It was late evening, sky was darkening but you could see clouds. What I saw came from behind the line of the neighbours house and was an orange colour, at first I thought I thought it was a flare as I've seen them used, which gives you some idea of the approximate visible size, but then I realised it was travelling in a straight line across the sky just to the north of Bedford, if you held your arm up it would be 30 or 45 degrees maybe. It was far, far brighter than any star or planet of satellite (I've been to the local Astronomy Club so I know my stars), and it was moving very quickly , no flashing lights (we see plenty of aircraft from Heathrow, and also nearby Luton circling so we know what they look like), there was no noise, travelling from the west to east very quickly and not in the sky for long. My partner was in the garden with me, unable to explain it, my contention it was a UFO was not accepted as she doesn't believe in them, but what else was it? I'm happy to try and give more detail about the elevation if you need a picture from the garden, I will admit to an interest in thr subject but never expected to see one. It may have been something explainable of course. I have checked that it wasn't the ISS.

No, it just went as described until it vanished behind cloud in the east

This was not a plane, it was fairly low and not the direction aircraft travel over the town and I happen to know the civilian routes after ten years, arguably it could be military etc in that they go over this area at times but it was a bright orange, no flashing lights and there was no noise, I had been in the garden for an hour with the firebasket