Just a reminder that for a short while, we’ll be rewarding those of you who furnish us with the finest pictures of the feral shopping trolleys that you’ve spotted.

Snappers of the next five trolleys to be featured on our home page will win a copy of the highly-regarded The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification by Julian Montague, a book that some say is the first and last place to go if you want to see a load of abandoned shopping trolleys collected together in a book.

There’ll also be some Dolly Mixtures for the winner as well, solely because their name rhymes a bit with ‘trolley pictures’ – although we haven’t been out and bought them yet and aren’t entirely sure that you can still get them. Ah well.

Send your red-hot trolley shots to us at bitterwallet@gmail.com then sit back and see if you’ve got a prize coming to you. We’re waiting…

As you are probably aware, Bitterwallet’s main purpose is to show you pictures of feral trolleys in varying states of abandonment across the globe. For the most part, the pictures are sent in by you, our avid readers. Well now it’s time we gave something back.

In a flimsy attempt to increase our library of trolley pics and to see how many of you are prepared to go out in the cold in search of feral trolleys, we’re offering up a small prize for the best ones.

We’ve got five copies of The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification by Julian Montague, a tome that is widely regarded as the definitive work on its subject.

Send us your feral trolley pictures to bitterwallet@gmail.com and you could win a copy of the book, along with a bag of dolly mixtures. The suppliers of the next five pics that we feature on the site will nab these spectacular prizes. And yes, we’re aware it’s not as good as an iPad. Sorry.

On the testing matter of which is the best supermarket in the land, the good people have made their voice heard and the word is… Waitrose!

When we say ‘the people’ we really mean more than 13,000 members of Which? who have a spare tenner a month to spend on a subscription to the consumer advice service. So probably not a typical cross-section of society then.

But the Which? readers aren’t scared to slum it, and Aldi and Lidl both came out ahead of the big four of Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys and Tesco.

Here at Bitterwallet, we know that some of you like M&S but that some of you also like Netto. But which is best? There’s only one way to settle it – POLL!

A solitary baked bean, yesterday

Osama Bin Laden is back, back, BACK with a new brand single recorded message. Oddly though, he doesn’t take the opportunity in it to express his preference when it comes to baked beans. Bizarre stuff when you consider the fact that Which? magazine have just published the results of a poll regarding the matter.

In the big baked bean taste test, Branston came out of top, in spite of the fact that they trail behind Heinz (voted only fourth) in the sales stakes. Asda and Morrisons’ own brand both trumped Heinz to finish second and third respectively.

But we’ve got a bit of history with Which? and we’re not completely sure that we trust them, so we’re opening the question up to you, our avid readers. You’ve got until midnight to settle this once and for all…

We’ll try and get a quote from Bin Laden as the day progresses but we can’t promise anything.

When it comes to naming 2009’s best company, you, the Bitterwallet readership have spoken, and not in the loud booming voice we expected from you either.

The winner of yesterday’s vote was Amazon, which is no real surprise as the online retailer bagged almost as many nominations as every other company put together.

But what was surprising was how tight the result was in the end, with the plucky youngsters from Ebuyer coming a close second. Well done them.

Thanks for all the votes you cast and start training your keen eyes on good and bad customer service in preparation for the 2010 polls – they’ll be here before you know it.

We’re not ashamed to admit that this is a particularly moist piece of internet that you find yourself gawping at. We’re teary at what sits before you – the grand final of Bitterwallet’s inaugural Best Company In Britain award, the one that covers the year formerly known as 2009.

Following yesterday’s nail-grinding semi-final, Richer Sounds and John Lewis join Amazon and Ebuyer as the four companies you hate to hate. Or even love to not hate the most. Whatever.

So then, this is it – a rare moment of unbridled and unfettered posi-bloody-tivity among all the whining and grining (a word that we’re fairly sure we just made up!) that normally goes on around here.

You have until midnight tonight to cast your vote – it may not take you as long as that to make up your mind. But please, whatever you do, be careful. You’re messing with people’s feelings here.

Here’s the second semi-final of our Best Company In Britain 2009, and it’s turning out to be a slightly less passionate and more clinical event than its Worst Company counterpart from last month.

So, from yesterday’s first semi-final, we’ve established that Amazon are very popular with you all and that Ebuyer have a fair few fans out there as well – those two will line up in tomorrow’s final.

But who will be there with them? We honestly couldn’t say from the four companies you’ve got to choose from today – they all received a similar number of nominations and it’s just too close to call.

You’ve got until midnight tonight to cast your votes and we’ll see you back here tomorrow for the grand showdown. Bring your dinner.

From the crack team of statisticians who brought you Bitterwallet’s ‘Worst Company In Britain 2009′ saga comes its lighter, brighter cousin – the ‘Best Company In Britain 2009′ award.

Over the next couple of days we’ll reveal the top eight companies according to your nominations. Your votes will then shape the line-up of the grand final, the result of which, if the nominations are anything to go by, will be as overwhelming as Heather Mills McCartney in a Best Monoped Ex-Wife Of A Living Beatle vote. Still, eh?

You have until midnight tonight to comply with this survey and the top two will go through to the final. Good luck…

Just before you all bugger off for the weekend, a quick reminder that as well as the glamorous Nexus One competition, we’ve got some other ongoing reader interaction that is just as sexy. Well, almost. Well, probably nowhere near.

Anyway, we’re after your nominations for our humble little Best Company In Britain 2009 vote-a-thon, which launches soon. It’s a sweet-smelling counterpart to our fierce, snarling Worst Company In Britain 2009 contest that almost led to civil war around these parts.

So, in the little comments box below, tell us the company who gave you the deepest satisfaction over the past twelve months and a bit and why. Then, early next week, we’ll kick another (shorter, probably) bout of voting. Anyone for Royal Mail? Paypal? eBay? No…?

Right you ‘orrible lot. Ever since we ran our Worst Company in Britain 2009 competition, the pungent stench of negativity around these parts has been lodged in our nostrils like a fat crow in a robin’s nest. We reckon it’s time to think nice thoughts for a bit instead.

So, while the year gone by is still fresh in your memory and as a potential spoiler to the Oscars ™, we’re looking for your nominations for the Best Company In Britain 2009. We’re not expecting the strength of feeling that its ‘Worst’ equivalent provoked from you all but if there’s a company out there that consistently delivers the goods for you (literally as well as figuratively) we want to know who they are.

Stick their name and your reasons for nominating them in the comments box below and after the weekend, we’ll put it to a vote and see who comes out on top. And (blushes) yes, you CAN nominate HotUKDeals and Bitterwallet if you want to…

Here’s today’s round-up of the fresh sales both online and out there on Planet High Street.

Add any others that you’ve seen in the comments at the bottom and check out the listings from Wednesday and Tuesday for more links to bargains…

ARGOS: Never heard of them but their sale starts online on Christmas Day and in stores on Boxing Day. (thanks to bamyrich)

TOP MAN: Half price men’s clobber – online now. (thanks to Alex_Boosh_Hair)

THE BOOK PEOPLE: Loads of reading material, from only £1.00. (thanks to Rhys135)

IKEA: Sale now on instore apparently even though it’s officially scheduled to begin on Boxing Day. (thanks to umar_imtiaz)

USC: Those of you who believe it stands for Unbelievably Shite Clothes will be proved wrong when you check out their online sale. Or proved right. Depends. (thanks to aunny170)

DISNEY STORE: Online sale now well underway. May contain mild peril. (thanks to twoangels)

LOVEHONEY: It’s possibly illegal to list this under the Disney Store, but it’s adult sex toys and stuff. Sauce. (thanks to k2nwo)

HORNBY: It’s probably appropriate to list Hornby under Lovehoney but it’s train sets and not more Yankee Doodle hardware. Online sale on now. (thanks to zacota!)

DEBENHAMS: All sorts of tat, reduced online now and instore from Boxing Day. (thanks to magpieno1)

MARKS AND SPENCER: Sale on online now and instore from Boxing Day. (thanks to bigfra)

MATALAN: Up to 50% off stuff and that, instore NOW! (thanks to djdave01)

GIO-GOI: Crazy clothes for crazy guys and crazy gals – online sale on now. (thanks to edi)

TED BAKER: More threads at up to 70% off from the star of Cheers. No, wait, that was Ted Danson. Online now. (thanks to ish_badboy4life)

GAME: Games. Online. Now. (thanks to Bingohomer)

GAMEPLAY: More. Games. Online. Now. Big list of titles at HUKD. (thanks to NOSAJ19)

HILTON HOTELS: January 2010 sale is on now. Someone needs to have a word with them about false advertising. (thanks to dealauthority)

SAINSBURYS: Sale of home items on NOW! (thanks to amber34688)

B&Q: Half price sale on instore and online now. Plus there’s an extra 15% off when you spend £50 or more until 29^th December. (thanks to sanoob)

GAMESTATION: 50% off sale online now. Games. (thanks to SRPhoto)

MAPLIN: Sale starts online on Christmas Day and any customer placing an order over £39 will receive a 52-piece household tool and socket set worth £14.99 free. (thanks to andywedge)

FIGLEAVES: Up to 50% off now. Women’s underduds and that. (thanks to nickt100)

RED HOUSE BOOKS: Reading material for the kiddiewinkies from only £1.00. (thanks to Rhys135)

RICHER SOUNDS: TV and hi-fi stuff, sale starts 10am on Boxing Day. (thanks to losthour)

THE MENSWEAR SITE: Up to 80% off… menswear! (thanks to Paul)

BUYAGIFT: Makeovers, hampers, gifts and experiences with 25% off. (thanks to Graham)

For all you pre-Christmas bargain hunters, here’s another round-up of sales that have either kicked off over the last day or two or are starting soon, courtesy of HotUKDeals.

We came up with a similar list yesterday that you can find here – surely there’s something for everyone… if you’ve actually got any cash left.

If you come across any sales we haven’t listed, let us know in the comments box below.

NEXT: At least 50% off. Starts 7am Boxing Day. Take some kind of home-made weapon. (thanks to parisp)

HOUSE OF FRASER: Sale starts online at midday on Christmas Eve and instore on Boxing Day (thanks to amibees)

KICKERS: Up to 50% off footwear with a code available for further discounts (thanks to amibees)

TESCO DIRECT: Sale online now. Loads of lovely stuff (thanks to jaclec)

ADDITIONS, VERY, LITTLEWOODS & KAYS: Catalogue mayhem – sale starts on Christmas Eve (thanks to ianshona)

LLOYDS PHARMACY: Sale online now, instore from Boxing Day – 50%-75% off many items (thanks to spongemagic)

EARLY LEARNING CENTRE: Up to 50% off toys and that, online now, instore from Christmas Eve (thanks to Belly Noo Nah)

M&M DIRECT: Sadly not the sweets, but there’s a sale on online now (thanks to pooka)

VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Reduced flights for a time when the airports aren’t broken with snow and ice – online now (thanks to tammy26)

GETTHELABEL.COM: Erm, labels? Ah no, it’s clothing and stuff – sale on now (thanks to the porter)

ROCKET DOG: Shoes. Now. (thanks to andywedge)

FAT FACE: ‘Mammoth sale.’ No mammoths. Clothes, shoes etc a small consolation (thanks to andywedge)

It’s finally over. The Bitterwallet readership have spoken and the noise they are making is that Royal Mail is the Worst Company In Britain for 2009.

The Queen’s own postal service took more than a third of the vote in the end and there are many factors that led to this conclusion – a shoddy service provided by unmotivated and disinterested staff; further shoddiness caused by strikes; the price of stamps going up well above the rate of inflation; the fact (possibly untrue) that all posties knock off at midday and get to spend the rest of the day on the piss.

Either way, they’ve taken the crown from Setanta Sports and we’ll be delivering the esteemed golden turd trophy to the Royal Mail HQ in the New Year – possibly via an alternative courier company.

Thanks again to all of you who voted – we’re sure this result will be debated well into the early hours of Christmas Eve. Stick around over the holiday period as we’ll be looking for your nominations for the BEST Company In Britain 2009 over the next week or so.

As most of the major retailers start their Boxing Day and January sales ahead of Christmas these days, you need to be keen-eyed to catch them when they begin.

So, we’re going to try a bit of crowdsourcing and get you lot to tell us the sales that you’ve spotted, whether they be online or instore. Here are a few that have already cropped up on HotUKDeals…

Evans – big clothes for voluptuous ladies. The 50% off sale has started now online and will begin instore on Boxing Day (thanks to sazza2007)

River Island – smart clothes for trendy guys and gals and that. This one has also started online now and will creep into stores on Boxing Day. (thanks to SmokinMonkey)

Schuh – sale on now, with today as your last chance to order if you stand any hope of getting a pre-Christmas delivery. (thanks to naik9)

Tesco clothing – half price sale on now online, including winter coats. (thanks to meganxx)

Play.com – massive up-to-70%-off sale has started now.

Gamestation – games, UMD and Blu-ray films and more – started on Monday. (thanks to cozzb)

Gap – up to 50% off clothes and stuff right now. Instore only. (thanks to guppymh)

Wallis – more ladies clobber and jewels and trinkets – up to 50% off online now (thanks to sarahmoo)

BHS – sale on now with express shipping available if you order before 6pm on Tuesday. (thanks to aquaclaw)

John Lewis – a heads up for their clearance sale which begins online on Christmas Eve and instore from December 27^th (thanks to sanoob)

BooHoo – yet more women’s clothing items and feminine finery – sale on right now. (thanks to andywedge)

Cheapsmells.com – Cheap erm, smells. On now (thanks to speedski)

Body Shop – more cheap smells. Online sale underway now with the instore version kicking off on Boxing Day (thanks to Speedski)

Focus DIY – sale on now – 70% off bathroom suites and kitchen units plus much more (thanks to amibees)

Republic – smart clobber for men and women – online sale on now (thanks to anarchy_001)

Past Times – instore and online, up to 50% off old-type stuff (thanks to linxadu2)

Any others that you know about that have just started or are about to kick off? Let us know in the comments box below and we’ll update the list accordingly.