the River Great Ouse, and is thought to have been the burial place of King Offa of Mercia, who is remembered for building Offa's Dyke on the Welsh border. Bedford Castle was built by Henry I, although it was destroyed in 1224.

Bedford was granted borough status in 1165 and has been represented in Parliament since 1265. It is known for its large population of Italian descent.Bedford is on the Midland Main Line, with stopping services to London and Brighton operated by Thameslink, and express services to London and the East Midlands operated by East Midlands Railway.

Source: Wikipedia

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Reims ( REEMZ, also US: , French: [ʁɛ̃s] (listen); also spelled Rheims in English, Dutch: Riemen) is the most populous city in the Marne department, in the Grand Est region of France. Its population in 2013 was of 182,592 in the city proper (commune) and 317,611 in the metropolitan area (aire urbaine) making Reims most the populated sub-prefecture in France.The city lies 129 km (80 mi) east-northeast of Paris. Its primary river, the Vesle, is a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by the Gauls, Reims became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire. Reims later played a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. The royal anointing was performed at the Cathedral of Reims, which housed the Holy Ampulla of chrism allegedly brought by a white dove at the baptism of Frankish king Clovis I in 496.

For this reason, Reims is often referred to in French as la cité des sacres ("the Coronation City"). Having joined the national network of "Cities and Countries of Art and History" since 1987, Reims is recognized for the diversity of its heritage, ranging from Romanesque to Art-déco, and the significance of its sites recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage. Since 1991, the emblematic buildings of Reims (Notre-Dame Cathedral, Tau Palace, former Saint-Remi Abbey) have been listed as World Heritage sites. In 2015, the Saint-Nicaise hill, which is part of the properties listed under the Coteaux maisons et caves de Champagne, is identified as representative of an agro-industrial system linked to the territorial, economic and social organization of Champagne.

Source: Wikipedia