The selfless actions of brave Borderers have been recognised by Police Scotland this week.

The annual Bravery and Meritorious Ceremony was held at Police Scotland College, Tulliallan, recognising acts of exceptional bravery by police officers, police staff, special constables and members of the public.

A total of 49 people were presented with awards at the ceremony on Tuesday, November 10.

Eyemouth’s Dean Mark was presented with the Chief Constable’s Bravery Award after he saved a man’s life at Eyemouth Harbour.

Dean is a volunteer for the Eyemouth Lifeboat Crew and in May this year he was alerted by pager to an incident at the harbour where a man had lost his footing and fallen into the water. Dean was staying nearby and ran towards the harbour where, upon arrival, he saw the man face down in the water.

Witnesses informed Dean that the male had been in the water for between 25 and 30 minutes. On hearing this and knowing the cold water temperature, Dean decided to jump in and swam to the man before bringing him back to the harbour wall ladder where witnesses assisted in getting the male out of the water. The male was breathing but his body temperature had dropped significantly. He was taken to hospital and made a full recovery.

Also among this year’s recipients were Colin Pringle of Makerstoun and Steven Emerson from Newton Don, who were each presented with a Chief Constable’s Meritorious Award after they rescued a canoeist from the River Tweed.

In the summer of 2014, two experienced canoeists got into trouble after they capsized on a stretch of rapids. One managed to scramble to the shore but the other was trapped by his canoe against a large rock and was unable to move due to the force of the water. On hearing the cries for help Colin and Stephen, who are employed as ghillies on the Makerstoun Estate near Kelso, quickly made their way to the riverbank to assist. They were both wearing waders and very aware of the depth and force of the water but on hearing that the canoeist had been trapped for around 40 minutes they decided to carry out an immediate rescue in order to prevent hypothermia. They both waded into the fast-flowing water and freed the man before helping him back to the safety of the riverbank.

Chief Superintendent Gillian Imery, Divisional Police Commander for Lothians and Borders, said: “The individual acts of these men were nothing short of exceptional and their awards are richly deserved.

“Each of these situations was extremely dangerous and involved huge personal risk. However, thanks to swift and decisive action, lives were saved and criminals captured.

“That is certainly worth recognising and I am delighted that in Police Scotland we have the opportunity to do that.

“I pass on my sincere congratulations to all this year’s recipients and hope their selfless actions go on to inspire others.”

Police Scotland are investigating damage caused by vandals at two primary schools in the region.

The two incidents at both Parkside Primary in Jedburgh and Earlston Primary happened last week and police in the Borders have been appealing for witnesses and investigating the two incidents.

It is believed that vandals caused a small roof fire at Parkside Primary, which was reported to emergency services at around 2:10am on Sunday, when a member of the public saw flames coming from the building. But damage was contained to the exterior.

A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: “Despite the fire in the early hours of Sunday morning, Parkside Primary School was able to open as usual on Monday morning.

“The council is supporting Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service with their inquiries and would urge anyone with information on the incident to contact the police.”

In a sepeate incident, graffiti was sprayed on a section of the perimiter wall at Earlston Primary School last Wednesday night. It is believed that the incident occurred sometime between 10pm on Wednesday 27th and 8:30am on Thursday 28th October.

Police are, again, appealing for any information from the public and are conducting enquiries in an effort to trace those responsible.

A spokesperson for Scottish Boorders Council added: “We will support Police Scotland in their enquiries and would appeal to anyone with any information on this incident to contact the police.”

Innerleithen’s St Ronan’s Silver Band won the Borders Entertainment Contest which was held in Langholm last weekend.

Conducted by Chris Bradley, they finished ahead of the other 16 sixteen bands.

The players were rewarded for their efforts with no less than three trophies – the overall prize of the Scottish Borders Trophy, the award for best Second Section Band and the Bicentenary Cup for the highest placed Borders band.

The Innerleithen musicians’ programme opened with “Home of Legends” by Paul Lovatt-Copper, following a classy opening from principal cornet player Ian Aitchison who began the piece in the auditorium as the band took to the stage.

Next the band featured flugelhorn soloist Jill Keddie with a rendition of “When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2. This was followed by Alan Fernie’s arrangement of the 1960s hit “MacArthur Park”. The final item was “Nightingale Dances” which showcased the band’s versatility with the entire solo cornet section swapping their normal instruments for mellow flugelhorn in the opening, before the mood changed and the piece came to an exciting finale.

The event was organised by the Scottish Borders Brass Band Association and Langholm Town Band.

Other results – overall – 4, Jedforest Instrumental; 7, Langholm Town; 8, Selkirk Silver; 12, Peebles Burgh; 13, Hawick Saxhorn. Best deportment, Langholm Town. Best percussion section, Jedforest Instrumental.

The photograph shows St Ronan’s bass player Ruairidh Allan receiving the Scottish Borders Trophy from adjudicator Richard Evans.

z St Ronan’s Band’s Christmas concert is on December 12 in the Memorial Hall, Innerleithen – tickets from Adam’s Bakery or the Thrift Shop (Innerleithen), and Robb’s Keystore (Peebles).

The Future Band will take part in the Scottish Youth Championships in Perth on November 21.

Lauderdale Community Choir presented “A Concert for Peace and Remembrance” at Earlston High School on Saturday evening.

The first half included Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace”, with the choir being supported by solo cellist Claire Davis and their accompanist, Claire Brennan. Additional items included original poetry on the theme of Remembrance by bass Arthur Parsons, and a new composition for solo cello called “With Hope” by music director James Robertson.

During “Benedictus”, a wreath was laid by Alistair Smith, chair of Lauderdale and Gala Water Ex-Services Association.

The second half was a more upbeat affair. Included were new arrangements of some old favourites (“White Cliffs of Dover”, “Imagine”) and two pieces by a string quartet comprising pupils from the school – Charlie Moore, Becky Farnish, George Stokes and Ed McVean. The choir also gave the first performance of a setting of “The Beatitudes”, composed by Claire Brennan.

The concert raised cash for Legion Scotland and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

It’s been another important and defining week for Scotland. At Westminster, the UK Government finally pushed the Scotland Bill through parliament.

It’s a mixed blessing. Like my Scottish National Party colleagues, I welcome any positive change which will give us further autonomy. The more we can do at a Scottish level, the more we can create our own solutions and empower our communities here in the Borders and elsewhere.

However, this is a deeply-flawed piece of legislation. It was intended to implement the findings of the Smith Commission in full.

But it’s an unsatisfactory patchwork of measures, with many key issues still to be resolved.

The Tories are spinning the line that this bill delivers fully on The Vow – the promise made by the three UK party leaders just before last year’s independence referendum to give the Scottish Parliament extensive new powers.

It doesn’t – and, what’s more, fully 91% of Scottish voters don’t believe it does. It falls woefully short of those pledges, and for government minsters to pretend otherwise is disingenuous.

Concessions have been made, but the amendments the SNP group put forward to make this legislation fit for purpose have been dismissed. For instance, we pressed for greater control over welfare and employment rights to come to Scotland, along with things like job creation powers.

This would have given us the ability to keep working and tax credits, which are currently set to be decimated by George Osborne and will affect some 5,300 children in my constituency alone.

Under the powers given to us in this bill, we may be able to mitigate the effects of these cuts, but it will be a complex and difficult process. Far better, surely, just to make it straightforward and let Holyrood take the decisions to start with.

The Tories are also forcing through Westminster a deeply-unpopular Trade Union Bill which threatens to eviscerate workers’ rights.

We pushed for employment and industrial relations law to come to Scotland too, but again the UK Government didn’t listen.

It’s deeply disappointing that ministers are taking such a dogmatic approach.

They should remember that at May’s election, the Conservatives won just 14.9% of the vote in Scotland and managed to get just one MP elected.

Even across the whole of the UK, they won power on just a total of 37% of the vote.

By contrast, the SNP took 50% of the vote share in Scotland, electing 56 MPs – a huge expression of popular will based on real enthusiasm for its vision, sound policies and commitment to social democracy.

It’s clear that the Scottish people want to go beyond Smith and The Vow. Before the referendum, we were promised respect and real powers if we voted No. That’s not happened.

We need imagination, clarity and a recognition of Scotland’s very distinct needs and wishes.

Instead, we’re heading for a mess, and an unworkable one at that.

We – and our democracy – deserve better than this.

Since I was re-elected in May, the main focus of my attention in parliament has been the Scotland Bill.

It might sound like a cliché, but I sincerely believe that its passage through the House of Commons was a truly historic event.

It will create the strongest possible Scottish Parliament within a strong and secure United Kingdom – exactly what the people of Scotland said they wanted in the independence referendum last year.

This bill has changed from its original incarnation, and I believe it has changed for the better.

We have taken steps to clarify how these powers can be used and we have been explicit in producing a bill that honours the Smith Agreement in spirit and in letter.

It may not always have been obvious, but, as with the Smith Agreement itself, there has been real consensus and co-operation throughout this process. Smith was the product of all five of Scotland’s main political parties sitting down around a table and agreeing the set of recommendations we are now turning into hard and fast reality.

Remember also, those recommendations were agreed and signed off by the SNP. They too are part-authors of this bill and their role, especially that of Deputy First Minister John Swinney, must be acknowledged and cannot be denied.

It is also worth saying that discussions about this legislation between the UK and Scottish governments – in which Mr Swinney has played an active and constructive role – have, in the main, been friendly and collaborative.

Of course we have had our differences, but I would like to place on record my gratitude for the way in which we have worked together.

This gives me hope for the future.

Now all of us who care about Scotland have to pull together and put our country, not our parties, first. That is why it is now time to move on from the constitutional wrangling and embark upon a new debate.

We now need to set out clearly how the new powers in the Scotland Bill should be used.

The next Scottish Government, which you will elect next May, will have the power to determine how much tax comes out of your pay packet, what proportion of that cash is spent on welfare and how it uses new levers to grow our economy.

That means all of Scotland’s political parties need to do the right thing, look voters in the eye and tell them precisely how they intend to spend their hard-earned money.

Ward 4 at the Borders General Hospital remains closed to admissions due to the confirmed presence of norovirus.

The situation is being managed by NHS Borders Infection Prevention and Control Team with support from frontline colleagues.

Evelyn Rodger, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Acute Services said: “I would like to thank the public for their co-operation in limiting visits to the hospital whilst norovirus is present.

“Over the weekend visitors to Ward 4 remain strongly discouraged, and the general advice is to stay away from any hospital ward if you or anyone in your family has experienced symptoms of diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the past 48 hours.”

Dr Ed James, Consultant Microbiologist said “Norovirus is one of the most common causes of diarrhoea and vomiting illness. It is very infectious and spreads quickly between people. This is why outbreaks happen in hospitals where a number of people are sharing facilities. However it doesn’t just occur in hospitals, and can start abruptly and spread quickly through communities.

“It is vital to protect yourselves and your loved ones from catching this unpleasant virus. Patients, visitors and staff can help minimise the spread by complying with instructions given by staff and paying attention to the signs at the entrances to the hospital and wards.”

This week, I am mostly yawning. The shorter days don’t help. As soon as it goes dark I feel like I should be under a blanket, all cosy. Which of course could, never, ever happen in real life, because real lives have husbands and children in them. Well, just the one husband. I’m not into origami.

I don’t know how women would cope with more than one husband. One, in my humble opinion, is enough. But I totally understand why some men have multiple wives. Why wouldn’t they? They would get 3, or 5, or 9 times more mollycoddling than a man with just the one wife. That would be man heaven.

The downside, of course, would be that - inevitably, because they are a man - they would do something silly/inappropriate/downright daft like men have a habit of doing occasionally (men, please note, I am being very generous here with the use of the word ‘occasionally’). And then they would have the wrath/nagging of 3, or 5, or 9 wives. And that’s a man nightmare.

Anyhoo, it’s like at the end of the year your body is telling you that you’ve managed to negotiate another set of seasons - wind, rain, sun, wind, rain, sun, more rain, more wind, frost, ice, more rain, snow, even more wind - and another year of family/work nonsense, and that now is the time to rest and gather your strength ready to do it all over again in January.

That’s what big, baggy jumpers and trousers are for, ladies. It’s the female equivalent of hibernation. I am sure that my systems shut down and everything goes on to ‘ticking over’ mode. I move more slowly, speak more slowly and go out less often. Like I said, a kind of hibernation.

And maybe Christmas - yes, it’s November now so we can all use the C-word - is not just a cynical marketing ploy by toy companies to fleece parents. Maybe Christmas is all part of this phantom hibernation vibe. It’s the time to lay down stocks and gain a few hundred pounds. Eat, drink and be merry so that you will have enough reserves to see you through the months of misery - January and February.

March sees spring flowers and a glimmer of milder weather. And you can occasionally shed a layer. Going out without your big winter coat on for the first time in a year is very liberating. Unless you’ve enjoyed your hibernation too much and now weigh a couple of stone more than you did in October. Ho hum.

This spring I’m really looking forward to going away in Georgina, our caravan. That’s if she survives the winter and doesn’t disintegrate into a pile of aluminium strips, rotten wood and fibreglass. She has also become more static and has wrapped up warm as she embraces her very own hibernation - the winter lay-up. She is sitting forlornly outside Shoogly Towers with a tarpaulin over her roof, lashed all around her, winter wheels on (old rims with old perished tyres) and any pipes or inlets mice could crawl in through blocked with plastic bags and duct tape. Sorted. I am sure like me, she’s waiting for March and the excitement of the first trip of the season. And I know now that, unlike me, she won’t have gained a single pound in her hibernation. Lucky Georgina.

A luxurious Victorian home in Peebles was among the regional winners of the Scottish Thistle Awards.

Kingsmuir House was named Most Hospitable B&B/Guest House at the Central South East regional finals the tourism awards.

Judges praised the Peebles property for its “outstanding online reviews”, its achievements in maintaining quality and the important role it plays in its community.

Malcolm Mullarkey of Kingsmuir House, said: “We are over the moon to collect the award. It makes me so proud that the quality, attention to detail and customer service we provide to all of our guests has been recognised.

“This has been an outstanding year for us and adding this award to what has already been a very successful year exemplifies our passion and commitment to strive to consistently exceed our customers’ expectations, whilst taking an innovative and proactive approach to customer care. It’s such an accolade for Kingsmuir House and for the Borders, especially the Royal Burgh of Peebles, to be recognised and rewarded in this way.”

Another Borders business, FishPal – Fish Scotland walked away the winner of the Scotland CAN DO Award for Innovation in Tourism. Commended on the numbers of users and bookings it has generated, judges described the site as a “great product, demonstrating excellent results.” Judges also commented on the hard work by FishPal- Fish Scotland to “provide its customers with the best service and the most up-to-date information, whilst building links with fisheries and other businesses.”

CEO Mark Cockburn said: “I am absolutely delighted and proud to have won the Scotland CAN DO Award for Innovation in Tourism for the Central South East region. It recognises the significant growth, customer service and success of our company as the Go To Fishing company for anglers visiting Scotland from the UK and across the globe to come fishing. A real team effort and thanks to all the business’s and beats in the Borders who have supported us in our journey so far.The final award of the night went to John Henderson of Born in the Borders, who took the title of Regional Ambassador.”

Winners will now go on to fly the flag for the Scottish Borders and the wider Central South East region at the national finals of the Scottish Thistle Awards at Edinburgh’s EICC in March next year.

The chairman of Scottish Borders Council’s watchdog scrutiny committee has defended his support for a probe into the tapestry controversy.

The local authority’s role in bringing a £6m new centre for the Great Tapestry of Scotland to Tweedbank has come in for heavy criticism this year.

After the scrutiny committee was split 3-3, Gavin Logan used his casting vote to back a motion calling for a working group of councillors to be set up “to examine the decision-making process in respect of the tapestry…and ascertain if there are any lessons which could be learned for future projects”.

The membership of that group and its terms of reference will be discussed and clarified when the committee meets on November 26.

Although the procurement process for the £6m building – to which SBC has committed £3.5m – is already under way, Councillor Logan believes an investigation is essential.

“It is important we scrutinise the whole process which led to the decision given the overwhelming public interest which this project has generated,” he said.

“It is perfectly in line with our remit to question key decisions by the council and address issues of local concern.”

The call for the working group probe came at scrutiny’s last meeting from Councillor Keith Cockburn (Con, Tweeddale East) and echoed a request from Ettrick and Yarrow Community Council.

“The public disquiet has focused around many issues,” said Mr Cockburn.

“These include the feasibility of the business plan, the lack of communication and consultation with the wider Borders public and whether or not the investigation of alternative sites was thorough enough.

“There is also confusion over whether or not there were alternative bidders outwith the Borders to host the tapestry and the amount of influence the tapestry’s trustees may have exerted over the council’s decisions.

“I recognise, respect and accept that a decision has been made at council and while I don’t want to prejudge what the working group may discover, it’s important to ascertain if there are any lessons to be learned for planning future projects.

“I hope this process can restore whatever faith the public has lost in the council due to this issue. None of us ever too old, too clever or too experienced to learn new lessons.”

Mr Cockburn survived a challenge from three scrutiny members representing SBC’s ruling administration – Alec Nicol (Lib Dem), Jim Torrance (SNP and Willie Archibald (NSP) – who wanted “no further action”.

But Messrs Cockburn and Logan found support from an unexpected quarter – the SNP’s Alastair Cranston – before the chair’s casting vote carried the motion.

People approaching their 50th birthday like to mark the occasion in their own special way, whether it’s a boozy party or a bungee jump.

Jackie Taylor wants to go back in time, and it’s going to be grim.

She explained: “When my family asked me what I would like to do to celebrate my 50th birthday there was only one answer ... go back to see where I was born, Aldershot in Hampshire, known as the home of the British Army.

“My dad, Staff Sergeant Ian Collins, and my mum Wilma moved around a lot with the army and I have never been back since I was born.

“My dad sadly died at only 48 and my mum has also since passed away, and I want to remember them by seeing where they brought me in to the world.

“Dad was a proud soldier for 22 years and, as he never got the chance to celebrate his 50th birthday, I want to celebrate mine by raising funds for The British Heart Foundation to honour his memory.

“I had a gloriously happy childhood growing up as an army child and wanted a challenge that was army themed.

“The Aldershot Grim Challenge is held on the army’s vehicle testing tracks, and incorporates eight miles of hills, trails, sand dunes, logs, bogs, railway tracks, cammo nets and lots and lots of water and mud.”

Jackie’s challenge takes place on Saturday, December 5, along with approximately 2,000 other runners.

She said: “My little personal trainer has been my grandson Oliver Tait.

“I have pushed his buggy several miles round Kelso, and, as his mummy pointed out, he has been getting progressively heavier and bigger to challenge me more as the months have gone on.”

If anyone would like to sponsor Jackie, forms will be available at Brown Newsagents or online at www.justgiving.com/jackie-taylor22

Independent butchers in our area have survived the supermarket surge of the past 40 years better than most other parts of the UK.

Significantly, those still in business have had to change, adapt and innovate to meet changing demand from customers. One example was brought home when chatting to a butcher. He said that 30 years ago he could sell meat from 13 or 14 lambs a week. Now it is three or four with much more of his trade in chicken and pork. It’s one thing to read that lamb consumption is declining steadily, another to find the local angle that it’s down two thirds.

Red meat retail sales in the UK were down 7.9% in England in the past year. In Scotland they were down 3.6%. A slower decline can only be cold comfort, but Quality Meat Scotland have suggested that many of the now-familiar products in butchers’ shops and supermarkets such as marinated chicken and lamb, sausages, burgers, and ready meals are not included in red meat sales. If they were, red meat sales would be shown as half as big again, so there is hope for livestock farmers.

It would be interesting to see a butcher’s window of 30 years ago with its basic cuts plus mince and sausages alongside the way meat is now displayed not only as cuts, but in marinated, curried, peppered, and many another inventive form. Some of that has been driven by supermarket ready meals and competition, but I like to think that much of it comes from high street butchers knowing their customers and talking to them. A friendly, interested, manner, willingness to cut meat to a customer’s specification and advice on how to cook it – if asked for - can still sell a lot of meat in a small town.

There have been other reminders that getting meat from farm to table is never easy and not only farmers and butchers have had to adapt. More than one meat company has gone bust recently deep in debt to auction marts. A bit like a gambler desperately going double or quits marts have continued to extend credit in spite of rumours in the forlorn hope that all will come good. With legal action here and there it is also clear that backhanders still play a part in the wheeling and dealing end of the meat trade, plus an obvious need for tighter financial control.

There is also the question of what part auction marts will continue to play in sale of animals for slaughter and consumption as opposed to sales of store lambs and calves between farms. Big meat processors are trying to impose penalties on finished cattle that have had more than three changes of farm in their lifetime and sales direct from farm to slaughterhouse are increasing. Harrison and Hetherington’s recent takeover of John Swan & Sons and their St Boswells and Wooler marts suggests that like farming one answer is to get bigger. Immediate action to change the colour of auctioneers’ coats to white has also been noted.

The Tweed fishery, worth an estimated £15m a year to the Borders economy, is bracing itself for another disappointing season of salmon catches.

With just over two weeks of the 2015 salmon fishing season remaining, a summer/autumn rod return of around 6,000 fish is predicted – on a par with 2014 but well below the annual average of around 11,000 taken over the same period in the previous five years.

“That the last two autumns have gone seriously ‘t..s up’ in comparative fishing terms is not in doubt, both coming in at about half the catch we have come to expect,” said Andrew Douglas-Home, a past chairman of the River Tweed Commissioners and the owner of the Lees beat near Coldstream.

The considered wisdom among the angling fraternity is that a lack of rainfall in the normally prolific salmon-running month of October has been a major factor in preventing the expected influx of salmon and grilse from the sea. But, according to beat reports, the recent heavy rain appears to have made little difference.

Writing on his tweedbeats website, Mr Douglas-Hume observed: “Water alone cannot produce more fresh fish running into the river and, last week, it most certainly did not.

“While some beats have done okay this year, even they will struggle to hit their five-year averages. Many others will not get to half their five-year averages and those who do will still be 30-40% down.”

Mr Douglas-Home said that to achieve a catch of over 10,000 fish in summer/autumn required a run of over 100,000.

“In neither 2014 or 2015 have we had anything like that,” he stated, admitting that the reasons remained a mystery.

“Maybe 2014 and 2015 have been poor because not enough smolts, for whatever reason, went to sea in the previous two years to produce the salmon and grilse [returning to the river for the first time] we have become accustomed to. We will never know.”

However, Mr Douglas-Hume distanced himself from the “doom mongers”.

“I refuse to join them simply because of two below-par autumn seasons on the Tweed,” he said.

“If you had been here as I was in 1967 when ulcerative dermal necrosis [UDN] struck, you would have seen the very worst, with every salmon in the river in April that year either dead or dying of the disease.

“You would have said that Tweed salmon fishing would never be the same again. I have no doubt the good times will come again, but we are in the process of change. It might take time to get there and it might not be quite the same.”

Beat returns on the FishTweed website indicate that 226 salmon and grilse were taken by rods in the last week of October.

Now that Bonfire Night has passed for another year it is perhaps a good opportunity to reflect on some issues relating to it and to fireworks in general.

Clearly, from a purely animal welfare point of view, it would be best if fireworks did not exist at all. From a human perspective events such as 5th November are great because of the amazing sights, sounds and smells associated with them. In addition retail sales and the production/distribution of them have become so important to the economy that asking for a total ban, or for organised displays only, is probably both unrealistic and naive.

Making it unlawful to set off fireworks, under any circumstances, outwith specified dates in the year could be a workable compromise between family fun and the well being of animals in general.

If this was implemented all pet owners would know that their animals will not be affected by the result of fireworks being let off, other than the date authorized. Unfortunately some people will choose to still set them off at other times but the key would need to be to make such an offence socially unacceptable since the effective policing of such a law would be difficult to enforce.

If pet owners, farmers etc can have faith that fireworks will only take place on the specified date it will have an enormous benefit for animal welfare. A whole range of provision can be made to limit the emotional impact that fireworks can inevitably cause. Animals that really do not cope well with the noise can, in certain circumstances, be moved to quieter locations for the night; be prescribed sedatives for the night; cats/rabbits etc can be brought in for the one night; various diffusers and tablets designed to lessen stress can be given from a few weeks before the date in question (most of these need to be introduced to the home two or three weeks before to be effective) and compression coats, to increase a feeling of security, can be put onto a dog if necessary. All of these measures require the actions to be focused on a particular date.

The problem we have is that the period of time that there are being set off is now around three weeks (two weeks before and one week after November 5). Shops can legally sell them from October 21.

Some motorists have still to get the message that parking in Melrose Abbey car park in winter is no longer free.

The profit-sharing pay-parking regime, run jointly by Scottish Borders Council and Historic Scotland and normally seasonally suspended between the end of October and Easter, is now operating all year round.

Margaret Henderson from Selkirk fell foul of the change last week when discovering a £10 fixed penalty notice had been slapped on her car after a short stay.

“I had no idea they had changed the rules and thought there must have been a mistake,” said Mrs Henderson.

“I only noticed the ticket when I got home. When I phoned the council to complain, I was told similar penalties had been issued to six other motorists last week alone. I was also told the sign at the car park had been adjusted, but it’s a pity there was no-one there to keep motorists right.”

A spokesperson for SBC confirmed: “The parking charges in Melrose Abbey car park are now all year round.

“This followed a request from local businesses who felt that short-term parking spaces were not available due to the use of the car park for long-term parking throughout the winter period.

“The proposals were approved by the Eildon Area Forum at its meeting on August 20 and were advertised in the local press as well as on on-site notices.

“The council’s webpage has now been updated and Facebook and Twitter messages will be issued to further publicise the change for the local community and visitors.”

In agreeing to amend the relevant Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) in August, the area forum heard that no objections or comments had been received.

Councillors heard that the costs of advertising the TRO, along with new signage, was £2,000. The discouragement of long-term parking has also had the support of Melrose Community Council.

Jeremy Corbyn is the best thing to have happened to the Labour Party. He is all about substance over style and policy over personality. Under Kezia Dugdale’s leadership, the Scottish Labour Party has autonomy. We need to not just talk about change but rather embrace that change and it’s great to see that this is happening.

This year’s Scottish Labour party conference took place in the beautiful historic town of Perth.

The overall theme of conference was “take a fresh look” at the Scottish Labour party and keynote speeches were delivered by Ian Murray, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Andrew Little, leader of the New Zealand party, Kezia Dugdale, leader of the Scottish Labour party and Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the UK Labour party.

Ian Murray gave a heart-warming story of a boy growing up in one of the most deprived areas of Edinburgh whose father passed away when he was aged nine and being the first person in his family to go to university.

In his own words, and by his own admission, he never expected to go to university or become an MP and emphasised that it is possible for someone to come from the same area as him and be the next First Minister or entrepreneur and echoed Kezia Dugdale’s previous comments about the state of education in Scotland and how more must be done to unlock the talent of tomorrow.

The New Zealand Labour leader Andrew Little spoke about the similarities between Scottish and New Zealand Labour in terms of heritage and culture but also spoke about the need to rebuild the party back after suffering a crushing defeat after a long period in government and emphasised the need to “change the party’s thinking in terms of culture and campaigning” in a proportional representation system somewhat similar to the one used in the Scottish Parliament election. As a Labour party member, activist and as someone hoping to stand in 2016, I welcome Andrew’s comments because in order for Scottish Labour to appeal to the voters in 2016 we need to not just talk about change but rather embrace that change and it’s great to see under Kezia’s leadership that its happening.

Kezia Dugdale echoed Andrew’s comments when she spoke about change and putting members at the heart of policy making in Scotland and having a bottom-up as opposed to a top-down decision making structure. Kezia Dugdale spoke with a strong passion and vision about the Scotland she wants to lead in 2016 but also acknowledged the “huge challenges” the party faces.

In her first speech to conference as Labour leader Kezia criticised the Scottish government and said that the difference between Scottish Labour and the SNP “is that our politics and policies don’t know barriers, we are not a nationalist but an internationalist party.”

Kezia also said: “The SNP government want to talk about the argument of the past because they can’t defend the threadbare record of the Scottish Government and we will talk about the future because Scotland is failing behind an the world is moving on”

Jeremy Corbyn gave an excellent speech and it’s fair to say that he is the best thing to have happened to the Labour Party. Fire in the belly is the best term to describe Jeremy Corbyn, who has a clear vision of how he will work with Kezia and emphasised that from now on it was “co-operation and not competition and any decisions affecting Scottish Labour and the people of Scotland would be taken by Scottish Labour. Scottish Labour being more autonomous and more member led is the way forward.”

This Scottish Labour conference took the bold and somewhat radical steps of holding a members’ day were contentious issues such as trident could be debated between members were a motion could be passed or rejected.

In regard to Trident the motion to not renew Trident was passed with an overwhelming 70% in favour and 30% against. Critics of the Labour party will say that this is a gimmick intent to entice people to come back to Labour but it’s more than that. Scottish Labour party believes actions speak louder than words, substance over style and policy over personality and that’s the real future of the Scottish Labour party as opposed to a party who have had eight years in power who are strong on rhetoric and weak on policy. We are not New Labour. We are not old Labour. We are Scottish Labour.

1Barrie Cunning is the secretary of the Ettrick, Roxburgh Berwickshire Constituency Labour Party

Scottish Borders Council convener Graham Garvie has sent a letter of support to the French Consul General in Edinburgh following the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday.

Mr Garvie stated: “On behalf of the people of the Scottish Borders, I write to express our sincerest condolences at the terrible attacks on the people of Paris last Friday.

“All of our hearts go out to the relatives and friends of those who died or who were seriously injured in these appalling acts against innocent folk.

“Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and all French people at this very sad time.”

Local SNP MP Calum Kerr is urging Borderers to make sure they’re getting the help and advice they need on staying warm and energy bills.

He is suggesting people get in touch with their energy suppliers to check their eligibility for support.

The Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP said this week: “It’s really important to be prepared for winter and I want everyone to understand the help which is available to them.

“Being energy efficient and keeping bills under control is really important, and the steps you can take to do this are really very simple.”

A range of schemes are available including the Warm Home Discount, which offers vulnerable customers a one-off reduction this winter of £140 off their energy bills.

Other potential help includes free or subsidised insulation and grants from the Scottish Gas Energy Trust.

Energy users can also take a number of steps to make sure their home stays warm and safe include sealing doors and windows properly, checking their boiler, making sure their water tank and pipes are sufficiently insulated and having a carbon monoxide alarm fitted.

Calum added: “It’s certainly worth checking to see if you qualify for support. Keeping warm over winter is absolutely vital and constituents may be entitled to extra help from the government and their energy supplier if they meet certain criteria.”

Christine McGourty, Managing Director of Scottish Gas, commented: “Winter can be a challenging time for households and many people will be concerned about their energy bill. There is help available and we urge customers to get in touch to find out what advice and support is on offer.”

Ward 4 at the Borders General Hospital has re-opened following recent cases of confirmed Norovirus.

One bay in Ward 4 remains closed as a precautionary measure. The situation continues to be managed by NHS Borders Infection Prevention and Control Team with support from frontline colleagues.

Evelyn Rodger, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Acute Services said: “Although the Borders General Hospital and our Community Hospitals currently have no ward closures this can change very quickly.

“In order to safeguard vulnerable patients and enable us to limit the spread of this highly infectious virus, we continue to ask members of the public to carefully consider their visits to the hospital, and that anyone who has experienced diahorrea and vomiting symptoms in the past 48 hours does not visit the hospital.

“I would like to thank the public for responding to the requests that we have made in relation to the recent outbreak over the past week.”

Dr Ed James, Consultant Microbiologist for NHS Borders said: “Norovirus is one of the most common causes of diarrhoea and vomiting illness. It is very infectious and spreads quickly between people.

“This is why outbreaks happen in hospitals where a number of people are sharing facilities. However it doesn’t just occur in hospitals, and can start abruptly and spread quickly through communities. The most effective way you can help to reduce spread is by hand washing after using the toilet and before preparing food.

“It is vital to protect yourselves and your loved ones from catching this unpleasant virus. In hospitals. patients, visitors and staff can help minimise the spread by complying with instructions given by staff and paying attention to the signs at the entrances to the hospital and wards.”

For further updates please visit www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk

A Borders teacher says that she is “gobsmacked” after her first book became a massive bestseller in China.

Claire McFall’s young adult novel, Ferryman, was already considered a success by its author, after it won a Scottish Children’s Book Award and was shortlisted for the Grampian Children’s Book Awards.

It was also long-listed for the Branford Boase Award and the UKLA (UK Literary Association) Book Awards, and nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

But nothing prepared Claire for what happened when the book was published in China in June this year.

Released in June 2015 in China by Baihuazhou Literature and Art Press, the book features in the Fiction Bestseller lists of Amazon China, as well as Dang Dang and Jingdong – the two largest online book retailers - among others.

After achieving a gargantuan 100,000 sales within its first four months of release, the book went on to spend three out of the four weeks in October in the country’s Fiction Top 10 list .

The novel follows the story of Dylan, a Glasgow teenager, as she survives an epic journey through the afterlife.

Claire wrote Ferryman while employed as a teacher at Lesmahagow High School – the school she had attended as a pupil.

She now teaches at Peebles High School in the Scottish Borders, and has continued to write in her spare time while she teaches.

She said that while she had always enjoyed books and writing as a youngster, as an adult, a moment of envy sparked the desire t be published.

“My brother-in-law published a book,” she says, “and I thought - well, why don’t I have a go at that? So I did.”

Claire is working on a sequel to Ferryman, and says that she has been gaining an insight into the tastes of her Chinese fans through the social media site Webo (Twitter being restricted in the country).

“Quite a few of my readers have got in touch with me and told me what they liked about the book,” she said, “and it’s interesting that Chinese readers seem to enjoy different aspects of the story compared to Scottish kids.

“I can’t believe how successful Ferryman has been in China.

“It’s incredible to think that something I wrote in my tiny flat in Peebles is being read and enjoyed by people on the other side of the world!

“The reviews from China have been overwhelmingly positive, it seems to have really tapped into an aspect of their culture.

“That’s a little bit bizarre, because it’s a very Scottish story, i thought.”

Claire went on to say that she was now working on a sequel to Ferryman, although she laughed: “I’m not trying to write specifically for my new Chinese readership -although maybe I should!”

She also says that some of her pupils - she teaches teenagers English - have read the book, and let her know what they think.

Claire’s latest novel, Black Cairn Point, was released in August 2015. It is a paranormal thriller set in southern Scotland.

A group of friends go on a camping trip that goes disastrously wrong and only one survives to tell the tale… but will anyone believe her?