Bedrule
WHIST: There is a whist and dominoes on November 5 at 7.30pm in Bedrule Hall.
Christmas Market: Local food can be ordered at the village Hall on Sunday (November 4), 2-5pm for collection form the hall just before christmas! Proceeds to hall funds. For more information, contact Gill 01450 870506.
Blainslie
AGM: Blainslie Village Hall, November 8, 7.30pm.
Bowden
Christmas Fayre: The fayre will be held in Bowden Village Hall on Saturday, 10am-12.30pm. Stalls will include charities, toys and fancy goods, woodcarving, jewellery, bakehouse, homemade cards, photographs and handmade cushions.
Broomlands
SWRI: The Group K Rally was on October 16. All eight Rural’s in the group were represented. The evening took the form of a team Call My Bluff led by Robert Pratt and members from Kelso North Church. The winners, table 5, donated their prize of £25.00 to the Margaret Kerr Appeal and a further £25.00 was donated to the panel for Kelso North Funds. Supper was provided by the members of Broomlands Rural.
Earlston
WRI: Witches and ghosts were the theme for the October meeting. A murder story, narrated by Trish Grierson, and dooking for apples caused much laughter. Winners of the competition were: pumpkin lantern – 1 Edith Cockburn, 2 Alex Grierson; treacle scones – 1 Heather Smith, 2 Rachel McKenzie. The next meeting is in Hanover and it will be hands on with Christmas in mind. All welcome.
Craft Night: Takes place in the former police station post tonight (November 1), 7-9pm. Bring unfinished craft projects or start something new. All welcome.
WEDNESDAY CLUB: The hostess, Agnes Penman, introduced a film of Scottish views with songs by Smailholm singer, Andrew Fairley. Members of the Women’s Guild and WRI joined us for our 42nd birthday party. A collection was made for Border Cancer Care. Competitions, gents – tie pin Jim Scott; ladies – Scottish brooch, members: 1 Ena Scott, 2 M. Campbell, 3 I. Keddie; guests: Ruth Scoular. The birthday cake was cut by a long-standing members, Alice Gilchrist.Our annual coffee morning is on Saturday (November 3) 10am in Hanover Close, Earlston. Donations of baking for sale and raffle prizes welcome. There will be no meeting on November 7 as the shopping trip is that day. The next meeting in the hall is on November 21 when the competitions will be: ladies: pretty earrings, gents: cuff links “
PARISH CHURCH: Sunday service at 10.15am will be led by John Burns. The Remembrance Day service on November 11 will be at 9.30am followed by an act of Remembrance in the square at 11am. The session meeting is at 7pm on November 13.
SHOEBOX APPEAL: Please return filled Blythswood Care Shoebox Appeal boxes by Sunday.
WOMEN’S GROUP: Today (November 1) at 8pm in the church hall the speaker will be Katriona Goode on A Garland of Poems, poems written by her late mother Kristin MacEwan put into a book and sold to raise funds for polycystic kidney disease.
Camera Club: John Peters spoke on enhancing images for oneself or competition. He judged the competition “Contre-jour”, results: projected images: 1 Curtis Welsh, 2 Helen Pugh-Cook, 3 Adam Drummond; prints 1 and 2 Adam Drummond, 3 Curtis Welsh. At the next meeting, on October 31, the speaker Glyn Sattersley – 7.30pm, Earlston Primary School.
Ettrickbridge
Bonfire and fireworks: Torchlight procession leaves Kirkhope Primary School at 6pm on Saturday (November 3). Tickets £2.00 per person, available from Kirkhope Primary School in advance or at the event. Homemade soup, hot dogs, crisps juice and glow-sticks for sale. Please do not bring sparklers because of choking hazard for cattle in the field after the event.
Galashiels
ROTARY: The club ran a charity shop in Galashiels town centre for three days recently. Rotary and Inner Wheel members, selling bric-a-brac and collectibles, and raising more than £800 for community projects including youth activities. Rotarians are grateful to those who donated to and bought from the shop and specially grateful to Phil Macari for allowing use of the premises.
Camera Club: After an introduction to the basics of night photography by Ian Oliver, members set off to downtown Gala to try out their technique, assembling later at a pub to compare notes. Next week we will show the SPF portfolio instead of the proposed quiz night.
PROBUS: The Galashiels Probus Club sent 21 members to a joint meeting at the Hawick club. Members heard a talk by Juline Baird, assistant archivist, on the work and facilities of Hawick Heritage Hub, the Scottish Borders Archive and Local History Centre. The next meeting is on November 8 at the Kingsknowes Hotel at 10am.
Hawick
Rotary Club: The vice-President Scott Elliot welcomed visitors from Selkirk Rotary Club, president Douglas Forsyth and Herbert and Joy Chatters. The speaker was Hawick High School S1 pupil David Chipakupaku, 12, who has been involved in choral singing for five years and spoke of his involvement in the Scottish Youth Choir.David thanked the club for the help they gave him to attend the course. Grocery draw: 1 (£100) J Brown; 2 (£50) V Suddon; 3 (£25) Cameron Stitt.
Camera Club: Mike Reynolds of Galashiels gave an illustrated talk, “A small camera is better than a long memory”. He showed the versatility and picture quality available with compact cameras. The second monthly competition Landscape/Seascape will be on November 8 with Stephen Scott as judge.
Bridge Club: October 22 – 1 J. & M. Miller, 2 P. Gilligan & M. Millar, 3 S. White & J. Urquhart, 4= M. Tuson & R. Witherington; J. Henderson & M. Bowie. October 24 – SBU simultaneous pairs: 1 K. Auckland & R. Witherington, 2= P. Gilligan & M. Millar; V. Johnstone & P. Learmonth, 4 A. Trueman & P. Simpson.
Heiton
flower show AGM: Heiton Village Hall, November 12, at 6pm. New committee members welcome.
Innerleithen
Coffee Morning: The civic association will hold a coffee morning in the Vale Club on November 10, 10am-noon. Money raised will go to the Christmas Lights fund.
SENIOR CITIZENS’ COFFEE MORNING: The coffee morning will be on Saturday (November 3) in the Vale Club, 10am-noon. Stalls, including cake and candy and a raffle. Any donations would be gratefully received.
St Ronan’s Future Band: The band thanks everyone who contributed at the recent coffee morning. About £480 was raised for the development of the young musicians.
COUNTDOWN CLUB: The club will meet on November 14 and 28 in Innerleithen Church Hall at 10.30am.
MUSIC FESTIVAL: There is an open invitation to the AGM is on November 20 at 7:30pm in thefunction Room at the Vale ClubThe main business of previous minutes, reports and election of committee members will be complete by about 8pm and discussions for next year’s event will follow. Contact Pam Fraser, Chair of Innerleithen Music Festival organising committee, for more information 830146
Switched On Sunday: Plans for the December 9 event are taking shape – let us know if you plan to open your shop, put on an event or have other idea. The Cubs, Tweedvale Pipe Band, St. Ronan’s Silver Band, the Opera, St. Ronan’s School Choir, Bill & Stewart and Tweeddale Folk Group will be performing. There will be a Fancy Dress competition, Christmas Shop Window competition, the Town Treasure Trail, Kick Common Ridings, Pump Track, Pony Rides, Get Crafty, Bookbug Rhymetime and much more. The next Switched On meeting is at the Union Club on November 15 at 7.30pm.
Jedburgh
PROBUS: Local author Doug Jackson was the speaker at the recent meeting. Doug spoke about his five books with a Roman theme and his two thrillers under the penname James Douglas.
Churches Together: One World Week was celebrated with a Sunday lunch in the Kenmore Halls where the speaker was Dr Dorothy Logie, who spoke on her work and that of health professionals from the Borders General Hospital at the St Francis Hospital in Zambia. A retiring collection raised £160 for the work in Zambia.
Christmas Fayre: Howdenburn Primary School is holding a fayre on November 9, 7- 9pm – start your Christmas shopping. Fruit punch and mince pies, £1 entry, children free.
Elvis tribute: Girl Guides will be holding an Elvis tribute night with Robbie West in the Royal British Legion on Saturday (November 3) at7.30pm. Tickets £7.00 available from all Guiders and many shops.
ROTARY CLUB: Following the refurbishment of the Laidlaw Memorial swimming pool in Jedburgh the club has donated a chair to lift disabled people in and out of the pool. The money was raised from club funds and with car-boot sales by the club members’ wives. The speaker at the meeting was Agnes Ritchie, district chair of the international committee who told of the many ways Rotary responds to disasters. The club discussed the proposed changes to the organisation of Rotary districts in Scotland.
Kelso
Kelso Museum: AGM and talk by Dr Chris Bowles on Coldingham Priory, Wednesday, November 7, 7.30pm, in the Abbey Row Community Centre.
Horticultural Society: Annual autumn exhibition, Tait Hall, on Saturday (November 3). Doors open 1pm; presentation of prizes 4pm. Admission: adults £1.50, children 50p. Teas, sales table and raffle, with entries including chrysanthemums, pot plants, vegetables, fruit, floral art, honey, industrial and junior sections.
Bridge club: October 24, SBU simultaneous pairs – N/S: 1= David Harris-Burland & Ruth MacKay and Alex Jeffrey & Joc Dun, 3 Joyce Thomson & Helenor Pratt; E/W: 1 Lee Leeson & John Hayton, 2 Bob Stevenson & Annie Mitchell, 3 John & Marian Miller. October, 25 Calchou Cup 3 – N/S: 1 Bob Stevenson & Lee Leeson, 2 Rena Stewart & Val Johnstone, 3 Brian Saywood & Evelyn Erskine; E/W: 1 Annie Mitchell & Pat Sloan, 2 Alison Darling & Mary Logan, 3 John & Marian Miller.
Friends of Kelso Museum: The annual meeting is on November 7 at 7.30 in the Abbey Row Community Centre. Dr. Chris Bowles will speak on Coldingham Priory.
Rotary Club: Millie Hunter recounted her recent stay in Cuba, organised by the Borders Exploration Group supported by a contribution from Rotary Club of Kelso. The exploration group aims to raise awareness of environmental concerns and to educate young people in understanding other cultures.
Dry Bar: See Yetholm
Table Tennis: See Yetholm
Langholm
Accordion club: Compere Adam Grant welcomed a good turnout to the accordion and fiddle club in the Royal British Legion clubrooms.The guests were the well-known duo, Duncan Black, accordion, and Marie Fielding, fiddle. There were fewer musicians than usual as a number had headed to the Shetland accordion and fiddle club weekend. On accordion were Newbie Park and Les Hurst from Carlisle, James Lawrie from Gilsland and local player Roger Dobson. Ian Wood from Northumberland played the fiddle, and local Robert Willans was on the drums.
Probus club: Vice-president Jack Rae welcomed 24 members to the meeting in the Eskdale Hotel. He outlined a suggestion to celebrate the Club’s 30th anniversary in July with a lunch with invited speakers, and he asked for suggestions from the members.
Lauder
Sinatra tribute: Frank Sinatra tribute evening, Lauder Public Hall, November 10. Crooning for your delight will be Michael Hunter, who will also talk about Old Blue Eyes. There will be an auction. BYOB. Tickets from Lauder Trading Post (shop in public hall), or Carol Bachelor (01578 722291), Dave Budd (01578 722704) or John Mackay (01578 722703). The ticket includes interval refreshments and nibbles. The concert starts at 7.30pm prompt.
Gift Fair: A gift fair for the Marie Curie Charity is being held on Saturday (November 3) 10am-4pm at the Lodge at Carfraemill. A wide selection of gifts and crafts to get the Christmas shopping started! Admission £3, children free, refreshments.
shoeboxes: All shoeboxes for Blythswood Care must be handed in to Carfraemill by Tuesday (November 6) 11am for collection.
Maxton
Gaelic in the Borders: Fiddle-player and Gaelic singer Rona Wilkie, BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, is playing at the first meeting of the new session on Friday (November 2) in Maxton Village Hall. The event starts at 7.45pm. Fàilte oirbh uile - everyone welcome!.
Melrose
Literary society: Guest speaker Marjorie Gavin examined the life and literary achievements of her ancestor, Denholm-born John Leyden. Precociously intelligent, he moved to Edinburgh, contributing to leading literary periodicals and publications, including Scott’s Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. At the next meeting, on November 6, Dr Sarah Carpenter of the department of English at the University of Edinburgh will discuss the works of Sir David Lyndsay, the 16th century Scottish courtier, poet and satirist. On November 13, the Society joins with Melrose Historical Association to hear about Walter Scott from Dr Sandra McNeil, head of learning and development at Abbotsford. Visitors are welcome at both meetings.
Parish chuRch: Activities: November deadline for Blythswood Shoe Boxes fast approaching; MS and Arthritis Research would each receive £578.90 from the recent concert – thanks all round; Sunday services: Bowden 9.30am, Melrose 10am family service, 11am morning worship; November 9 and 10, Traidcraft Christmas Sale; church office open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10am-1pm.
Trimontium lecture: Colin Wallace, research fellow at Liverpool University, focused, in the last autumnTrimontium Lecture on what early collectors made of ancient finds. People in collector Sir Walter Scott’s time had difficulty in identifying objects and more in dating them. In the library at Abbotsford was one of the best-known items of Iron Age metalwork (in bronze) – the pony-cap from a moss at Torrs, Kirkcudbrightshire. One study suggests it is a modern fabrication from separate (ancient) parts.
Morebattle:
Coffee Morning: The Guide Dogs for Blind coffee morning in the Village Hall on Saturday raised £260. Competition winners: jar of sweets, Finn McEwan, plant,Annie Smith, box of biscuits, , lucky number, John Mabon.
Guild: The next meeting takes the from of a members’ formal evening in the institute this evening (November 1) at 7.30pm. Arrangements for the 125th anniversary of the Guild and other items of business will be discussed.
Fishing Social: The annual fishing club social was held in the Templehall on Saturday night when a lovely meal was enjoyed by about 40 people attended and Mary Pringle presented the cups, Music was supplied by Vic James.
WRI: PC Ruaridh Hamilton gave a talk on wildlife crime in Border area. Competition winners – tea light holder: 1 Marie France Taylor, 2 Mary Pringle, 3 Brenda Dickson; best piece of advice received: 1 Catherine Mabon, 2 Marie France Taylor, 3 June Bell.
Reading Competition: The heat for the reading aloud competition was held in the institute when 6 teams took part: 1 Yetholm, 2 Heiton, 3 Morebattle (2) team which consisted of Margaret Blackmore, Margaret Pederson and Brenda Dickson. The three teams go through to the final in Denholm on November 19.
Dry Bar: See Yetholm
Table Tennis: See Yetholm
Newcastleton
Coffee morning: A well attended coffee morning in the village hall in aid of the church fabric fund and raised £541, with some expenses still to be deducted.
Oxton
Gift Fair: A gift fair for the Marie Curie Charity is being held on Saturday (November 3) 10am-4pm at the Lodge at Carfraemill. A wide selection of gifts and crafts to get the Christmas shopping started! Admission £3, children free, refreshments.
shoeboxes: Blythswood Care shoeboxes must be handed in to Carfraemill by Tuesday (November 6) 11am for collection.
Selkirk
CAMERA CLUB: Last week the second club competition, on action and movement, was judged by Grant Kinghorn. Results – colour prints:1 J. Fair, 2 M. McKinney, 3 W. McCulloch; B&W prints: 1 H. Gray, 2 TBA, 3 B. Johnstone; projected images: 1 M.Reynolds, 2 B. Johnstone, 3 B. Johnstone. Next week there will be a presentation on black and white photography by Pat Rafferty. Members should bring entries for the next club competition, theme “Close Up”. There will be no meeting on the November 14, the evening of the annual agricultural competition at Galashiels.
St Boswells
coffee morning: St Boswells Guides are holding a coffee morning on Saturday from 10am in the village hall, with cake and candy, raffle, bottle, and Christmas crafts stalls. The Brownies will have a stall.
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING NIGHT: In St Boswells Village Hall, Friday, November 9, from 7-9.30pm. Stalls run by local businesses will offer gifts including beauty products, cards, books, stocking fillers, clothing, jewellery etc. £2 entry includes a glass of mulled wine and mince pie. In aid of the nursery, playgroup and toddler group.
Yarrow
WHIST: There will be a whist drive in Yarrowfeus Hall on November 7 at 7.30pm in aid of Ettrick and Yarrow Kirk fabric fund. All welcome
Yarrowford
WHIST DRIVE: Yarrowford Hall was the venue for a fundraising whist drive last week in aid of Fresh Start Borders. Winners: ladies – 1 Marion Finlay, 2 Jean Turner, 3 Greta Middlemass; gents – 1 Richard Scott, 2 Bruce Lawrie, 3 Dan Young. Consolation prizes: Frances Scott and Drew Hogg. Thanks to all who donated items for the teas and raffle prizes. £145 was raised to support Fresh Start, who provide starter packs for families moving into permanent tenancies after homelessness.
THANK YOU: Yarrowford Village Hall would like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported the Macmillan Cancer Care’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning – £941.26 was raised. Also a big thank you to everyone who helped on the day.
SWRI: The AGM committee was elected as follows: president Margaret Robinson, vice-president Margaret Watson, secretary Evelyn Horsburgh, treasurer Hannah Young, Committee, Linda Bradshaw, Annie Coltherd, Betty Fraser, Margaret Glendinning, Gill Kerr, Jean Scott. The trophy for the previous season’s competitions was won by Hannah Young with Jean Scott and Annie Coltherd joint runners up. The cup for most entries was won jointly by Linda Bradshaw and Pauline Birse. The next meeting is the November 13when Hannah Young will give a spinning demonstration. Competition is two pieces of traybake.
Yetholm
Yetholm and Linton Churches: On Sunday, the nearest to All Saints Day, the names of those who have died over the past year will be read out at both churches as an act of remembrance. In future years invitations will be made to the next of kin to attend these services but this year as notice is short invitations are by press or poster.
IAN HARDIE: Many Yetholm residents were saddened to hear of the death of Ian Hardie who lived for a number of years in Kirk Yetholm when he practised law in Kelso. He was very much involved in community life in Yetholm.His great love was folk music. – he played the fiddle and wrote tunes many of which bore local names.Ian later moved to Nairn.
BUSINESS FORUM: Yetholm Community Council held a meeting was held in the village to discuss the possibilty of forming a Yetholm business forum.All local businesses were invited and there was a good turn out. Further meetings are planned.
BOTTLE BANK: People continue to use the ground surrounding the bottle bank as a general rubbish dump. A plea goes out from all those concerned for the village to use the area as a bottle bank and nothing else.
FIREWORKS NIGHT: The building of the bonfire is already underway. The event kicks off from Town Yetholm Green with a torchlight procession at 6pm on Sunday (November 4).
SHEEPDOG TRIAL HONOUR: Bill Elliot of Yetholm‘s skills were recently recognised when he was invited to judge national trials in Italy. Bill much enjoyed the experience.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY: Poppies are on sale at various outlets and door-to-door collections taking place .There will be a short service at the village war memorial at 9.45am on November 11 to be followed by a service in the parish kirk at 10am.
Dry Bar: The bar open night is this Thursday – the usual fun plus registration and preliminary rounds of the Champions League Pool Cup competition with great trophies, medals and £60 of prize money. Open to all under 18. The film season continues on November 5 with Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows. Doors open 6.15. Film starts 6.30. Free. Further information: Ian on 01573 420703
Table tennis: On Sunday (November 4) Table Tennis Scotland is again holding a coaching session, 2-4pm in the Yetholm Youth Hall. All under 18s very welcome as are parents. Tea, coffee and the papers provided. Cost £2. Further information, email Ian on ireid@yetholmtown.plus.com or ring 01573 420703.