Ask anyone who has Tourettes syndrome, and they will tell you in no uncertain terms that it is no laughing matter.

However, one of the saddest facts about the condition is that it can actually be very funny indeed to others.

Tourettes can make a sufferer blurt out outrageous rants, using taboo words, things we would perhaps think but never say.

It is funny, because it is shocking ... Frankie Boyle made a career out of doing just that.

But when it comes to making documentaries about Tourettes, programme makers can tend to focus on those outbursts, and the message can be lost.

However, the new BBC3 online documentary showing the relationship between teenage Jedburgh sufferer Rory Brown and his mentor Johnny Davidson of Galashiels, is heartwarmingly uplifting.

Sure, there are scenes that make you smile – when 12-year-old Rory asks the female police officer where her eyebrows had gone – and there are almost voyeuristic scenes that make you feel guilty for smiling – where the camera keeps running while his ticcing is manifested by him punching himself in the face – but there are also scenes of true warmth, sadness, and, most importantly, hope.

Johnny, who had to go through hell as he grew up with an illness nobody really understood, has done more than any other person to educate and inform on the subject through his appearances in documentaries over the years, starting with the QED film John’s Not Mad in 1989.

And now, he has provided Rory – and many others – with something he never had as a child, knowledge that he isn’t alone.

As the programme shows, he set up a meeting with the police in Jedburgh, explaining the condition to the officers and introducing them to Rory. He also did the same for teachers at Jedburgh Grammar School.

The programme also focuses on Greg Storey, whose Tourettes was almost completely debilitating when he was younger, and had appeared on previous documentaries with Johnny, such as The Boy Can’t Help It.

Greg – now a software developer in his 20s – has found a way to minimise and even cancel out his ticcing. He says that from the moment he wakes up, to the moment he goes to bed, he imagines a drum riff going on in the background of his mind, which works for him.

He, like many other sufferers across the country, attended a weekend camp in the Langlee Community Centre, which is where John, now the elder statesman of Tourettes, works as caretaker.

In one scene, Greg took Rory aside to give him a one-on-one drumming lesson. And, for the first time during the programme, Rory’s ticcing had diminished.

Also, when John treated the group to a runaround a local military-style assault course, and when fellow sufferer Paul Stephenson of Berwick showed Rory how to use a camera, it had almost disappeared.

Not so funny ... but filled with hope for the future.

Tourettes: Teenage Tics is available for five months online and will be aired on BBC1 later in the year.

The discovery last Friday of avian bird flu in a small backyard flock of birds in North Yorkshire means poultry are being kept locked in until at least February 28.

Following a peregrine falcon being found dead – and later testing positive for H5N8 avian influenza – in Dumfries and Galloway last month, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) had asked anyone who has hens, whether it be for business or as pets, to keep them indoors, so they have no contact with wild birds, between December 6 and January 6.

However, subsequent discoveries across the country, including the flock in Yorkshire, has extended the period of restrictions.

All keepers of birds are advised to be vigilant over the health of their livestock, and to check with the DEFRA website or their local veterinary practice for advice on appropriate measures.

Scottish rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing said: “Confirmation of the arrival of the virus throughout the UK highlights how essential it is that bird keepers comply with the avian influenza prevention zone.”

Poultry shows and gatherings have also been cancelled during the outbreak.

Bird owners worried about their charges being kept inside have been advised to keep them stimulated by giving them children’s toys, or hanging up food in bales.

Any birds found with the disease will lead to the culling of the entire flock.

DEFRA has issued advice on what to do if you find a dead wild swan, or a group of dead birds in a small area.

Contact it by calling 0845 9335577 and do not handle the carcasses unless it is essential.

John Campbell, chairman of Glenrath Farms, this week urged all owners of poultry to keep their birds indoors to stop the spread of avian flu.

Mr Campbell, who was awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year honours list (see page 7), said that all his hens are being kept inside.

And with the latest discovery in a flock in Settle, North Yorkshire, being only an hour away – as the bird flies – it is more important than ever to be vigilant.

He said: “It really is a terrible worry, and we are really concerned about the avian flu.

“Biosecurityis very important at times like this, and, above all else, we are making sure all our hens are being shut in.

“We have been advised by the Government to keep our birds away from wild birds, which seem to be responsible for spreading the virus.

“It is a very worrying matter for all owners of birds, big or small, and we must do all we can to ensure this strain is stopped.

“When you look at 10 years ago, when half the birds in Holland were culled and 41 million birds were lost in America two years ago, it proves just how important this issue is.

“In situations like this, whatever the Government says, you must obey it.”

Adventurous Borderers are being offered the chance to become the first Westerners to make a train trip across North Korea since the country’s creation almost 70 years ago.

Retired businessman Tom Burnham fulfilled a lifelong ambition three months ago by visiting the secretive communist state for the first time, and he was so impressed that he wants to do it all over again.

And next time round, the 71-year-old, of Earlston, wants to take some fellow Borderers with him.

The former Earlston Community Council chairman is organising a return to the East Asian country in September and is hoping to sign up a handful or more fellow travellers keen to see the republic for themselves.

“I’ve already got three of my friends enlisted, and I’m looking for around half a dozen other like-minded individuals to join us so we can benefit from discounts from the tour company,” he said.

Tom, a member of the Scottish Borders Tourism Partnership, was one of a 14-strong international party to visit North Korea in October after booking with specialist travel agency Korya Tours.

“I’d always harboured a desire to visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, not least because of the stories from my late father, who fought in the Korean War in the early 1950s, but, like many other people, I’d been slightly put off by all the negative stuff we get fed in the western media,” he said.

“I wasn’t deterred by the political system because, during the days of the Cold War, I worked in many countries behind the Iron Curtain and always found them culturally fascinating.

“The reality was that North Korea was wildly different from the propaganda image of a cold, faceless, regimented society.

“The people were endlessly courteous, some of the scenery we saw during our coach trips was spectacular and the architecture, particularly the iconic modern buildings, was breathtaking.”

He explained that the train journey had been exclusively brokered by Korya Tours.

“We will be the first ever westerners to take the overnight train from the capital Pyongyang in the south west to the large port of Chongjin in the north east since the country’s inception in 1948, which is quite something,” said Tom.

“There will be overnight stays in hotels in the towns we visit, and there are lots of tours including visits to factories, waterfalls, monuments and museums.”

Tom said he is hoping to put together as party from the Borders, paying £2,500-plus a head, by the end of March ready for a trip taking place from Thursday, September, 21 to Sunday, October 1.

“It costs around 2,800 euros all in, although you have to pay your own way to the Chinese capital of Beijing, where Korya Tours is based,” he said.

“It took me around three weeks, but I had no problem getting the necessary visa.”

Anyone interested in joining Tom’s North Korean jaunt or requiring more information can contact him on 07931 939 260.

End, caption follows

Tom Burnham’s photographs of two monuments in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang – the Arch of Triumph and the Monument to the Korean Workers’ Party, depicting hammer, sickle and pen.

Moves are afoot to have a tribute to late rock star Jimmy Bain created in his home town of Dunbar, much to the delight of relatives of his including his niece Linda Renton.

Linda, of Eyemouth, was invited along to Dunbar Community Council’s latest meeting to express the family’s support for such recognition of her uncle’s achievements in the music business.

“All the family were pleased to hear about this, and hopefully it will go ahead,” the 64-year-old told the Berwickshire News this week.

“We grew up together. Jimmy was my uncle, but he was only five years older than me.

“We use to go and visit him and his mum and dad, Ella and Alistair, for our holidays.”

The council agreed to support moves to have a commemorative plaque put up, subject to planning permission being forthcoming.

The provision of a plaque outside the former Foresters’ Arms, in Colvin Street, Bain’s dad having been a tenant landlord there during the 1960s, was proposed to the council by Mark Beattie, a fan of the Rainbow and Dio bassist.

He also suggested having a statue of Bain put up near the music room at his old school, Dunbar Grammar, but was warned that that might be a taller order.

Bain, born in the village of Newtonmore in the Scottish Highlands in 1947, moved to Dunbar in 1958 and remained there until his musical career took off in his early twenties.

He joined his first band, Nick and the Sinners, while still at school in 1961, along with fellow pupils Lloyd Togneri, Jimmy Gaffney and Robin Johnstone and ex-pupil Jimmy Marr.

After leaving school, Bain, a lead guitarist at that time, went on to join the Embers, Street Noise, Choker and, in 1974, Harlot.

His stint with the short-lived rock act Harlot proved to be Bain’s big break as it was at one of their shows, at the Marquee in London, that he caught the eye of former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and future Black Sabbath frontman Ronnie James Dio and was then asked to join their band Rainbow.

Bain only played on one of the band’s eight studio albums, Rising, a No 11 hit in 1976, as he was sacked by Blackmore the year after, though he did also feature on their 1977 live album, On Stage, a No 7 hit, and Live in Germany 1976, an archive release put out in 1990.

That wasn’t the end of his association with the late Dio, however, as he joined the US singer’s post-Black Sabbath band, called Dio in 1982, remaining with them until 1989 and rejoining them from 1999 to 2004.

Bain played on six of Dio’s 10 studio albums – 1983’s Holy Diver, a No 13 hit; 1984’s The Last in Line, a No 4; 1985’s Sacred Heart, also a No 4; 1987’s Dream Evil, a No 8; the non-charting Magica in 2000; and 2002’s Killing the Dragon, not a hit either.

Linda, formerly a teacher at Chirnside Primary School, can recall with pride watching her uncle Jimmy perform several times at venues around Berwickshire and on bigger stages later on.

“The first time I saw him was in Chirnside when he was with Nick and the Sinners. I can’t remember what the hall was called then, but it’s a furniture store now,” she said.

“He picked me up on the way there. I must have been about 12 at the time, and he’d have been 17.

“I saw him at the Edinburgh Playhouse with Dio too.”

He also played on the No 2 hit Black Rose: A Rock Legend, his friend Phil Lynott’s 1979 album with Thin Lizzy, and on the late Lynott’s two solo records, 1980’s Solo in Soho and 1982’s The Philip Lynott Album.

Others acts Bain featured in over the years included Wild Horses, World War III, Mandy Lion, the Hollywood All Starz, 3 Legged Dogg, the Key and Last in Line, a Dio tribute act formed in 2012 with other ex-members of the band, as well as playing for the likes of John Cale and Kate Bush.

Another of his claims to fame was forming the supergroup Hear ’n Aid in 1985 to record the charity single Stars, a No 26 hit co-written with Dio and fellow Dio member Vivian Campbell.

Among the artists featured on it were Dio, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, Blue Oyster Cult’s Eric Bloom, Queensryche’s Geoff Tate, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, Ted Nugent, Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray and Journey’s Neil Schon.

Bain died of lung cancer in January last year at the age of 68, leaving a daughter, Sam.

Peace of mind could be at hand for Teries fearful of a repeat of last winter’s floods.

Two drop-in events are to be held next week to give townsfolk an update on progress being made on the £36.4m Hawick flood protection scheme due to be approved this year.

A two-day public exhibition on the flood defences held in August last year attracted a turnout of around, so next week’s sessions are expected to prove popular too.

People will have the chance to see how the project is progressing by attending drop-in sessions at the Heart of Hawick, in Kirkstile, next Wednesday or Thursday, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm on both days.

Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, said: “There was extensive community engagement during 2016, culminating in the two-day public exhibition held in August, with around 700 members of the public attending.

“A survey at the exhibition found that 85.5% of those attending supported the scheme, with 9.5% undecided and 5% not in favour.

“Comments that were received during the exhibition were important in shaping the design, and these latest drop-in events give the public the chance to see how officers have incorporated these options into the scheme.

“Council officers will be in attendance at both drop-in sessions to answer any questions.”

Concerns about flooding will also be addressed at another drop-in session in Hawick next week, at Hawick Rugby Club’s Mansfield Park ground on Tuesday, between 4pm and 6pm.

It is being held to help residents of properties at risk of flooding secure affordable home insurance.

Representatives of Flood Re, a not-for-profit organisation launched in April last year to help flood-hit householders struggling to find insurers willing to take them on, will be there to offer advice.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency officials will also be there to provide details of their flood warning service.

Mr Edgar added: “This is a great opportunity for houseowners to find out more about how they can find affordable home insurance.”

For further details, go to www.hawickfloodscheme.com or www.facebook.com/
hawickfloodprotectionscheme

A solution to a health and safety wrangle which has been blighting the heart of a Borders village for the last year could soon be at hand.

The problem started when recycling containers were removed from a purpose-made shelter in Bonchester Bridge and relocated close to the village hall.

That decision was taken on health and safety grounds, as a telephone line runs across the shelter to a pole sited near the riverside.

There are also overhead power cables nearby, and contractors had to use a crane-type attachment to lift and empty the containers.

Because of the close proximity of the overhead cables they halted such operations, citing concerns over potential injuries or damage. That’s when the decision was taken to move the unsightly containers close to the hall.

That has left the purpose-made shelter and concrete base empty and the containers in full view next to the hall, however. It has also resulted in the removal of some parking spaces and accessibility.

Hawick and Denholm’s councillors have been trying to resolve the problem, leading to a site visit with council officers.

BT was asked to help and quoted a substantial figure, more than £8,000, to put its cables underground.

Officers have since held further discussions and are waiting for confirmation that they can move the pole and cables.

Meanwhile, ward councillors have agreed to use cash from a small schemes fund to help resolve the problem.

It is understood this can be achieved for half the previous figure, but the project needs to be invoiced and under way before the end of March to comply with end-of-financial-year budget processes.

Ward councillor Watson McAteer said officers were now waiting to hear confirmation that this can be achieved, but he is hopeful that a solution will be found.

He said: “I am delighted that we appear to have finally broken the impasse with regards to returning the recycling bins to their purpose-made shelter at Bonchester.

“Council officers have been engaging with BT, and a solution to the problem has been identified.

“While this will incur substantial costs, Hawick and Denholm’s councillors are very happy to use their small schemes fund to support the community.

“It will be great to see the bins finally returned to their home base, greatly improving the area next to the village hall.”

A date has been set for Hawick’s newest superstore to open its doors.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be staged on Thursday, February 9, at the town’s new-look Lidl supermarket.

It is not yet known who will be asked to do the honours, but after it’s over, the doors of the Wilton Path store will open to the public.

The imminent arrival of the replacement retail outlet brought an enthusiastic welcome from one town councillor and a more cautious one from another.

The company’s third new-look store in Scotland brings with it 15 new jobs, but concerns have also been raised that its arrival, and that of a new Aldi in Commercial Road, will provide unfair competition to existing town retailers, particularly on the already-struggling High Street.

Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall believes that on the contrary the discount retailer will provide townsfolk with more choice, and he sees its opening as part of a series of positives for townsfolk to look forward to in 2017.

He said: “I am delighted that Lidl is opening its doors soon. It’s amazing how many townsfolk are now asking as to when it will be open for business.

“I don’t know on how many occasions over the past few years I have been stopped by townsfolk informing me that we don’t have much to offer in Hawick.

“Well, here, with Lidl and Aldi, are two good examples, coupled with the new distillery, a new hotel and millions of pounds being spent on our beloved Wilton Lodge Park.

“These huge cash investments certainly herald the fact that there will be plenty on offer in Hawick.”

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Ron Smith also offered Lidl his best wishes for success, but he remains concerned at the impact the new retail arrivals will have on existing traders.

Mr Smith, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for planning and environment, said: “I always have concerns covering their impact on each of the town’s many supermarkets but also on shops in the town.

“When the Aldi application was considered by the council’s local review body, other members of the body saw this as acceptable competition.

“I wish the businesses well but don’t have the confidence expressed by some of our local councillors that the town can support an extra supermarket.”

Lidl announced last year that it was creating 300 new jobs in Scotland through the opening of eight new-concept stores.

Hawick’s new outlet is part of an investment of £50m in new buildings also in Stirling, Greenock, Patrick and Oban, along with three in Edinburgh.

The odds are looking good for a major revamp to be carried out at St Leonard’s Park Racecourse in Hawick.

A joint application was submitted this week by Hawick’s common good fund and common riding committee to provide new accommodation on the town moor site to replace and supplement its existing facilities.

The plans include a new room for use by the common riding committee, plus new public toilets, a jockeys’ changing room, weighing room and stewards’ room.

These facilities already exist but are considered to be past their sell-by date , besides being scattered around several buildings on the site.

It is anticipated that a number of the existing sub-standard structures would be removed on completion of the proposed project.

Due to the limited use of the facility, it is intended that the building will be of basic construction of an agricultural form, with concrete strip foundations, concrete floor and concrete block external walls and internal partitions.

The site to be redeveloped is located within the current paddock area of the racecourse and immediately south of the existing service road.

The new facility will principally be used during the annual common riding weekend in early June and for four or five race meetings to be held over the course of the summer.

Hawick and Hermitage councillor George Turnbull, chairman of the common good fund, described the project as “very exciting”, adding: “Some of the old buildings there are past their sell-by-date.

“Fortunately, the Hawick Common Riding Committee is in a good financial position and is donating £125,000 to the common good fund to manage the construction of these new agricultural buildings, including new male and female toilets, which will reduce the cost of providing portable loos.

“The longer-term plans are to provide other events on the moor and to rent out the buildings to provide a new income stream.”

Scottish Borders Council has recommended approval of the application, with the full cost of getting the new building up and running being estimated at between £150,000 and £170,000.

The report says: “This new facility will reduce the fragmented nature of buildings on the site by housing much of the accommodation under one roof.

“The building will provide improved accommodation for both members of the public and common riding officials and will provide a focal point for activities on the site.

“The removal of the modular toilet building and the rationalisation of the masonry-constructed buildings will enhance the visual impact of the site.

“It is therefore recommended that approval be granted to allow the provision of this new facility, thereby improving facilities and the visual impact of the site.”

The report adds: “On completion of the new facility, it is anticipated that several of the current structures on the site will be removed, particularly the cabin-type toilet units.

“This will ultimately reduce the disparate nature of the building on the site.”

There is no mains electricity supply to the site, and it is anticipated that a portable generator will be provided on the days that the facility is operational.

The application also takes into account that the site is predominantly used for farming the majority of the year, with the report adding: “There will be minimal soft landscaping to the new facility due to the fact that it is used as sheep grazing for a large part of the year.

“Hard landscaping will take the form of perimeter paving to the building, providing level access at all doors.

“Hard landscaping will also be provided adjacent to the new facility as vehicle parking.”

A councillor is urging Teries to help kick fly-tippers into touch after finding green waste dumped opposite Hawick Rugby Club’s Mansfield Park ground.

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson was angered after coming across several tree branches scattered just 100 yards from the town’s Mansfield Road community recycling centre.

Scottish Borders Council no longer provides garden waste collections, but the public can take their garden waste to any recycling centre for free, although registered companies have to pay.

Mr Paterson, the council’s executive member for environmental services, believes the offending waste was dumped by a company unwilling to pay to dispose of it at the centre.

He added: “It is disgraceful that someone should do this. They obviously have no pride in the town at all. They are prepared to do this in order to avoid paying for it.

“They probably realised they could have been challenged by workers at the recycling centre, and that’s why they dumped it.

“They didn’t want to pay for it being recycled.

“They must have had a vehicle to transport this waste to this location, so there would have been no problem taking it the extra 100 yards to the recycling centre. It’s a possibility a business was trying to ride piggy-back on hard-pressed council tax payers.

“I would urge people, if they have any clue about who has fly-tipped this waste to contact Scottish Borders Council or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.”

A council spokesman said: “We offer any household which has lost its garden waste collection service a free home composter.”

Organisations that tackle poverty can now have access to a new £29 million funding pot set up by the Scottish Government.

A new Aspiring Communities Fund will hold £18.9 million to help organisations find new, long lasting community-led solutions to poverty, by increasing economic activity or enhancing services to meet local needs.

The £9.7 million Growing the Social Economy Programme will enable third sector organisations to try new ideas and approaches by collaborating with research organisations or supporting people to improve their skills.

The funding over the next two years supports the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, published last October with £12 million of the total funding coming from the European Social Fund.

Announcing the funding today (Monday) during a visit to Govan, First First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government is doing “everything possible” to create a more equal Scotland.

She continued: “This funding of £29 million will support communities and the third sector in developing new ways to help people overcome disadvantage.

“Over the next two years, the investment in these two funds will deliver positive and innovative approaches to improve people’s lives through boosting skills or delivering new services to meet community needs - and crucially, giving people the power to take charge and make changes in their own communities.

“Almost half of this funding comes from the European Social Fund which promotes inclusive growth and supports those who are disadvantaged - and the best way to continue that support beyond 2020 is by maintaining Scotland’s relationship with Europe.”

A Galashiels barber has made it to the shortlist of a nationwide competition to be crowned the best wet shaving barber in Great Britain – and it’s not Luigi Caterino!

Luigi’s apprentice, Rachel Casson, is based at The Italian Job Barbershop in Channel Street, and will face razor-sharp competition from near and far in her quest to win the prestigious competition.

Rachel, 21, is set to face-off against other top barbers in the Scotland regional final in March next year, vying for a place in the national final at the Birmingham NEC on May 21, 2017.

An apprentice of previous winner Luigi, Rachel said: “I finished my hairdresser college course in June last year, and started working with Luigi.

“He has taught me everything about barbering and we decided together that the Britain’s Best Shave competition can be an amazing experience to see what level I’m at and meet some amazing barbers from around the country.”

Now in its fourth year, the annual competition, run by premium male grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge and industry watchdogs the British Barbers’ Association, is fast becoming the competition of the barbering industry.

Finalists must impress judges on a number of criteria, including shave preparation, razor technique, post-shave routine, health and safety and overall efficiency.

The title carries with it great kudos – 2015 winner Luigi has since gone on to become the official barber of Rangers FC, as well as winning several other awards.

And his tutoring does not end with Rachel, as he is the Scottish educator in a newbarbering academy which runs courses nation-wide – visit http://www.greatbritishbarberingacademy.com for more details.

David Hildrew, managing director of The Bluebeards Revenge, said: “Each year we are blown away by the level of talent out there.

“The number of entries to Britain’s Best Shave has increased year on year, as scores of barbers turn their hand to the art of wet shaving. With that, comes impressive quality, technique and timing of many candidates.”

The manager of the Pavilion Cinema in Galashiels hopes a new membership and loyalty scheme will see people return to the idea of going to the movies as a social occasion.

And the cinema has also invested in its future, with a £90,000 refit, making the seats in all four of its screens more comfortable.

Andrew Poole said: “When we took over the cinema in October 1995, we underwent renovation from one screen to four, which was a huge investment.

“Back then, people came to the cinema for a night out. They would come regularly, and just turn up at the box office and ask what films we had on that night.

“Nowadays, people tend to just come and watch a particular film.”

After a survey of customers, he found that although the cinema was well thought of, there was one particular point that kept popping up.

He said: “Although we always knew people liked to come here, we didn’t realise how much, as people were saying we provided a hugely valued service.

“One of the few areas of concern that our customers voiced was that the seats were getting uncofortable.

“We identified that ourselves, and the time had come to bite the bullet and invest in the future of the cinema here in Galashiels and the wider Borders.

“So last summer we began to look for a contractor.

“There were a few options open to us. We could have ripped out all the seats and put in multiplex-style leather recliners with cup holders, but that would have seriously reduced our capacity down by about 60%. It would also have been ridiculously expensive and we would never have covered the costs. We are just not busy enough.

“So, the best option we came up with is to fully refurbish the existing seats by making templates of the seating components, having new components made, and then swapping new for old.

“We did this without closing the cinema even for a day.”

Fewer people are using the cinema these days – the advent of Netflix and other streaming sites being a low-cost method of seeing films at home.

So Andrew wants to make going to the cinema a more regular social option, by launching a new membership scheme.

He said: “There are two membership tiers. They get free cinema tickets when they sign up, and they get a pound off their tickets all year, and up to 10% off their purchases at the sweetie counter.”

Andrew added that he is also investing in his staff, as he is putting two existing personnel through a cinema apprenticeship.

He said: “It’s a brand new apprenticeship for cinema operators and they start their training later this month.”

The final stages of essential repairs to a historic Yarrow Valley bridge will require a five-day closure.

Broadmeadows Bridge on the A708 road will be shut on Monday, January 30, until Friday, February 3, from 9am to 4pm each day, to allow the road to be resurfaced.

The timing of the closure aims to minimise disruption by allowing local people to still use the bridge outwith working and school hours.

The bridge is expected to fully reopen after the repairs.

Broadmeadows Bridge was damaged by a vehicle in September 2015, leading to temporary lights being used to allow traffic to continue to use it.

Following a full assessment, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) began rebuilding a section of the masonry on the upstream side of the structure in November 2016, allowing the bridge to remain open with the continued use of traffic lights.

The remaining areas of walls have been anchored using steel ties, which will be cored and cemented into the bridge structure.

Before beginning the £100,000 project, SBC discussed the works with utility companies whose apparatus runs through the bridge.

SBC’s Executive Member for Roads and Infrastructure, Councillor Gordon Edgar, said: “This daytime closure of Broadmeadows Bridge for five days is unfortunately unavoidable.”

“We realise it will cause some disruption, but hope the Yarrow Valley community recognise that efforts have been made to minimise this, and will welcome the bridge being fully reopened in February.”

Netflix users are being urged to watch out for online scammers who are targeting users’ login and bank account details.

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) issued the warning following a spate of fraudulent emails.

Site users have received emails prompting them to keep their memberships details up to date, and are then linked to a bogus login page on which they are asked to fill out personal details.

Once users have filed in their details hackers are able to use them to either extract further information or directly target finances.

Gerry Grant, an ethical hacker with SBRC, said that people have been duped by emails which look entirely authentic. He said: “We are urging caution after a recent outbreak of fraudulent emails have targeted users of the site.

“Attackers are now taking more care in creating genuine looking emails. This can make it a lot harder to spot a fake email, but users should never click on the link in any email, but log on to the site directly from their browser.”

A similar ‘phishing’ scam has also surfaced in recent weeks that attempts to lure Amazon Prime users into passing on private information, further highlighting the need for internet users to exercise caution.

Gerry added: “There are three simple steps people can take if they are suspicious of unsolicited messages like these.

“Do not click the link, check the link’s URL to see if it is to trustworthy site and never put your personal and bank account details into any form that is not completely trustworthy.

“It is important to avoid clicking on these kind of sites in the first place, so users should be vigilant of the sites they are visiting.”

Hackers will often disguise fraudulent addresses with shortened links, hiding the URL. In these cases there is a number of sites which can be used to double-check the destination. Sites such as http://wheredoesthislinkgo.com/ can do this by simply copy and pasting the link into the website’s search-bar.

To keep details safe, look out for four things:-

·‘https://’ at the start of the address bar or a padlock icon. The ‘S’ indicates that it is a secure server and that your information will be safe. Facebook uses this.

·‘Green Address Bar’ another indicator that some secure websites use is to turn the address bar green.

·Users should also check the page that is sharing any vouchers. Does it look genuine? Is it posting other content from that supermarket such as Christmas recipes or discounts? If not it may not be genuine.

·Look out for the blue tick - Facebook and Twitter have a blue tick scheme for verified accounts. This is a handy way to verify that a page is the real deal.

Borders College HND Graphic Design (Visual Communications) students recently took part in a client initiated design project for the Borders Deer Management Group (BDMG).

Students were tasked with designing a logo for BDMG literature and presentation materials, which would be used to circulate information to the general public.

The design brief listed eight separate stipulations of what the group were looking for, and the students were required to present their designs in a 10 minute client presentation.

The designs are to be judged and the final winner announcement will be made in March 2017.

The new Borders monitor farm is gearing up to open its gates to the local farming community for its first open meeting.

The Borders Monitor Farm Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 22, courtesy of the Mitchell family, Whitriggs Farm, Denholm, Hawick.

At this launch meeting, which is free to attend and open to all, the hosts will give an overview of their businesses and share their aspirations for the next three years as they focus on improving their production efficiency and business margins.

For further information and to book your place contact Stephen Young on 07502 339613/Stephen.young@saos.coop

Scotland’s other eight new monitor farms will also hold their first open meetings in the coming weeks.

During the first meetings the facilitators for each farm will highlight the key aims of the programme which is being run jointly by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government and European Union’s Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund.

The objective of the Monitor Farm Scotland programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of farm businesses through practical demonstrations, the sharing of best practice and the group approach to addressing industry issues.

There will be an opportunity for local farmers to get involved with their local monitor farm and join the business group and management group which will be established for each farm.

The locations of the monitor farms are diverse, with farms as far north as Sutherland and Shetland, stretching down to the Scottish Borders and also including Nithsdale, North Ayrshire, Lothians, Angus, Morayshire and Lochaber.

A Galashiels couple say they have been forced to apply to a charity for a desperately-needed piece of equipment for their five-year-old daughter.

Brian and Shona Johnstone’s daughter Rihanna was born premature and is a quadriplegic with a complex condition including cerebral palsy and chronic lung disease.

It is a life-limiting condition – and not many with it survive into their teens.

And one of the most important things that can be done to extend her life is to keep her moving so that she can exercise her muscles.

It will also give her a feeling of independence.

A physiotherapist recently recommended a walking frame, which she was able to try, and she was delighted to take her first few steps at her first attempt.

“However, there is no funding available locally for this equipment, so Rihanna’s parents turned to Newlife, a charity for disabled children, for help.

Shona said: “Rihanna will never be able to walk like a normal person, so we have had to go to Newlife.

“If Rihanna gets to be a teenager, we will be doing all right.

“It is important to keep her as mobile as possible to promote good digestion, circulation and breathing function and stop her muscles from wasting away.

“The walking aid will help her do this.

“The more we can keep her moving, the more we can help prolong her life.

“She is such a wee star, a real fighter with a great attitude that keeps her going.”

Last year, Shona suffered a stroke while giving birth to Rihanna’s baby brother, and it has left her paralysed down the right side of her body.

She said: “Brian has had to give up work, and he is basically caring for me as well as Rihanna.”

At the moment, Rihanna has to be manipulated to get her muscles moving, and Shona said: “She can move her limbs to a certain degree, but it must be really sore for her to be handled all the time.

“Getting the equipment through Newlife will make so much difference to her life.

“And the good thing is that if Rihanna outgrows the walker, the charity buys it back for £1 so it can be offered to another wee one, so their life can be changed as well.”

The couple are also in the process of applying to the charity for a stair-climber.

The walker Rihanna needs costs £2,388.

If you would like to support Rihanna in getting her equipment, visit www.
newlifecharity.co.uk/scottishborders and click on the donate button next to her story.

An organisation has drawn together machinery and memorabilia that focuses on the textile trade that once made the Borders great.

And its trustees say that the only way they can see the Great Tapestry of Scotland being a viable tourist trap is for it to be shown alongside their archive.

Project leaders Hamish Carruthers – who has worked at the forefront of textile design for 50 years – and marketing consultant Alisdaire Lockhart have been in talks with Scottish Borders Council about the possibility.

Mr Carruthers said: “We felt all along that if the tapestry is coming to the Borders, it needs to have some sort of back-up.

“And Energise Gala has been very keen to support us.

“When they began talking about the tapestry coming to Galashiels, we were one of the first organisations they talked to.”

The archive includes working machinery and other memorabilia from mills all over Scotland, but mostly from the Borders – including a carding machine from Robert Noble in Peebles, books going back to 1855 from Robert’s Mill in Selkirk, film of a fashion show at Reid and Taylor of Langholm, and the entire collection from the Walkerburn Textile Museum.

The group’s supporters include former Scottish Secretary Michael Moore and Lord Purvis of Tweed, as well as a host of top names in the textile industry, including Heriot-Watt University.

The ideal for the group is that the archive, including working machines, will be based in the same building as the tapestry.

When councillors decided at the end of 2016 on the former Post Office building in Galashiels and a new-build next door where the former Poundstretchers store was sited as the home of the national artwork, they also agreed to pursue a link between the tapestry and the archive.

However, it appears that no extra space will be available in the building.

A council spokesman said: “The report agreed by council on December 22 said that officers would explore the possible linkage of the Scottish National Collection of Textiles to the Great Tapestry of Scotland. That work will be pursued.

“There is no commitment to locate anything other than the Tapestry in the new building.”

Mr Lockhart added: “I would hope that when the post office staff move out of the existing sorting office, then that space could contain some of the archive.”

A supermarket worker from Hawick has admitted receiving more than £7,000 in benefits that she was not entitled to.

Forty-four-year-old Mandie Murray pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to receiving a total of £7,090 in housing benefit and carer’s allowance over a two-year period.

Depute procurator fiscal Tessa Bradley told the hearing the accused was working part-time in Sainsbury’s in Hawick and her hours of work were increased, but she did not declare them.

Murray’s solicitor, Fiona Hamilton, said: “It was always something she was going to do, but never got round to it.”

After being told Murray, who lives at Drumlanrig Court, had already started repaying the money, Sheriff Kevin Drummond ordered her to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work during the next six months.

GLASS DANGER ALLEGATION

A hotel worker has been accused of placing a glass in a swimming pool to the danger of the public.

Dean Laidlaw, 26, is charged with culpable and reckless conduct by putting the glass in the pool during the course of his employment at Peebles Hotel Hydro which could have caused severe injury to patrons.

The offence is said to have happened on April 16.

Laidlaw is also accused of wilfully setting fire to a shower curtain and toilet roll four days’ earlier.

Laidlaw, of Eildon Crescent, Melrose, has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

A trial date has been set for February 2 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

BANNED FOR 16 MONTHS

Police were tipped off that a shopworker was about to drive home from her place of employment while under the influence of alcohol, Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard.

Officers watched as Moira Armstrong drove out of the store car park in Duns at around 6pm on September 19 and she was immediately stopped.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said she was found to be in excess of three times the legal alcohol limit.

Defence lawyer Mat Patrick said his client had been suffering from stress.

He added the conviction may jeopardise her employment as she was one of the drivers for the store’s delivery vans.

Armstrong, 56, of Trinity Park, Duns, who pleaded guilty, was banned from the road for 16 months and fined £250.

DENTAL NURSE DISQUALIFIED

A dental nurse who crashed her car into barriers on the A7 between Galashiels and Stow was found to be almost three times the legal alcohol limit, Selkirk Sheriff Court has been told.

Johanne Lamond, 26, pleaded guilty to driving with a breath/alcohol count of 61 microgrammes – the legal limit is 22 – during the early hours of December 5.

The court heard the accused worked in Galashiels where she stayed in a bed and breakfast before returning to her home city of Dundee at the end of the week.

However, procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said she decided to drive to Dundee at 1.30am on a Thursday, but crashed into barriers three miles north of Galashiels.

He added: “It caused a lot of damage to the car. Passing police officers stopped and the accused was complaining of shoulder pain and there was a strong smell of alcohol from her.”

Defence lawyer Ross Dow said: “She should not have taken this chance. She knew what she was doing as she had the best part of a bottle of wine. This will have a big impact on her life.”

The court heard she had a similar conviction from 2009.

Sheriff Peter Paterson imposed a three year ban as well as a fine of £350.

EXTORTION BID TRIAL IN APRIL

A 64-year-old man is set to face trial by jury at Selkirk Sheriff Court on an attempted extortion allegation.

Robert Munro is charged with threatening his brother that unless he responded to letters demanding the sum of £600, he would falsely expose him for being involved in criminal activity.

Munro, of Grosvenor Street, Edinburgh, has pleaded not guilty to the allegation of attempting to extort money from his brother on various occasions in Selkirk between March 2014 and November 2014.

The trial date has been set for April 3, with an intermediate hearing on March 13.

SPENDING SPREE ALLEGATION

A Galashiels man has been accused of going on a spending spree in local shops with a stolen bank card.

Richard Kirk, 56, of Kilnknowe Caravan Park, is charged with fraudulently obtaining food, household items and clothing to the value of £2,233.92 on October 20 by using the card.

He denies stealing the card from a woman’s house in Forest Gardens, Galashiels, on October 18, and then withdrawing £900 from the account over the course of the next three days from bank machines.

A trial date has been set for March 14, with an intermediate hearing at Selkirk Sheriff Court on February 13.

TEENAGER DENIES ASSAULT

A Galashiels teenager has been accused of assaulting a male to his severe injury in the Tesco underpass car park.

Arix Ross, 18, of Kilnknowe Place, pleaded not guilty to punching the alleged victim on the head and causing him to fall to the ground, and repeatedly kicking hm on the body on August 7.

A trial is due to take place at Selkirk Sheriff Court on February 14.

ACCUSED OF RACIST REMARKS

Two men will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court accused of causing a disturbance in a Galashiels Indian takeaway.

Kenneth Reid, 47, of Dunsdale Road, Selkirk, and 26-year-old Kieran Reid, of Sinclair Gardens, Edinburgh, are both accused of making racist remarks in Mr Singh’s in High Street on December 18, 2015, and also assaulting another customer.

Kieran Reid is also charged with assaulting a male employee in the shop.

The trial is set to take place on February 2.

EMBEZZLEMENT ALLEGATION

A sales assistant has been accused of embezzling £8,000 while employed at a Galashiels store.

Justyna Kulatka, 21, of Minto Place, Hawick, pleaded not guilty to the offence which allegedly happened at B&M Bargains in Stirling Street between July 1 and July 22.

A trial date has been set for Selkirk Sheriff Court for March 14, with an intermediate hearing on February 13.

LICENCE REVOKED AFTER ‘SHORT CUT’

A West Linton motorist who drove round a roundabout in the wrong direction has had her licence revoked.

Anita Halliwell, 18, of Station Road, “took a short cut” as she headed home at 2.20am on the A702 at West Linton.

But Selkirk Sheriff Court heard told police officers were on mobile patrol and she was charged with careless driving.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Halliwell ignored the keep-left bollard and went round the roundabout on the wrong side.

He added: “They were concerned about her driving. She was sober and she knew the layout of the road.”

Her lawyer admitted she had basically taken a “short cut”.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said she had made a deliberate choice and regarded it at the upper end of careless driving.

He placed seven points on her driving licence which means it will be revoked due to her age and fined her £200.

ACCUSED OF THROWING BIN

An Earlston man will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on a charge of culpably and recklessly throwing a refuse bin at a moving car, damaging the windscreen.

Harry Baillie, 28, of Queensway, denies the offence which is alleged to have happened in the village’s High Street on July 9.

An intermediate hearing was fixed for January 30, with the trial fixed for February 14.

ARREST WARRANT

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Hawick man who failed to turn up in court to answer an assault allegation.

Andrew Clamp is accused of assaulting his former partner at a house in Muthag Street, Selkirk, on November 19.

It is alleged the 24-year-old, of Arthur Street, picked her up and carried her before dropping her face first onto a sofa, covering her mouth, biting her shoulder and then throwing her from the sofa onto the floor.

He was due to appear at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday, but when he failed to appear a warrant was issued for his arrest.

DANGEROUS DRIVING CHARGE

A Hawick man is due to stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on a dangerous driving charge.

Dylan Moore, 21, of Hislop Gardens, denies entering the opposite carriageway and overtaking when it was unsafe to do so on the A7 Galashiels-Selkirk road on October 27.

A trial date was set for March 14, with an intermediate hearing on February 13.

CANNABIS CULTIVATOR

A search warrant for a Hawick property led to the discovery of 17 cannabis plants being cultivated in a cupboard, Jedburgh Sheriff Court has been told.

Mark Turnbull, 30, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis at his home in Cheviot Road on September 2, 2015.

He also admitted two other charges of possessing another class B drug and also a class C drug. Not-guilty pleas to three other charges were accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond deferred sentence until February 6 for a criminal justice social work report to be compiled.

ACCUSED OF BICYCLE ATTACK

A Hawick man admitted attacking his former partner with a bicycle.

Danny Sharkey, 23, of Galalaw Road, pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to assault by riding a bike at her, which struck her on the body, and also attempting to seize a mobile phone from her. But a not-guilty plea to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in O’Connell Street, Hawick, on March 1, 2016, was accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond ordered Sharkey to be of good behaviour for the next six months and deferred sentence until July 10.

CRASHED INTO TELEGRAPH POLE

A motorist who was more than four times the legal alcohol limit when he collided with a telegraph pole in Earlston High Street has been banned from the road for 19 months at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Peter Lyall, 40, pleaded guilty to driving with a breath/alcohol count of 96 micogrammes – the limit being 22 – late on Saturday, December 10.

The court was told Lyall, now living in Balerno, Edinburgh, had recently separated from his wife and was at a low ebb.

He was also fined £300.

ASSAULT ALLEGATION

An Ancrum man has appeared in private at Selkirk Sheriff Court charged with assaulting a man to his severe injury.

Callum Webb, 25, is alleged to have committed the offence in Galashiels on New Year’s Day. He made no plea or declaration and the case was continued for further examination. Webb was bailed.

TRIAL FOR JED ACCUSED

A man will stand trial on a charge of domestic assault.

Gary Forrest, 30, of Rennieston, Jedburgh, denied assaulting his ex-partner by repeatedly pushing her on the body whereby she fell against a staircase, seizing her by the throat and pushing her against a wall and repeatedly punching her on the head and body. The offence is said to have been committed at a house in Harleyburn Drive, Melrose, and in the Abbey car park in Melrose in October.

A trial date has been fixed for February 16.

INNERLEITHEN STALKER

An Innerleithen man admitted stalking his former partner over the Christmas period.

Paul Thompson, 37, of Buccleuch Street, pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of conduct likely to cause fear and alarm to her by repeatedly sending her text messages.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told it was his fourth conviction of a domestic nature.

Sentence was deferred until February 13 for reports.

Penalty points for postie

Part-time postman William Whyte was fined £250 and had six penalty points placed on his licence.

The 29-year-old, of South Chester Gardens, Bonnyrigg, pleaded guilty to careless driving at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

The offence happened on the A703 Peebles-Edinburgh road near Leadburn on August 16 when he overtook on the approach to a blind bend.

DENIES THREATS TO HIS WIFE

A Selkirk man has denied uttering threats of violence to his wife and pursuing her.

Nicholas Weeks, 64, of Newburgh Farm Estate, pleaded not guilty to threatening or abusive behaviour, uttering threats of violence to his wife, pursuing her and seizing her by the body at their home on February 5.

A trial date has been set at Selkirk Sheriff Court for February 16.

OAP FLOUTED DRIVE BAN

A pensioner who drove away from a court building, despite having just been disqualified from driving, has received a 12-month ban.

Keith Salmon, 69, formerly of Sunnyhill Road, Hawick, and now living in Wylam, Northumberland, had denied the offence as well as having no insurance, but was found guilty after a trial. The offences happened in Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, on April 27.

He was also fined a total of £700 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

PRIVATE APPEARANCE

A Hawick man appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court accused of breaching the terms of his interim sexual offences prevention order.

Thomas Hoare, 49, faces two charges which were allegedly committed in December and earlier this month in Hawick. He made no plea or declaration, was fully committed for trial and bailed.

‘LAST CHANCE’ FOR SHOPLIFTER

A Tweedbank woman who admitted two counts of shoplifting has been ordered to be of good behaviour for the next two months.

Stephanie Ritchie, 32, of Jura Drive, stole confectionery from Home Bargains in Channel Street, Galashiels, on November 17, and confectionery and a mobile phone accessory from the same store on December 17.

Sentence was deferred until March 13 to see how Ritchie progresses with her DTTO (Drug Treatment and Testing Order).

Sitting at Selkirk, Sheriff Peter Paterson told her: “This is very much your last chance as far as these matters are concerned.”

REPORTS ORDERED

Background reports have been ordered into a Galashiels man.

James Stockman, 20, pleaded guilty to charges of threatening or abusive behaviour at his home in Penman Place on October 23 and spitting at a police constable.

Sentence was deferred until February 13 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

PEEBLESSHIRE MAN ON TRIAL

A Peeblesshire man will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court next month on a stalking charge.

David Hudson, of Cheat-the-Beggars, Stobo, denies engaging in a course of conduct likely to cause fear or alarm to a woman. He is alleged to have loitered outside her home and repeatedly contacted her by email, despite her telling him to stop.

The offence is alleged to have happened in two named streets in Peebles and also at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, between February 27 and December 10.

Hudson, 50, had his trial date fixed for February 16.

COUPLE DENY THEFT CHARGE

An Edinburgh couple are to face trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on a shoplifting charge.

James McMillan, 42, and Farrah Black, 34, deny stealing alcohol at the Co-op store in Peebles Road, Innerleithen, on January 26.

The trial is due to take place on February 2, with an intermediate hearing on January 30.

CASE IS CONTINUED

Ross Morrison, 31, of St Andrew Street, Galashiels, is charged with assaulting a staff nurse at East Brigg hospital in Galashiels on September 21.

He is also accused of stealing a packet of cigarettes from the Co-op store, Gala Park, Galashiels, on October 30. His case was continued without plea at Selkirk Sheriff Court.