Two giant silver faces stare across at each other, standing five metres tall in the busy shopping area of Silver Street. This is Reflections of Bedford, a sculpture commissioned by Bedford Council in 2009. Its intricate design of bricks and lace evokes the town's links with brick manufacture and lacemaking, and the gleaming metal references Silver Street's earlier identity as the site of a mint in the 10th and 11th centuries. At night, the sculpture is transformed by coloured lights, transforming the silver surface into a gleaming mixture of blues and purples.

Reflections of Bedford was created by Rick Kirby, a Kent-born sculptor whose work has appeared in public spaces all over Britain, including outside the Houses of Parliament.

Learn more about the history of lace in Bedfordshire here

Learn more about brickmaking in Bedfordshire here