A fundraising group has called it a day after serving Hawick for 40 years and adding £125,000 to a charity’s coffers, but it hopes that a new generation will soon step into the breach to fill the gap it leaves behind.

Members of the town’s branch of the British Heart Foundation have played an active role in that charity’s life-saving work over the last four decades.

But sadly, nothing lasts for ever, and now the ladies hope new blood will come forward to continue their good work.

Founding member and secretary Isabelle Marchbanks said: “We had a final dinner on our 40th anniversary at the Mansfield House Hotel.

“We have had some super functions over the years and have built up some lovely friendships.

“I volunteered originally because my father died after suffering a massive heart attack, and most volunteers became involved because they had been affected by heart disease.

“Sadly, it’s harder to get people to join up to committees now.

“As you get older, it is not as easy to come up with fresh ideas, and although we did attract younger members, they would often leave to get married or leave Hawick.

“But if anyone is interested in launching a group, they can still call me, and I will help any way I can.

“It’s important that people volunteer to help, whatever the charity.

“A few days after our final dinner, one of the British Heart Foundation chief officers called from Edinburgh to thank myself and the other committee members for our work. That meant a lot.

“As we say in Hawick, we were chuffed about that.

“We have held so many fundraising functions over the years and raised, at a rough estimate, £125,000.

“It’s been a hugely enjoyable and rewarding 40 years.”

Sarah Miller, British Heart Foundation’s fundraising manager for the Borders, hailed the group’s 40-year lifespan as a “sensational milestone”.

She added: “40 years is an incredible achievement. This is the first time we have had a branch or group reach this sensational milestone.

“Fundraising groups and branches are vitally important to the British Heart Foundation. We have a network throughout Scotland, and they give us local knowledge and a voice in the community.

“We are funding some incredible research in Scotland – over £60m worth.

“There is a real need for it as cardiovascular disease is Scotland’s biggest killer.

“If anyone would be interested in keeping the branch going, please encourage them to get in touch with me either by phone or email on 07702 917 677 or at millers@bhf.org.uk”

Isabelle can be reached on 01450 378108.

Scottish Water is being urged to hurry up and complete a £1.2m flood defence scheme in Hawick to enable residents to get on with their lives.

Concerns have been raised that the current project in Mansfield Road and Duke Street is “taking an age”.

Repairs are being carried out to a public sewer damaged during the storms of December last year.

Work started on site on Monday, July 18, and was due for completion last month.

With that date now lapsed, a councillor for the town is calling for a speedy resolution to enable residents and businesses to get back to normality.

The water company, though, says the work is being carried out to the highest standard of care to address the “unprecedented damage” caused by last winter’s floods.

And a company spokesman thanked local residents for their patience and revealed that the majority of the project’s pipework was now in place.

But with no new date for completion, Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall, also chairman of Hawick Volunteer Flood Group, has urged the company to proceed as quickly as possible.

He said: “The major works at Mansfield seem to be taking an age to complete, but I am told that this is a very complex project.

“I think that all the residents and businesses in both the Mansfield and Duke Street areas of the town will be delighted when normality is finally restored.

“It took several months after the storms of December 5 for Scottish Water to redesign plans that will hopefully result in this catastrophe not happening again.

“The vast proportion of the town’s sewage system is being pumped overland until these works are complete. This is, in my mind, certainly far from ideal.”

Gloria Rolph, who lives just yards from the flood defence works in Duke Street, shares some of the same concerns.

Mrs Rolph, whose home narrowly escaped being flooded last December, said: “We all want it to be over with.

“My feeling from the start was that they started this scheme too late in the year.

“Why couldn’t they have started earlier? When we had the light nights and the weather was fine, the workers finished work at 4pm, but when it got darker, it went on for hours in the darkness. What was the sense in that?”

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “Work is continuing at Duke Street following severe storms that caused unprecedented damage last winter.

“All work carried out has been done with the highest level of care, safety and consideration for customers and the impacts on the local community.

“The majority of the pipework is now in place, with the phase-three works concentrating on connecting either ends of the sewer on Duke Street and Mansfield Road.

“We thank customers for their patience as we restore local assets, and we will issue any relevant updates in due course.”

They came out of the sky at dusk, flying in strict formation, with others joining the main flight from all directions, in small groups. They circled silently over Selkirk, sometimes in oval formation, sometimes circular, constantly changing, constantly growing.

Just as the orange sun finally dropped below the Yarrow hills, they swooped earthward with terrifying speed. Their target was the town’s Pot Loch. As if being sucked into a giant vortex, they were funnelled into the reed bed, where they immediately disappeared from view. Their final restless chattering suddenly fell silent and they were gone – tens of thousands of them.

It sounds like something out of War of the Worlds doesn’t it, but no, it was the town’s daily murmuration of starlings, coming in to roost.

In previous years, I have had to travel to Gretna and more recently a farm near Jedburgh to see this amazing natural spectacle, but now they have chosen my home town, so I can see it almost on a daily basis.

I noticed that several cars had pulled onto the pavement on the A7 just below the petrol station last week, to witness the phenomena, but as it coincides with the rush hour, it is not to be recommended, on safety grounds. Much better to park near the Pringle Park and walk to the Pot Loch, where there is no traffic and the birds can be seen against the setting sun. That is what I did and it was brilliant. I could clearly see the birds stunning aerial display and also see their final descent into the reeds at close quarters and hear their chattering as they jostled for position once down. Other birds trying to get their heads down on the loch however, didn’t seem too impressed by this mass invasion and I could clearly hear at least two water rails squealing their disapproval in no uncertain terms.

Starlings choose to roost in huge numbers like this, for reasons of safety in numbers and warmth, but this is the first time I have seen them using a reed bed instead of their more usual coniferous woodland. The purpose of the aerial display before roosting is a bit of a mystery. As I watched them circle above the loch, they were constantly being joined by small groups of up to 20 birds, flying in from all directions. Once they felt that no more were coming, they all dropped into the reeds in a matter of seconds. Any late arrivals would start another cloud and they too would carry on circling until finally it was too dark for any more and they too would drop into the reeds and that was it for the night. It is a sight to behold and I would certainly urge a visit to Selkirk before the end of the winter.

A total of 38 staff have lost their jobs this week following the collapse of Borders building firm Murray and Burrell.

The Galashiels-based company entered administration last week and despite an adminstrator being appointed no way of saving the business has been found.

Murray and Burrell’s workforce, mainly tradesmen and office workers, were told last Wednesday that the receivers had been called in and that the official 30 days consultation process had begun.

Tasked with finding an alternative to job losses, Edinburgh-based accountants Thomson Cooper announced partner Richard Gardiner as adminstrator of the failing business on Monday.

A temporary suspension was put in place on any new jobs and the firm’s plight was raised in the Scottish Parliament immediately with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying everything would be done to help the workers who face being laid off in the run-up to Christmas.

However, just a day after being appointed, a Thomson Cooper spokesperson confirmed: “The directors explored all options in an effort to preserve trading and jobs. Regrettably, 38 jobs were lost as there is no prospect of continuing to trade.”

Scottish Government agencies, Scottish Enterprise and the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) team, are set to make contact with Murray and Burrell staff to support workers.

South of Scotland MSP Rachael Hamilton said: “This is a sad day for the Borders. Murray and Burrell did great work and it such a sadness that we hear this news.

“Murray and Burrell employed 37 people and had such a positive impact throughout. The focus must now be on helping those 37 employers find employment and ensure support is there for all those involved in Murray and Burrell and their families.

“Being in business is tough and everyone needs to do all they can, including the Scottish Government, to support Scottish business, large and small.”

MSP Christine Grahame, who raised an urgent question in the Scottish Parliament last week, added: “It is sad that this much respected family firm, scanning four generations, has gone into administration.

“Rooted for almost 90 years in Gala this has not only meant the workforce are now out of work, but because of the company’s commitment to the community, it will have a substantial impact on some 15 subcontractors and 30 or so more local suppliers.

Prior to the announcement this week, Murray and Burrell operations and finance director Gary Brown told the Southern Reporter on Friday: “We have applied to the court of session to appoint an adminstrator and I understand that on Monday morning an administrator will be in place.

“We have entered in to a 30 day consultation process with our workforce. How that will play out we are not sure, and whether we have a future, we are not sure.”

Founded in 1928 by Sandy Burrell and Andrew Murray, Murray and Burrell has a long and proud history and was at one point one of the regions biggest employers.

It has named “adverse trading conditions” as being to blame for the shock news.

A fortune-telling goat based in Lanton, near Jedburgh, has had a go at predicting who the next President of the USA will be.

Boots the goat, part of Les Amis D’Onno’s equine team, does stunts normally tackled by performing dogs – and he has one trick up his sleeve that even the pooches won’t attempt.

The three-year-old pedigree Golden Guernsey goat has shot to fame predicting the futures of fans at shows around the country.

Animal trainer Sue Zacharias, 49, taught the three-year-old pedigree Golden Guernsey to predict the future of guests at their shows.

Boots, who lives on a farm near Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, correctly foresaw the result of the Brexit vote in June.

And the goat has now predicted that Hillary Clinton will finish ahead of Donald Trump in the US presidential race.

His prediction method is rather simple ... he simply chooses from two pieces of paper with each answer on them.

Sue, a mum-of-two, said: “Boots is a popular goat as it is and he’s already well known around the UK.

“We gave him two options to see who might become the next US President. He picked Clinton.

“He has been correct in the past, so I definitely think his prediction may be popular in America.”

To be fair, he also had a nibble at Trump.

Sue is not surprised that Boots, who is part of her Les Amis D’onna equine stunt team, has become a celebrity thanks to his tricks.

She added: “I don’t think there’s another performing goat in the whole of Scotland, so he’s very special.”

After being rejected by his mum after he was born, Sue took care of him and they have been now working together for nearly three years.

He works alongside 14 horses, four dogs and 16 members of staff to perform at outdoor events all over the UK.

High street giant Marks & Spencer has said it will close around 60 clothing and home stores as it focuses on food, and warned of more than 2100 job losses under plans to axe 53 overseas shops.

The retailer said the UK closures come as part of an overhaul which will affect around 100 stores as it looks to cut back on clothing and home while boosting its Simply Food chain.

Details of the restructure came as it said underlying pre-tax profits fell 18.6% to £231.3 million in the six months to October 1, while bottom-line profits crashed 88.4% to £25.1 million.

Chief executive Steve Rowe also outlined plans to shut 53 stores across 10 international markets - including 10 in China and seven in France, while pulling out of Belgium, Estonia, Hungary and Lithuania - putting around 2100 jobs at risk.

M&S said it will close around 30 of its 304 full-line stores - selling clothing and home as well as food - and downsize or replace around 45 shops to Simply Food outlets.

It will also relocate some other outlets, while opening other stores in so-called under-served areas.

The group remained tight-lipped on the number of UK staff impacted by the plans, but said that, where possible, it would keep “job continuity” for affected employees.

The group insisted it would have more stores overall after the revamp, with already-announced aims to open more than 200 Simply Food outlets by the end of the 2018/19 financial year.

Mr Rowe, who took over from Dutchman Marc Bolland in April, said: “Over the next five years we will transform our UK estate with around 60 fewer clothing and home stores, whilst continuing to increase the number of our Simply Food stores.

“In the future, we will have more inspiring stores in places where customers want to shop.”

He added: “These are tough decisions, but vital to building a future M&S that is simpler, more relevant, multi-channel and focused on delivering sustainable returns.”

The latest restructure moves come as M&S revealed more sales falls in its embattled clothing division, with like-for-like sales down by 5.9% in the first half.

But it narrowed the sales decline from 8.9% in the first quarter - its worst performance for a decade - to 2.9% in the second quarter.

Same-store food sales fell 0.9% over the half-year, while it saw growth of 0.3% at M&S.com, leaving overall UK like-for-like sales 3% lower.

Farmers across Scotland are being urged to open their gates and welcome the public to showcase their achievements and the goods and services they deliver.

Registration for next year’s Open Farm Sunday has begun and organisers Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) are emphasising the importance of highlighting farmers’ roles in delivering a wide range of public goods, beyond food production.

As the sector is working to determine what a post-referendum farming industry is going to look like, LEAF says there has never been a more critical time to demonstrate its vital contribution including managing the countryside, its wildlife and natural resources.

With increasing interest and support for Open Farm Sunday, Rebecca Dawes, Scottish co-ordinator, is keen that more farmers get involved.

She said: “Open Farm Sunday is fully flexible so that farms of every size and type get involved, whether you host a private farm tour for an invited audience or an open event. For those with farm diversifications it is a great way to boost the profile of a business and help increase sales.”

“On June 11 farmers in Scotland have an opportunity to tell the public how proud they are to rear their livestock, grow their crops and protect the environment – something as an industry we often shy away from. “By embracing the support that is on offer from LEAF, this one-day event helps build the public’s trust and understanding about food and farming so they can fully value the food they eat and the work farmers do.”

To help more farmers host an event, LEAF is developing a new programme of OFS Bitesize webinars, blogs and case studies to give farmers the knowledge, ideas and confidence to invite the public onto their farm. A team of Open Farm Sunday co-ordinators and LEAF staff is on hand for support, and a dedicated Scottish webinar has been scheduled for February 28.

Further information on how to get involved or to register a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event is available at www.farmsunday.org or contact Rebecca Dawes on 07792 467730, ofsrc.scotland@gmail.com

To keep up to date on Twitter follow @OpenFarmSunday, @LEAF_Farming

Inspiration aplenty was on offer as award-winning writer David Almond visited four Borders schools this week.

The children’s author, best known for his 1998 novel Skellig, visited Jedburgh Grammar School and Galashiels Academy on Monday and called in at Berwickshire High School in Duns and Eyemouth High the day after.

Pupils at the four schools were given the chance to take part in workshops and hear the Gateshead-born writer talk about his work.

The visits were part of a week-long tour organised by the Scottish Book Trust sponsored by Scottish Friendly Assurance aimed at giving nearly 1,000 pupils in the Scottish Borders, Midlothian and East Lothian a chance to meet one of the UK’s most popular children’s writers.

Almond, 65, said: “What a great chance to visit so many schools, and to share my love of words and language with so many young readers and writers.

“The tour is going really well so far and more than living up to my expectations.”

David Blake, head of English at Jedburgh Grammar, said: “It was excellent. The kids loved it and responded very well.

“He talked about what he loves about writing and how he first became a writer, before allowing the children to ask him all kinds of questions.

“The highlight was probably an idea exercise where the pupils were taught how to develop ideas and find inspiration.

Kathleen Mansfield, an English teacher at Galashiels Academy, said: “There were 45 kids from S1 to S4 in attendance, and they loved it.

“It was really interactive, and we are planning a set of six creative workshop sessions with follow-up art lessons to illustrate new writing which we hope to compile into a booklet.”

Scottish Friendly Assurance’s Calum Bennie said: “We’ve had outstanding authors on the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour in 2016, and closing the tour this year with David Almond is a real highlight.

“The point of these tours is to inspire the next generation of authors, and David is sure to have done that in his sessions as he gets young readers really involved in the storytelling process.”

Tour organiser Beth Goodyear added: “It’s is a fantastic opportunity for pupils to get creative and excited about reading and use their imagination to create their own stories.”

Almond’s other books include Kit’s Wilderness in 1999, Heaven’s Eyes in 2000, The Fire Eaters in 2003, Clay in 2005, My Name is Mina in 2010 and A Song for Ella Grey in 2014.

The Met Office has updated the yellow (Be Aware) weather warning for snow for the Borders, with the warning now valid from 3pm today (Tuesday) until 10am on Wednesday.

This change reflects a shift in the time that rain, sleet and snow will move in from the west, but it remains likely that, particularly in the western Scottish Borders, some snow will fall on higher routes, with some possible at lower levels also.

Locally, the forecast is for the weather front to move in to the area in the early evening, persisting over higher ground throughout the night and into the morning, with snow likely to turn to rain throughout the morning as temperatures rise.

The west and northern Scottish Borders are most likely to see some snowfall, with the central and eastern Borders largely remaining unaffected.

Kevin Sewell, Scottish Borders Council’s assistant emergency planning officer, said: “The latest information we have is that above 200m we may see up to 4cm of snow, with potentially up to 8cm on some of our highest routes in the west. Some snow may fall to lower levels, but it is unlikely to accumulate, however driving conditions may be difficult for a time during tonight.

“This is probably going to be our first taste of winter and we would encourage all residents to make sure they are prepared for the forthcoming months, and in particular sign up to the free messaging service SB Alert, which proved invaluable last winter in getting important messages out to residents and businesses during severe winter weather.”

SBC will carry out winter maintenance on a number of primary routes in the west of the region from 4pm this evening, with remaining first priority routes across the Borders being treated from 6pm. First priority routes and footpaths will be checked and treated as required from 6am on Wednesday.

Residents and businesses can sign up to SB Alert for free at www.sbalert.co.uk

The Gala Water and its mill lade will soon once again become a primary energy source for Galashiels, following a successful application for major funding.

Local group Gala Water Hydro has achieved project funding of more than £1.5million from the Scottish Government, through the Energy Saving Trust and Local Energy Challenge Fund, to operate a community-based hydro electric project.

The project will see the introduction of a series of hydro-electric generators on the river and its historic mill lades which run through the town.

The project will initially create 150kW of power and it is hoped to achieve a level of 300-400 kW in the longer term.

This exciting revival of the use of water reflects the town’s proud industrial past and by reinstating the fabric of these structures, Gala Water Hydro will reinforce its cultural and social heritage for the future.

Award-winning Caddonfoot firm Water Engine Technologies – which began its first Borders-based project in Lilliesleaf last month – has been commissioned to carry out some of the installations, which will be similar to other successful community hydro schemes in the UK such as the Harlaw Hydro near Balerno and the Halton Lune Hydro near Lancaster.

Like them, Gala Water Hydro will be raising money via community shares.

Hans Waltl of BCAA Accountants, who are managing the project finances for Gala Water Hydro, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have successfully been awarded this grant funding which is testament to the hard work and vision of the Gala Water Hydro team who want to restore these historic lades and caulds to ensure our past also becomes our future. 

“Our aim is that in decades to come a high proportion of the power generated in Galashiels will come from Gala Water Hydro or other renewable sources, assisting fuel poverty in the town, helping start up businesses and generating renewed pride in the town.

“The Gala Water that powered the historic mills will now power our future.”

And MP Calum Kerr said he was delighted to support the scheme from its early stages.

He said: “The project was first brought to my attention not long after I was elected and I’ve followed its development closely.

“So the news of this award is a cause for celebration on a number of levels – it’s a way of bringing a key part of the town’s heritage back to life, it will engage the community and the work will be delivered by a Borders firm.

“I’d encourage everyone in the town to get behind this scheme. This news represents another positive step that shows, alongside other efforts to regenerate Galashiels, that the town really is starting to turn a corner.

“But I also hope that this project sets a precedent – so that other Borders towns with similar waterways can replicate it too.”

Jennifer Ramsay, Local Energy Challenge Fund project manager, said: “Local Energy Scotland is delighted to be able to provide support through the Scottish Government’s Local Energy Challenge Fund to these innovative and inspirational projects.

“We are looking forward to working with the project teams over the next couple of years to see these ground-breaking ideas become a reality.”

Nicola Sturgeon has said that ties between Scotland and the United States of America “will always endure” in the wake of Donald Trump’s election as the country’s next president.

Commenting today on Mr Trump’s victory, the First Minister said: “While this is not the outcome I hoped for, it is the verdict of the American people and we must respect it. I congratulate president-elect Trump on winning the election.

“We value our relationship with the United States and its people. The ties that bind Scotland and the US - of family, culture and business - are deep and longstanding and they will always endure.”

Earlier this week Ms Sturgeon broke with accepted protocol and publicly backed Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton to win over Mr Trump, whom she had also previously stripped of his status as a business ambassador for Scotland despite his investment in two Scottish golf courses.

The First Minister continued: “It is normal in any election for those on the losing side to be feel disappointment, but today, many in America and across the world, will also feel a real sense of anxiety. I hope the president-elect will take the opportunity to reach out to those who felt marginalised by his campaign and make clear - in deeds as well as words - that he will be a president for everyone in modern, multicultural America.

“Today must also be a moment for those who share progressive values - all of us who believe in tolerance and diversity - to speak up loudly and clearly for the values we hold dear.

“I also want to pay tribute to Hillary Clinton. While I am personally disappointed that she will not be America’s first woman president, her candidacy represented a major step forward for women in America and across the world - for that, as well as for her many years of public service, she is owed a deep debt of gratitude.”

Selkirk’s post office has returned to its old Market Place home now its latest incarnation has opened within the Liberty Star Trading gift shop.

It marks another new chapter in the shop’s growing success story as Post Office bosses have given their stamp of approval by picking it to host the town’s new local service branch.

Liberty Star Trading was born out of an idea for a school fair in October 2012.

When Caroline Penman and Leanne Main attended their first Christmas fair, they discovered that there was a keen market for affordable fashion accessories and gifts after their stall sold out of goods.

After that, they made use of pop-up shops and events to build their business and try out new products.

In 2013, the pair launched their own website – www.
libertystartrading.com – and the following year, they opened their current shop in Selkirk.

The company’s Facebook page boasts more than 4,500 followers, including customers as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.

Liberty Star Trading was approached by the Post Office with the suggestion of taking over the franchise for Selkirk after outgoing postmistress Marbeth Weatherup announced her decision to retire, having run the town post office from both its previous homes in Market Place and latterly High Street for many years.

“We gave a lot of thought to it after the Post Office approached us, and we decided it would be a really good move for Liberty Star Trading,” Caroline said.

“While it felt like the right thing to do at the time, it is a wee bit daunting.

“However, our first week has been really good, and the customers have been fab.

“They know that we are just learning this week and have been patient.”

Both Leanne, a secretary at her husband’s electrical firm, and Caroline, a worker for an accountancy firm, are now fully trained to Post Office standards and are aiming to be in the shop as much as possible over the coming adjustment period.

Inside the shop, at 40 Market Place, the interiors area has been tranformed to house two post office terminals alongside retail tills.

Looking forward, the pair have also taken on one new part-time employee, Jo Blyth, to help with the extra footfall expected through the shop in the coming months.

Leanne added: “With Christmas coming up, we will all get plenty of practice at what we should be doing, and it’s a great time for getting new people into the shop to see what we have got here.”

Post office services are available during the shop’s opening hours of 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturday.

Customers will be able to access services including special delivery, local collect, home shopping returns, online banking, sending funds abroad, paying bills, pre-ordering travel money and travel insurance.

Post Office regional manager Suzanne Richardson said: “We are confident that this vibrant new-style post office at the heart of the local community will meet customer needs.”

Fears have been voiced over the future of Hawick police station because of its inclusion in a list of buildings under review by force bosses.

Police Scotland has drawn up a list of buildings in 58 locations to come under scrutiny, and it is expected that many of them will be axed.

The force says it needs “modern, flexible buildings which are all fit for the future”, and following its review, some premises that don’t fit that bill are likely to be declared “surplus to requirements”.

The inclusion of Hawick’s Wilton Hill station in that list is deeply concerning for former police chief Watson McAteer, now a councillor for Hawick and Denholm.

He has sought – and received – assurances from Chief Superintendent Ivor Marshall, divisional commander for the Lothians and the Scottish Borders, that the station will not close, but he remains concerned.

Mr McAteer, formerly head of the old Lothian and Borders force’s criminal investigation department, said: “He tells me that Hawick should not be appearing on any review list as there is no intention to close it.

“However, he is responsible for operational policing, and while I am grateful for his reassurance, I am none the less very concerned that Hawick is included, and that must indicate the potential for closure in the future.

“I have previously called for Hawick police station to be used to its full capacity by locating criminal justice services that could include social services, the crown and the council-led anti-social behaviour unit under one roof there, working together to deliver a more inclusive and effective service.

“I am told the option of multi-sharing is being reviewed, but it would be helpful to understand what progress is being made.

“The continued threat to Hawick police station is bad for the community and must create considerable anguish for the diminishing numbers of civilian support staff whose jobs will be placed at risk.

“This Scottish Government wants to see community focus in policing strengthened, and that is simply not going to happen by permitting local police stations that deliver a service for their area to be closed because of the lack of investment.

“Hawick police station has gone from being the headquarters of the Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk Constabulary in 1975 to a divisional headquarters of the Lothian and Borders Police to an almost-redundant shell since the formation of Police Scotland – a sad demise for the efforts of all those that have fought hard over the years to ensure we have one of the safest communities in the UK.”

Like Chief Supt Marshall, Chief Inspector Andy McLean, local area commander for the Borders, refutes any suggestion that Hawick’s station is to be axed.

The current the review is looking at ways of making it more fit for purpose, he said, adding: “We are currently assessing our local estate to ensure buildings support modern operational policing and are fit for purpose.

“By making the best of the property we retain, we will be more efficient and will make better use of public funds that can be reinvested into frontline policing.

“There are no plans to close Hawick police station or its front counter, but we are currently assessing the best use of the building, consulting with officers, staff and partners who use the facility or could make shared use of it alongside the police.”

Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Cowie added: “Police Scotland needs buildings which are modern, flexible and fit for future policing across the wide range of communities we serve.

“The existing estate has evolved over the course of the last 100 years, and in some cases it no longer fits the demands of 2016 or the needs of its communities.”

Hawick-based Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP John Lamont is also seeking assurances that Hawick’s station will continue to operate at least at its current level of activity.

He said: “The Borders has already seen the closure of a number of police counters since the creation of Police Scotland. These damaging closures have been pushed through with little or no data about how much they have been used.”

“I understand Police Scotland is now looking at how it uses the station in Hawick. I want an assurance that any review will at the very least maintain the current opening hours of the counter.

“We’ve had consultations before, and it hasn’t mattered what local people said as Police Scotland went ahead with closures anyway.

“The fact of the matter is that, even if these stations are not heavily used, they provide an important local service and give local residents the chance to speak to an officer, something which seems to be increasingly difficult to do in the Borders.

“In the face of the closure of courts and police stations, many residents in the Borders are feeling that justice is being withdrawn from the area.”

Hawick’s is the only station in the Borders under review. Others elsewhere in the country on the potential hit list include those at Loanhead, Haddington, Bonnyrigg, Newbattle, Carluke, Larkhall, Lesmahagow, Biggar and Langholm.

A motorist has been accused of causing a road accident on the A7 in the Borders while using a mobile phone, leaving a woman seriously injured.

Robbie Pringle, 20, of Mill Court in Stow, pleaded not guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday to a charge of dangerous driving near Bowland, north of Galashiels, on Friday, April 29. It is alleged that he drove a vehicle while operating a mobile telephone, causing it to cross the centre line of the roadway, entering the opposite carriageway and colliding with a car driven by Iona Ivalo.

The charge states that both cars were damaged, and passenger Deborah Ivalo was left seriously injured.

The driver and two others, including a 13-year-old boy, were also injured.

A trial date has been fixed for Tuesday, December 6.

UNDER-AGE SEX ALLEGATION

A Hawick man appeared in private at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday facing an under-age sex charge.

David Adamson, 28, is accused of having intercourse with a female under 16 years of age in Selkirk last year.

He made no plea or declaration, and the case was continued for further examination.

Adamson was bailed.

DANGEROUS DRIVER ON TRIAL

A Hawick man has been convicted by a jury of dangerous driving in the town.

Daryl Potts, 23, of Howdenbank, was also found guilty of failing to stop when requested to do so by a police officer in uniform.

A three-day trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court heard how Potts drove at speeds of up to 60mph through various streets on August 29 last year and overtook when it was unsafe to do so.

Sentence was deferred until Tuesday, December 6, for background reports.

TEENAGER IS BAILED

A Hawick teenager appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court accused of assaulting a male to his severe injury.

Connor Jackson, 19, made no plea or declaration, and his case was continued for further examination.

The case follows an incident in Hawick on Tuesday, September 20.

Jackson was released on bail by Sheriff Derrick McIntyre, and his next appearance in court has still to confirmed.

EMBEZZLEMENT TRIAL DELAY

The trial of a woman accused of embezzling £19,000 while working as the administrator of a Selkirk playgroup has been delayed again.

Fiona Hughes, 49, of Kaimflat Cottages, Kelso, denies the offence, said to have happened at the Argus pPlaygroup in Selkirk’s Goslawdales between August 1, 2011, and November 1, 2014.

The trial has already had one delay and was scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 8.

However, defence lawyer Mat Patrick told Selkirk Sheriff Court he was trying to obtain a forensic accountant’s report and said the chances of that being available by the trial date were limited.

A new trial date has been fixed for Tuesday, January 31, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, December 19.

ACCUSED OF NOT PAYING BILL

A new trial date has been set for a 49-year-old man accused of obtaining more than £3,000 board without paying.

William Moffat, of Alice Hamilton Way, West Linton, is charged with obtaining £3,175 board and lodgings at the Lodge, Carfraemill, and also at an adjacent cottage between September 7 and October 22 in 2014 without paying or intending to pay.

He maintained his not-guilty plea at Selkirk Sheriff Court, with a trial date being set for Tuesday, December 6.

SEX OFFENDER’S SENTENCE DATE

A teenager who filmed a female friend while she was naked in in her bathroom shower will be sentenced on Monday, December 19, at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Robert Horne, 18, recorded the girl on his mobile phone through cracks in the door of the bathroom.

The video showed the girl naked from the neck down and did not show her face.

But Horne left his phone lying in his vehicle and a friend scrolled through it, and the victim was made aware of the naked images.

There were also pictures of her sleeping in her bra and of her bottom and underwear as she got out of Horne’s car.

Horne, of Causewayend, Ancrum, pleaded guilty to the offence, committed at a house near Lauder between September 1 last year and June 16.

Sheriff Derrick McIntyre was told on Monday that background reports had not been prepared, so sentence was further deferred for six weeks to allow them to be completed.

Horne’s name has been put on the sex offenders’ register.

PUNCH PAIR HIT WITH £600 BILL

Assaulting a man in front of his three-year-old nephew cost two Kelso men a total of £600 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Kieran Borthwick, 21, and Brian Lyons, 24, pleaded guilty to repeatedly punching a 34-year-old man on the head to his injury in Orchard Park, Kelso, on June 2. The victim was punched two or three times through the open window of a car.

Lawyers for both accused said their clients did not realise there was a child in the car due to the tinted windows and claimed they were acting on “unsavoury information” they had heard about the victim.

Both men were ordered to pay £75 each compensation to the victim, while Borthwick, of Croft Road, was fined £200 and Lyons, of Orchard Park, was fined £250.

FINE FOR FRACAS FISHERMAN

A fisherman who attacked a man outside an Eyemouth pub has been ordered to pay £470 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

James Arkle, 33, admitted assaulting Scott Adamson by pushing him to the ground and repeatedly punching him on the head to his injury near the Tavern Bar on July 10.

The court heard that he had been drinking since 6.30pm with a group of fishermen visiting the area, and an argument broke out shortly before midnight. The victim suffered five small cuts to the back of his eye and swelling and bruising on his face.

First-time offender Arkle, of Newbiggin-on-the-Sea, Northumberland, was fined £320 for the assault and ordered to pay his victim £150 compensation.

DRIVER ALMOST FOUR TIMES LIMIT

A Hawick woman who “took a chance” and drove a short distance home while almost four times the legal alcohol limit has been banned for 15 months at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Provisional licence holder Suzanne Murphy was not displaying any L-plates when police saw her driving in Eildon Road, Hawick, at around midnight on September 18.

Defence lawyer Ross Dow said the 31-year-old had been at a friend’s house but was concerned at how she had parked the vehicle and decided to take a chance and drive it the 500 yards back to her Queen’s Drive home.

She gave a breath-alcohol reading of 83 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22.

In addition to the ban, she was fined £200 for driving with excess alcohol and £100 for not having L-plates.

DAMAGED FURNITURE

Background reports have been ordered on a 41-year-old man after he admitted a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour over the course of three days.

Simon Granito – now living at Sutton Courtenay in Oxfordshire – pleaded guilty to throwing items around a house in Lothian Road, Jedburgh, and damaging a television and furniture.

The case will recall at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, November 29.

CANNABIS OFFENDER FINED

A Duns man was found with cannabis worth £500 following a police raid on his home.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that officers executed a number of search warrants on May 4 as part of Operation Gamekeeper.

Landscape gardener Andrew Douglas, 22, admitted possession of two ounces of the class-B drug at his home in Cheviot View.

He was fined £200.

SENTENCE DEFERRED

Steven Tennant, 30, pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at his home in Leet Street, Coldstream, on October 6.

Sentence was deferred until Tuesday, November 29, for a criminal justice social work report to be prepared.

OAP ON SEX OFFENDERS’ LIST

A pensioner told a 10-year-old girl he wanted to “float his boat in her river”, Selkirk Sheriff Court was told.

After being subjected to abuse from John Swan since she was eight years old, the youngster told police she took it that he wanted to have sex with her.

The 78-year-old, of Lothian Road, Jedburgh, pleaded guilty to lewd and libidonous practices towards the child from 1998 to 2000.

He also admitted sexually assaulting a young woman in her 20s with mild learning difficulties two years ago.

The court was told that the youngster used to visit Swan and his wife in the Borders.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said there were a number of incidents, starting when Swan was play-fighting with the eight-year-old in the living room of his home and then suddenly lay on top of her and simulated sexual intercourse.

The confused child had no idea at the time what he was doing, but he stopped before his wife entered the room.

A year later, they were on a sofa together and she was wearing a nightdress when he put his hand between her legs and penetrated her private parts.

On another occasion, they were watching television when he squeezed her breasts.

When the girl was 10 in the summer of 2000, they were doing a jigsaw together when he pushed her back and fondled her breasts.

One time, she was lying in bed when Swan came into his room wearing his pyjamas and exposed himself in front of her. Mr Fraser said Swan told the girl he wanted to do what he described as floating his boat in her river.

The matter was reported to the police in 2005 after the girl confided in a relative, and he was interviewed but eventually released without charge.

However, in 2014, Swan and his second wife were visited by another female with learning difficulties. She was sitting in the passenger seat of his car when he leaned over and squeezed her breasts, saying: “You have teased me long enough with these.”

On another occasion when she visited, she was sitting on the sofa and he pulled up her top, trying to expose her breasts. When she went home, a relative asked what was wrong and she said Swan had touched her.

The court was told when Swan discovered the police wanted to speak to him again, he took an overdose and was in hospital for several days.

Sentence was deferred until December 6 for background reports, and twice-widowed Swan’s name was placed on the sex offenders’ register.

HAWICK STALKER IS LOCKED UP

A Hawick man who stalked his former partner has been jailed for eight months at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Michael Paterson, 39, of Howdenbank, pleaded guilty to embarking on a course of conduct likely to cause the woman fear and alarm.

The joiner admitted sending abusive and threatening text messages, making abusive and threatening telephone calls, turning up at her home uninvited and entering the address without permission, shouting and swearing, making offensive and abusive comments, and acting in an aggressive manner.

The offence happened on various occasions during June and July last year.

When the victim reported the matter to police, Paterson telephoned her home 49 times, and there were 20 missed calls on the woman’s mobile during the period that she was in the police station alone.

Prosecutor Graham Fraser said the couple had been in a relationship for three years, adding: “There were difficulties during the course of this relationship as the accused was very jealous and controlling. Because of these difficulties, the complainer ended the relationship around May 2015.”

Mr Fraser explained that messages between the pair on May 4, 2015, made it clear that the woman intended to block him.

He continued: “However, at the beginning of June the messages from the accused turned nasty, the frequency increased and they were frequently obsessive with various unsavoury comments made.

“The complainer told him to leave her alone, but he persisted in contacting her with a lot of the content being manipulative, trying to make her feel guilty or sorry for him.”

Mr Fraser said as time went on, the messages became more abusive. He told her he was taking a woman to a wedding in an attempt to make her jealous. However, over the weekend of June 27 and 29, she was away at another wedding, but he was still contacting her.

Mr Fraser said: “She spoke to him and told him she had moved on and there was no chance of rekindling their relationship.

“She herself had taken someone else to the wedding she had attended, and she said the intention of saying this was that he would realise it was over and move on.

“Unfortunately, he was enraged. He sent a message saying ‘I am going to come up there and batter the f*****g s**t out of you’. He went up to her house and barged into the house, shouting and swearing at her.”

The fiscal added: “The woman had alerted one of the neighbours that the accused might attend and to watch for his vehicle.”

When the neighbour came round, the accused said he did not want any trouble and left.

Defending, Ed Hulme said his client denied sending the message that he was going to batter her, adding that Paterson now had a new partner.

Mr Hulme continued: “There are two sides to every story in a personal relationship. When they first starting seeing each other, it was behind other people’s backs, which was not ideal.”

Mr Hulme said Paterson claimed he had been getting “mixed messages” from the complainer and there was evidence of lengthy conversdations between the two.

But he accepted matters came to a head at the end of June when he got the impression she was boasting to him about having a new partner.

Mr Hulme said: “He went round to have a face-to-face as phone contact was not working.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Paterson was given an 18-month non-harassment order.

HEALTH CENTRE DISTURBANCE

A Jedburgh man appeared from custody at the town’s sheriff court and admitted causing a disturbance in a health centre.

Rob Thomson, 48, of Bountrees, behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing at staff at Jedburgh Medical Practice.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Thomson had a number of previous convictions and said it was a major cause of concern that he had started using heroin.

Mat Patrick, defending, described his client as “hugely vulnerable”.

Sentence was deferred until November 29 for background reports and Thomson was bailed, subject to a condition that he stays away from the medical practice, unless to attend an appointment.

RACIALLY OFFENSIVE

A Hawick man who used racially-offensive language will be sentenced at Jedburgh Sheriff Court later this month.

Jamie Wilson’s abusive comments were heard by a 999 operator as his victim was already reporting him for a previous incident that day.

The court was told the comments about the man being half-caste and that he should go back to his own country were picked up on the 999 tape.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Wilson and the man had fallen out on Friday, July 8, and there had been some “toing and froing” during the course of the day which led to the 999 call.

Wilson, 29, of Fraser Avenue, pleaded guilty to threatening or abusive behaviour, and using racially-offensive language.

Sheriff Valerie Johnston deferred sentence until Tuesday, November 29, for the production of background reports.

MAN STRUGGLED

WITH POLICE

A drunken Hawick man who struggled with police officers as he tried to gain re-entry into a marquee at the town’s Moor celebrations was fined £200 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Joshua Chalmers, 23, pleaded guilty to the offence which happened on the evening of Friday, June 10.

Graham Fraser, prosecuting, said the area was busy with people singing and generally behaving themselves, but Chalmers, of Wilton Crescent, was put out of a marque for being too boisterous and had sustained a bleeding nose.

When Chalmers tried to get back into the marquee, police intervened and he swore at them and still tried to gain re-entry. He struggled violently with them and had to put to the ground and was put in a caged police vehicle.

Defence lawyer Natalia Paterson said the factory technical operative had felt aggrieved at being assaulted earlier.

REPORTS ON KNIFEMAN

Background reports have been ordered into a Hawick man who brandished a knife during a disturbance.

Steven Gorman, 22, of Eildon Road, pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour at a house in Wilton Drive, Hawick, on Monday, October 3.

He also admitted obstructing two police officers who were trying to handcuff him.

Sheriff Valerie Johnston deferred sentence until Tuesday, November 29, for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction-of-liberty order assessment.

Drainage improvement and embankment works will close part of the A68 this weekend.

The main A68 at Mervinslaw near Camptown will be closed to between 7am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The temporary traffic lights, which have been in place since the road was damaged in floods earlier this year, will be removed once these works have been completed.

A spokesman from road operator AMEY said: “This maintenance programme will benefit around 1,068 vehicles that use this route each day; by ensuring improved driving conditions and a reduction in future maintenance requirements.

“The scheme requires a full closure of the A68 with a signed diversion route in operation.”

Southbound traffic will leave the A68 at the Cleikimin junction, north of Jedburgh by Ancrum, and travel along the A698 to Hawick before proceeding via the A6088 to the junction with the A68 at Carterbar. The same diversion route is in place in the opposite direction.

This work, with a value of £5000 is being carried out in consultation with Transport Scotland, Traffic Scotland, the emergency services, bus operating companies, local elected members and Scottish Borders Council.

Real-time journey information can be found online at www.trafficscotland.org or via Twitter: @TrafficScotland

Practical ways to prevent water pollution from grazing livestock are being demonstrated to farmers at Grantshouse.

A free, on-farm meeting at Brockholes Farm near Grantshouse on Thursday, November 17, will give farmers in the catchment of the Lower Tweed an opportunity to see practical ways help improve water quality.

In 2016 the Lower Tweed was one of 42 river catchments across Scotland to become a “diffuse pollution priority catchment” with the purpose of improving the quality of Scotland’s burns, rivers and lochs.

Through visits and on-farm meetings the Land Unit of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has been contacting 600 farmers around the Lower Tweed to discuss how farming activity, like ploughing or allowing livestock to drink from ditches and burns, can allow soil or other pollutants to leak into water courses.

The meeting at Brockholes is part of the Scottish Government’s new Farm Advisory Service (FAS) programme which is delivered by specialists from the local St Boswells office of SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College.

Sue Arnott of SEPA’s Land Unit said: “We are seeing tangible improvements in water quality at Eyemouth Beach through changes farmers in the Eye Water and Pease Bay priority catchments have already made to the way they do things.

”We are confident that land managers in the Lower Tweed catchment will respond in the same positive manner. Just recently we spoke to a farmers meeting, organised under FAS, to raise awareness of the impacts that drainage run off from steadings, soil erosion and livestock management can have on water quality.”

The demonstration is from 10am to 3pm, contact 01835 823322 for more details.

I speak regularly with colleagues from other rescue centres and we all face very similar challenges every day, one of these being the lack of experienced dog walkers who we can call upon.

All of our dogs are regularly walked several times a day. The routes taken are changed in order to give them additional stimulus and we also have our free run 10 acre facility across the main A68. The problem is that each one of these walks requires suitable supervision to ensure that the dogs receive uniform instruction and training as well as ensuring the safety of all parties concerned.

We are no different to most centres in that many of the dogs we admit to the centre have some form of behavioural issue, often as a result of a general lack of awareness of their needs by previous owners, and a major part of our work focuses on rehabilitation and training. In order to be effective in this area considerable time and effort is needed to counter, often years, of poor experience.

Although our team is more than capable, in terms of their skills and experience, each walk out with an individual dog can take an hour or more. What we really need is experienced walkers and handlers who can work with our staff to follow care plans that are developed for each individual dog.

Obviously there are lots of details to cover concerning this role and you can contact us by phone, email, Facebook etc if interested. This is a vitallly important part of what we do. You could really help to increase the chances of one of the dogs to find their forever home. Get in touch with us and have a chat to see if this might be right for you.

Last-ditch efforts to save Borders building firm Murray and Burrell have failed, leaving its 38 staff out of work as Christmas approaches.

The Galashiels company went into administration last week, and an administrator was appointed this week in the hope of preserving it as a going concern, but he was forced to concede defeat within two days.

The Roxburgh Street firm’s near-40-strong workforce, mainly tradesmen and office staff, were told last Wednesday that receivers had been called in and that the official 30-day consultation process over their jobs was under way.

Edinburgh-based accountancy firm Thomson Cooper announced partner Richard Gardiner as adminstrator of the failing business on Monday, but just a day after being appointed, he said: “The directors explored all options in an effort to preserve trading and jobs. Regrettably, 38 jobs were lost as there is no prospect of continuing to trade.”

Prior to that announcement, Murray and Burrell operations and finance director Gary Brown told The Southern: “We have entered in to a 30-day consultation process with our workforce. How that will play out we are not sure, and whether we have a future, we are not sure.”

Founded in 1928 by Sandy Burrell and Andrew Murray, the firm was, at one point, one of the region’s biggest employers. It worked predominantly in the private sector for local mills, farms and estates over the years before establishing the house-building arm of its business in the 1950s.

Now in the fourth generation of Burrell management, it cited “adverse trading conditions” as being to blame for the shock news.

Borders politicians and government agencies have been quick to offer their backing to workers affected after hearing of the firm’s demise.

Scottish Enterprise and Partnership Action for Continuing Employment were set to make contact with Murray and Burrell staff at the time of going to press, and the company’s plight has been raised at Holyrood.

Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale MSP Christine Grahame said: “It is sad that this much-respected family firm, spanning four generations, has gone into administration.

“Rooted for almost 90 years in Gala, this has not only meant the workforce are now out of work, but because of the company’s commitment to the community, it will have a substantial impact on some 15 subcontractors and 30 or so more local suppliers.”

Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce convener Jack Clark said: “Murray and Burrell will be a big loss to the community as it is a long-established business.

“There is a lot involved in running a small business, and the less constraints that these businesses have put on them the better. This just underlines that fact. Small businesses have a big on-cost in operating and the less that on-cost is the better in order for them to remain viable.”

Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for economic development, Galashiels councillor Stuart Bell, said: “I think the fact that Murray and Burrell has gone into administration is devastating news for the 38 staff involved.

“The council, through Business Gateway and Scottish Enterprise, had no knowledge that Murray and Burrell was in these difficulties. It was a surprise for us.

“I understand it has gone into voluntary liquidation, which is a controlled process.

“It means that there is the best opportunity for other businesses not to be left out of pocket and to minimise the knock-on effect.

“Scottish Borders Council will take a look at minimising any impact on the other construction industries in the Borders.”

South of Scotland Conservative list MSP Rachael Hamilton added: “This is a sad day for the Borders.

“Murray and Burrell did great work, and it is such a sadness that we hear this news.

“Murray and Burrell employed 38 people and had such a positive impact throughout.

“The focus must now be on helping those 38 employees find employment and ensure support is there for all those involved in Murray and Burrell and their families.

“Being in business is tough, and everyone needs to do all they can, including the Scottish Government, to support Scottish business, large and small.”

Plans by telecommunications giant BT to axe all its public payphones in the region will be opposed by Scottish Borders Council today.

In August, the company revealed its intentions to remove the Borders’ 104 call boxes as part of a cost-cutting drive, but it offered to spare any if their survival could be justified.

A report by emergency planning officer Jim Fraser to today’s full council meeting will call on elected members to object to all but three of the proposed closures and to demand retention of the others – even those that have not been used by the public at all in the past year.

Mr Fraser states: “The approach being taken by BT is based solely on costs, and it is evident that the savings from the closure of these payphones will be marginal in terms of the overall costs of its business.

“Due to the insufficient mobile phone coverage which currently exists in the Borders, during the storms of late 2015 and early 2016, BT public payphones were the sole method of communication in some of our more rural communities to report issues such as trees down and roads blocked.

“The BT landline telephone infrastructure offers the best resilience in any emergency.”

The lack of a mobile phone signal in rural parts of the Borders was frequently cited in feedback from community councils, along with geographical isolation, the use of payphones to contact emergency services and the fact that some older people had neither landlines nor mobile phones.

The only three boxes that local communities and the council agree should be removed are at Simprims Farm, near Coldstream; Makerstoun, near Kelso, and Longnewtown, near Newtown St Boswells.

Among those it wants spared are ones in Selkirk, Hawick, Galashiels, Fountainhall and Ettrick.

In the central Borders, the payphones which SBC wants retained are as follows (number of calls made from each in past year in brackets): Huddersfield Street (83), Larchbank Street (7), Magdala Terrace (25), Balmoral Road (7), Tweed Road/Abbotsford Road (0), all in Galashiels; Raeburn Meadow (6) and Scotts Place (36) in Selkirk; Stow (20), Fountainhall (14), Ashkirk (6), Glen Café at St Mary’s Loch (35), Ettrickbridge (80), Ettrick (32), Yarrowford (8), Newstead (4), Gattonside (1), Darnick (0) and Edinburgh Road layby near Lauder (18).

In Peeblesshire the threatened facilities are at Walkerburn (3), Hall Street (20) and Ballantyne Street (14), Innerleithen, Horsburgh Ford (0), Eddleston (6), Stobo (1), Kirkton Manor (2), Blyth Bridge (8), Romanno Bridge (0), Skirling (0) and Broughton (44).

This Sunday, Borderers will pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in wars over the last 100 years by taking part in parades and services organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland and churches.

Members of the armed forces, veterans, reserves and various cadet groups will wear their uniforms with pride, alongside youth organisations such as the scouts, Boys’ Brigade, brownies and girl guides.

Community leaders, pipe and silver bands and other members of the public will also gather to pay their respects.

In Selkirk, the parade will start at 10.10am, from O’Malleys sports bar and will take in a service at the town’s parish church in High Street. After the service, at about 11.15am, the parade will march to the war memorial in Ettrick Terrace to lay wreaths, before marching to the Co-op in High Street at around noon.

Earlston’s parade, organised by the parish church, starts at 10.30am and marches from Church Street to the Square.

The Hawick event, organised by the town’s ex-servicemen’s club, also starts at 10.3oam and takes in Common Haugh, Hawick Museum, Victoria Road, Albert Bridge, Sandbed, High Street and O’Connell Street.

In Jedburgh, the parade starts at 10.35am at the legion building at 57 High Street, and marchers will take in Market Place, Abbey Place, Abbey Bridge End, the War Memorial, Oxnam Road and the parish church, returning by the same route.

Peebles’ parade starts at its parish Church at 10.15am, before taking going along High Street to the war memorial. The silver band will continue on to the band hall .

St Boswells holds a memorial day service at the church at 10.50am, and members of the public make their own way to the war memorial at the end of the service.

At Walkerburn, a parade organised by the community council begins at the public hall and marches to the war memorial at 10.35am.

Denholm’s parade, organised by Ruberslaw Church, starts at 11.30am in Main Street.

Lauderdale and Galawater Ex-Service Association hosts the Lauder parade at 10.30am from the Avenue.

The Melrose parade, hosted by the legion’s Melrose branch, starts at 10.25am at the old town hall and marches along Abbey Street, Market Square and High Street to the war memorial.

In Kelso, the parade, commanded by Alasdair Hutton, assembles in the Square at 10.30am, making its way to the war memorial, where a service, by Kelso Churches Together, will be held, including the traditional two-minute silence at 11am.

The Galashiels parade will begin at 12.20pm at the legion building in Park Street. Participants will march along Channel Street and Market Street to the war memorial for a service, before going back to the legion building.

Other towns and villages have services planned too. Check locally for details.