JOHN Paton-Day, recently deposed at the ballot box as one of three councillors for Leaderdale and Melrose on Scottish Borders Council, will begin a new role later this month – as a member of Earlston Community Council.

The professional artist, who represented the Lib Dems at Newtown, was one of 12 nominees for the 12 available places on the community council which will have its inaugural meeting at the Police Post on June 21 at 7pm.

Mr Paton-Day will be joined by Neville Barlow, Wilma Brennan, Thomas Burnham, Harry Cummings, Ronald Ford, Paul Goode, George Hardie, Michael Scott, Joy Snape, William Thom and Brian Thorburn.

ALL promotional signage for the Borders which is located at entry points into the region should be improved, it was agreed this week, writes Mark Entwistle.

The decision was taken at a recent meeting of Scottish Borders Council (SBC) executive, which discussed a presentation on local tourism development which had been given to the March meeting of the local authority’s scrutiny panel.

Scrutiny panel members had previously discussed tourism development in 2008. The March presentation came about after Innerleithen and District Community Council had requested that scrutiny panel members address concerns that tourism development in the region was at a low level.

These worries included a lack of signage for Borders on main tourist routes into Scotland; little publicity in tourist information centres outside the Borders; and little or no advertising of the region on television or radio outwith the Borders.

The presentation had looked at three main areas – the council and tourism; links to VisitScotland and industry and VisitScotland.

But it was signage in the Borders, especially at cross-border sites, that was raised as a major concern by scrutiny members, who were told that a signage audit was being undertaken.

Considerable comment had also been made on the level and quality of regional entry point tourist signs. In March, Paula McDonald, regional director for VisitScotland, had pointed out that the cross-border visitors centre at Southwaite on the M6 had the highest number of visitors of any visitor information centre and contained details of Borders attractions.

At the executive meeting, members agreed with the scrutiny recommendation that promotional signage at cross-border entry points on the A1, A7, A68, A72 and A703 had to be improved.

Executive members also heard that Ms McDonald had agreed that the lack of a 200-plus bed hotel was inhibiting the Borders when it came to attracting major events.

The Borders suffers from an acute shortage of visitor beds, which was hampering development of the local tourism sector which is worth £169million a year to the regional economy.

SBC executive also noted that there was close co-operation between businesses, the local authority and VisitScotland and welcomed the new management structure within VisitScotland.

In the last financial year, Scottish Borders Council bought £115,000-worth of services from VisitScotland, made up of a £68,000 contribution to tourist information centres and £47,000 for marketing.

In addition, £40,000 of the council’s economic development budget was spent on product development and exhibitions, with a further £50,000 spent on support of such events as the Tour of Britain bike race.

AS dawn broke over the Newcastle skyline on Tuesday, residents awoke to see the country’s largest set of Olympic Rings attached to the iconic Tyne Bridge – and it’s all thanks to a Kelso firm.

It was on Monday evening that a team from Signmaster, based at Kelso’s Pinnaclehill Industrial Estate, together with aerial specialists, scaled the giant structure to finish attaching the set of giant rings to the bridge.

Company staff had been sworn to secrecy since November, as they laboured over a project that involved designing, manufacturing, painting, transporting and then erecting what are the largest metal Olympic rings in the UK.

Bad weather at the end of last week delayed the completion of the erection of the rings by several days, but Signmaster director Stuart Horsburgh told TheSouthern he is delighted with the result.

“The rings look incredible. This was a real team effort by everyone at Signmaster and we are all justifiably proud to have been involved with such a prestigious project,” he said.

Signmaster was approached by Newcastle City Council last year, but by the time all the necessary permissions and consents were finalised, the company only had a 12-week window to manufacture and erect the rings.

“At the 2000 Olympics in Australia, the Sydney Bridge had a set of rings attached to it. That bridge is a direct copy of the Tyne Bridge, just three times larger,” explained Mr Horsburgh.

“So we looked at duplicating what was done there, albeit on a smaller scale. But our set of rings is still 25m wide and 12m high, and weighs a total of four tons.

In fact, the rings are so large, that when assembled for the first time, it could not be done inside Signmaster’s premises and they had to be put together in the adjacent carpark.

Mr Horsburgh explained: “Because the Tyne Bridge is classed as both a historic monument and a listed building, non-destructive fixings in the form of compression brackets were used to attach the rings to the bridge superstructure.

“Attaching them to the bridge was the trickiest part of the project, as it was 125ft from the river below to the bottom of the rings.”

Work started on site last Wednesday, but had to be halted twice because of bad weather and when traffic flow was too heavy.

The last sections were secured in place in the early hours of Tuesday morning, after Mr Horsburgh and his 16-strong team from Kelso worked throughout the night to get the job finished.

A special hoisting company was engaged which used compressed air winches to drag the rings up the side of the bridge to their fixing points.

This Saturday will see the official switch-on of the floodlights which will illuminate the rings when the Olympic torch arrives at the bridge by zip wire in a spectacular ceremony.

Once the games are over, the rings will be removed and dismantled and shipped to Brazil as a gift from Newcastle to the next Olympics host city, Rio De Janeiro.

Mr Horsburgh added: “There is, rightly, a huge sense of pride among all the staff at Signmaster at what they have accomplished. We created a very special version of a very famous logo, and attached it to one of the country’s most iconic structures.

“It’s great promotion, not just for us as a company, but for Kelso and the Borders, showing what businesses in this region are capable of.”

MORE than 9,000 Borders residents quizzed on their experiences of GP and local NHS services said they are happy with the level of accessibility and care offered in local GP practices.

The postal survey was carried out as part of Better Together, Scotland’s National Patient Experience Programme. Its aim was to gather patients’ views on their GP practice in each health board area.

Those in the Borders who filled in the questionnaire were all registered with a GP practice, and the questions covered topics including making an appointment, visiting the GP surgery, seeing healthcare staff, being prescribed medicines and the overall care provided by the practice.

Other questions also asked about patients’ experiences of referrals to other health professionals, out-of-hours healthcare, and outcomes from NHS treatment.

The majority of those surveyed had good experiences when it came to accessing their local GP practice. Patients were positive about their wait for an appointment with a doctor or nurse, the information provided to them about their condition and treatment, their involvement in decisions made about treatment and the medications they received.

Sheena Wright, NHS Borders’ head of nursing and midwifery, said the results of the questionnaire provided valuable information about services from the people who mattered most – the patients.

“As well as positive feedback, the results also indicate areas where we can do better and this is vital if we are to continue to improve and offer our patients the highest standards of care possible,” she said.

Some of the overall results for NHS Borders GP practices showed:

100% of patients were positive about the cleanliness of their GP practice.

89% found it was easy to get through to the practice on the phone and 95% felt the person answering the phone was helpful.

86% were positive about being able to see or speak to a doctor or nurse within two working days and 85% were positive about being able to book a doctor’s appointment three or more working days in advance.

95% were positive about the helpfulness of the receptionists.

89% were positive about the time waiting to be seen at the GP practice.

97% were positive about the doctor listening to them, while 92% were positive about having enough time with the doctor.

93% were positive about the doctor talking in a way that helped them to understand their condition and treatment.

95% were positive about the nurse listening to them, while 96% were positive about having enough time with the nurse.

98% were positive about the information provided about how and when to take their medicines and 97% knew enough about what their medicines are for.

98% found it easy enough for them to get their medicines and 98% took their prescription as they were supposed to.

92% were positive about knowing what to do if they have any problems with their medicines.

92% were positive about being treated with dignity and respect.

91% were positive about being involved as much as they want to be in decisions about their care and treatment.

72% were positive about the time they waited for out-of-hours care, while 75% were positive that the person seeing them had all the information they needed to treat them.

The pick of the finest pipe bands from across south-east and central Scotland, including the current Grade 4 world champions, will descend on Victoria Park, Innerleithen, this Saturday.

The occasion is the Innerleithen Pipe Band Championships, now in its 11th year and organised by St Ronan’s Piping Society.

More than 20 bands have confirmed they will take part in the event which begins with a parade, starting at 11am, when this year’s chieftain, Jim Docherty, is piped along High Street to Victoria Park to officially open the championships. The day will conclude at 5pm with a march of massed bands along High Street.

Society president Bruce Hamilton told us: “Despite a slight hiccup, when the wrong dates were published on the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association website, the response for this year’s contest has been absolutely amazing and I am delighted that 2011 Grade 4 world champions, Scottish Borders, will be competing.

Mr Hamilton said the choice of chieftain was “a fitting tribute” to Mr Docherty.

“Jim is a much-loved local man who has played a major part in the organisation of this contest since its inception,” he told us. “I am sure it will give him particular pleasure to watch his son Robert performing with our local band Tweedvale.”

The contest will be a highlight of a very busy week for Innerleithen.

Apart from today’s visit by the Olympic torch, thousands are expected to descend on the town for the four-day European Downhill Mountainbiking Championships which also starts today at the nearby 7Stanes course.

The pipe band contest begins at noon and features competition in the following categories: Novice Juvenile, Grade 4, Grade 3 and Grade 2; a Grade 4 March, Strathspey and Reel competition, and a senior and junior Drum Major contest.

Trophies and prize money worth in excess of £2,000 will later be presented by Mr Docherty.

For more information, contact Bruce Hamilton on 01896 833557 (07777 642819 mobile) or email piperhammy@yahoo.co.uk

A SENIOR police officer in Hawick has praised the “positive behaviour from members of the public” during the town’s common riding last weekend.

Inspector Carol Wood said: “It was pleasing to see there was no disorder during the common riding and I would like to thank all those in attendance for following the guidance of police and stewards to ensure a safe and enjoyable event.

“I would also like to thank the organisers and our partner agencies who have worked tirelessly to ensure the event was a success.”

SUPERMARKET giant Sainsbury’s has allocated funding of £50,000 to enhance Kelso town centre as part of its commitment to the local community.

The company, which opened its store in Kelso in the autumn, has donated the cash to fund a grant support scheme for repairs and enhancement to the frontages of commercial properties in the town centre, with particular priority to be given to shop fronts for retailers.

Local Sainsbury’s store manager, Sharon Matthews, told us: “We aim for our stores to be at the heart of the communities they serve.

“We try to make a positive difference to the area, so I hope local retailers and town centre businesses take the opportunity to apply for funding.”

Chair of Future Kelso, Councillor Alec Nicol, added: “In these difficult economic times we are grateful for the financial support from Sainsbury’s.

“This Shop Front Improvement Grant Scheme, along with the various works programmed as part of the Kelso Townscape Heritage Initiative will greatly improve the visual appearance of the town centre.”

The scheme will be administered by Scottish Borders Council (SBC), with grants up to 80 per cent of eligible costs available.

The minimum grant will be £500, up to a maximum of £3,000 per property. Round one of the grant assessments ended last week. The deadline for round two is August 31, with round three closing on April 12, 2013.

THE combined clergy of Tweeddale will be holding an ecumenical Thanksgiving Service for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in the Old Parish Church, Peebles, on Sunday, July 1 – the start of Royal Week in Scotland.

Followers of all faiths and none in the lieutenancy are warmly invited to assemble in the Quadrangle of The Chambers Institution at 3.15pm before walking in procession down High Street to the Kirk for the service which begins at 3.30pm.

Those who do not wish to process should go straight to the church where there is alternative access by ramp.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Tweeddale, Captain David Younger, and the clergy have expressed a strong hope that as many people as possible, both young and old, will come to pay tribute to The Queen’s “exceptional contribution” to the life of the nation over the past 60 years.

A COMMUNITY shop has closed in Galashiels after less than nine months in operation.

The so-called Info Hub, at the former Eildon Travel premises at 2 Channel Street, was opened last September by Zimbabwean-born businesswoman Lynda Stoddart and was set up to advertise events and promote other businesses in the town.

The venture was funded through a regular 50-50 lottery scheme, with half the income going to the winner and the other to sustain the hub, community events and activities, minus expenses.

“It is with great sadness that we have decided to close the Info Hub and we will be stopping the 50-50 lottery for a couple of months until a new outlet can be established,” said Ms Stoddart.

Rain definitely did not stop play last week as events in St Boswells Village Week enjoyed record attendances and, for the most part, fine weather.

A varied programme of community activities filled the extended week – from the Diamond Jubilee dance in the village hall on Saturday, June 2, dancing to Bob Hunter’s songs from the six decades of the Queen’s reign, to the final rounders and barbecue at the cricket club on Sunday, with everything from a talent show and pet show providing wonderful entertainment in between.

All the events raised funds and awareness for different groups in the village, with the organising committee funding costs and helping with promotion and management where required.

A new and very successful event was last Monday’s golf fun day and barbecue which was well organised and gave everyone at all ages and stages a chance to try golf and archery in the beautiful setting of St Boswells Golf Club by the River Tweed.

The Boswells’ Got Talent show on Thursday evening saw a packed village hall enjoying a very varied selection of entertainment, including singing, dancing, piano and poem recitals. The event raised money for St Boswells Pensioners’ Social Club.

After the audience had voted, the top three turns performed again and the final act was chosen by three judges, the winner being announced as a dancing trio called The Boom Box, comprising Jordan and Haillie Hume and Amy McLeish whose imaginative choreography and execution brought the house to their feet.

The inclement weather of Friday meant the fancy dress, which this year had a London theme, was switched from The Green to the village hall where group entry Picadilly Circus proved a popular overall winner. Mimi Pitman’s dog Lulu was deemed the star of Saturday’s pet show.

The village race on Sunday attracted a large and competitive field with Jonathan Taylor coming home in front for the men and Fiona Dalgleish leaving the adult females in her wake.

Kate Warner, chairperson of the organising committee, told us: “To have all ages of people together in the village hall for Boswells’ Got Talent was fantastic and that was a real highlight of the week, with everyone happy, laughing and socialising together.

“That really showed the community spirit of St Boswells and was a hugely successful evening.”

Fancy Dress Winners

Pre-school singles – Carnaby Street (Harris Fox-Robertson); The Queen(Emily Nightingale).

Primary 1-3 singles – Knightsbridge (Sandy Coulter); Beefeater (Isaac Robertson).

Primary 4-7 – London Eye (Aimee McLeish); Queenie – Melissa Taylor.

Other singles – I Love London (Kate Warner); Big Ben (Louise Taylor).

Pairs – Tower Bridge (Andrew Neil & Robbie Holland); Big Ben & Little Ben (Cameron & Kirsty Rankine); Tea at the Ritz (Neve & Lucy Clarke).

Groups – Piccadilly Circus (the Rathies, Olivers, and Dalgleishes); London Bus (Finlay Warner, Callum Folan, Christian and Luke Townsend).

Pet Show

Small dogs – 1, Brock; 2, Pinkie Brown (Panda Pitman); 3, Pedro (Sarah Gulliver-Goodall).

Medium dogs –1, Lulu (Mimi Pitman); 2, Scout (Lauren Purves); 3, Cali.

Large dogs – 1, Fidget (Theo Tweedie); 2, Wallace (Percy Henderson); 3, Harvey (Laurie Corcoran).

Fur group – 1, Silky (Fletcher Falconer); 2, Bolt (Orla Folan); 3, Pringle (Daisy Cunningham).

Obedience/agility – 1, Badger (Ella Warner); 2, Scout (Jenny Purves).

Village Sports

Under 8 – 1, Kia Hume; 2, Keir Rathie, Jack Murray and Orla Folan.

Age 8-11 – 1, Steven Sorrie; 2, Tom Church; 3, Lauren Purves.

Age 12-15 – 1, Ryan Bell; 2, Stuart Hill; 3, Lauri Corcoran.

Over 16s – 1, Claire Falconer; 2, Colin Bell; 3, Ewan Watt.

Village Race

Under 8 boys – 1, Luke Townsend; 2, Dylan Mann; 3, Fletcher Falconer.

Under 8 girls – 1, Orla Folan; 2, Tiegan Gibb; 3, Fabienne Murray.

Boys 8-11 – 1, Calum McGowan; 2, William Taylor; 3, Ethan Dalgleish.

Girls 8-11 – 1, Jessica Taylor; 2, Charlotte Dalgleish; 3, Amy Shepherd.

Boys 12-15 – 1, Johnson Rodgie; 2, Louise Blacklock; 3, Callum McNeill.

Girls 12-15 – 1, Lauren Flack; 2, Zoe Blacklock; 3, Becky Farnish.

Men 16-40 – 1, Jonathan Taylor; 2, Ally McGillvray; 3, Gregor Townsend.

Ladies 16-40 – 1, Fiona Dalgleish; 2, Claire Townsend; 3, Kate Henderson.

Men over 40 – 1, Keith Farnish; 2, Simon Taylor; 3, John Brown.

Ladies over 40 – 1, Judith Folan; 2, Tanya Bridges; 3, Pooee Pitman.

FORMER commanders of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers say they will not be surprised if Government plans to restructure the British Army sees famous Scottish infantry names vanish altogether, writes Mark Entwistle.

Brigadier Allan Alstead and Colonel Clive Fairweather both led the 1st Battalion, KOSB, and the latter also served as deputy commander of the Special Air Service at the time of the Iranian embassy siege.

They were commenting as speculation grows over what Whitehall intends. Defence Minister Phillip Hammond has already sanctioned the slashing of one-fifth of the army’s strength, with troop numbers being hacked back from 102,000 to 82,000.

It has been stated that none of the Scottish infantry’s historic cap badges will be lost – taken as a sign that Prime Minister David Cameron is wary of handing Scottish nationalists a propaganda coup ahead of the referendum on independence by consigning famous Scottish military names to the history books.

But if the sweeping changes are taking into account recruitment and demographics, it is hard to see how some of the poorer recruited Scottish battalions will escape this time round.

Col Fairweather says if defence chiefs were sensible they would turn 5 SCOTS (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) into a TA unit.

“But we live in strange times,” he told TheSouthern this week.

“I would not be surprised if the 3rd [Black Watch] and 5th Battalions are merged, just to have a go at the Black Watch which has hitherto avoided amalgamation – and also has a TA named unit as well as regular battalion currently.

“Nor would I be surprised if all titles are removed leaving just 1st, 2nd etc – manna from heaven for nationalists.”

And Col Fairweather issued a warning for the Borders’ local infantry unit, saying: “The Royal Scots Borderers will be left alone – except they may lose that title.”

However, he says, overall, it is the loss of capability people should worry about, with the army being shrunk to its smallest size ever and then over reliant on reservists as a result of relentless reductions – plus a frightening loss of logistic support.

“It is said that money – or lack of it – is the root cause,” he said. “Understandable maybe, except as a nation we are all living at a better standard than say the 1950s when we had troops and aircraft carriers all over the place.

“What Mr Hammond and co really mean is that we are not prepared to spend as much money on defence anymore.”

Brigadier Alstead agrees and believes there may be a ‘fudge’ by the Government over the Scottish infantry until after the independence referendum.

“So, although Scottish battalions may be kept in some form – possibly with the names – they will all go in due course, I would expect. To many this is seen as a ‘transition phase’ into a new infantry structure,” he told us.

“What is suffering, I believe, is recruiting as people have no idea who the regiments are and they are all being mixed up as a deliberate policy, so the identity is actually being lost by arranging a mix of all ranks in all the battalions.

“The recruiting problem is becoming worse, I believe, as the new regiment has abandoned the previous system of each battalion carrying out its own recruiting. This previous system was extremely effective for the KOSB and others. I believe this is a mistake.”

Royal British Legion Scotland spokesman, Neil Griffiths, also believes it will be impossible for the Scottish infantry to escape its share of the cuts.

“The loss to the British Army’s effectiveness and esprit de corps – especially in the Scottish regiments – will be very costly,” said Mr Griffiths.

“This is the golden thread that the MoD promised to respect, but the books have to be balanced. Our defence capability will inevitably suffer.

“Scotland’s centuries old tradition of soldiering will not disappear but it will be diluted - how seriously will only become clearer with the passing of the years, but it doesn’t look good.”

However, Michael Moore, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk and Secretary of State for Scotland, says no decisions have yet been made on the future of Scottish regimental names.

And he added: “As we are preparing the army for different roles in the 21st century we are working to ensure Scotland’s proud military traditions are properly respected,” he said.

A 28-year-old Fife man appeared in private on petition from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Tuesday after being arrested the previous day and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Jamie Thomas Pike, of Lochgelly, made no plea or declaration to charges alleging that he was involved in the supply of diazepam tablets.

It follows the search of a van on the A7 just outside Selkirk on Monday when police say they discovered 28,000 diazepam tablets, with an estimated value of £28,000.

Pike was committed for further examination of the evidence and released on bail by Sheriff Kevin Drummond.

A police statement said the arrest had been the result of “an intelligence-led operation”.

“Our officers continually monitor all roads in the Force area and any vehicle believed to be involved in crime will be subject to a full search,” said a spokesperson.

“We will not tolerate our roads being used to transport drugs or other illegal materials and anyone found to be involved will be robustly dealt with.

“As always, the intelligence we receive from the public helps ensure potentially harmful drugs can be seized before they reach our communities.

“Anyone who wishes to report drug crime in their area can contact their local policing team or report the matter anonymously, via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

floors Castle will be on the itinerary when passengers disembark from the first cruise liner to call at Eyemouth, after the town’s harbour received approval to receive such vessels.

Ms Island Sky, pictured, will anchor off the harbour on August 19 and tender passengers to the pontoon on the middle pier.

The MS Island Sky has a maximum passenger capacity of 114, accommodated in 57 luxury suites. Owned and operated by global cruise company Noble Caledonia, the ship has a crew of 75.

The accreditation as a Department of Transport-approved port comes after months of hard work by Eyemouth Harbour Trust (EHT). As such, the harbour can now accept cruise passengers onto the pontoon and quayside.

EHT’s details will shortly be forwarded to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for inclusion on the UK approved ports list.

MS Island Sky’s visit to Eyemouth is part of its 13-day Islands on the Edge tour of the British Isles, which starts from Tilbury on August 17.

After Eyemouth, it will then continue its journey north to Orkney, St Kilda, Skye, Iona, Rathmullen, Arran, Scilly, and Channel Islands Sark and Alderney before ending its journey in Portsmouth.

EHT chairman Grahame Sinclair said staff have trained to handle this kind of business and seized the opportunity with both hands.

“We aim to prove that Eyemouth is a town of great interest to visiting passengers and that this is the beginning of more cruise ships making a stopover in the bay,” he said.

For passengers who wish to explore further afield, there is the planned trip to Floors Castle and EHT will be organising a meet-and-greet party to assist any passengers who wish to stay in Eyemouth for the afternoon.

Borders MSP John Lamont commented: “This is an important development in the history of the harbour and one that will see it play a key part in the tourism industry in the region for years to come.

“With tourism becoming more and more important to the Borders economy, the ability to accept cruise passengers to the area will undoubtedly provide a boost to the local economy.

“I hope that this is just the start, as we can now look to link Eyemouth to other destinations across the area.”

Local MP and Scottish Secretary Michael Moore added: “I want to congratulate Eyemouth Harbour Trust on securing accreditation from the Department of Transport which means cruise ships will now be able to visit the port. Diversification of the port economy is critical and this is a significant development.”

A FELL pony from the Cheviot hills went over to the breed’s heartland in Penrith at the weekend and won a show’s top ticket, writes Sally Gillespie.

Breeder Alan Anderson of Towford Farm, near Hownam, scooped the overall Fell pony championship at the Cumbria Fell and Dales Pony Show with his homebred mare Towford Harmarnie on Saturday.

He said: “To win in the heartland of Fell pony country is quite a big thing.

“Judges like Harmarnie because she’s true to type, she’s got good hair and good feathers, and she’s a good mover.”

Mr Anderson only started breeding Fell ponies, which are native to Cumbria, with his partner Moira Hall on the 900-acre upland farm in 2006. And he only became involved with horses about 20 years ago when he took up horse riding to fox hunt as a 17-year-old.

The pair have six mares and four-year-old Harmarnie is one of the foals of their founder mare, Marlingdyke Meadowsweet (Sweetie).

Mr Anderson said: “I always liked Fells and knew the breed before we went into them. I got the chance to buy this mare (Harmarnie’s dam), so I just went for it and it’s grown from there.

“They are a very good all round family pony. The Duke of Edinburgh used to drive Fell ponies until recently and there was a very good picture of the Queen in a magazine riding a Fell pony. They’ve got tremendous character and they are so hardy – the winter is not too smart up here, but they are able to look after themselves.”

The family run 200 Aberdeen Angus cross suckler cows and 100 New Zealand Romneys alongside their Fells.

“We are aiming to breed good quality foals and be able to sell them for a good price and have them go on to make good family ponies,” said Mr Anderson.

“They have just a fantastic temperament, they are so quiet and easy to work with. Whatever you want them to do they pick it up pretty sharp (he has taught Harmarnie to drag logs – clearing wind-blown trees on the farm) and they are always willing to help.

“They have a saying with Fells – ‘You can never put them to the wrong job’.”

Harmarnie’s previous top win was taking the reserve championship at Hexham Native Horse and Pony Show last year. Her next foray will be to the Highland Show next week. For more information visit www.towfordfellponies.co.uk.

Mr Anderson is also the south-east of Scotland representative on the Scottish Fell Pony area support group and their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/pages/FPS-Scottish-Area-Group/215009038509149.

MERTOUN Estates features in a gardening television show tonight.

The 26 acre garden near St Boswells is the subject of the Through the Garden Gate feature in Beechgrove Garden on BBC2 Scotland at 7.30pm.

Presenter George Anderson talks to Mertoun Estate’s head gardener Rupert Norris as he tours the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland’s wider garden, walled garden and arboretum.

“The Through the Garden Gate feature has been running for a lot of years – they like to visit good real gardens that viewers are able to take something away from, “ said Mr Norris.

Viewers will see scented azaleas in front of Mertoun House, grown and planted by former head gardener Alfred Breed who worked there for 40 years, cherry trees, the 1567 dovecot – said to be the oldest complete dovecot in Scotland if not the UK – wild flowers lining the Maidenhall Burn and the estate’s three acre walled garden complete with peach and quince trees.

THE winners of a nationwide competition, organised by the Borders Writers Forum and aimed at combating child illness, will be announced at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose on Saturday.

Writers from across the UK were invited to submit a prose piece or poem inspired by the theme “illness and the child”.

The entry fee was a donation to the Edinburgh Sick Kids Friends Foundation (SKFF) which is trying to raise £30,000 to buy a new Laerdal SimJunior – a computerised simulator manikin which can be programmed to react as a young child with a wide range of medical conditions.

A similar piece of kit, the SimBaby, was bought by the foundation two years ago and has been used, not only at the city’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children hospital, which receives more than 10,000 patients each year, but in other hospitals including the BGH.

Dr Graeme Eunson of the BGH’s child health department said the kit gave his colleagues a chance to practise specific scenarios realistically.

“All the staff involved in the sessions found the SimBaby simulator provided by the SKFF to be very useful as it helps you practise and prepare in a supported training environment,” he said.

“If you face the same situation in real life, you are inevitably better prepared. “It keeps staff honed and up-to-date in terms of diagnosis and the treatment of conditions which may be seen only rarely.”

The writing competition has been judged by Ian Campbell, professor of Scottish and Victorian literature at Edinburgh University, and Scottish writer of fiction and poetry Ron Butlin.

The winning entries will be read out in the festival’s Lochcarron Marquee in the gardens of Harmony House on Saturday from 4.45 till 5.45pm.

During the event, Professor Campbell will talk about the competition and the art of writing, and Maureen Harrison, director of the SKFF, will speak about the work of the foundation since it was formed in 1992.

Funded entirely from public donations, the SKFF has bought vital equipment over and above NHS provision to ensure extra comforts for young patients and their families, support for children in the community and funding for training and research.

“We are delighted to have been able to facilitate a competition in which writers from across Britain, as well as Ireland and France, have used their skills to help children in Scotland,” said Oliver Eade of the Borders Writers Forum.

A KELSO landscaping company won a silver gilt for their garden in honour of an Earlston teenager bidding to become a Paralympian.

Border Aggregates created ‘Sam’s Paralympic Journey’ for Gardening Scotland at Ingliston, Edinburgh, at the beginning of the month to raise money for wheelchair racer Samantha Kinghorn.

Paul Bradford, who runs the company with his son, Michael, said: “It’s smashing, lovely. We were certainly trying to do well: Bill Elliot who designed it for us is superb and he was pulling out all the stops.”

He thought the judges liked the inspiring story behind the garden which has raised £670 so far to go towards helping 16-year-old Sam achieve her Paralympian dreams.

The Earlston High School teenager broke her back in December 2010 helping to clear snow at the Gordon farm where her father Neil is stockman.

But the sports lover, who previously played hockey and enjoyed ballet and gymnastics, immediately set about finding a new competitive activity, taking up wheelchair racing.

The inspirational teenager was interviewed by gardening television programme Beechgrove Garden, STV, Radio Scotland and other media at the Gardening Scotland event. And she has been to talk to children at three local primary schools.

Mr Bradford said: “She is just unbelievable. Within 10 minutes of meeting her she was showing me what her dad had made for her (to help with her training). She was somebody I really wanted to help.

“In a way we had already won before we started making the garden because, after the publicity from stories in the newspapers, charities have been in touch with both Elaine (Samantha’s mother) and myself and someone has already donated a sports chair to Samantha.”

Borderers will have the chance to see the garden as Mr Bradford will be recreating it for the Border Union Show at the end of July when he will once again invite people to donate to help Sam achieve her racing goals.

IF you really want to look at an inspirational athlete from the Borders, you will not find a better example than discus thrower Rosemary Payne (now Rosemary Chrimes).

Born in Kelso in 1933 and known locally as ‘Bud’ Charters before she married Olympic hammer thrower Howard Payne, she made her international debut for the British team at the age of 30 and is still competing in veterans’ throwing and running events today.

A highlight of Rosemary’s athletics life is undoubtedly the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, but in a career stretching back to the 1950s, this former pupil of Kelso High School has racked up an awe-inspiring collection of trophies, titles and world records.

After taking 10th place in the discus event at the 1958 Empire Games, Rosemary went on to compete in 50 internationals for the British team.

Her ranking in the 1958 Empire Games was secured with a throw of 34.96m, and by the Olympic year of 1972 she had improved to the point where she had thrown more than 55m several times and set her ultimate PB (personal best) and a staggering 12th British discus record in winning the Midlands title.

Rosemary’s first record mark was 48.07m in 1964. But her best win came in 1970, when she claimed gold in the Commonwealth discus in Scotland’s national stadium at Meadowbank in Edinburgh.

She added Commonwealth silver to that four years’ later at the gathering in New Zealand. Rosemary, who was associated for much of her career with the Birmingham club, Lozell’s Harriers, also contested three European championships, with her best performance coming when she reached the discus final ahead of several superior East Europeans in the 1971 event.

On the domestic circuit, Rosemary won five WAAA titles, and was the best-placed UK performer every year from 1964-74 – and added to that haul were 11 Scottish and Midland titles.

In the Munich Olympic final of 1972, Rosemary finished in 12th place with an excellent 56.50m, which is still a tough mark for a Briton to beat today.

After retiring in 1974, she became GB junior team manager and was responsible for nurturing the talents of such future Olympians as Steve Cram, Fatima Whitbread, Colin Jackson, Steve Backley and many others.

Following a decade away from competition, she was persuaded to make a comeback and take part in the veteran athletics scene.

Within a short time, Rosemary’s class shone through and she quickly racked up four world age group records and has since gone on to accumulate more than 16 world age group titles.

Primarily a thrower, Rosemary has also been sprinting and high jumping in the W75 (women 75 years and over) class, recently achieving World W75 age records of 9.60 in the shot and 29.07 in the discus.

It all began for Rosemary while a teenager at Kelso High School, when she was persuaded to try the sport by her older sister’s husband, who was himself a university discus thrower.

“There wasn’t a great tradition of discus throwing in Britain, never mind in Scotland, when I started,” she told TheSouthern this week.

“One of the highlights of my career was certainly the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1970. Howard Payne, who I was married to, also won gold that day in the hammer event, so it was a pretty good afternoon!”

Now linked with a small club, Halesowen, just outside of Birmingham where she has lived since 1963, Rosemary says it had long been a dream to make it to the Olympics.

“I’d always said you’re not a real athlete until you make it to the Olympics. However, I had actually been thinking about retiring in 1970, but then thought I’d give it another go and really trained hard in 1971 and ‘72.

“I was thrilled to make it to the Olympic final because there was really tough competition from all the Russians, Bulgarians and East Germans who dominated the sport back then.”

Asked why she still pushes herself to take part in veterans events at her age, Rosemary says it keeps her fit and healthy, as well as still being great fun.

“I get to meet some of my old buddies as well, which is nice. But at my age I can only really train once a week – any more and I’d probably get injured. In saying that, though, I managed to break my own world record in the high jump at a meeting in the Midlands on Sunday.

“Mind you, I’m not going to tell you how high it was!”

z Rosemary’s story and those of other local athletes who have competed in the Olympics all appear in the new schools guide, Border Olympians and Paralympians

This article is based on the original research by Henry Gray contained in Border Olympians and Paralympians (© Henry Gray & Heritage Hub).

SCOTTISH Borders Council has been praised after homelessness applications in the region fell by over a third, writes Kenny Paterson and Mark Entwistle.

However, Shelter Scotland has also warned the local authority that evidence is needed to show how it aims to help people find a home in the long term.

Local homelessness applications fell by 37 per cent from 2010/11 to 2011/12, the fourth largest drop out of Scotland’s 32 councils, following last year’s introduction of a new homeless prevention service.

Shelter’s Graeme Brown said SBC deserves praise for being one of the first local authorities to meet the 2012 commitment on homelessness and ensuring every unintentionally-homeless person has the right to a home.

But he added: “Coming over a relatively short period of time, this big reduction indicates a major shift in policies and procedures within the council.

“Changes on this scale must be matched with evidence to show how the lives of people in need of a home have been improved for the long term.”

Cathy Fancy, SBC’s group manager for housing strategy and services, added: “We will continue to work together with those individuals facing a housing crisis to enable them to secure the most appropriate, affordable and sustainable housing solution to meet their needs to enable them to live independently in the community.”

Also this week, SBC executive members discussed the new strategy aimed at dealing with the growing number of empty houses in the region.

Currently, almost 1,200 private dwellings in the Borders are classed as long-term empty – double the national average.

The areas with the highest levels are Galashiels and Hawick, which also equate to areas of high unmet housing need.

Councillors approved the Empty Homes Draft Strategy and associated action plan, which now goes out to consultation.

IT has been an incredible two months for Chris Paterson, writes Kenny Paterson.

The Galashiels rugby star announced his retirement from the game and almost immediately set off for New Zealand to kick- start his coaching education.

And now Scotland’s most capped player has picked up an honorary degree from Napier University.

The former PE student received his honorary doctorate of science during a graduation ceremony in front of 2,000 Napier students in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall.

Paterson, 34, said: “I am truly humbled and absolutely delighted to be recognised is this way.

“It’s already been an incredible year for me and this is another huge surprise and honour.”

Among the other well-known faces to gain honorary degrees were Michelin star chef Tom Kitchin and inventor Steve Cordiner.

Professor Dame Joan Stringer, principal and vice-chancellor of Napier University, said: “We are delighted to be honouring individuals who have made such significant contributions to enriching our culture, building our economies and servicing our communities in so many ways.

“Their achievements together with their qualities are an inspiration to our students.”