The queen of shops has spoken. And, without being rude, has not said much.
If most people had been asked what were the current problems with our High Streets they would have said things like parking, recession, high rents and rates and the Internet.
Our major towns in the county suffer these problems. Parking in Bedford is expensive and, on busy days, difficult to find.
There has been a welcome initiative to make it free for some periods over Christmas but for most of the year it adds considerably to the shopping bill and the time taken to do it.
In Luton on street parking is quite expensive, although more reasonable in the Mall.
The recession has never really gone away and looks like coming back with a vengeance.
So most people, excluding the present Mrs Lowe, are reining back on their spending, in case it gets worse before it gets better, or just gets worse.
High rents and rates is something councils and the Government can do something about but will be loathe to cut revenues as they are already under the financial cosh.
Back to the present Mrs Lowe.
She has decided that the Internet is the future and for the last six weeks delivery men have been beating their way to our door with packages and parcels.
The danger for shops is that once consumers get used to it, many will find it an easier way to shop and will prefer sitting in front of their computer to facing crowds and the cold and wet, laden down with shopping.
Personally, as I never know what I am going to buy, I prefer to wander round the shops with a slightly bemused look, as though I am not only unsure what I am doing but whether I should really be doing it.
Here good staff can be the key.
Friendly help and advice is much more encouraging than the bored, indifferent look I sometimes find staring back at me.
But there is a danger that should the economy ever pick up the trade will still not return to the High Streets.
It is not necessarily a problem for the retailers, as they are still selling the stuff but in a different, and quite possibly, more costeffective manner.
It is more to do with the look and feel of town centres.
One bright idea from Mary Portas concerns bringing markets back into towns.
Generally, though, it already happens around here and we have seen Christmas markets in Bedford over the last weekend.
There is a permanent daily market in the Mall in Luton and a weekly market each Thursday in Marsh Farm.
One problem with markets is quality. Some are good but some are not and few are up to the standard of our Continental neighbours.
Still it is worth building on and markets can definitely freshen up the town centre shopping experience.
One thing I have been moaning about in Bedford is that the town centre becomes a forbidding wasteland as soon as the sun sets.
Not even vampires visit, although the occasional hooded skate boarder drifts by. Shopping in the evening can be fun, let alone having a drink or bite to eat. A bit of vision is required.
And Ms Portas is also keen to get the communities involved in their town centres and High Streets. I agree with this but what are councils and councillors supposed to be if not the representatives of their communities? There is definitely a disconnect between the electors and elected at local level.
Perhaps there should be working parties set up with councillors and members of the public who are interested. Or even use the proposed urban parish councils.
But things have to happen or the only shops left will be talking shops.
For a closer look at Bedford High Street read our feature on pages 12 and 13.
