Plans have been submitted to build 50 new homes on a greenfield site in Melrose.

Melrose-based Rural Renaissance is the company behind the application for the 2.39-hectare site on the lower slopes of the Eildons.

Later this month, townsfolk and other interested parties will be able to have their say on the plans when a public exhibition is held at Melrose Rugby Football Club at the Greenyards, in High Street, on Wednesday, January 31, between 2pm and 7.30pm.

A spokesman for Rural Renaissance said: “The event will be a drop-in session, and members of the public will have the opportunity to question the applicant and their design team about the proposal on an informal basis.

“In turn, members of the public will be asked their views, a record of which will be made as part of the process.

“Further opportunities will be offered via post or email.

“At the event, members of the public will be given the opportunity to sit down with a member of the proposal team to have informal but structured consultation.”

Scottish Borders Council has created a design brief for the Croft, accessed from Dingleton Road.

The site would include car parking spaces.

Copies of the proposal have been sent to Leaderdale and Melrose councillors, Melrose Community Council and the site’s owner, the JS Farming Partnership. The land is earmarked for housing in the council’s local plan.

Nominations are being sought for this year’s Adult Learners Awards, which will take place in April.

Now in their 19th year, the awards are held to celebrate and promote the learning achievements of adults throughout the Borders who have made use of the opportunities available to them, and as a result, have enhanced their knowledge, quality of life and job prospects.

Nominations are sought from individuals and/or groups of post-school learners who are currently resident in the Borders for seven available categories:

● Young learner (16-25 years)

● Learner in the workplace

● Mature learner (50+ years)

● Learning in a group

● Learning in the community

● Accredited learning

● Learning through volunteering

Applications can be made by tutors, trainers, colleagues, family members or friends.

The ceremony also provides an opportunity for nominees to share their stories so that others may be inspired to raise their aspirations and improve their life chances through learning.

Councillor Carol Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for children and young people, said: “Every year we are privileged to hear the inspirational stories of individuals and groups who have overcome significant barriers and looked to learning to improve their life chances.

“They have developed new skills, increased their confidence and followed their dreams.

“They have made important contributions to their families, their workplaces, their communities and most importantly, recognised their own self-worth.

“I am confident that the nominations we receive for this year’s awards will be equally inspiring and I look forward to hearing about the learning journeys that people have made, not only in terms of what they have achieved but also the personal development that they will have undertaken as part of that journey.

“If you know of someone who would be a worthy nominee, don’t hesitate. Make sure you get an application in before the deadline so that they can receive the recognition they deserve.”

Gordon Brown, executive officer at Volunteer Centre Borders, added: “These awards are not only a celebration of the learning that has been carried out by adults across the Borders, but also a reminder of the great work being done by the countless volunteers who regularly give their time to teach reading, writing and numeracy skills.

“We know these volunteers find their roles extremely rewarding and I would urge anyone thinking about volunteering to consider this vital work.”

The deadline for nominations is noon on February 21.

Forms are available from: www.vcborders.org.uk

The awards are organised by Borders College, Live Borders, Scottish Borders Council, Scottish Borders Housing Association, Skills Development Scotland and Volunteer Centre Borders.

The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 26, at Earlston High School.

Police have formally identified the man who died in a house in Heiton on Boxing Day as 53-year-old Kevin Armstrong.

His body was found alongside that of his 48-year-old partner Pauline Cockburn on Tuesday, December 26, a discovery that shocked the small Borders village.

It began a large police inquiry as to the circumstances of the deaths.

Pauline was officially identified last Tuesday, when police confirmed she was murdered, but while the identity of the man was reported widely, it has taken until today for him to be formally identified.

A police spokesperson said: “Pauline’s death is being treated as murder whilst Kevin’s death is not suspicious.

“The investigation into the incident is ongoing but police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.”

Anyone with information that could assist the inquiry should contact the major investigation team on 101, quoting incident 2012 of December 26, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The travel arm of the Royal British Legion is on a mission to find all surviving veterans of World War Two.

The Treasury is enabling a series of free-of-charge tours for World War Two veterans to return to where they served to pay their respects to their fallen comrades.

The tours are being funded by LIBOR fines, and will enable a WWII veteran to return with a family member and carer.

The Royal British Legion has been running LIBOR-funded tours for Normandy veterans for the past four years and thanks to additional funding is now able to widen the tours to all veterans of WWII.

Nichola Rowlands, Head of Travel, Royal British Legion, explains: “We have organised tours for hundreds of D Day veterans and it has proven a very moving experience for all. We have been campaigning to widen the tours for all WWII veterans, as so many gave so much, and we feel that they all deserve a final tour to lay old ghosts to rest; we’re delighted that the Treasury has made this possible.”

The tours will take place from spring to autumn and will give WWII veterans – now mostly in their 90s – the chance to meet up with fellow veterans, visit significant battlefield sites, cemeteries and memorials.

There is no database of veterans from WWII who are still alive today so the Royal British Legion is calling upon the general public to spread the word and ensure every surviving veteran gets the chance to go back one last time.

For WWII veterans wishing to benefit from this tour, they need to apply via Remembrance Travel’s tour operator, Arena Travel, on 01473 660800, or visit www.arenatravel.com/our-holidays/remembrance-travel.

Remembrance Travel will also be offering group travel opportunities for WWII veteran associations too.

Plans for a major new housing development at Newtown have been revealed.

Scottish Borders Council has received a pre-application to build 50 affordable homes for rent on land at Sergeants Park, together with roads, footpaths, a drainage system and open spaces.

The proposal has been put forward by Selkirk-based Eildon Housing Association, currently in the process of completing a similar £5m affordable housing project also at Sergeants Park.

A community engagement event in the form of a drop-in session is to be staged later this month to enable villagers to learn more about the proposed development.

It is to be held at the Newtown Community Wing, in Sprouston Road, between 5pm and 8pm on Wednesday, January 24.

Representatives of the housing association will be on hand to answer questions from members of the public.

The move is a further phase in the development of the site as an ongoing joint venture with Queensberry Properties already seeing 49 houses and four flats being built on a 1.74-hectare site between the village football pitch and Glenburnie Valley.

That development is made up of rentable properties, with Eildon Housing Association acting as landlord for the 49 houses and Bridge Homes overseeing the four apartments.

A spokesman for Galashiels-based Aitken Turnbull Architects said: “This latest pre-application is part of the consultation process, and after 12 weeks we can submit a planning application.

“The proposal is for around 50 units, although the exact number will be part of the public consultation, where issues of design and development can be raised.

“It’s a further phase of the existing development at Sergeants Park, and it is of a similar scale, with two and three-bedroom homes and flats.”

A former Borders police chief is questioning the use of life-size cardboard cutout police officers in the region in a bid to deter drivers from speeding.

The figures, in high-visibility attire and pictured holding speed cameras, can look like the real thing from a distance as drivers are speeding by.

The pretend policemen, deployed in other parts of Scotland in recent years, are being tried out at speeding hot spots across the Borders, though the specific locations in mind are not being identified so as not to give advance warning to drivers likely to exceed 30mph.

The pop-up police officers, nicknamed Pop-Up Bob by police but dubbed scarecrows by detractors, were first used in Fife in 2013.

A debate is raging, however, as to whether they offer a real deterrent or are merely a gimmick to cover for a lack of police manpower.

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Watson McAteer, detective chief superintendent and head of criminal investigation for Lothian and Borders Police until his retirement in 2004, has mixed feelings about the initiative.

Though giving it a cautious welcome, he believes real officers rather than fake ones would be a better solution to the problem.

Mr McAteer, also honorary provost for Hawick, said: “I am aware of the cutout policeman initiative, and while it may have some impact in reducing the speed of visiting motorists, it will have little impact on local drivers’ behaviour. “While I welcome any road safety initiative, I would much prefer to see more real officers and traffic patrol cars working in Hawick and the borders.”

Mr McAteer, chairman of the council’s police, fire and rescue and safer communities board, believes police numbers in the Borders are now “dangerously low”, saying: “I am sensing a growing frustration at what are being positioned as the new normal standards for policing in this area”.

The cutout photos, of Cowdenbeath constable James Graham, will be placed alongside roads where persistent speeding is a problem.

Road policing inspector Vinnie Fisher said: “Road safety is a high priority for Borders communities and features in the Scottish Borders local policing plan.

“This is just one of the innovative measures police and partner organisations are taking to make Borders roads safer.

“It has worked well in other areas of Scotland, serving as an effective visual reminder to road users to stay within the law.”

Borders textiles firms have been hailed as an example of best practice in a Scottish Parliament debate for their work with colleges and universities to promote skills development.

Regional Conservative list MSP Michelle Ballantyne praised the Borders Textile Training Group and other skills development schemes in the region for helping young people find jobs after finishing school.

She said: “At the start of this decade, local employers came together with other partners to create the Borders Textile Training Group, which develops fresh talent in textiles and weaving, helping this traditional industry enjoy a fresh lease of life in the 21st century.

“This is the kind of integrated strategy required if we are going to build new industries and preserve the ones we already have.

“An emphasis on developing skills in response to industry demand must be an essential step in bridging the gap between education and employment.

“Scotland’s young people are one of this country’s greatest assets, and it is in our national interest to ensure that they have access to the skills, training and support required for them to enter the world of work.

“At present, only 32% of employers recruit young people directly from education, and this figure has stagnated since 2014.

“In this year of young people, which counts mental health as one of its main themes, there should be acknowledgement of that fact in our young workforce strategy.

“This is an area that should be addressed to meet the demands of today, and I urge ministers to examine this issue and its potential impact on our economy.”

The Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) initiative is celebrating its first anniversary in the Borders, having brought together more than 2,500 youngsters and almost 150 businesses over the last 12 months.

Selkirk High School is among the educational establishments involved and town security firm Border Safeguard is one of the employers to have taken part, so both were only too happy to wish the scheme a happy birthday.

The Dunsdale Road company’s operations director, Alan Wheelans, joined pupils from the Hillside Terrace school and the region’s DYW team, one of 21 nationwide, to mark the first anniversary of the programme here.

The programme aims to establish links between employers and schools to prepare young people for the world of work and showcase the range of opportunities available to them.

Over its first year of operations, the Borders team has held 63 events, introducing more than 2,500 pupils at all nine high schools in the Borders, and some primaries too, to representatives of 148 businesses.

DYW Borders national link member Jim Duffy, founder of business start-up backer Entrepreneurial Spark, said: “I am in awe of the progress being made.

“The team in the Borders, working in true partnership with so many others, are developing a blueprint that has captured the attention of others in Scotland.

“It is a privilege to work with them, and I just know 2018 will be one to watch.”

DYW Borders works with partners including the Construction Industry Training Board, Scottish Borders Social Enterprise Chamber, Youth Borders, the Royal Highland Educational Trust and businesses of varying sizes.

Programme manager Andrea Hall said: “We are thrilled with the response we’ve had from everyone who has been involved with the first year of Developing the Young Workforce in the Borders.

“The commitment from both employers and education has been exceptional, and there is clearly a real desire to make a difference to our young people’s future.

“We look forward to building on these partnerships and providing even more opportunities for young people in the Borders in 2018 and beyond.”

DYW Borders chairman Anthony Barlow is confident of the programme’s continuing success as it enters its second year of readying youngsters for life after school, saying: “The exceptional success is a tribute to the Borders community –business, council, college and schools – embracing DYW and working together to help our young.

“Everybody involved should be very proud of what has been achieved.

“The delivery of initiatives such as careers fairs, workshops, work experience and apprenticeships, ensures a foundation is now in place to reach out to thousands of pupils in 2018.

“Andrea and her team are making a huge difference and deserve praise for their inspirational work.”

For further details of the programme, call 01750 505058 or email ahall@dywborders.co.uk

NHS Borders chairman John Raine has praised his staff for their hard work over the festive period.

In an email to all workers, Mr Raine thanked them for their “huge efforts” in times of increasing demand and “persistent difficulty”.

The Southern reported this week that Dr Cliff Sharp, medical director at the local health authority, apologised to patients for lenghthy waits.

Mr Raine said he recognised that waiting time statistics “have taken a setback” but added that “the quality of care is high”.

He ended his email by reminding his workers they were “far from being out of the woods”, but that Borderers “can rely on the best possible service when they arrive at our doors”.

His full message to staff is as follows: “The challenge of winter for NHS front line services dominated the news headlines over the Christmas and New Year period.

“At NHS Borders we are no exception. Influenza, norovirus, trips and falls are anticipated and planned for. But plans are only as good as those who have to deliver the services on the front line and those who support behind the scenes.

“That is why I want to say a huge thank you to everyone in NHS Borders for the efforts you are making, and will continue to make, to deal with the pressures we currently face.

“I recognise it has been hard going because of the increasing demand for services, with more patients arriving at the doors of our hospitals and the persistent difficulty we have in being able to discharge patients once they are clinically ready to move on, so aiding the smooth flow of patients through BGH and our community hospitals.

“Some of our waiting time statistics have taken a setback, but the quality of care is high. I have personal friends who have had the misfortune of being laid low over Christmas and New Year but who have had the good fortune of being cared for in BGH and their gratitude and that of their family members has been conveyed to me.

“I acknowledge too that staff have maintained elective operating by prioritising day case and urgent clinical procedures. And I am aware of the huge efforts being made right across the Borders community by staff in GP surgeries and pharmacies, in community hospitals, in our out of hours service, our mental health services, as well as in BGH and by our support service staff.

“So, a very big thank you on behalf of the board and myself.

“As winter continues we are far from being out of the woods but I know vulnerable members of the Borders community can rely on the best possible service when they arrive at our doors.”

Bottling it is, more often than not, another way of saying throwing in the towel – but not for Campbell’s Brewery, unless it’s a beer towel.

The fledgling Borders business has just started selling its Gunner Blonde Ale in bottles as well as barrels, and that move is paying off as it’s going great guns, having taken more than 2,000 pre-orders last month.

The 4.3% alcohol-by-volume beer – brewed in Peebles using local malts and admiral, celeia, sovereign and goldings hops –has also been served by more than 100 pubs since its launch a matter of months ago.

Campbell’s eight-barrel brewhouse was set up in February last year by marquee hire business boss Murray Campbell and is now producing an average of 52 72-pint barrels of beer a week.

The 38-year-old, in charge of Green Field Marquees, also based in Peebles, since 2004, said: “When it comes to beer, and I like my beer, I don’t like fuss.

“I started a brewery to create a series of cask and bottle-conditioned ales that stand out for their quality ingredients and quality production.

“No jiggery-pokery, no complex or madcap inventions – just simple, well- made, great-tasting beer, which I leave in the expert hands of my head brewer Isaac Knowles-Gruft.”

Murray, married with two children, had no previous brewing experience, but Canadian-born Knowles-Gruft, 22, more than compensates for that, having previously been an assistant brewer at Black Isle Brewery, near Munlochy, north of Inverness.

Gunner Blonde Ale, available in 330ml bottles as wellas on draught, is one of two beers the pair produce, the other being the darker and hoppier 3.7% alcohol-by-volume Flintlock.

Campbell’s sources as many of its base ingredients as it can within Scotland, and all the barley malt and wheat used in making Gunner is grown in East Lothian, just a 40-minute drive away.

Flintlock is brewed using crystal and Vienna malts and admiral, cascade, sovereign and chinook hops from Britain, Slovenia and the US.

Gunner stockists include Edinburgh’s Beer and Skittles Bar, Malt Shovel Inn, Milnes Bar, Cafe Royal and Beehive Inn.

Prior to setting up Green Field Marquees with business partner Miles Craig, Murray, a keen mountaineer, worked for a flat-letting business in Edinburgh.

Campbell’s is one of two breweries in Peebles, the other being Freewheelin’, and seven in the Borders, the rest, as listed in this year’s Campaign for Real Ale Good Beer Guide, being Tempest at Tweedbank, Born in the Borders at Lanton Mill, Traquair House at Innerleithen, Broughton and Old Worthy, also at Broughton.

A study looking into the case for extending the Borders Railway is, like almost half the trains on the 30-mile track, running late.

Consultant Jacobs UK’s Borders transport corridors study was due to be published last month, but it has fallen behind schedule and is now not expected until the end of March.

Scottish Government transport minister Humza Yousaf had hoped to have a report from Jacobs UK before the end of 2017, but, like 48.3% of passengers at Tweedbank, according to figures published earlier this month for the preceding year, he is being kept waiting.

Only 51.7% of the 33 daily services arriving at the southernmost end of the Edinburgh-Tweedbank line were on time over the course of that rolling 12-month period, although 88.8% were less than five minutes late, well short of the three-month delay Mr Yousaf faces, according to ScotRail’s latest performance update.

As well as looking into the case for extending the £353m Borders Railway, the study will also outline scope for improvements to the A1, A7 and A68 roads through the Borders.

Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP Rachael Hamilton has hit out at the hold-up, saying: “This is a disappointing delay to an important study.

“The Scottish National Party needs to stop dilly-dallying and get the Borders the answers it needs.

“Campaigners for the Borders Railway, A1, A7 and A68 have been left waiting long enough. It’s time the Scottish Government started to deliver for them.”

Announcing the study back in April, Mr Yousaf said: “In the Scottish Government’s programme for government, a commitment was given to examine the case for an extension of the Borders Railway, along with improvements to the A1, A7 and A68.

“This study will take forward that commitment by considering how we improve accessibility in the Borders, link communities to key markets through strategic transport routes and identify where improvements to transport links are required.

“We want to build on the existing Borders Railway by considering whether it should be extended to Carlisle.

“The study will also look at how we improve access from the Scottish Borders to key markets in to Edinburgh, Carlisle and Newcastle.

“Working with partners in Scottish Borders Council and the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership, Transport Scotland will identify a range of options for improving transport.

“Options could include new rail services, improvements to existing infrastructure and improved public transport provision.”

Extending the line, opened in September 2015, to Hawick, via Melrose, would add about 17 miles to its current 30-mile length, and carrying onto Carlisle, via either Langholm or Newcastleton, recreating the old Waverley Route closed in 1969, would add another 50-plus miles on top of that.

An inquiry is to be held next week into the death of a woodcutter while working in the Borders almost a year ago.

Kenny Scott died after falling from a tree at the Sunderland Hall estate, near Lindean, on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 31 last year.

It is understood that the 58-year-old was knocked unconcious by that fall, then trapped by a tree falling on top of him.

Despite the efforts of paramedics and an air ambulance being called out, he was pronounced dead at the scene, midway between Selkirk and Tweedbank.

A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of Mr Scott, originally from Jedburgh but latterly of Minto, near Hawick, on Thursday, January 25.

A preliminary hearing was held at Selkirk Sheriff Court today, January 15, ahead of next week’s probe.

Mr Scott, a self-employed woodcutter, had more than 40 years’ experience in the forestry industry.

Snow is forecast for the Borders tomorrow and the day after, January 16 and 17.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice have been issued for the region by the Met Office for tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday.

“Frequent and heavy hail and snow showers are likely to affect many parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland from Monday evening, continuing for much of the day on Tuesday,” said a Met Office spokesperson.

“Travel delays on roads are possible, with a small chance of cancellations to public transport.

“There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.

“In addition, some roads and pavements may become icy, increasing the chance of injuries from slips and falls.”

Widespread heavy snow is forecast for the Borders throughout tomorrow, with more likely to follow the day after.

Further snow is expected to fall on Thursday, and possibly on Friday too, but only in parts of the region.

Temperatures are expected to rise no higher than 1C in Hawick, Selkirk and Galashiels tomorrow and to fall to a minimum of -1C overnight.

A 26-year-old man accused of murdering a postwoman in Peebles will face a High Court trial in May.

Nicholas Rodgers, of Innerleithen, is also charged with assault to injury and police assault.

Following a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Glasgow, a trial diet was fixed for Monday, May 14.

Alex Stuart, 22, was stabbed to death on Sunday, August 6, last year after attending a party in Cuddyside in Peebles.

The emergency services were alerted at around 11.20am, and Alex was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to be treated for her injuries but died later that day.

Popular BBC show Antiques Road Trip featured the Borders heavily last week, with experts Anita Manning and Charles Hanson scooting around the region in a Triumph Stag in scenes filmed last August.

As well as the intrepid pair visiting shops in Hawick, Innerleithen, Kelso and Melrose, pleading with owners to give them bargain buys, they also did segments on Hawick motorcycle ace Jimmie Guthrie and Selkirk tartan manufacturers DC Dalgleish.

As far as their buys went, canny Scot Anita beat her opponent hands down on their Borders buys, but poor auction prices elsewhere meant neither really bathed themselves in glory.

In the show broadcast on Tuesday, they visited the Borders Antiques Centre in Hawick, where Anita bought a pair of paintings for £35, knocked down from £65, but they made a £9 loss at auction in Dumfries.

Meanwhile, Charles bought a pair of fairly knackered looking Chinese bowls from the 1700s for £30, which sold for £42.

However, the tables turned as Charles mucked about in the river, trying to “guddle a salmon” for Anita’s tea, while the good lady herself visited Lou Lou’s Vintage Emporium and Keepsakes Antiques in Innerleithen. A ceramic budgie bought for half price at £12 made £32 at auction, and her star buy, a silver photo frame, made a £30 profit when it sold for £50.

In Thursday’s programme, Anita was well in the lead as the pair travelled back to the region.

Anita visited Eptas arts in Kelso, where a 9ct gold amethyst pendant and a battered copper plate were bought for £25 each. She made profits of £5 and £11 respectively on them when they went to auction in Stirling.

The pair then took in Old Melrose Antiques and Tea Room, where Charles bought a joint lot of silver sugar nips and a vesta stand for £32, only to make a further loss of £12 at auction.

Anita managed to keep herself in front by giving Greg Frater every penny she had left in her pocket – £140 – for a bagatelle table. Luckily, come auction, the item “wiped it’s face” by making exactly that amount.

Each week, the show sends two antiques personalities out on the road with £200 each to spend.

Any profit they make goes towards Children In Need.

However, Charles’s Scottish adventure saw him make a loss over the week of £6.80, while Anita made a profit of £225.78, having lost a good whack of her early successes.

They both had a fair bit to go to equal Paul Laidlaw’s record win in the programme, buying a rare antique camera for £60, which went on to sell for £20,000.

However mediocre the profits made in last week’s shows, it’s fair to say the programme did show the region at its beautiful best.

A tractor parade in aid of a research charity launched by Borders rugby legend Doddie Weir last year has raised almost £34,000.

Event organiser Ross Montague and wife Moira handed over almost £31,330 to the former Scottish international after the event was held in Lauder in November, but further donations have since been forthcoming, taking their total to £33,700.

That money will go to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, set up by Weir, 47, of Blainslie, near Lauder, following his diagnosis with motor neurone disease just over a year ago.

Ross said he and his wife, of Blackburn, Lauder, had been hugely inspired by the former Melrose star’s efforts to raise money to combat MND and that they hoped the money raised by their parade of almost 180 tractors on November 5 would help researchers in their work.

He said: “This cheque is made up of contributions, big and small, from literally hundreds of people and businesses from the Scottish farming community, the local Lauder community and beyond.

“We are overwhelmed by the support and generosity our event received and are delighted to present this money to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.”

Weir’s fundraising efforts have also been boosted by an auction of rare bottles of Annandale Distillery’s Man o’ Sword peated single-malt whisky.

The Annan firm donated four of the 99 bottles it made of Man o’ Sword to the My Name’5 Doddie foundation and Doddie Weir’5 Trust, and they were sold off by Fife-based Just Whisky Auctions for between £890 and £933.

One of the other 95 bottles is being kept by the distillery for posterity, but the other 94 are to be used to boost the former Scottish No 5’s charities too.

“Bottles No 6 to 99 will be filled into bottles emblazoned with the special ‘Doddie’s a Man o’ Sword’ label and offered for sale by various routes and means to be agreed with the trustees,” said a spokesman for the distillery, reopened in 2007 after closing in 1924.

“This will happen early in 2018, with a significant chunk of the net proceeds going to Doddie’s charities.”

Further funds will be raised for the 61-times-capped lock by a so-called Tartan Giraffe Ball being held at Springwood Park in Kelso on Friday, January 26.

The sold-out event will be hosted by TV sports presenters Jill Douglas and Dougie Vipond.

For further details, go to www.doddieweir5trust.co.uk

Hopes are high for another record-breaking catch on Sunday, January 21, as the Great Haggis Hunt takes place on Selkirk Hill.

The event began as a bit of a laugh for a few regulars at the Town Arms pub, but over the years, it has grown to become one of the largest culls of the great chieftain o’ the puddin’ race in Scotland, and, indeed, anywhere.

Last year, no less than 400 hardy hunters, armed to the teeth with nets, sticks, home-made bows and arrows and decoys, braved the cold of the hill to snatch more haggis than ever before.

Included in the catch were the rare microwavable and vegetarian varieties.

But the high catch last year has not overly affected numbers on the hill.

Organiser Davie Scott said: “I’ve done a preliminary survey of the hill and things are looking good for the 21st.

“There apears to be a plentiful supply of haggis, with a fair number of young birds, so things are looking good for the future.”

It has become a fascinating day out for the family, and there is always the chance you will catch enough for your tea.

The day begins with the muster in the Market Place at 11.02am precisely, with a wee nip for the adults and a juice for the young ones, compliments of the Town Arms.

The crowd – bedecked in tartan, which is believed to soothe the beasts – are then piped up to the Argus Centre, where, with the help of Riddell Fiddles, the Haggis Polka is danced. The reason for this is unclear, but it seems to work.

Once on the hill, at the “Chinese Hut”, the final instructions are given, and the hunters are let loose. Soon after, once the haggis population on the hill has been severely depleted, a count will be made.

Then, after the traditional address to the haggis is made by actor Matthew Burgess – son of the late former Southern Reporter journalist Bob, who performed the poem by Rabbie Burns until he died in 2016 – and the hunters get to try out a sample of the catch on an oatcake or two.

It’s then back to the pub for some music. All who take part are rewarded with a certificate.

Watch out for our live videos from the event on Facebook.

The Royal Bank of Scotland’s chief executive, Ross McEwan, has defended plans to shut six of its nine branches in the Borders.

Mr McEwan was guest speaker at last week’s Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce monthly business lunch in Peebles and seized the opportunity to stand up for the controversial proposals.

Mr McEwan, having travelled up from London to be there, told the 30 or so others present about RBS’s plans to focus more on online banking.

His native New Zealand is already ahead of the UK in switching to digital services, and it is vital for regions such as the Borders to embrace new technology and innovation or run the risk of being left behind, said the 60-year-old.

Chamber vice-chairman Bruce Simpson said: “I was expecting a plethora of comments and questions from the floor about RBS branch closures in the Borders, but Mr McEwan’s very detailed and factual talk, together with his determination to attend this meeting, met with a great deal of respect from those present.”

The positive response Mr McEwan’s explanation of the reasons for closing six RBS branches in the Borders in May and June this year formed a stark contrast to criticism of the move voiced at the previous night’s meetings of Selkirk and Hawick community councils.

Selkirk community councillors voted to withdraw their custom from RBS in protest at the closure of their town’s High Street branch, and Hawick community councillors, though unwilling to follow suit, did urge other customers of their High Street bank to vote with their feet, as reported in the Southern.

Jedburgh, Duns, Eyemouth and Melrose’s RBS branches are also earmarked for the axe, leaving only three in the region – at Galashiels, Kelso and Peebles.

RBS is unswayed by the protests its closure plans have sparked so, however.

Responding to a plea for a rethink from Hawick and Denholm councillor Clair Ramage, chief executive’s office team member John Collins said: “I am genuinely sorry to hear of your concern about our decision to close our Hawick branch.

“We have considered this decision carefully, and we won’t be revisiting it.

“We have made the decision to close these branches because there has been a significant reduction in branch usage and more and more customers are banking online and on their phone.

“These changes continue apace, so we must respond to how our customers prefer to bank with us.

“In Scotland, branch usage has reduced by 44% since 2012, and we see 29 million log-ons every month to our mobile app.

“In the Hawick branch, transactions have fallen by 37% since 2011 and 74% of customers are already making use of ATMs, digital banking and telephone banking.

“We are communicating with our customers affected by the closures and proactively contacting vulnerable, business and regular branch customers.

“We are committed to ensuring our customers and communities are able to continue accessing quality face-to-face banking services once the branches close, and I am pleased to confirm that we will be introducing our mobile branch to Hawick.

“Customers will be able to carry out a range of personal banking transactions, including cashing cheques, making account deposits, paying bills and support with opening accounts.

“Once we have secured the necessary permissions, we will confirm and promote the timetables and route information to customers, in advance of the branch closing.”

Rachael Hamilton, Conservative MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, was left with a red face last week during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood.

Her rather poorly-timed question was met with a dressing down from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

It came minutes after Mrs Hamilton’s boss, Ruth Davidson MSP, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, took Mrs Sturgeon to task over the Scottish Government’s record in health and social services.

Mrs Sturgeon conceded that while there was still a lot of work to do, “the Scottish Government is, in many respects, ahead of any other part of the UK.”

Ms Davidson replied: “I often ask the First Minister about health and social care in Scotland, and she often answers me by talking about the situation in England. I think that people in Scotland want to hear about what is happening in Scotland.”

A little later, Mrs Hamilton welcomed visiting pupils from Kelso High School to the gallery (see page 37). and asked a question about small businesses.

She quoted the Scottish policy convener of the Federation of Small Businesses, Andy Willox, who said that the federation’s recent findings show “a long-term optimism gap between a typical firm in Scotland and their counterparts elsewhere in the UK,” and asked: “Will the First Minister listen to the concerns of small business and reverse the Government’s tax plans in order to help small business confidence to grow?”

Mrs Sturgeon replied: “I am sorry: I thought that we were not allowed to make comparisons between Scotland and England.

“Let me get this right, just for clarity ... when Scotland is doing better than the rest of the UK, the Tories’ position is that we are not allowed to say that, because comparisons are not legitimate, but when the Tories say that Scotland is not doing as well as the rest of the UK, it is absolutely fine to make comparisons. Are those really the rules by which the Tories want to play?”

She went on to add that the government was investing significant sums of money in supporting small businesses, and that the feedback from businesses is that their main concern is Brexit.

Mrs Sturgeon added: “That is why every time a Tory stands up in this chamber to talk about those kinds of issues, they should be deeply embarrassed about what their party at Westminster is preparing to do to the interests of this country.”

Later, Mrs Hamilton said: “The SNP Government is overseeing a rapid decline in small business confidence. And for good reason with an unnecessary income tax that will shrink the pay packets of thousands of people making them less willing to go out and spend their hard earned money.

“Small businesses play an important role in adding vibrancy and attracting visitors to our local communities and towns. The Scottish Government needs to do more to help grow their confidence and in turn help our communities.

“I challenged the First Minister on this very issue and was disappointed that once again she chose to deflect on other issues than to acknowledge and address the problem that is so acutely felt in Scotland and the Scottish Borders.”

A 22-year-old man was found dead in a property in Peebles on Friday.

The circumstances surrounding the as-yet unnamed man’s death is not known, but police are not treating it as suspicious.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police were called to a house in Violet Bank, Peebles, at around 1.10pm on Friday, January 12, following a report of concern for a man.

“The 22-year-old was sadly pronounced dead at the scene, and the death is unexplained, pending further enquiries, but is not being treated as suspicious.

“A report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.”