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August 17 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Lynne FaulknerThe quest to find Bedfordshire's sexiest politician continues to attract the electorate ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

August 10 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Ronnie BarkerSplendid news from Oxfordshire, celebrating one of Bedford's most famous sons. The late lamented comic Ronnie Barker has been immortalised by having a pub named after him (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

August 3 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Leaf-Cutter Bee. Photo by Tony MargiocchiLOCAL snapper Tony Margiocchi took the picture of the tiny Leaf-Cutter Bee. It made itself at home in his Brickhill wall for one night ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

July 27 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Travellers opposite Kempston Fire Station.Travellers have settled opposite Kempston Fire Station ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

July 20 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Fairground ride stuck on roundaboutREADER Richard Leadbetter pops in with a photo that appeals to my warped sense of irony (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

John Ball`s Diary - The county council celebrates 120 years just before its demiseThat great spender of our money,Bedfordshire County Council, is 120 years old next April ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

July 6 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Mayor Frank Branston cuts the ribbon on the refurbished Barclays in the High StreetHas our Mayor, Frank Branston, bought his own bank to protect all his money falling foul of the credit crunch? (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

June 29 2008

Fresh back from a press trip to Miami, reporter Garrick Alder crawls back into the newsroom (brown as a berry and severely jet lagged) with proof that ... (28/06/2008 13:04) Read More [Read More Balls]

June 22 2008

Reporter Keeley Knowles returns from her latest jaunt to France and after rummaging around in her bag for what feels like hours, she reveals a souvenir - a small chocolate ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More]

June 15 2008

John Ball`s Diary - The county council emblem hand-woven into the rug in the council chamberMrs Constant has put in an early request for the soon-to-beredundant county council rug, complete with logo ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

June 8 2008

Castle Ward Labour Party in Bedford has long since dropped its Christmas Party in favour of a 'winter social' ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

June 1 2008

THE county council proudly announces that next week is 'recycle week'. A shame that the local recycling facility, in Ravensden, used by the county council, went up in flames... (31/05/2008 13:55) Read More [Read More Balls]

May 25 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Caution John TerryThe European Champions League Cup final has hardly finished and this image arrives on my computer ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

May 18 2008

I am in Sainsbury's doing the weekly shop.Yes I would prefer to be sitting in my garden with a glass of something in my hand but ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

May 12 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Cone trick: Mayor Frank Branston, Ian Hardwick (Gallagher builders), Cllr Tom Wootton and Cllr Tricia TurnerThe Mayor of Bedford joins head honchos from Mid Beds and the county at a ceremony this morning to mark the opening of the realigned A6 to accommodate the Wixams development (23/05/2008 18:34) Read More [Read More Balls]

May 4 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Sombrero MenThe wild bunch was spotted in Kempston at the weekend. Either that or a new wave of immigrants - a Mexican wave - has reached our shores ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

This message arrives from Bedfordshire County Council today: 'Wootton library will be closed on Wednesday 7 May 2008. This is so that a new carpet can be ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

April 20 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Meerkats revealedAn email arrives today on the subject of the 'meerkats' featured in my diary last week ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

April 13 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Musical YouthThe climax of Bedfordshire County Council's youth concerts takes place this evening in the Bedford Corn Exchange with a performance of Verdi's Requiem ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

April 6 2008

The office no longer resounds to the sound of bad singing nor of telephone conversations so loud you can hear them outside the building. For Steve Lowe, esteemed ... (19/04/2008 14:34) Read More [Read More Balls]

March 30 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Poster barring Alistair Darling from the Cricketers ArmsA campaign has started to ban Alistair Darling from every pub in Britain after the chancellor's antipub budget upset landlords across the country ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

March 23 2008

John Ball`s Diary - River flood that caught out travellersSometimes the gods are just not on your side. These travellers seem to have found the perfect spot, in Cardington Road, Bedford, to have a rest and catch up on their ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

March 16 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Cyprus DelightsOne of our reporters,Keeley, returns from a trip to Cyprus. She brings us some confections, which is better than nothing, I suppose (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

March 09 2008

John Ball`s Diary - So good they named it twiceI AM watching the final of University Challenge.
Up until this moment, Sheffield University has been outstanding ... (08/03/2008 13:57) Read More [Read More Balls]

March 02 2008

Technology can be confusing for us all at some point. At a borough council's community and culture PRD meeting last Thursday the committee... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

February 24 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Celeb chef James MartinA CALL comes into the office today informing us that celeb chef James Martin is to visit Paris House restaurant at Woburn ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

February 17 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Student's waxed headThis Bedford student is offering the chance for passersby to wax any part of him. So far the public has only bothered with his head but there is no telling where this might end up. I am assured it is for rag week (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More]

February 10 2008

John Ball`s Diary - High-tech pyjamasA release pops into my in basket today telling me that hotel chain Travelodge is to trial the UK's first high-tech pyjamas (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

February 3 2008

John Ball`s Diary - For sale sign on a postboxResidents are wondering just how hard up the Royal Mail really is after the sign in our picture appeared on their local post box ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

January 27 2008

John Ball`s Diary - A Bentley cars calendar finds its way into a litter binMy deputy editor receives a large envelope in the post today ... (26/01/2008 15:47) Read More [Read More]

January 20 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Patrick HallThe trials and tribulations of being a Labour MP these last 12 months are obviously taking their toll ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

January 13 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Butcher's signThis particular sign outside the butchers on Bedford Road,Kempston begs the question of what made them so wild (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

January 6 2008

John Ball`s Diary - Mrs Ball on wash day?That dog being asked to sniff a suspect's underpants looks uncannily like Mrs Ball in similar circumstances on wash day ... (20/08/2008 00:00) Read More [Read More Balls]

December 30 2007

John Ball`s Diary - Tesco salesBargains at Tesco are not all they seem as you can buy two copies of Michael Palin's New Europe for a mere £20 - the question of why comes to mind - when individually they will cost a mammoth £9. (05/01/2008 12:19) Read More [Read More]

December 23 2007

John Ball`s Diary - Unexpected treat? A very early picture of a naked firemanAn email pops into my colleague's in-basket today with the subject line 'The naked fireman calendar 2008' ... (05/01/2008 12:19) Read More [Read More Balls]

December 16 2007

My editor gets a few emails as the crossword was taken out of the paper yesterday, due to shortage of space ... (05/01/2008 12:20) Read More [Read More Balls]

December 9 2007

John Ball`s Diary - Thurleigh Airfield The scene in the picture is not the latest 'Stop Thurleigh Airfield expansion' protest but someone might be hoping a few cars are on shoppers' Christmas lists .... (05/01/2008 12:20) Read More [Read More Balls]

December 2 2007

John Ball`s Diary - Sign for Bedford Hospital pointing the wrong wayMany thanks to reader Valerie Mead who calls in to tell me that my diary last week was one day out (i.e., it began on Monday november 20 although Monday was actually the 19th) ... (05/01/2008 12:20) Read More [Read More Balls]