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	Centralised bins is not a rubbish idea January 4 2009 Rubbish is becoming a tricky problem for councils. They want us to dispose of it, but not too much of it ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Save us from the robotic Christmas December 28 2008 Some hard-hearted soul likened me to Scrooge the other day over expenses claims. If only I was as careful with my own money. Anyway it made me wonder about Christmases, ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Let's face it, there's nowhere to hide December 20 2008 You can run but you can't hide.Well not if you are on Facebook. A couple in Australia have been served legal documents on their Facebook site ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] MP's arrest - don't say we didn't warn you December 14 2008 Better late than never. Although, as usual, it had to happen to them before there was any notice taken. I am talking of MP Damien Green being arrested by the police ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] One woman's crusade to beat the recession Last Saturday Bedford town centre was heaving with shoppers... (07/01/2009) [Read More] It's the poor what gets the blame The world is falling apart because too few of us get married and too few of those that do stay married. This is the latest pronouncement of many right-wing politicians and ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Age laws should be a concern for politicians The law in this country gets itself a bit twisted when it comes to age and whether people can be identified. In the news this week is a girl, aged 13... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Guy Fawkes sacrificed on the Halloween altar My family and I took a welldeserved holiday last week.Well, for them it was well-deserved - I was just seeing if I could get through a week without upsetting anyone ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] FoI has edgy officers playing for time If you ask a county council officer the time, you're likely be told it will be treated as a Freedom of Information Act request and they will get back to ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Dead person's guide is the icing on the wake October 26 2008 Doctors are being told to put ice into patients' ears to check if they are dead. I kid you not, this is to be done as there have been a few ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Elite selection process persists at Oxbridge October 19 2008 If you haven't applied for entrance to Oxford and Cambridge Universities next year, by the time you are reading this, you are too late. Interviews are conducted for all universities but... (25/10/2008) [Read More] Travelling by train had us letting off steam October 12 2008 It was not so much a depressing Sunday as typical English disappointing. We decided to take young Lizzie to the London Aquarium by the old County Hall. Actually she had decided ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Carrie and co show up battle between sexes October 5 2008 Men are from Mars and women from Venus. Never is this more obvious than when watching films. This week I sat with the present Mrs Lowe through the mindnumbing epic Sex and ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Lilliputians picking up the tab for greedy Gullivers September 28 2008 Greed is good.You can't buck the market. Remember those phrases. They were mantras of the 1980s when we were all being told there was no such thing as society, the state ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] A rich football club is no legacy to be proud of September 21 2008 There was a time when those that became wildly rich would give something back to the community. These days they prefer to buy football clubs. Names that are second nature to us, ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Gnarled and wrinkled features (see above) - and proud of 'em September 14 2008 None of us like growing older. I for one am still amazed when I catch sight of myself in a shop window and momentarily think 'who's that old bloke' before ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Homeless don't count in our caring society September 7 2008 I grew up in a fairly ordinary village.We had our own dispossessed, disabled and inadequates. While the language used to describe them - village idiots, crippled and tramps - was harsher, ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Liberty forgotten in detention camp August 31 2008 There is something about barbed wire that should make every civilised person shudder. When it sits atop huge fences the analogy with wars and crude camps to incarcerate the victims is ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Blowing a fuse over soaring utility prices August 24 2008 I would like to tell Sid a thing or two if ever the chance arises. For those too young or too old to remember, Sid was the PR campaign used to ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Would you believe it? GUEST COLUMNIST: GARRICK ALDER A couple of years ago,we ran a story about an escaped boa constrictor that was living in the cavities of a block of flats ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Oldest job in the world needs modernising GUEST COLUMNIST SIMON HUTCHINSON: Channel flicking is a regular pastime of mine and something that I have excelled in while I wait for the rugby season to kick-off again ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] By George, let's give this holiday a miss August 3 2008 Call me an old curmudgeon but I just don't see the need for an extra Bank Holiday. I don't much see the need for half of those we have. I quite ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Time to bridge the common sense gap July 27 2008 The road to hell is paved with good intentions. This old proverb could have been written with this Government in mind. The idiocy of some of the health and safety laws ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Is it finally time to let the river run? July 20 2008 The sun shone and the hordes came. The 30th anniversary of the Bedford River Festival was a great success and is something we should all feel proud about. (You can ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] So wise so young they say do never live long July 13 2008 How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child. Which is what schoolteachers are likely to face when the new scheme for six-year-olds to study Shakespeare gets ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Have a break, have a Kit Kat at your peril July 6 2008 This week I was overwhelmed by a sense of nostalgia - not for my hair or Z cars but for chocolate. Now I have to say that I have never been ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] You can take the girl out of Beds on Sunday but June 29 2008 I arrived at Bedfordshire on Sunday almost exactly eight years ago fresh from a marriage break-up and needing a job to keep the wolves from the door... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Government care rules are simply indefensible June 29 2008 Pramodrai vyas has had a quadruple heart bypass. The pensioner suffers from angina, breathlessness and a stomach hernia... (07/01/2009) [Read More] If your face doesn't fit, join the rest online June 22 2008 It has long been accepted that when it comes to most things in life men are from Mars and women are from Venus ... (05/07/2008) [Read More] Crab-care concerned counsel compassion Last year while fishing in rock pools in northern Spain,we managed to catch an octopus. After much excitement from all the children and a growing gathering of onlookers, we put him into the rock pool ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Education riddle that all ends in tears At last, after all the propaganda, misinformation and prevarication, we can tell you that middle schools are likely to remain middle schools for the forseeable future ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Green lobby does not look ahead far enough June 1 2008 As we sat looking out at another cold,wet weekend the 'let's do something about global warming' lobby was coming up with its latest daft idea ... (31/05/2008) [Read More] A bundle of fun going to church - I don't think so May 25 2008 Apparently we who live on this sceptred isle are not a happy bunch anymore. Some figures suggest we are the most miserable in Europe ... (03/06/2008) [Read More] Just not the ticket from First Capital Connect All that is wrong with public transport in this country has been amply demonstrated to me in the last few days. We have just been to Paris on the Eurostar... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Dog days of council still ruled by dogma May 11 2008 Fly-tipping is on the increase. It is much more difficult to dispose of your rubbish at county council tidytips than it used to be. Is there a connection? ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] 'Indispensable' gadgets - destined for ebay May 4 2008 One of our staff has been boasting that he has just bought a three-second kettle. Yes it boils in three seconds - even if you watch it ... (23/05/2008) [Read More] Ludicrous policy of grime and punishment April 27 2008 Some time ago I warned about the impending bin police.Well they have arrived. Last week a householder in Cumbria was fined £225 for overfilling his wheelie bin ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] 'Ploddledygook' keeps cops from connecting April 20 2008 Police jargon has long been part of newspaper and stand-up comedy life. They have also tried to control the media and have been spin doctors long before the term was invented ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Why do we get public transport so wrong? April 13 2008 When we joined the EU, I knew there were going to be downsides. But the optimist in me thought there might be one or two upsides, including being able to learn ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] A pregnant pause may help families on welfare APRIL 6 2008: LIZ O'REILLY ON SUNDAY Is it just me or does anyone else think the world's gone a bit mad when a councillor is forced to resign for voicing an un- PC opinion that would ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Irate porter gives us Bank Holiday blues Mach 29 2008 A bank holiday trip to Cambridge aptly demonstrated that it is still England, their England. Once we oiks leave our suburban townships we are always in danger of our ignorance and ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Spiv bankers join us hacks in the gutter March 23 2008 Among distrusted professions journalists come pretty high up the list, along with lawyers and estate agents. It is time our position was usurped by bankers. Their profession has never been considered ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] County council had simply run its course March 16 2008 So it looks like it is all over bar the shouting.The decision most of us had been expecting finally arrived at the end of last week with the announcement that ... (14/03/2008) [Read More] What exactly were we fighting for, Harry? March 09 2008 It's a funny old world. Last week all the national newspapers were fawning to the Royal family in general and Prince Harry in particular as pictures showed him aiming his ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Take health warnings with a pinch of salt March 2 2008 The food police are out in action again.County council trading standards officers have been checking Chinese takeaways for their salt content... (01/03/2008) [Read More] What have women ever done for us? February 24 2008 Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me. This was a common schoolyard chant in my youth. Later on, words became weapons, particularly in the cause ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Amid the hysteria there is a worthwhile debate February 17 2008 Nothing gets the pulses of middle England racing quite like the words Sharia Law. While the white middle classes often quite fancy a bit of old-fashioned corporal and capital punishment, they ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Comprehensively let down by school system February 10 2008 I have been getting a bit of stick about my views on education. Many educationists, Left intellectuals and Labour party members feel my complaint about comprehensive schools failing is part of ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Lack of vision leaves us with a cultural doughnut Last week I took a casual stroll through the centre of Bedford on the way home from the pub. As I wandered down Silver Street, past Harpur Square and into Midland ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Progress on the horizon for John Bunyan Upper January 27 2008 To be brutal, the comprehensive system never worked for those who needed it most. As so often with Government plans to help those most in need, the middle classes managed somehow ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Capital-ist EU keeps us out of culture club January 20 2008 So Liverpool is the latest European capital of culture. Some might question the worth of such Euro-breast-beating. Still, it gives the city the chance to party, which is fine by me... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Movie violence must have effect off screen JANUARY 13 2008 Over christmas I watched a few films.Nothing very shocking there.Two, though,were quite shocking. A friend bought me Kill Bill, which I had so far managed to avoid and also the film ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] When christmas used to go with a bang January 6 2008 They're all just crackers. Like most other families across the country,we sat down to a traditional Christmas dinner. And with the dinner we had some crackers.They were very nice Christmas crackers, ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Battle lines drawn but post's future looks bleak There are moments in history when the world just rushes by, without even bothering to wave. The residue remains, like leftovers at a party. This is especially so when workers are ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Elderly have right to be treated with dignity LIZ O'REIILY COLUMN In the week before Christmas it would be lovely to produce a sweetness and light column wishing peace and goodwill to all men - which I undoubtedly do ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] St Pancras offers more than a brief encounter December 16 2007 There are some places in the world that are immediately recognisable simply by their name. Sydney Opera House,Taj Mahal, Empire State Building to name but three ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Give us competence and just a touch of morality December 9 2007 Beware the Messiah ought to be the message in politics. Unfortunately we seem to love them almost as much as we hate the poor normal Joe who has to pick up ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] I know sweet FA but at £1m a year I come cheap December 2 2007 Dear Mr Barwick, Chief Executive, Football Association, Soho Square. I would like to apply for the job of the England manager. I have little football knowledge but do have experience ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Get ready to vote for the Greatest Scam on Earth November 25 I have come up with an idea to make politics popular. To this end I am grateful to Tory leader David 'one is just an ordinary chap' Cameron... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Modern MPs tick all the same boxes (01/12/2007) [Read More] Ridiculous twin ties Bambergers belief November 4 2007 We have just been celebrating our birthday as twins.Bamberg and Bedford have been together for 30 years now and it does not seem a day too long ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Blame game is a thriving sport in GB October 28 2007 I am on the side of the fire service. Last week's exclusive story in this newspaper highlighted how firemen are not permitted to use their ladders to take down festival ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Now the cops join the county's list of no-hopers October 14 2007 What is it about Bedfordshire? It seems a pleasant enough county, relatively wealthy, with its fair share of intelligent, hardworking people ... (12/10/2007) [Read More] Parents: keep baby off the shop floor LIZ O'REILLY ON SUNDAY A supermarket in Manchester last week announced that several of its stores are to pilot a scheme whereby people who park in disabled and parent and child parking will get ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] It all turned out nice at gay couple's 'wedding' September 28 2007 I am not one for weddings as a rule. I did attend both of mine, which were not terribly grand affairs. Apart from those, I have generally avoided such occasions if ... (12/10/2007) [Read More] Shooting the messenger is more than just a game September 23 2007 I do not normally respond to critical letters.We have a go; they can have a go back. But county councillor Richard Stay's letter (see page 10) cannot go unanswered as he ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Qualifications - who needs 'em? September 16 2007 How we treat our youngsters and how they behave has most of us in a tizz at the moment ... (12/10/2007) [Read More] Power of goodbye against the pound September 9 2007 I don't very often give advice that is worth the taking so take note. It looks like the days of cheap credit are at an end. While there might be a period ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Luckily, not cool enough for cats September 2 2007 If you want to take in a stray cat then you will need to prove you have the right credentials. The Cat Protection League will only let you have one of ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Learning the lessons of re-written history If I asked you what the Israeli Government, the CIA, the National Rifle Association and the Church of Scientology had been up to, you would probably answer no good ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] The war on terror is too heavy handed Incidents of arbitrary power seem to go almost unnoticed these days. I give two examples. A friend of mine was travelling to the United States. For those not aware, the immigration procedures are ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Ex-MoD company's bosses follow Russian model for enrichment Giving away publicly-owned assets for next to nothing which then turn some people into millionaires sounds familiar ... (24/08/2007) [Read More] Chablis drinkers are losing the class war August 5 2007 Middle-class people who enjoy the good life and want to carry on enjoying it should avert their eyes from newspapers this week. Drinking wine can increase the risk of cancer, according ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Media deems North not as newsworthy July 29 2007 When on holiday I tend not to bother keeping up to date with the news. Not having to read, watch or hear of the latest disasters, Posh and Becks updates, political ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Fortnightly collections stink - and that's of ficial LIZ O'REILLY ON SUNDAY At last somebody in central government seems to be seeing sense over the imposition of fortnightly rubbish collections. Those who are stuck with them - half our readership - have long ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] The woman who cried 'help' makes me weep LIZ O'REILLY ON SUNDAY Yesterday I thought I would have a moan about lack of personal responsibility in society. It's a hobby horse of mine as anyone who's ever heard my drunken ramblings that 'it's ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] I have a message for cyclists - on yer bike Cyclists have been writing to me. They call themselves cyclists, because that denotes something more than people who ride a bike ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Words may alter but topic (ie girls) do not 24-June-2007: Every now and then, usually when there is nothing too serious to protest about, the youth of the day turn their attention to speaking a different language from their elders ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Don't get fooled by the new constitution June 17 2007 Just because you are paranoid it does not mean they are not out to get you. This Government seems to be interfering more and more with our daily lives ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] Motorists - don't they drive you crazy June 10 2007 I have been doing a fair bit of driving this week, so here are a few musings from a motorist determined to stay out of the bus lanes ... (19/06/2007) [Read More] Do you have issues with a 'duvet day'? June 3 2007 I do my best trying to keep up with today's business-speak. I sit in meetings with men and women younger, smarter and with more hair better coiffured, trying to keep in ... (07/01/2009) [Read More] 27 May 2007 - Act is the latest step in silencing the press Our freedoms are under threat. This is not an empty statement lightly thrown away. In the past few weeks worrying trends have been developing which show politicians and officers of ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 20 May 2007 - Slime balls stand no chance against the Snail Abolition Sisters As the rains fall and Mr Tony Blair retires,we have been combating our very own weapons of mass destruction. Molluscs have been entering our garden under the cover of downpours and ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 13 May 2007 - Wall of silence shames the Catholic church May 13 2007 Another day, another story about boys being abused by men of the cloth. This time the Church of England failed to act against a parish priest from Somerset who had indecently ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 5 May 2007 - Computer said no but we said yes to Frank First the good news. The results are not good enough for any party to start clamouring for a general election. So we will have a bit of peace and time ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 29 Apr 2007 - Weird science won't frazzle your brains April 29 2007 When cars and trains first made their appearance, it was mandatory for someone to walk in front of them with a red flag. This was not so much because they might ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 22 Apr 2007 - Lavatory or toilet - the future of the throne depends on it What do the Royal family, the Mayor Frank Branston and my old chemistry teacher have in common? You might think that but it's not what I mean. The answer is they ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 15 Apr 2007 - The key ingredients are speed and taste April 15 2007 The nation has been shocked to discover that the average Brit relies on four staple dishes for his dinner. Apparently we only eat spaghetti bolognese, sausage and mash, chilli con ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] A vote for NOTA is a vote for real choice 8 April 2007 The government missed the point. Perhaps they did not see it but much more likely did not want to see it. As psychologists would say, they are in denial. We ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 1 Apr 2007 - Where's moral chain for 'Rude Britannia'? Manners maketh man. Which seems to bode ill for the English variety at the moment.Much play is being made about how this country's children are more badly behaved and rude ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 25 Mar 2007 - The simplest solution to stopping this 'superbug' Gaynor Selby on Sunday Last week I was listening to a radio debate about MRSA within hospitals. It centered on what the NHS could do to banish this potential killer. Despite the millions which have ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 25 Mar 2007 - Make mine a large one - or maybe not Liz O'Reilly on Sunday At last the medical profession has caught up with a fact of life that many of us have known for years - alcohol is possibly the most dangerous drug of ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 18 Mar 2007 - Scientists prove it mums did know best At what point did you stop believing all those homilies your mum used to tell you when you were a child? It usually happened around about the time you realised ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 11 Mar 2007 - Election time and the winning's not easy Normally most councillors would sooner chew off their own foot than talk to BoS. There are some honourable exceptions, of course, but generally they view the press in general and ... (29/05/2007) [Read More] 4 Mar 2007 - Lack of new ground shames the county Over the last two weeks this newspaper has been looking at where Luton Town Football Club might relocate - as everyone knows it needs a new ground. Where it might be ... (07/09/2007) [Read More]	Steve Lowe writes for us every Sunday BLOGS & ARTICLES 04 January 2009 28 December 2008 21 December 2008 14 December 2008 07 December 2008 23 November 2008 16 November 2008 09 November 2008 02 November 2008 26 October 2008 19 October 2008 12 October 2008 05 October 2008 28 September 2008 21 September 2008 14 September 2008 07 September 2008 31 August 2008 24 August 2008 17 August 2008 10 August 2008 03 August 2008 27 July 2008 20 July 2008 13 July 2008 06 July 2008 29 June 2008 29 June 2008 22 June 2008 15 June 2008 08 June 2008 01 June 2008 25 May 2008 18 May 2008 11 May 2008 04 May 2008 27 April 2008 20 April 2008 13 April 2008 06 April 2008 30 March 2008 23 March 2008 16 March 2008 09 March 2008 02 March 2008 24 February 2008 17 February 2008 10 February 2008 03 February 2008 27 January 2008 20 January 2008 13 January 2008 06 January 2008 30 December 2007 23 December 2007 16 December 2007 09 December 2007 02 December 2007 25 November 2007 18 November 2007 11 November 2007 04 November 2007 28 October 2007 21 October 2007 14 October 2007 07 October 2007 30 September 2007 23 September 2007 16 September 2007 09 September 2007 02 September 2007 26 August 2007 19 August 2007 12 August 2007 05 August 2007 29 July 2007 22 July 2007 15 July 2007 08 July 2007 01 July 2007 24 June 2007 17 June 2007 10 June 2007 03 June 2007 27 May 2007 18 May 2007 13 May 2007 06 May 2007 29 April 2007 22 April 2007 15 April 2007 08 April 2007 01 April 2007 25 March 2007 25 March 2007 18 March 2007 11 March 2007 04 March 2007