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Time to bridge the common sense gapJuly 27 2008The 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Is it finally time to let the river run?July 20 2008The 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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So wise so young they say do never live longJuly 13 2008How 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Have a break, have a Kit Kat at your perilJuly 6 2008This 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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You can take the girl out of Beds on Sunday butJune 29 2008I 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...(02/08/2008)
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Government care rules are simply indefensibleJune 29 2008Pramodrai vyas has had a quadruple heart bypass. The pensioner suffers from angina, breathlessness and a stomach hernia...(02/08/2008)
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If your face doesn't fit, join the rest onlineJune 22 2008It 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)
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Crab-care concerned counsel compassionLast 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Education riddle that all ends in tearsAt 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Green lobby does not look ahead far enoughJune 1 2008As 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)
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A bundle of fun going to church - I don't think soMay 25 2008Apparently 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)
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Just not the ticket from First Capital ConnectAll 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... (02/08/2008)
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Dog days of council still ruled by dogmaMay 11 2008Fly-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? ... (02/08/2008)
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'Indispensable' gadgets - destined for ebayMay 4 2008One 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)
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Ludicrous policy of grime and punishmentApril 27 2008Some 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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'Ploddledygook' keeps cops from connectingApril 20 2008Police 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Why do we get public transport so wrong?April 13 2008When 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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A pregnant pause may help families on welfareAPRIL 6 2008: LIZ O'REILLY ON SUNDAYIs 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Irate porter gives us Bank Holiday bluesMach 29 2008A 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Spiv bankers join us hacks in the gutterMarch 23 2008Among 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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County council had simply run its courseMarch 16 2008So 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)
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What exactly were we fighting for, Harry?March 09 2008It'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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Take health warnings with a pinch of saltMarch 2 2008The food police are out in action again.County council trading standards officers have been checking Chinese takeaways for their salt content...(01/03/2008)
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What have women ever done for us?February 24 2008Sticks 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Amid the hysteria there is a worthwhile debateFebruary 17 2008Nothing 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Comprehensively let down by school systemFebruary 10 2008I 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Lack of vision leaves us with a cultural doughnutLast 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Progress on the horizon for John Bunyan UpperJanuary 27 2008To 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Capital-ist EU keeps us out of culture clubJanuary 20 2008So 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... (02/08/2008)
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Movie violence must have effect off screenJANUARY 13 2008Over 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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When christmas used to go with a bangJanuary 6 2008They'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, ... (02/08/2008)
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Battle lines drawn but post's future looks bleakThere 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Elderly have right to be treated with dignityLIZ O'REIILY COLUMNIn 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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St Pancras offers more than a brief encounterDecember 16 2007There 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Give us competence and just a touch of moralityDecember 9 2007Beware 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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I know sweet FA but at £1m a year I come cheapDecember 2 2007Dear 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Get ready to vote for the Greatest Scam on EarthNovember 25I 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...(02/08/2008)
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Ridiculous twin ties Bambergers beliefNovember 4 2007We 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Blame game is a thriving sport in GBOctober 28 2007I 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Now the cops join the county's list of no-hopersOctober 14 2007What is it about Bedfordshire? It seems a pleasant enough county, relatively wealthy, with its fair share of intelligent, hardworking people ... (12/10/2007)
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Parents: keep baby off the shop floorLIZ O'REILLY ON SUNDAYA 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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It all turned out nice at gay couple's 'wedding'September 28 2007I 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)
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Shooting the messenger is more than just a gameSeptember 23 2007I 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Qualifications - who needs 'em?September 16 2007How we treat our youngsters and how they behave has most of us in a tizz at the moment ... (12/10/2007)
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Power of goodbye against the poundSeptember 9 2007I 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Luckily, not cool enough for catsSeptember 2 2007If 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Learning the lessons of re-written historyIf 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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The war on terror is too heavy handedIncidents 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Ex-MoD company's bosses follow Russian model for enrichmentGiving away publicly-owned assets for next to nothing which then turn some people into millionaires sounds familiar ... (24/08/2007)
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Chablis drinkers are losing the class warAugust 5 2007Middle-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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Media deems North not as newsworthyJuly 29 2007When 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Fortnightly collections stink - and that's of ficialLIZ O'REILLY ON SUNDAYAt 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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The woman who cried 'help' makes me weepLIZ O'REILLY ON SUNDAYYesterday 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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I have a message for cyclists - on yer bikeCyclists have been writing to me. They call themselves cyclists, because that denotes something more than people who ride a bike ... (02/08/2008)
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Words may alter but topic (ie girls) do not24-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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Don't get fooled by the new constitutionJune 17 2007Just 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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Motorists - don't they drive you crazyJune 10 2007I 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)
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Do you have issues with a 'duvet day'?June 3 2007I 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 ... (02/08/2008)
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27 May 2007 - Act is the latest step in silencing the pressOur 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)
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20 May 2007 - Slime balls stand no chance against the Snail Abolition SistersAs 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)
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13 May 2007 - Wall of silence shames the Catholic churchMay 13 2007Another 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)
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5 May 2007 - Computer said no but we said yes to FrankFirst 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)
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29 Apr 2007 - Weird science won't frazzle your brainsApril 29 2007When 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)
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22 Apr 2007 - Lavatory or toilet - the future of the throne depends on itWhat 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)
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15 Apr 2007 - The key ingredients are speed and tasteApril 15 2007The 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)
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A vote for NOTA is a vote for real choice8 April 2007The 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)
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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)
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25 Mar 2007 - The simplest solution to stopping this 'superbug'Gaynor Selby on SundayLast 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)
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25 Mar 2007 - Make mine a large one - or maybe notLiz O'Reilly on SundayAt 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)
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18 Mar 2007 - Scientists prove it mums did know bestAt 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)
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11 Mar 2007 - Election time and the winning's not easyNormally 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)
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4 Mar 2007 - Lack of new ground shames the countyOver 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)
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 Steve Lowe writes for us every Sunday BLOGS & ARTICLES03 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 |
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