PLANS have been approved to turn a Broughton computer training centre into a home.

Planning officers backed the bid for the building at the Glenholm Centre, which housed a school until 1943.

up to 10 people could be employed if plans to create a coffee shop and office in Galashiels are approved.

The application at the former Beautique building in High Street is for part change of use and is expected to be decided by mid-September.

a former Hawick pub is set to be reopened as a takeaway.

Plans have been submitted for the Balmoral Bar premises in Langlands Road by Yannan Fei of Edinburgh.

The submission includes alterations to form a staff flat and, if approved, would create three jobs.

A decision by Scottish Borders Council is expected by the end of September.

TWO 12-year-old girls have been charged with vandalism at Tweedbank Primary School.

A children’s reporter will consider the case after it is believed the pair from the village came forward to admit the attack.

It is understood that damage from the incident,in which 27 wall panels at the new extension to the school were targeted, could be in excess of £3,000.

THIRLESTANE Castle is to host a concert in memory of Forbes Morton which will raise cash for the Margaret Kerr Unit appeal.

Forbes lost a short battle with duodenal cancer in November 2008 at the early age of 63. While he received wonderful palliative care at home, the family say they are aware that not everyone has, or wants that opportunity.

As a result, Forbes’ musical daughters, Jill, Claire and Tracy, will present Music to Make a Difference on Saturday, August 18.

The sisters agreed a concert would be a good way of raising money for the unit while giving them the opportunity to play music that was special to their dad, who was a huge support to them throughout their musical lives.

Sisters Jill, a pianist, and professional cellist Claire Davis will open the concert with baritone, the Rev Jamie Griggs,

The third sister, cellist Tracy Curle, will support them, with professional guitarists, Tim Rose and Andy Philip.

The programme will include music by Chopin, a movement from Rachmaninov’s cello sonata, Callanish by John Maxwell Geddes and Billy Mayerl’s Marigold.

The Margaret Kerr Unit will provide a variety of specialist care options to terminally ill patients in the Borders.

Music to Make a Difference begins at 7pm, and included in the £20 ticket price is a short tour of the castle, a welcome drink, and drinks and snacks at the interval.

Tickets for the concert are available by email to helen@blainslie.demon.co.uk, phone 01896 860605 or in person from Lauder Bakery.

HAWICK’s former cottage hospital could be turned into a residential complex, writes Kenny Paterson.

Borders College, which has a campus directly below the hospital site on Buccleuch Road, has re-submitted plans to partially demolish and alter the dilapidated B-listed building to provide 14 flats, while erecting another dwelling unit.

But local councillor George Turnbull 
feels the Victorian building, which is named on the Buildings at Risk Register, could have been saved if it had been marketed properly when the hospital closed in 2005.

He told TheSouthern: “It is an absolute disgrace that this beautiful building was allowed to fall into such disrepair by the local NHS and Borders College as this 
could have been converted into lovely houses.

“This property should have been on the market immediately after it was closed and the new community hospital opened. The market place was very buoyant at that 
time.

“Now, because of the poor condition, I suppose the most cost-effective proposal will be to demolish and have a cleared site to allow the proposed 14 houses.

“I think this is a fantastic development site and I hope it comes to fruition sooner than later.”

Hawick Cottage Hospital opened in 1885 at a cost of £1,399, raised by donations, subscriptions and fundraising.

It survived the construction of Borders General Hospital in 1988, though similar facilities in Galashiels and Selkirk closedg.

At its peak, in 1984, it dealt with 444 admissions, with a nursing staff of 35 plus 10 auxiliaries.

It was eventually shut when the £4.5 million community hospital was built in the town seven years ago.

Borders College subsequently bought the Buccleuch Road site to locate its new Hawick campus, and received planning permission to turn the hospital building into a 19-home development in May 
2007.

However, the latest planning application was submitted as no work had started at the hospital within five years of permission being granted.

It appeared Borders College was prepared to get rid of the building following a board meeting in February this year, until the latest planning bid was made this week.

On the afternoon of January 16, 1943, a New Zealand pilot was killed as his spitfire crashed into the Borders countryside, shortly after he took off from an East Lothian air base on a training flight.

The wreckage was discovered at the time by local residents near the site at Westruther near Greenlaw in Berwickshire, and investigators 69 years ago concluded there was only one person on board the fighter plane: Sergeant Malcolm Eric Edward Robertson of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

The 20-year-old pilot’s remains were then believed to have been interred at Craigton Cemetery in Glasgow.

But now police have been called in to solve a part of this almost 70-year-old mystery, after a voluntary group specialising in the excavation and recovery of World War II aircraft discovered more bones two weekends ago.

It is understood the Westruther site has long been of interest for aircraft enthusiasts, as the reason for the crash has never been fully explained.

Sgt Robertson had been on a routine training flight from RAF Drem, East Lothian: the base for 602 Squadron during the war, and an air defence fighter unit for the City of Edinburgh and the shipping around the Firth of Forth.

Now it seems not all of the Kiwi airman’s remains were collected and buried after the crash, or, less likely, he may not have been alone in the tragedy, as anthropologists and pathologists examining the find confirmed the bones are human.

Police said the identity of the remains are yet to be confirmed, and that the family of Sergeant Robertson had been informed. All RAF Spitfires were originally built with a single seat.

Officers from Lothian and Borders Police began a search on Friday last week for human remains on the crash site.

The team was assisted by anthropologists from Dundee University’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, who joined the search after pathologists confirmed that the bones were human.

Detective Superintendent Lesley Boal of Lothian and Borders Police said: “While the remains were recovered at the site where a World War II Spitfire crashed on January 16, 1943, we will not be able to confirm identity until specialist forensic testing has been 
carried out.

“Our primary objective is to safely and securely undertake a dignified recovery of any other human remains present at the previously excavated site.

“While we are unable to confirm identification at the moment, the next of kin of the deceased pilot have been contacted and we will continue to keep them updated.

“An initial report has been submitted to the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Team of Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service and we continue to liaise with the Ministry of Defence”.

Inspector Brian MacFarlane of Lothian and Borders Police added: “We’re in close contact with the family at this time and they’re fully aware of what we’re doing. We’re treating the scene with as much dignity as we can.”

In the high pressure atmosphere of World War Two, Sergeant Robertson’s story was all too common.

Large numbers of pilots died on training flights.

Ian Brown, assistant curator at the National Museum of Flight, explained: “In Scotland it was in the thousands in the six years of the Second World War alone, and over the whole of the UK it was tens of thousands – and that’s just training flights, not people being shot down by enemy aircraft.”

The detailed search and examination of the site in the Borders is now complete and tests will begin to identify the remains.

FIRE chiefs have put out a call for retained firefighters to help provide vital cover in three areas of the Borders.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service says staff are needed to man the engines in Newcastleton, Coldstream and Duns.

Retained – or part time – crews provide the majority of cover across the Borders. There are 12 fire stations across the Borders but only Galashiels and Hawick have full time, 24/7 crews and these two, too, have retained back up.

The emergency service – which has its operational HQ in Edinburgh – has confirmed it now recruiting for three locations in the Borders as well Livingston and Dunbar.

A spokeswoman for the service told us: “Our retained firefighters provide a vital service to the communities they live in, providing fire cover to smaller, often rural, towns within Lothian and Borders.

“Retained firefighters are not based in a fire station at all times, but may be at home or working locally as shopkeepers, plumbers, typists, builders – the list is endless.

“Working with a pager, when the call comes, a retained firefighter must be able to drop what they are doing and get to the fire station within minutes. Dealing with emergency incidents is vital and firefighters can often make a life-saving difference.

“But firefighters today have an equally important role within the area of community safety, in which retained firefighters are extensively involved. We recognise that the best way to fight fires is to prevent them ever starting.

“This aim is achieved in a variety of ways, but is primarily focused on educating and informing the public about how best they can reduce the risk of having a fire in their home. A firefighter is expected to support initiatives in youth and community groups. Another element of this community safety work is delivering home safety visits in local communities, advising people on potential hazards, how to minimise risks and fitting smoke alarms when necessary.”

The spokeswoman said applicants required an excellent level of fitness, must live within five minutes of one of their stations and be able to provide 
at least 80 hours of cover per week, ideally including weekday cover but also evenings and weekends.

Anyone interested can use the following link to apply for this post: www.mjs.jobs/frjobs

THIS year’s Selkirk Sessions music festival takes place on the weekend of October 5-7, featuring competitions and workshops in addition to the popular pub sessions.

Anyone interested in contributing ideas and, more importantly, offering assistance is welcome to attend an open meeting in the upstairs lounge of the Town Arms on Thursday at 8pm.

Chairman Davy Scott commented: “We have been running for a few years now and the work falls on the usual willing shoulders, so it would be nice if a few more people would come forward. Selkirk Sessions runs to a pretty standard format that works, but new ideas are always welcome.”

YETHOLM allotment holders officially open their £18,000 environmental regeneration scheme in the village tomorrow.

Annual £500 water bills prompted the 27 gardeners to start seeking eco-friendly solutions two years ago. Now, thanks to grants and an anonymous donor, they have a chipper, a rainwater catchment system and better storage.

Project leader Stan Brown, a plot holder for 10 years, said: “The new chipper/shredder allows us to recycle garden waste into useable compost within a year, eliminating the need for fires which were potentially a public nuisance, both from the smoke to surrounding neighbours and a fire hazard to nearby thatched houses.

“A new equipment shed has been built for the storage and repair of machinery and tools. The old dilapidated potting shed has been rebuilt and restored. And the site of the old ruined cottage has been cleared and houses a purpose-built rainwater catchment facility to augment the water supply collected from the new sheds.”

He told TheSouthern: “The improvements are of benefit to all the plot holders.

“The shed means we don’t have to carry our things backwards and forwards now and we are very pleased we can now collect and store our own water.”

A LEADING Borders farmer has lost a five-year environmental battle to improve a rough grassland field on his land because of the effect it will have on the bird population.

Tom Macfarlane had appealed against the decision to refuse him permission to drain, cultivate and re-seed the 25 hectare Raecleugh Bog at Flass Farm near Westruther in Berwickshire.

He had wanted to provide more improved grazing land at his farm which has 2,000 ewes and 3,000 cattle.

The decision had been taken by the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate after concerns were raised by Scottish Natural Heritage when the plan was first raised in 2007.

They identified an area of rush pasture within the field which in the interests of nature conservation they felt should be left unimproved.

An environment statement in July 2009 identified 74 plant species, 14 breeding bird species including 10 pairs of lapwing and a similar number of skylark.

The directorate carried out consultations and the responses raised a number of concerns, particularly about the effect on the lapwing population.

As a result, the directorate wrote to J & T F Macfarlane in November 2009 refusing consent and an appeal was lodged in February 2010.

A hearing and site visit by Michael Cunliffe, a reporter appointed by Scottish Ministers, took place in December 2011.

In his findings, he highlighted how Raecleuch Bog was a good breeding site and supports a significant lapwing population.

Mr Cunliffe said: “A research study near West Linton showed that converting unimproved grassland to improved is likely to lead to a large reduction in the Lapwing population.

“If that result were repeated at Raecleugh Bog, the eight to 10 pairs would be reduced to two.

“I therefore find that the proposed agricultural improvements would be likely to have a serious adverse effect on lapwing, a species of UK national conservation concern for which Raecleugh Bog is an important site at both the local and Scottish levels.”

He added: “I conclude that the proposals would have a significantly adverse effect on nature conservation, and particularly on lapwing, and that the agricultural and broader long-term environmental benefits do not outweigh this.

“The appeal therefore fails, and consent for draining and reseeding the area is refused.”

THE real work begins now, declared a trustee of The Haining after the Selkirk mansion picked up around £50,000 from an auction of the estate’s contents, writes Kenny Paterson.

The highlights of the 200-lot sale at McTear’s Auction Galleries in Glasgow last week included £19,000, raised by a Charles Oppenheimer painting. Overall, the auction of items, belonging to beneficiaries of the will of Haining owner Andrew Nimmo Smith, collected more than £100,000, of which The Haining received half.

Trustee Susan Edington said: “The auction was very successful. The Haining can now invest in a catering kitchen and, hopefully, will be open for weddings and events soon. Now the real work of The Haining begins and Mr Nimmo Smith’s vision as The Haining for arts and culture can really get under way.”

Mrs Edington confirmed that work on converting the carriage block into holiday flats – which it is hoped will provide income for the 160-acre estate by next autumn – begins next month.

Another lot to catch the eye of collectors who attended last Thursday’s one-off auction was an 18th-century marble console table which was purchased for £9,300 – nearly 10 times the original estimate. And a painting of the Deposition by Renaissance artist Vincenzo Corsi was snapped up for £3,400.

Eight paintings by Selkirk artist Tom Scott raised almost £11,500 – including £2,800 for his 100-year-old piece Dusk on Yarrow Road.

Other notable sales were two giant clam shells which went for £1,000 and 11 waterline model cruise liners, which were expected to raise up to £80, but were sold for £1,200.

The auction was filmed by the BBC for a documentary to be screened later this year, which will show behind-the-scenes footage of the auction process.

Brian Clements, of McTear’s, said: “There was an incredible turnout at the auction with fierce bidding for just about every lot.

“The Haining Charitable Trust, who are to receive half the proceeds from this auction, is doing some fantastic work and I am delighted that the sale has raised a significant sum to help in the creation of an important cultural centre in the Borders.”

GALASHIELS and Newcastleton were scrutinised by Beautiful Scotland judges on Tuesday, writes Kenny Paterson.

The two Borders communities are up for national prizes, and hope to follow the lead of Melrose.

The Roxburghshire town won the large village section of the competition in 2011, resulting in a nomination for this year’s Britain in Bloom contest – its judging team is due to visit Melrose this Tuesday.

In total, 50 groups from across the country have entered Beautiful Scotland this year, with each scored on horticultural achievement, sustainable development and biodiversity initiatives.

Marks are also earned for promotion of community involvement, recycling and the absence of litter, dog fouling, graffiti, fly-posting and 
weeds.

The recently elected Galashiels Community Council chairman, Ian Purvis, praised the work carried out by groups in the town to improve the environment and recreational facilities, including Gala in Bloom, who lead the Beautiful Scotland campaign for the medium town section.

He also noted Netherdale’s new 3G arena and the hard work of the Waverley Tenants Organisation in securing Big Lottery Funding for a new children’s play area in Langlee.

And Mr Purvis congratulated the group of volunteers, led by Johnny Gray and Drew Tulley, who have been sprucing up the gardens in Old Gala House, after Scottish Borders Council cut back on its maintenance of floral displays.

Other areas to be tended to have been Gala Policies, Langlee Woods and the local waterways.

Newcastleton is up for the Beautiful Scotland small village title, having previously claimed the same section and the overall Best Village in Scotland crown two years ago.

Newcastleton Floral Group’s success meant Copshaw qualified for Britain in Bloom last year, where it picked up a silver gilt award.

Newcastleton and Galashiels will find out on September 11 whether their efforts have been successful.

Helen Darvill, environmental quality coordinator at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We are thrilled that so many groups from across Scotland have entered this year, and hope that the judges are impressed during their visit.

“It is wonderful that we are able to acknowledge and reward the groups’ hard work, commitment, and dedication to improving their local areas for residents and visitors alike, by inviting them to attend the awards ceremony.”

A WARNING has been issued for more heavy rain across the Borders prompting fears of more flood, writes Bob Burgess.

The town centre of Jedburgh was badly hit around 8.30am Sunday when the Skiprunningburn burst its banks.

Around 30 properties were affected and two families are having to be temporarily re-housed. Mopping up operations are continuing,

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said : “Initial calls reported the water was three feet high but it receded quickly. No one was injured as a result of the rising water.”

Fire and ambulance crews were involved in the emergency response and Scottish Borders Council called in off duty staff to assist with the clean-up.

A number of roads throughout the Borders were closed or passable only with extreme care.

The Met Office has put parts of the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and South Lanarkshire on an amber flood alert.

Heavy rain is forecast until around 3am Tuesday posing a threat of more flooding.

Nigel Goody of SEPA said: “There is the potential for further local problems caused by surface water and small watercourses, depending where more rain falls.

“We are continuing to monitor all river levels and will issue further flood messages if appropriate.

“I would encourage people to check Floodline on 0845 988 1188 or online at www.sepa.org.uk”

BORDERERS have been urged not to forget to donate blood during the summer holidays.

The transfusion service is worried that the Olympics will also impact on life-saving supplies.

Frances Steel, who heads the drive to boost the number of donors, commented: “With people heading away for a well-earned holiday break, or simply enjoying all the sports available to watch on TV, our summer sessions will have less attendances.

“Our message is, please give before you go and keep our blood banks healthy for summer.”

The first of the August donor sessions in the Borders is on Sunday in the Town Hall at Jedburgh from 10.15am to 12.30pm and from 2 to 4pm.

Other sessions are Hawick High 
School on August 12 and 13; Volunteer Hall, Galashiels on August 19 and 20; 
and the Burgh Hall, Peebles, on 
August 26, with morning and 
afternoon sessions. New donors are welcome.

THE HOLM Show is the latest victim of the wet summer.

Organisers Liddesdale Agricultural Society announced the show’s cancellation on Saturday.

The popular event was to have taken place on the show field at Harrison & Hetherington’s Newcastleton auction mart on Saturday, August 25 as usual.

But in a statement at the weekend, the society said: “After a lot of thought and discussions the show has been cancelled this year due to waterlogged fields.

“We apologise but it is not possible due to the condition of the field. I am 
sure everyone will understand given 
the level of rain and poor summer weather.”

The traditional show is one of a long line of popular rural events which have fallen foul of the rain including the Great Yorkshire, Haddington, Dalkeith and St Boswells Shows.

The Holm Show has been cancelled only four times in its 119-year history, three times because of foot-and-mouth (1952, 1966, 2001) and in 1985, then too because of bad weather.

A MOTORCYCLIST has been charged with riding in excess of 120mph in the Borders – just three days after a national campaign aimed at cutting road speeds ended, writes Kenny Paterson.

The speed was quickest among the 1,837 motorists detected breaking limits during the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) crackdown.

The 35-year-old man was clocked last Wednesday afternoon on the A7 near Fountainhall by road policing officers and has been reported to the procurator fiscal.

Inspector Brian Jones, of the Borders Road Policing Branch, said: “It is very disappointing that only three days after the ACPOS national campaign, which addressed issues of inappropriate driving and excessive speed, and where 1,800-plus motorists were detected for speeding offences, that we in the Borders yet again see a rider of a motorcycle grossly exceeding the speed limit of 60mph.”

Mr Jones said that excessive speed and road collisions were inextricably linked, and addressing issues of speeding vehicles would continue to be core business for all road policing resources.

“This form of inappropriate driving behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated,” he said.

Among the drivers stopped during the ACPOS campaign – there were a further 62 motorists reported for driving dangerously or carelessly – was a 21-year-old man snared travelling at 114mph in Aberdeenshire. A woman was caught travelling in Edinburgh at 71mph in a 40mph limit zone with three children in the vehicle, and a man was detected at 95mph driving through roadworks on the M90 in Fife.

Chief Superintendent Derek Robertson, from Lothian and Borders Police, said: “I am shocked and dismayed at the level of speeding and inappropriate driving which my fellow officers have dealt with during the three days of the campaign.

“The links between excessive speed and collisions causing death or serious injury are clear, and those who flout the speed limits put themselves and others at risk.

“Almost 115,000 speeding offences were recorded in Scotland in 2010/11 which represents over a third of all motor vehicle offences.

“Speeding is dangerous, costly and unacceptable. This has only reaffirmed the intention to continue our focus on irresponsible drivers, to make sure speed limits are acknowledged and the roads made safer for everyone in Scotland.”

Speeding carries a minimum penalty of a £60 fine and three penalty points, while a conviction for dangerous driving can lead to a 12-month ban.

FLY-tippers have been warned they face a hefty fine or jail if they are taken to court and convicted.

The warning came from Scottish Borders Council after piles of unwanted household items were discovered in Duke Street, Galashiels, last month.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Lothian and Borders Police are investigating the incident, which took place on July 13/14.

Among the victims of the fly-tippers is Tweedbank resident Jason McGlasson. He was interviewed by police and SEPA officers, but not charged after a document with his name on it was found in the rubbish, which included chairs, tables, prams, beds and children’s tents.

Mr McGlasson told TheSouthern: “A photo of the document was posted on Facebook and myself and my family, including my dad Mike who runs a garage in Galashiels, were accused of fly-tipping.

“It’s really frustrating that I am tarred with this, despite having no involvement. The people responsible obviously have no regard for others or the upkeep of Galashiels.”

A spokesperson for SEPA confirmed: “We are currently investigating an incident of fly-tipping in Galashiels. The investigative process prevents us from making further details of 
an ongoing investigation available to avoid prejudicing the outcome.

“We are taking all necessary steps to ensure that Scotland’s environment is protected now and in the future, and will take any appropriate enforcement action necessary.”

Victoria Reeves, SEPA’s senior environment protection officer in Galashiels, said householders are still responsible for what happens to their waste – even when picked up by someone else.

She added: “Around 75 per cent of fly-tipped waste is from households, so people need to know what will be happening to it.

“Anyone hiring a contractor to deal with their waste is urged to check that they are registered with SEPA and that they will take the waste to an appropriately licensed site. We also recommend that people ensure they have written details of the waste that’s collected and where it will be taken.

“If your details are found in fly-tipped waste, officers will come to you for information, so it is important you can prove who removed it from your property and help us trace those responsible.”

Fly-tipping has previously affected communities across the Borders, most notably in May 2009 when 104 tyres were dumped near the A68 at Soutra.

Galashiels councillor Bill White, who was previously chairman of Gala In Bloom, added: “We have had problems with fly-tipping in Galashiels, particularly in Langlee, where items have been thrown on to the old railway line.

“I don’t understand why these people do this because these dumped items can be traced back to them. The council has had problems before, including the incident when tyres were dumped near the A68.

“I know there are costs involved for companies getting rid of rubbish, but why not just take it to a local landfill site?”

An SBC spokesman said the rubbish remains at Duke Street as it was dumped on private land, so was not the council’s responsibility.

He added: “If you suspect someone is fly-tipping, please report it to the Dumb Dumpers stopline on 0845 2 30 40 90 or report it online at www.dumbdumpers.org.

“Fly-tipping in any form is unacceptable and anyone caught can face fines of up to £40,000 or six months’ imprisonment.”

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “We are aware of the incident and investigations are ongoing.”

Anyone wishing to check whether someone is a registered waste carrier can do so at www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_regulation/waste_carriers_and_brokers/who_is_registered.aspx, or call the agency’s Galashiels office on 01896 754797.

ALMOST half of Borderers aged 16 to 24 were out of work in 2011, writes Kenny Paterson.

According to a Scottish Government employment report, only 51 per cent of the age bracket were employed during the last year, compared with 81.6 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 and 85.8 per cent of those aged 35 to 49.

Of Scotland’s 32 councils, 22 had a higher percentage of young people in jobs than the Borders.

John Lamont, Conservative MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, fears the impact of high numbers of jobless youths for the Borders’ economy.

He told TheSouthern: “We now face the prospect of having a lost generation in the Borders with so many of our young people finding it hard to get into the world of work.

“If urgent action is not taken to help them then it will only get more difficult for many of them to eventually make it on to the employment ladder.”

In March this year, Scottish Borders Council missed out on Scottish Government funding worth £9 million to tackle youth unemployment.

The Holyrood administration allotted the cash to help create jobs and training opportunities in Glasgow, North and South Lanarkshire, North and East Ayrshire, and Renfrewshire, as the six council areas were identified as having particular challenges.

Former councillor John Paton-Day then SBC children’s and young people’s champion, said at the time that he was “extremely worried” about the future of young Borderers.

However, Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, a Borders MP, argued that the UK Government had committed £1 billion to a Youth Contract Fund at the end of last year to help the country’s young people find work.

Although questioning how many of the 16 to 24 age bracket not in work were in education, he admitted the lack of opportunities in the region was a problem he often encountered.

“I am regularly approached at surgeries about this subject and there are real concerns from parents who want to see their children get a chance to start working,” said Mr Moore, who hosted a 60-delegate seminar on the issue in Hawick last year.

Councillor Stuart Bell, executive member for economic development at SBC, said businesses in the Borders must play their part in improving job opportunities for 16-to-24-year-olds.

He said: “We must ensure that businesses maximise the wider and longer term economic benefits and complementary activity includes specific business development support through the Business Gateway, business funding, promotion of the area as a location for inward investment, development of the skills and people that current and future employers will need.

“We remain concerned about employment opportunities for people aged 16 to 24.”

There were a number of other grim Borders statistics in the Scottish Government employment report.

It noted a fall of around five per cent in those working in the Borders from 55,800 (78 per cent) in 2008 to 52,600 (73.1 per cent) in 2011, although last year’s figure is 1,400 more than 2010’s.

The percentage of people underemployed, such as those in part-time work who are seeking full-time hours, rose by 2,500 people from six per cent in 2008 to 11 per cent in 2011, the highest increase in Scotland. Borderers economically inactive but willing to work jumped by 1,700 in the same period.

The same paper highlighted the loss of 3,300 construction jobs in the region over three years, the second biggest decrease in Scotland behind Edinburgh.

ORGANISERS described the weekend’s folk festival in Melrose as “a huge success”.

The three-day Rolling Hills Folk Festival in Melrose’s Corn Exchange started on Friday with a sell-out ceilidh. Sunday afternoon’s concert focusing on younger musicians was also full and although there were still seats available for Saturday’s event, those who went loved the music of established performers.

Festival co-organiser Ros Anderson said: “The festival was a huge success and the musicians got great feedback. People appreciated the mix of music and we got lots of compliments on the sound system, provided by the Music Gallery from Berwick. Charlie Coward was our compere and he was excellent.”

She continued: “We had a lot of visitors from overseas, quite a few Dutch and some Americans. They were just glowing about the festival music and the area. Quite a few of them were just starting on their holiday and it had put them in a great frame of mind, they said.”

The Rolling Hills Folk Club, which holds the festival, hopes to raise more money to stage next year’s musical extravaganza.

Mrs Anderson said: “We want to have more focused fundraising and we are exploring other financial support for next year.”

Friday night’s ceilidh doubled as a wedding party for Beth Scrimshaw, who was getting married on the Eildons the next day, and guests. Family and friends from Inverness, London and points between converged on the town, learning Scottish country dancing to music by the Clarty Cloot Band.

The Tannahill Weavers concluded their Scottish tour celebrating 40 years of music-making by headlining at the Melrose event on Saturday. Also playing that evening were traditional duo Alison McMorland and Geordie McIntyre as well as Cambridgeshire guitarist Phil Hare.

Mrs Anderson said people greatly enjoyed the Saturday concert. The music was excellent,” she said. “Phil Hare made a song up on the spot, an interesting spin on the Olympics which people loved.”

It was the turn of the younger ones on Sunday: the Feis Rios Trad Trails, Barluath (students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and traditional singer Scott Gardiner with guitarist Johnny Kemp.