Selkirk-based Eildon Housing Association has unveiled plans to replace flats in Peebles with new social housing.
It has applied to Scottish Borders Council to demolish the flats, as well as two houses at 1-39 Tweedbridge Court. The current two-storey building was completed in 1978.
Borderers are to mark 2017’s Armistice Day this weekend with a series of parades held in remembrance of those killed in wars over the last 100 years.
Organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland, members of the armed forces, veterans and reserves will take part in marches across the Borders on Sunday, November 12, joined by silver and pipe bands.
At Galashiels, a parade will begin at the legion building in Park Street at 12.20pm before heading along Market Street to the town war memorial then back to Park Street, via Bank Street.
Selkirk’s parade will start at 10.10am outside O’Malley’s Sports Bar and proceed to Selkirk Parish Church, in High Street, where there will be a Sunday service. It will then march to the town’s war memorial, where wreaths will be laid before heading to the High Street Co-op at noon.
At 10.30am, a parade will begin at Kelso Town Square before marching to the town’s war memorial, led by Kelso Pipe Band, for a service of remembrance. After wreaths have been laid, the procession will head to the legion building in Roxburgh Street.
Jedburgh’s parade will also commence at 10.30am and will start at the legion building in High Street and will take in Abbey Place, the war memorial and the town’s parish church before returning to the legion building.
Organised by the legion’s Melrose branch, that town’s parade is set to begin at 10.25 at the town hall. From there, it will march through Abbey Street, the Square and High Street to the war memorial.
At St Boswells, a procession will meet at the war memorial following a service in the town’s church.
At Hawick, some roads will close between 10.15am and 11.45am to allow a parade to march from the Common Haugh, through to Sandbed, High Street and O’Connell Street.
For details of other events, check locally and on Scottish Borders Council’s website.
Borderers travelled from far and wide to experience this year’s dazzling fireworks display at Ancrum.
Organised by the villagers themselves, an impressive sum of more than £420 was donated towards the fireworks display, complete with rockets, comets and cones.
A bonfire was lit, and fireworks were set off from 7pm on Sunday, when crowds gathered at the village green.
Simon James, who has been setting up the fireworks for the village for the last 16 years, said that despite the cold weather, the clear night was enjoyed by all.
He told the Southern: “The whole village helped build the bonfire and people came from miles round to watch it, even from Jedburgh.
“It was a great fireworks display this year which was enjoyed by all.
“It has always been a great community event which runs and organises itself.”
However, villagers are currently unsure of the event’s future in the village after they were left shocked by police officers later calling in firefighters to extinguish the fire.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Local officers in Jedburgh observed a large bonfire on the village green in Ancrum on Sunday, November 5, and established there was no formal supervision or stewarding in place.
“Police consulted with the fire service, who agreed the bonfire was not supervised and extinguished it.”
Plans to close a Hawick primary school took a step forward this week after councillors agreed to start a formal consultation about shutting it.
Members of Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee approved the launch of a statutory consultation on plans to shut St Margaret’s RC Primary School on Tuesday.
The Buccleuch Terrace school, one of four Catholic primaries in the region, has capacity for up to 100 children, but it has seen a significant fall in pupil numbers over the past 20 years, down from 56 in 1997 to 14 today.
There were no admissions into primary one for the current school year 2017/18 and only three pupils have been joined in to primary one over the last three years.
Donna Manson, the council’s service director for children and young people, said: “We have been doing work with the school to prepare them should the decision to consult be made today.
“We have to engage with the church and keep the Scottish Government involved with the consultation.
“For me, this is not about money – it is about the children’s educational benefits.
“The church has been supportive of the educational benefits we are putting on the table, and we need to work hand in glove to maintain the religious instruction currently offered at the school.”
It is proposed that if it closes, existing pupils, 10 of whom are registered as Catholics, and 13 of whom speak English as a secondary language, will be offered places at other primaries in the town.
The children already travel to Drumlanrig St Cuthbert’s School for certain PE lessons.
Hawick and Hermitage councillor Watson McAteer added: “It’s one of those issues where it is very easy to identify the problems but very difficult to identify the solution.
“There is a very clear logic for doing what we are doing.
“In terms of the proposals for today, it makes sense.”
A consultation period will now run from Wednesday, November 22, until January, and the outcome of that will be discussed by the committee in the spring.
Councillors also approved the closure of the mothballed Eccles/Leitholm, Ettrick and Hobkirk primary schools within the next few months.
The region’s three other RC primary schools are Halyrude in Peebles, St Joseph’s in Selkirk and St Margaret’s in Galashiels.
Details of the long-awaited Edinburgh and South of Scotland City Region Deal were revealed to councillors last week – and it has been claimed that the Borders is being sold crumbs.
Over the course of the 15-year deal, £15m is heading to our region, from the £26.9m asked for, and it will “mainly be used” for a proposed business park at Tweedbank.
That project is now £25.7m short of the estimated cost of £58m, and Councillor Stuart Bell, leader of the SNP opposition group at Scottish Borders Council says it is “ unrealistic to see it going ahead as currently envisaged ... and that is the only project supported.”
Mr Bell, who was the council’s executive member for economic development before the local elections in May – and as such was involved in early negotiations on the City Region Deal – said he was surprised at the length of time it took to make the details on the investment coming to the Borders oublic.
He added: “After all the work and effort that Borders Council officers put into getting a City Region Deal it is deeply disappointing that all that comes to our region is the crumbs off the table, whilst Edinburgh gets most of the cake.”
He added: “What is disappointing in the paper is what is not said! An average of £1 million a year for 15 years for just one project of direct investment in developments at Tweedbank is a fraction of what we aspired to. This City Deal looks like a poor deal for the Borders when we spend £25m to £30 million each year on capital. Whilst there may be other benefits from the skills programme and support for housing; these details are still not clear. There was talk of support for Reston station, there was talk of a Borders textile innovation centre, to name just two specific projects that would have been of benefit to the wider Borders; but these all have disappeared.
However, council leader Shona Haslam defended the deal, saying: “No profile for the funding of the City Region Deal has been agreed yet; last week’s report to council made this clear. It is incorrect to assume £15m will be allocated as £1m per annum to the Borders over the next 15 years.
“The City Region Deal, alongside the proposed South of Scotland Enterprise Agency and the Borderlands initiative, has the potential for a transformative impact on the whole of the Scottish Borders.
“The City Region Deal will enable us to maximise the delivery of affordable housing, stimulate private sector investment and support local jobs, and will be a further step towards ensuring that our young people can see a future for themselves within the Scottish Borders. Key to this is the promotion of inclusive growth.
“A focus for us will be driving forward the development of the Central Borders Business Park in Tweedbank.
“This builds on the success of the Borders Railway and is yet another example of the council seeking to maximise the economic benefits that the railway provides.
“Through working with our local authority partners, the UK and Scottish governments, this deal will aim to unlock the potential of the our area accelerate growth in the Borders.”
Scottish Borders Council is working to decide which of the region’s high schools should be next in line for investment.
Councillors at Tuesday’s executive meeting were given an update on an ongoing school estate review launched two years ago, and they backed proposals for its recommendations to be taken forward.
The review called for detailed assessments of Galashiels Academy, Hawick High, Peebles High and Selkirk High, the four schools in the region yet to be rebuilt or revamped.
Donna Manson, the council’s service director for children and young people, said: “All of these communities would like a new building and have been inspired by the success of the Jedburgh consultation and outcome.
“The only way to address this matter in a fair way is to carry out a deep assessment of each of the schools, with a specific focus on suitability, condition, capacity and links to the inter generational and community benefits.”
That assessment will be carried out over the next two months and the results brought back to the education executive in January.
Its findings will recommend which of the four school communities comes out on top as the next priority for investment and consultation.
An assessment of the region’s primary school estate already undertaken has identified that Earlston and Eyemouth’s schools are priorities for investment.
Securing a new inter generational campus for Jedburgh has been described as a “defining moment” by the council’s education bosses.
Donna Manson, the council’s service director for children and young people, praised how the town “came out in force to engage” during the successful consultation and added: “The Scottish Government and the council working in partnership to fund a new inter generational campus in Jedburgh has been a defining moment in changing the direction of travel towards a new vision for the school estate.”
More than 500 people attended a two-day pre-consultation event in the town in April.
The campus is to be built by March 2020.
Ms Manson added: “The new campus has been subject to a very successful statutory consultation process, in which 98% of the respondents agree with the recommendations.”
Her report specifically identified the high level of community engagement in Jedburgh where concern was raised about the challenge of sustaining a broad curriculum of education, the condition of the school estate in the town and the quality of the sports and recreational facilities.
The outcome of the whole process is now subject to a separate report which looks to close Jedburgh Grammar School, Parkside Primary School, Howdenburn Primary School, Howdenburn ASN Unit and establish a new inter generational campus for learners from 2 years to 102 years.
In the words Alice Cooper, school was certainly out for ever at Kelso on Tuesday, as pupils were piped out of the Bowmont Street school for the last time by the town’s pipe band.
As they left, a small ceremony was performed as the school’s flag was taken down. In our picture, from left, are deputy head girl Grace Edwards, head girl Aimee Martin, head teacher Jill Lothian, head boy Charlie Graves and deputy head boy James Crombie.
Their new school, in the town’s Angraflat Road, will open on Tuesday, November 14.
The 22.5m building will be able to accommodate 780 pupils, and it boasts a wide range of modern facilities for students and the community, including grass, 3G and 2G sports pitches, a games hall, an eco-garden pond, and an orchard and allotment, as well as an outdoor classroom and an arts and craft garden.
Police were called to an incident at Buckholmside, near Galashiels, yesterday afternoon.
Traffic was slow for at least one hour along High Buckholmside Road after two police cars, a police van and an ambulance had parked up outside the Ladhope Inn.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police in the Borders were called to a residential premises on High Buckholmside in Galashiels at around 4.25pm on Tuesday, November 7, following a report of concern for a man.
“The incident was resolved peacefully and the man was taken to Borders General Hospital.”
Hundreds of people enjoyed a spectacular bonfire and fireworks display at Denholm’s green for the fifth year running.
Sunday night’s event, organised by the Auld Cross Keys Inn, saw the skies above the village lit up by a colourful array of fireworks.
The Guy Fawkes Night celebrations kicked off just after 5.30pm when the bonfire, put together by the Denholm Feurars and Householders’ Council, was lit.
Karen Massey, who owns the Auld Cross Keys Inn with partner David Bennet, told the Southern: “It was a really good event with a nice big fire, so we were really pleased about how everything went at what was an excellent community event.
“It was a really good fun night, and it was nice to see everyone out in the village green.
“We would like to thank everyone for their generous donations, and we are now very much looking forward to next year’s display.”
Lynn Ferguson, of the householders’ council, added: “It was commented prior to the lighting that this year’s was probably one of the biggest.
“Most people arrived after the bonfire was lit and eagerly awaited the fireworks display. They were not disappointed.
“Karen and Dave provided a spectacular display, and collection buckets for donations were taken.”
A Hawick man will be sentenced next month for having sex with an under-age girl.
David Adamson, 29, of the Loan, pleaded guilty to committing that offence on various occasions between January 1, 2015, and April 15, 2015, at two houses in Selkirk.
Selkirk Sheriff Court was told on Monday that the girl was 15 at the time.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Adamson was well aware of the youngster’s age and he regularly said to her that he could not wait until she was 16 so they could have an open relationship.
Sheriff Peter Paterson told Adamson: “You will appreciate this is an extremely serious matter.”
Sentence was deferred until Monday, December 18, for background reports, and Adamson’s name was placed on the sex offenders’ register in the meantime.
He pleaded not guilty to a charge of intentionally sending a written communication to the teenager.
The case will recall at Selkirk Sheriff Court on December 18.
EMBEZZLER FINED £300
A Berwickshire man found guilty of embezzlement following a trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court has been fined £300.
Robin Anderson, 59, of Birgham, had denied embezzling £2,168 while employed as office manager at Elliot Henderson and Sons in Selkirk.
The embezzled sum related to wages that Anderson was paid by the plant hire firm and he claimed he was entitled to.
The offence was committed between October 2015 and July 2016.
ARREST WARRANT ISSUED BY COURT
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Galashiels man after he failed to show up at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
James Sutherland, 50, of Balmoral Road, previously denied assaulting a female by seizing her by the neck and repeatedly punching and kicking her and stamping on her body, during which she had a seizure, on July 2 at his home address.
CANNABIS OFFENDER
Background reports have been ordered on a Galashiels drug-dealer.
Tasha White, 25, pleaded guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court to being concerned in the supply of cannabis at her Torwoodlee Road home on November 25 last year.
The court was told the amount of cannabis was valued at £400.
Sentence was deferred until December 5 for the production of a criminal justice social work report.
Her co-accused – Alan Bell, 33, of Glendinning Terrace, Galashiels – had a not-guilty plea accepted by the crown.
GALA MEN DENY DRUG-DEALING
Two Galashiels men will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on drug-dealing charges.
Andrew Taylor, 42, of Croft Road, and 39-year-old Stuart Morgan, of Glendinning Terrace, deny being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine on the A72 Galashiels-Clovenfords road on September 8. Taylor faces a third charge of possession of cannabis.
The trial date was set for December 7.
MAN GUILTY OF DAMAGING CARS
A Galashiels man will be sentenced next month for causing £6,000 damage to vehicles on a garage forecourt.
George Tunnicliffe, 56, of High Street, was found guilty after a trial of wilfully and recklessly damaging several cars at AG Lees in Huddersfield Street, Galashiels, on March 4.
Background reports have been ordered for December 5 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
NOT-GUILTY PLEA TO STRUGGLING
Dylan Davies, 21, of Glenburn Avenue, Newtown, will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on December 7 accused of struggling violently with two police constables at High Buckholmside, Galashiels, on June 27.
He also denies possession of cannabis.
SENTENCE DEFERRED
A Hawick man involved in a bust-up with his partner will be sentenced next month.
Andrew Atkinson, 30, of Buccleuch Street, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in Woodstock Avenue, Galashiels, on November 2.
Sentence was deferred at Selkirk Sheriff Court until December 18 for background reports, including a restriction-of-liberty order assessment.
ASSAULT CASE DESERTED
A 43-year-old man accused of carrying out an assault in Kelso Rugby Club has had the case against him deserted.
Thomas Orr, 43, of Oakfield Court, was alleged to have struck a man on the head to his severe injury on June 2.
But when the case called for trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, the crown announced the case was being deserted.
OAP MUST BEHAVE HIMSELF
Sentence has been deferred for six months for good behaviour on a Galashiels pensioner involved in a bust-up with his partner of 46 years.
Tyrone Guthrie, 65, of Stable Gardens, pleaded guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, knocking over a table and throwing a bottle of beer around a house in Essenside Drive, Tweedbank, on October 20.
Defence lawyer Ross Dow said it had been a sad set of circumstances as their relationship was coming to an end.
Sentence was deferred until May 8.
ACCUSED FACES NINE CHARGES
A Hawick man has appeared in private at Selkirk Sheriff Court accused of a total of nine offences.
Alyxs Millar, 24, is charged on petition with being concerned in the supply of cannabis and three assaults.
He also faces two counts of threatening or abusive behaviour, two breaches of bail and one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The offences are alleged to have been committed on various dates in Hawick this year.
Millar made no plea, and the case was continued for further examination.
The accused was remanded in custody by sheriff David Clapham.
NEW TRIAL DATE FOR GALA MAN
The trial of a Galashiels man accused of running an Indian restaurant for three months despite being banned from doing so will now take place next year.
Navojyoti Roy, 49, was due to stand trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court last Thursday, but pressure of business meant the case was unable to proceed, so a fresh trial date has been scheduled for January 25.
ARREST WARRANT AFTER NO-SHOW
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Hawick man after he failed to turn up at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to answer drugs charges.
James Hay, 39, of Branxholme Road, is accused of producing cannabis and being in possession of the class-B drug at a house in Cavers View, Hawick, on September 8.
MAN JAILED FOR FLOUTING ORDER
A man has been jailed for 150 days at Selkirk Sheriff Court, for persistently contacting his estranged wife at a house near Lauder despite being ordered not to do so.
Peter Conroy, 28, of Goosander Street, Edinburgh, pleaded guilty to committing that offence on various occasions between September 3 and 6.
MAN REMANDED IN CUSTODY
A 32-year-old man will be sentenced later this month for the theft of cash from a property in Darnick.
Peter Porter, now living in West Yorkshire, stole £15 and 90 euros on May 28.
Sentence was deferred until November 28 for reports.
After failing to appear at a previous hearing, he was remanded in custody.
BREACHES OF CURFEW DENIED
A Walkerburn man has been remanded in custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court after being accused of breaching a curfew on three occasions.
Harrison Long, 26, denies the offences, said to have happened at his Hall Street home last month.
A trial date has been fixed for Thursday, November 23, and contempt of court proceedings will also be considered on that date by the sheriff.
KNIFE OFFENDER TO BE SENTENCED
Adrian Kotula, 35, of Northgate, Peebles, will be sentenced next month.
Kotula used abusive language towards his wife and brandished a knife at her at a house in Elcho Street, Peebles, on March 18.
DECEMBER TRIAL DATE
A Galashiels man will stand trial next month on a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Michael McColm, 50, pleaded not guilty to struggling violently with a male and a female at his Fairnilee Farm home on June 4. Trial is set to take place on December 7.
BAIL BREACH ALLEGATION
A Kelso teenager has been accused of breaching his bail conditions.
David Gold, 18, of Grovehill, appeared from custody and denied a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and entering the Black Swan pub on Saturday and sitting in close proximity to a female he has been ordered to stay away from.
A trial date has been set for December 14 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
MAN APPEARED FROM CUSTODY
A Hawick man appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court and denied causing a disturbance at his former partner’s home on Sunday.
Christopher Skeffington, 41, of Fisher Avenue, pleaded not guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at a house in Plora Terrace, Innerleithen.
A trial date has been fixed for January 18, with an intermediate hearing on December 18.
COURT CAR PARK ASSAULT CHARGE
A Hawick man has been accused of carrying out an assault in the car park at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
Allan Murray, 43, of McLagan Drive, denies assaulting Edward Tams while he was in the custody of G4S staff and seizing hold of his arm while he was handcuffed, to his injury, on January 19.
A trial date has been fixed for February 1 at Selkirk Sheriff Court, with an intermediate hearing on January 3.
DRINK-DRIVING CHARGE DENIED
A motorist has denied driving while more than three-and-a-half times the legal alcohol limit in Lauder Road, Earlston, on October 20.
Stelian Pantazi, 59, of London, will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on February 2.
NO CERTIFICATE FOR AIR WEAPON
A chef has been ordered to be of good behaviour for the next seven months after being convicted of having no certificate for an air weapon in his possession.
Jonathan Streets, 31, said he was unaware the law had changed, now requiring a certificate for a BB gun, when police officers visited his Maxmill Park home in Kelso on May 18 following a tip-off.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told Jedburgh Sheriff Court the real issue was that Streets did not have a certificate for the weapon.
He explained: “This is something that came in at the turn of the year.
“Prior to Christmas, this would not have been an offence, but it certainly is now.”
Defence lawyer Ross Dow said his client was given the air weapon by a friend, but it was in three pieces and could not be used.
He added: “He was not aware of the change in law.”
Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence until June 18 for good behaviour when Streets has other matters calling. He said it was likely he would be fined when the case recalls.
VICTIM IN NEED OF TETANUS JABS
A 23-year-old man bit a police officer during a disturbance, Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard.
Daniel Morgans, of Southampton in Hampshire, was visiting a 17-year-old female in Hawick when police were called to the property at around 10.30pm on Sunday, September 3.
He was given a warning about his behaviour, but as the officers left the property, Morgans appeared on the balcony and made comments that gave the police no option but to return.
As he was being arrested in the stairwell of the flats, he started to struggle with them.
During that struggle, he bit a male constable on the body and kicked him. Morgans only calmed down when he was threatened with CS spray.
The 17-year-old female joined in the disturbance and bit a police officer, leaving teeth marks and broken skin.
The officer was taken to the Borders General Hospital to be assessed and will require tetanus injections.
Morgans admitted obstructing police and assaulting a police constable.
The 17-year-old female, now living in Selkirk, admitted charges of obstructing police by seizing hold of an officer and pushing him.
She also pleaded guilty to a second charge of assaulting a police officer by punching him to the head and biting him on the body.
Mat Patrick, defending, said: “From the outset, he accepted that he instigated this, and his behaviour towards the police was antagonistic.”
Mr Patrick explained that his client suffers from mental health issues, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning difficulties, anxiety and stress.
He added: “This had a part to play in his inability to control himself.”
Morgans, paid £350 a fortnight in benefits, was fined £300, and the teenager was ordered to pay £225.
VICTIM FELL ONTO GLASS DOOR
A man has been ordered to carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work after admitting struggling violently with his sister-in-law’s former partner.
Desmond Hookway, 43, turned up at their house in Newcastleton on February 11 to help take away the woman’s belongings after the couple split the previous day.
He then got involved in an argument with Michael Saint, and during the ensuing struggle, the householder lost his balance and fell against a glass door.
Fiona Hamilton, defending, told Jedburgh Sheriff Court: “It was a heated situation which ended in a struggle.”
Hookway, of Turnberry Crescent, Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, was told the unpaid work was an alternative to a fine.
MAN ACCUSED OF LAGER THEFT
A 31-year-old man has been accused of stealing five kegs of lager and various foodstuffs from a Kelso hotel.
Paul McLean, of Heiton, pleaded not guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to that theft, alleged to have been committed at the Ednam House Hotel on August 28. He also denied a second charge of struggling violently with police officers.
A trial date has been set for November 14.
Bail conditions include not entering the grounds of the hotel.
CROWN DESERTS PUNCH CASE
A 44-year-old man accused of assaulting a Hawick takeaway customer has had the case against him deserted.
Akif Maybasilgan, of Fraser Avenue, Hawick, had denied punching a teenager in the face to his injury.
He had lodged a special defence of self-defence.
The alleged offence was said to have been committed in the Caspian Takeaway, in Howegate, on June 28.
Before a trial was due to get under way at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, the crown announced that the case was being deserted for the time being.
WOMAN BANNED FROM BOOZING
A woman has been ordered not to drink any alcohol for the next month after she went “berserk” in her Eildon Crescent home in Melrose during a bust-up with her partner.
Nyesha Mercer, 22, appeared from custody at Jedburgh Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner during a disturbance last month.
She admitted throwing items around and breaking them, resulting in her partner, Daniel Whigham, being injured.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said police received a call to say she had “gone berserk in the house”.
Sentence was deferred until December 5 for background reports.
Mercer was granted bail, with one of the conditions being that she is not allowed to consume alochol and would have to provide a clean sample if breathalysed by the police.
ORNAMENT DAMAGED
A Jedburgh woman involved in a bust-up with neighbours, involving damaging a garden ornament, has had her sentence deferred at the town’s sheriff court until next month.
Annette Gardiner, 54, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner between August 8 and August 10 by shouting and swearing and making abusive and offensive comments prejudiced in relation to disability.
She also admitted damaging a garden ornament valued at £8 on August 10 in Cairnmount, Jedburgh.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said there had been a lengthy history of difficulties between the neighbours involved.
Background reports have been ordered, including a psychiatric assessment.
The case will recall on December 11.
A Hawick soldier and his former partner are in a race against the clock to raise £300,000 needed to save the life of their desperately ill daughter.
Poppy Shields, now two and a half, was diagnosed with type-one neurofibromatosis in July of last year.
On the day that diagnosis was confirmed, the lives of her parents, dad Robbie Shields, of Hawick, and mum Ellena Martin, of Kent, changed for ever.
The disease has caused a tumour to grow behind Poppy’e eye, and despite 58 rounds of chemotherapy, her parents have been told it is inoperable in the UK.
Their only hope is to send Poppy for pioneering treatment in the US, but that, they estimate, will cost £300,000 once the costs of insurance and travel are added.
Now they face a race to raise that money in time to give Poppy a hope of recovery, as the tumour is continuing to grow.
Mum Ellena has set up a Crowdfunding page and dad Robbie is planning an 840-mile sponsored cycle ride to help reach the target, and the latter’s family in Hawick are organising fundraising efforts too.
Ellena, 21, said: “My beautiful daughter Poppy was first diagnosed in early July 2016 when she was just 16 months old, and our lives will never be the same again.
“I have been searching for help to find the right doctors who can take this awful, life-threatening nightmare away from us.
“Poppy has so far faced 58 rounds of chemotherapy, but sadly the tumour continues to grow.
“We have been told the tumour is inoperable in the UK.
“The tumour has already taken most of the sight in Poppy’s left eye and is now growing towards the right eye and is sitting on other parts of the brain, Poppy’s right temporal lobe to be precise.
“Sadly, we no longer have time on our side before the tumour does yet more irreversible damage, so we need to act fast.
“We are desperately seeking help from doctors outside of the UK who have more advanced treatments and are more specialised in such surgery.
“My next step is to consult with Alan Cohen, neurosurgeon-in-chief and chairman of Boston children’s hospital’s department of neurosurgery, who is currently working in the Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, to figure out our best way forward with Poppy under their care.
“We’re aiming to reach a target of £300,000 to cover the cost of travel, accommodation, consultations and surgery to help save Poppy’s life.
“Any donations will be so gratefully appreciated. Please help my little princess live a life free from this evil disease.”
Dad Robbie, 23, is planning a sponsored cycle ride from Land’s End in Cornwall to John o’Groats in Caithness with his cousin Steven Shields, while his parents, Robert and Julie, of Hawick, and his sisters, Roxanne and Kylie, are taking part in fundraising ventures too. He said: “We are all together on this. She’s my daughter, and we are doing everything we can to make sure she gets the treatment she deserves.”
The Crowdfunding appeal has raised almost £14,000 so far. Go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/poppysplea to help out.
Witnesses to a road collision in Melrose Road, Galashiels, which took place last month, are being sought by police.
The incident happened at around 1.50pm on Saturday, October 21, at the entrance to the Esso petrol station.
A Kawasaki ZZR600 motorcyle was involved in a collision with a Volkswagen Passat car, resulting in the 45-year-old male rider coming off his bike.
Initially, it was not believed the man had sustained any serious injuries, however, it has now been established that he suffered a serious injury to his foot and officers are keen to hear from anyone who can assist with this ongoing inquiry.
Constable Peter Valentine from the Road Policing Unit at Galashiels said: “As part of this investigation we would like to hear from any motorists or members of the public who were on Melrose Road on October 21, and witnessed the collision take place.
“In particular, we are keen to trace a pedal cyclist and the occupants of a Nissan X-Trail, which were travelling east on Melrose Road at the time, and may have useful information.
“These individuals are asked to contact police immediately.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Road Policing Unit at Galashiels via 101 and quote incident number 2093 of October 21.
Hawick’s Lovat Mill is advertising for two new posts, taking its staff numbers up to 23.
The Commercial Road outlet bounced back from the brink of closure almost two decades ago to re-establish itself as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of tweed clothing.
It is Scotland’s leading estate and regimental tweed weaver, producing traditional designs for the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Scots Guards.
The company crafts tweed for global brands such as Chanel and Ralph Lauren, and British designer Paul Smith approached the mill’s specialists to create a cloth for a selection of suits in his autumn and winter collection.
The mill was earmarked for closure in 1999 until a successful buyout took place, leading to major investment.
Now the company is seeking a new weaving technician and warehouse operative.
A company spokesman said: “You can join a team of dedicated craftsmen and women in a busy working environment to facilitate the weaving through to despatch.
“Attention to detail and an eye for quality are essential, along with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
“Lovat Mill seeks candidates to fill the posts and join our team here in Hawick to cover for expansion.”
The mill now operates 24 hours a day.
Health bosses yesterday gave the go-ahead to a £850,000 pilot scheme aimed at tackling bed-blocking at Borders General Hospital this winter.
Scottish Borders Council’s health and social care integration joint board used emergency powers to address the ongoing problem of delayed discharges from the 328-bed Melrose hospital.
The plan agreed at yesterday’s meeting at Newstead is to reopen the former Craw Wood dementia residential unit at Tweedbank and use facilities at Hay Lodge Community Hospital in Peebles as assessment units to free up acute hospital beds.
The pilot scheme of discharging patients for assessment, to be introduced immediately for a six-month trial period, is seen as a way of dealing with elderly patients effectively stranded in hospital despite being physically well enough to return home or go to a more homely community facility.
Six to eight beds are to be made available at the Neidpath Road school and a further 15 will be on offer at Craw Wood.
A report to the committee said: “The number of patients stranded in hospital had improved last year. This year, however, has seen a return to the figures of 2014-5.
“The number of bed days associated with delayed discharges for residents over 75 years old was 647 in August of this year, compared with 522 in August 2016.
“In terms of bed days lost, when analysed per head of the population, these figures are among the worst in Scotland.
“This is clearly an avoidable financial pressure.
“In many areas of Scotland, efficiencies have been achieved by adopting a version of discharge to assess, which reduces stays in acute hospital beds as well as ensuring that people arrive back in their own home or their new home sooner.
“In addition, we are fully aware that any additional days spent in a hospital setting increase the risk of secondary infections, as well as increasing dependency levels.
“This makes discharge more complex, difficult and costly for health and social care and has a significant impact on the overall capacity of the hospital.”
Council convener David Parker: “We could spend the next nine months defining the perfect strategy, but we need to get on and solve the problem.
“What we have got is an absolute need to get on and do something to solve this problem, and we have the facilities sitting to do that.
“I think given the challenges we face, we need to get on.”
Council leader Shona Haslam said: “I think reopening Craw Wood is something that will be very popular with the community.
“It is something that the community has been asking for.”
The decision to close loss-making Craw Wood as a dementia unit was taken by its owner, the Eildon Group, in 2015.
Borders MP John Lamont and MSP Rachael Hamilton are urging residents of the region to show their support for our war veterans by wearing poppies ahead of Armistice Day this Saturday.
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP Mr Lamont attended the launch of this year’s campaign at Dover House, the Scotland Office’s London home, and he said afterwards: “It was fantastic to be at the launch of this year’s Poppy Scotland campaign in the UK Parliament.
“In the Borders, it has been great to see so many poppy displays and poppies being worn out and about.
“Poppy Scotland does fantastic work in helping ex-servicemen and women after they have left the armed services.
“Wearing a poppy serves as a tribute to those who have lost their lives in conflict. It also helps provide much-needed funds to support our servicemen and women.”
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP Mrs Hamilton added: “‘Poppy Scotland does fantastic work all year around, and it is right that everyone supports this fantastic cause and goes the extra mile.
“I encourage everyone to go the extra mile by wearing a poppy and spreading the fantastic work Poppy Scotland does.
“The Scottish Borders has a rich tradition of supporting current and former servicemen and women with poppy displays in our towns and villages.”
An art and design student at Borders College in Galashiels has created a poppy tribute to the region’s war dead to mark this year’s Armistice Day.
Morag Grant, of Hawick, was inspired by her interest in the two world wars to create the art installation as part of a class unit on environment.
The 46-year-old said: “I am really passionate about military history due to family members, as well as my husband, having been in the military themselves.
“I wanted to create something that would commemorate those who have fallen in war and to demonstrate life and regrowth after war.”
Inspired by the charred landscapes often left by trench warfare, the third-year student created a battle-ravaged tree from sections of wood blackened by blowtorch and chopped with an axe.
She then decorated it with 320 poppies made out of clay positioned to look as if they are spilling out of the tree and falling to the ground.
The poppies, cut from rolled clay and spray-painted red, took her five weeks to make.
The installation also features a wooden plaque bearing an extract from Laurence Binyon’s 1914 poem For the Fallen laser-etched by Heriot-Watt University staff member Yvonne Caldwell.
It can be seen at the college’s Nether Road campus until Monday, November 13.
Work is now under way on building a support centre for pupils with complex needs at Galashiels Academy and a new nursery at St Boswells Primary School.
The two projects, together costing £1.25m, are due for completion in the first half of next year.
The new £625,000 facility at the Elm Row academy will provide a dedicated learning environment for children with complex and difficult learning requirements.
The centre, next to the school’s dining room and physical education facilities, will have its own dedicated entrance to accommodate varied access times if needed.
The new extension at St Boswells Primary, at Greenside Park, will be a dedicated early-years centre for pre-school children.
The £600,000 centre will have its own entrance and is designed to encourage outside learning and play.
The extension has been designed to accommodate 40 children and will help Scottish Borders Council meet the Scottish Government’s initiative to increase provision of free early learning and childcare.
Both facilities have been designed by the council’s in-house architects, and the contractor for both is Hawick’s James Swinton and Co.
St Boswells Primary’s early-years facility is due to be finished in April 2018, and the support centre in Galashiels Academy is due to be completed the month after.
East Berwickshire councillor Carol Hamilton, the authority’s executive member for children and young people, said: “These are exciting developments for both schools and will provide significantly improved facilities which will help our young people to learn.
“I look forward to seeing the completion of both projects in 2018.”
Wojtek Wozny knows that not everyone wants their personal trainer to shout incessantly at them while dressed in skin-tight lycra.
Wojtek, 47, and his wife Karen are the owners of On The Go Fitness, hoping their new gym studio in Selkirk’s Riverside Mills will appeal to a large swathe of the community, from specialised sportspeople such as archers or golfers, to beer-loving couch potatoes.
The friendly fitness trainer, who is originally from Katowice in Poland, said: “I want to provide fitness training to beer and sofa lovers – the guys who don’t want to get crazy, but they have some baggage on the front.
“I myself like nothing better than a cold beer after a hard training session – it tastes so amazing – so I can sympathise.
“There are different classes for different levels of ability and age.”
Wojtek said he was also looking into working with sportspeople to help them improve their abilities in their chosen field, and was speaking to local archers to build their core strength for drawing their bows.
Wojtek has also been in training with a company called Golf Fit in Edinburgh, and is looking to open a franchise in Selkirk.
Karen said: “Your golf can only be as good as your body allows it to be. It is functional training for golfers, on a one-to-one basis or in small groups, to help them with their golf swing, as well as strength.”
By identifying weaknesses in mobility, stability, balance or power, an individual program can be designed by Wojtek to target these areas, allowing your swing to become more efficient and effective.
Wojtek, who has a background as a swimmer and martial artist, says having fun while training is very important, as if you are having fun, the chances of you wanting to keep doing it are higher. And the couple want to welcome as many people as possible to their studio.
Karen said: “Maybe people who feel that working out or going for a run isn’t really for them, we can find something for everybody.
“We like to make it enjoyable, and comfortable for people rather than a regimented shoutfest. Some people like that army-type thing where you are shouted at, they need it to stay focused on what they are doing, but it’s certainly not for everyone.”
Wojtek added: “When I was younger, I was alright with that sort of thing. But now, I would rather have someone smart who will show me the way. Don’t shout at me.”
Another class he wants to run is a gym class for Polish speakers.
On The Go Fitness is holding an open day at the studio on Sunday, November 19, from 12.30-3pm.
Karen said: “This is to give people an opportunity to look round, ask questions and help us celebrate the new studio with a glass of organic wine and a few nibbles.”
Wojtek may even open his beer fridge.
The swimming pool at Hawick’s Teviotdale Leisure Centre will be closed for up to seven weeks from the end of this month to allow a £263,000 revamp to get under way.
The pool and leisure facilities at the Mansfield Road complex, opened in 1982, are being given a major makeover sure to prove a splash hit with swimmers.
And from Monday, November 27, the pool will be shut for around a month and a half to enable the first phase of redevelopment work to take place.
That includes reopening the once-popular water flume nine years after it was shut to cut costs.
It also includes fitting new play features at the pool and carrying out engineering works in the centre’s plant room.
Throughout that first phase of works, expected to continue until mid-January, the rest of Teviotdale Leisure Centre will remain open.
Ewan Jackson, chief executive of Live Borders, the trust in charge of running the centre, said: “The people of Hawick are very proud of the flume, which was built by public fundraising, and this will be a fantastic attraction to bring back to the town.
“We’ve worked with a range of specialists and consultants to make sure we overcome the issues that forced the flume’s closure in 2008.”
The second phase of redevelopment work is scheduled to follow on from the first in mid or late January and will include the creation of a larger soft-play area, new exercise studio and new reception area.
Plans are also afoot to upgrade the centre’s cafe.
Mr Jackson added: “We are delighted that the project to refurbish the Teviotdale Leisure Centre is under way.
“The centre will be a destination for all the family with the reopened flume, a larger and improved soft-play area, some smaller play features in the pool, the upgraded cafe area and a welcoming reception area.
“We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding while we complete this exciting work.”
Accessibility to the centre, opened in 1982, will also be upgraded during the redevelopment.