please empty your brain below
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I'll tell you what we want, what we really really really want; KITTENS! and then MORE KITTENS!
amber | 16.07.18 - 7:05 a.m. | #
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Scott from Luton Who Still Has A Local Rivalry Chip On His Shoulder writes:
Yeah, Bedford is rubbish. BOO TO BEDFORD. (Although it's still better than Milton Keynes).
Scott | Homepage | 16.07.18 - 7:08 a.m. | #
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Not even a mention of the time that old London Routemasters used to run, painted in a very smart green and orange livery, in Bedford! I demand a refund! (cont p. 94)
Dominic H | 16.07.18 - 7:21 a.m. | #
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I get the feeling that either there were a lot of posts you deleted or someone e-mailed you directly, on the other hand, this could be DGs Id talking, especially after your trip to Paris and the recent freelance water festival in Bow that you only found out about on Twitter - how could the Bedford River Festival compete with that?
Still Anon | 16.07.18 - 7:25 a.m. | #
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Going to have to create my own Bus Stop M blog at this rate.
Incidentally, why is it only every two years...
Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 16.07.18 - 7:44 a.m. | #
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I think you post very interesting blogs, well written & varied. Keep up the good work!
John Davey | 16.07.18 - 7:50 a.m. | #
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Lacklustricity is in the eye of the beholder. Incidentally, I may have just invented a word, and it's not even 8am yet.
DavidC | 16.07.18 - 7:51 a.m. | #
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While it’s your blog, it’s true this reader would rather you posted less frequently now you’ve covered nearly all permanent attractions in London. I’d much rather hear about new things in London than your holidays or what you can see out the window of the 645 bus.
With the firehouse of the internet, any blogger should consider their focus, as their subscriber’s time is valuable
John B | 16.07.18 - 7:53 a.m. | #
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@John B
How could you?
I hope your arrogant comment was tongue in cheek. How long does it take to click on DG's page and decide whether that day's comment is of interest? 15 seconds?
If your comment was serious you should be ashamed, it is typical of those people who believe they are more important than everyone else and that their time is more precious, sadly an ever increasing proportion of the population.
Julian | 16.07.18 - 7:59 a.m. | #
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There's a one way footbridge in Bedford? Please tell us more.
Lorenzo | 16.07.18 - 8:00 a.m. | #
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It's your blog, so write about whatever you want.
I don't live in London and love when you write about London stuff. But I also appreciate the variety of personal & non-London topics you write about too.
Do I like *every* article you've ever written? No. But after many years of reading, I'd still be willing to pay a subscription to read your blog.
Jon Jones | 16.07.18 - 8:02 a.m. | #
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I'm a tad sad at this post DG. I really hope this is one of your more ironic efforts, but if someone's actually sent this email, I feel like the majority of readers will agree with me when they say that the sender is in a vocal minority. I for one appreciate the breadth of your blogging, regardless of content, and I'm sure most of your readership would agree!
Marco | 16.07.18 - 8:04 a.m. | #
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I was at school with Andy Reader, and he was a bigoted localist even then (assuming it's the same A. Reader). Just ignore him - I, for one, love a good (or even lacklustre) river festival.
Steve | 16.07.18 - 8:38 a.m. | #
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Please keep writing about Bedford. Or Birmingham. Or even Bow.
Colin Readman | 16.07.18 - 8:42 a.m. | #
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Au contraire Mr Reader ! Presumably DG's evil twin who found it a bit of a sweat visiting more things in Paris on a day trip than many of us would manage in a week - or perhaps disappointed because he really wanted that gold ring on the Pont d'Alma?
Jonalot | 16.07.18 - 8:51 a.m. | #
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Some more Seaside postcards would be nice. And KITTENS of course!
Leuconoe | 16.07.18 - 8:55 a.m. | #
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I didn’t criticise the Diamond Geezer. I have a lot of respect for the Diamond Geezer. Unfortunately there was a story that was done that was generally fine, but it didn’t put in what I said about the Diamond Geezer, and I said tremendous things. It’s called fake news.
A Reader | 16.07.18 - 9:00 a.m. | #
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No kittens please. I would have liked to read about the Bedford festival, as it was one of the reasons my Thameslink trains were so crowded on the weekend (the other being that they halved the usual frequency - which actually got the trains to run on time)
John | 16.07.18 - 9:01 a.m. | #
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Yay another vote for KITTENS. And there's a Thomas Hardy vintage bus afternoon coming up in Dorchester on 12 August ...
Debster | 16.07.18 - 9:03 a.m. | #
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Post whatever you want. Keep it up. Thanks
Tim m | 16.07.18 - 9:19 a.m. | #
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Think that comment came from close to home...I recognise the handwriting.
daveid76 | 16.07.18 - 9:25 a.m. | #
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The style of writing of "A Reader" seems strangely familiar to me. However, I would not recommend taking their advice.
Robas | 16.07.18 - 9:27 a.m. | #
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You have whetted my appetite for a detailed account of the Bedford River Festival. I hope we don't have to wait two years for that...
Bob L-S | 16.07.18 - 9:30 a.m. | #
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For a water festival before 2020, there's always next year's (biennial) Hythe Venetian Festival, on the Royal Military Canal. The scale of the craft is somewhat smaller, mind.
Man of Kent | 16.07.18 - 9:40 a.m. | #
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Whichever blog you post the river festival on, we'll read or skim it as we wish. Blogs trying to be relevant every day are lying to themselves and users, see Londonist for a relevant example.
Toby | 16.07.18 - 9:43 a.m. | #
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Thank you for writing about the biannual Bedford River Festival. More of this sort of thing please. Some of us like it just as much as (perhaps more than) the transport stuff.
(a reader, but not A Reader)
Andrew | 16.07.18 - 10:15 a.m. | #
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The pressure you have put on yourself to generate an interesting and informative blog post every day is far greater than A. Reader or the rest of us can manage. I have trouble generating one a month. Anyway, should get your comment figures back up.
south london lad | 16.07.18 - 10:19 a.m. | #
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Guaranteed to get the comment count up isn't it. Tee hee.
B | 16.07.18 - 10:20 a.m. | #
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"content"
shudder
Flanders Valhalla | 16.07.18 - 10:37 a.m. | #
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Even on days when I'm not particularly interested in the subject I still read the post from beginning to end, as there is always some gem hidden within.
That is the talent DG has for making his blog appeal to a wide range of readers.
Shame A. Reader couldn't see that.
Cornish Cockney | 16.07.18 - 11:04 a.m. | #
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Whoever wrote that letter, it does contain much of the sort of stuff that is sometimes found in these comments.
But I would be unimpressed if all the comments ever said was how great DG is. Even though that is the case, and it bears some repetition, an all-sugar comments page would be as unhealthy as an all-sugar diet.
Malcolm | 16.07.18 - 11:13 a.m. | #
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Personally i like that you roam far and wide and would particularly like it if you would re-visit Sutton Coldfield which was where i was born and you seemed to enjoy so much....
Milo | 16.07.18 - 11:20 a.m. | #
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Very good, especially as the moaning letter manages to cover all the attractions or "lack of" of the Bedford River Festival :-)
Mikey C | 16.07.18 - 11:59 a.m. | #
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It may not be London, but posts are always worth a read.
David | 16.07.18 - 12:02 p.m. | #
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One wonders if DG has at long last been offered a new job which may mean his jaunts to far flung places may now become more restricted.
Bob S | 16.07.18 - 12:18 p.m. | #
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The scope and breadth of DG’s creativity and imagination never ceases to impress. He richly deserves a Blog Booker Prize.
martin in canada | 16.07.18 - 12:31 p.m. | #
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I appreciate DG deleting the original post and replacing it immediately with a comment Mr. Reader must have kept in his drafts for years waiting for this very day. Congrats to both !
Kevin | 16.07.18 - 12:33 p.m. | #
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How dare you toddle off to exotic places like Paris and Bedford while I have to make do with my deadly dull Suffolk town. Yes I could visit those places if I wanted to but then I couldn't have a pointless whinge on the internet about other people's much more interesting lifestyles.
milliem | 16.07.18 - 1:09 p.m. | #
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This is DG's blog and as such, he can do as he pleases.
YDU | 16.07.18 - 1:52 p.m. | #
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You can fool some of the people some of the time but clearly there are people who are fooled all of the times you do this type of post
I Ron Y | 16.07.18 - 2:20 p.m. | #
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I found the Paris articles interesting, pity about the sewer visit. I hope in your absence that the burst pipe and hole in Fairfield Road have been fully sorted out.
As for Bedford, I went there once and that was one time to many. I couldn't even find enouth decent pubs for a real ale beer walk, even though the town has a brewery.
Ken F | 16.07.18 - 3:38 p.m. | #
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@Ken F
I had a friend who used to live in Bedford as he worked in the brewery, so I would visit there reasonably regularly for beer related entertainment.
Then they sacked him, which rather tarnished Bedford in my eyes, and I've never been back :-)
Mikey C | 16.07.18 - 3:43 p.m. | #
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Was this post inspired by your page view stats?
Steve | 16.07.18 - 3:44 p.m. | #
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As a regular reader with an identical first initial to today's hypothetical correspondent, I would personally have been quite happy to read about the Bedford festival; indeed, it was something to which I had considered heading myself until I concluded that travel from south of the river would be a bit too onerous, especially with Thameslink currently being such a horror show. Indeed, I enjoy these types of light travelogue-type posts as much as I enjoy the ones about obscure bus timetable features, faulty electronics displays at District Line stations or the continued absence of a London high-line.
Keep up the varied work!
Andrew Carpenter | 16.07.18 - 3:52 p.m. | #
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I enjoy the out of town posts equally, if not more, than some of the more arcane transport editions.
David | 16.07.18 - 4:00 p.m. | #
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I once wrote a positive blogpost about Bedford. It got 5 comments.
I later wrote a less positive blogpost about Bedford. It got 31 comments.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 16.07.18 - 4:01 p.m. | #
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Painfully accurate. I feel personally attacked.
Bus Stop M Superfan | 16.07.18 - 4:30 p.m. | #
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I came for the Olympics, I stayed for everything.
Philip | 16.07.18 - 5:26 p.m. | #
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More river festivals please! And canal festivals too!
Sarah | Homepage | 16.07.18 - 5:32 p.m. | #
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For some reason, the proxy service at work has started categorising this site as "Sex" and is blocking it.
Very odd. Not sure if it's some metadata your side, or if Websense has just decided it's had enough of Bus Stop M.
Brad | 16.07.18 - 6:50 p.m. | #
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Honestly, I do prefer your posts about transport however I don't mind reading about Paris, or a lost river in romford. I usually read your blog when im on the train or on the bus and no matter what it's about, I do like learning a bit about it. Obviously not everyone will like every post but at the end of the day it's your blog so write about what you want
Ethan | 16.07.18 - 8:07 p.m. | #
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Another thing to add is just because people don't comment, doesn't mean they don't like it. I doubt many of your readers know enough about Paris to comment but still read the post whereas a much higher percentage of your readers know about the DLR, for example, and so come up with ideas to share when you point out trains leave the screen 2 minutes in advance which most wouldn't have noticed
Ethan | 16.07.18 - 8:14 p.m. | #
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@DG @ 16:01
I wouldn't judge the value or quality or appreciation of your posts by the number of comments.
Jon Jones | 16.07.18 - 8:58 p.m. | #
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Dear DG,
I love your blog and check in on it almost every day. Sometimes, I suddenly realise several days have passed without a visit to your blog, and then I get even more excited to see what I have missed. I originally got to know your blog from your posts about London public transport, but I love that that isn't the only thing you blog about. Some days I read and appreciate a post about something else, and on all the other days, I just surf on to some other website. After all, I cannot dictate what you should blog about, and I'd much rather have you blog about different things you find interesting, than blogging about the same topic day after day after day. Keep up the good work, and I'll continue to check in on the blog every day for many years. Let those who fall behind when you blog about Paris fall behind – we're all much better off without them.
Thomas from Denmark | 16.07.18 - 9:05 p.m. | #
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I live in Bedford but avoid the River Festival, it's good for the town but can be a bit of a crush in the heat and is like a giant funfair. You should visit the Panacea Museum here.
Darren Eddy | 16.07.18 - 9:16 p.m. | #
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This is outstanding. Brian Johnston meets Miles Kington meets Barry Took, and then some.
“It’s always great to receive letters of thanks and apology from the public even if it is from individuals we have arrested…” – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-44847778
Rich G | Homepage | 16.07.18 - 11:36 p.m. | #
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Loved all your postings about Paris.
You must do a lot of pre-planning. I wonder if you have two plans, one for a fine day and one for a rainy day.
dg writes: I planned this particular trip on the train, after leaving the Channel Tunnel :)
johnd | 18.07.18 - 6:50 p.m. | #
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TO be honest I read most of your excursion posts while feeling like a spy spying on how so called normal people spend their leisure time. I don't understand the point of most excursions but I do realize that many people go on theese kinds of excursions as many of them are marketed as tourist and leasure attractions and they usually seem well-attended.
I realize that I'm biased by growing up in a really small place where I had forests and fields just outside my house even though it was in the middle of this tiny town, and I later lived in a small but not that small town were most houses in the central area were like 300-500 years old and where there were no heritage protection on 200-300 year old houses (I've actually seen someone take out an innner wall in a 18th centruy house using a chainsaw during reconstruction).
When I'm on vacation, I usually want to see more modern buildings, especially the brutalist ones in the former eastern bloc.
So I kind of understand the take of your reader who sent you that mail, but I see it from another point.
The reasons I started reading your blog were the railway, pulbic transit, infrastructure related posts and the occational mocking of people trying to bribe you to make your blog more of an infomercial. With the semi-recent amount of posts about other stuff I sometimes ask myself if you kind of caved in to the infomercialization attempts, or rather if you just got much more spare time.
MiaM | 19.07.18 - 7:38 p.m. | #
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