BROOMLands
WRI
At the latest meeting, Margaret Riddell gave a talk about Charity Begins At Home, how the shop started, it’s aims and the fact people come from near and far to get bargains. Competition winners were Jeanette Farquhar, Hazel Woodsell and Helen Cavers, who all entered a recycled item. Fancy bottle competition – 1, Mary Thomson; 2, Hazel Woodsell; 3, Janice Scott.
Caddonfoot
Church
It was a Gala Day in Caddonfoot Church on Sunday when former Braw Lad and Grand National-winning jockey Ryan Mania and Edwina had their baby, Rowan Timothy James Mania, baptised. The church was packed for this service which was conducted by the Reverend Marion Dodd.
Lessons were read by Tim Coulson and Ginny Stacy-Marks. A retiring collection was taken for the victims of the disaster in the Phillipines. There is no Bible study this week. On December 1, there is a Trinity choir carol concert with Galashiels Town Band at 6.30pm and the Big Sing with the Border Bells at Galashiels Baptist Church.
EARLSTON
Wednesday Club
At the meeting on November 20, members enjoyed a lively and interesting talk by Erica Hume Niven on her work as an access-to-the-countryside ranger. Competition – country scene photograph – 1, Kay Brownlie; 2, Isabel Keddie; 3, Rosemary Irvine. The next meeting is the Christmas lunch when the club will be joined by members from the Womens’ Guild. Everyone is reminded to bring along a small Christmas gift (around £5).
Parish church
December 1 is the first Sunday in Advent and the service at
10.15am will be conducted by the Reverend Julie Woods. On December 4 a midweek Advent service is being held at 7pm. There will be the usual morning service at 10.15am on December 8, followed by a Time to Remember service at 2.30pm.
Women’s Group
The Christmas meal is at Rhymers Tower Cafe on Friday, December 6, (6.45 for 7pm). For those who have already given their names, there will be the option to bring a small gift for the “Secret Santa” (£3-£5).
ETTRICKBRIDGE
Coffee morning
The next coffee morning and sale in aid of hall funds will take place in the village hall on Saturday, December 7. Anyone who has anything to sell should just come along, take a table and give a small donation.
Festive fling
A fun evening will be held in the hall on December 7 (8pm). Dancing, games and Christmas buffet – tickets from 01750 52257.
Carols
Carols with Selkirk Silver Band starts at 7.15pm on December 16. Tickets from 01750 52257.
Quiz
December 19 sees a Christmas fun quiz – more details from 01750 52257.
Galashiels
Camera club
The annual agricultural exhibition and competition was held in Langlee Community Centre. More than 100 attended and the judges were Dr Richard Bingham and Peter Paterson. Representing the Scottish National Farmers’ Union was Nigel Miller and Joyce Miller presented the prizes. Nigel had the task of choosing between the best projected image and best print for the overall champion. Special Prizes – Digital Image – 1,Helen Pugh-Cook (Earlston CC); 2, Phil McLean (Duns CC); Print – 1, Ron McCombe; 2, Phil McLean (Duns CC); Black and White Print – 1, John Peters (Galashiels CC); Champion – Ron McCombe; Reserve Champion – Helen Pugh-Cook (Earlston CC). Projected Images – Livestock – 1, George Sudlow (Morebattle CC); 2, John Peters (Galashiels CC); 3, Helen Pugh-Cook (Earlston CC); Agricultural Machinery and Buildings – 1, John Peters (Galashiels CC); 2, Brian Sutherland; 3, Jim Paxton – Galashiels CC); People – 1, Helen Pugh-Cook (Earlston CC); 2, John Peters (Galashiels CC); 3, Christine Swalwell (Galashiels CC); Landscape – 1, Richard Toward (Duns CC); 2, Brian Sutherland; 3, Dennis Laing (Hawick CC); Open – 1, Alan Weeks (Kelso CC); 2, Gordon Swalwell (Galashiels CC); 3, John Peters (Galashiels CC); Nature – 1, Phil McLean (Duns CC); 2, Ron McCombe; 3, Phil McLean (Duns CC).
Rotary
Langlee P7s came top of the class in the local Rotary primary school quiz, beating off opposition from six other teams. This was the first round of a quiz covering primary schools in the south of Scotland. Langlee now go on to a Borders semi-final in the spring. Galashiels Rotarians and Inner Wheel Club are pooling their resources to send aid to the Philippines to help survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, joining the international aid effort by agreeing to
donate more than£1.200. This will buy a Shelterbox, at least four Water Survival Boxes and Lifestraw portable water filters. Anyone who wishes to contribute to this effort should go to the http://www.galashiels.rotaryweb.org/
Church shop
For 10 days, the churches of Galashiels will be selling goods which relate to the true meaning of Christmas. Staffed by volunteers, The Mustard Seed reflects the parable in the Bible which illustrates how a small amount of faith can grow into something much bigger, just like the tiny mustard seed which develops into a plant the size of a small tree. People of all persuasions and backgrounds are welcome to drop into this shop in Channel Street from December 4-14,10am-4 pm daily, except on Sunday.
Studio club
Galashiels Studio Club will be holding a practical evening today (Thursday), from 7.30-9.30pm, in Old Gala House. Bring your own plant to draw or paint. Further details from 01896 757222.
Glendouglas
Call My Bluff
There is a Call My Bluff evening on November 30 at 7.30pm.
AGM
The hall AGM is on December 2 at 7.30pm.
Whist drive
The next whist drive is on December 9 at 7.30pm.
Lunch
Following a successful lunch club gathering, another will be held on December 11 (11.30am-1.30pm).
Hawick
Bridge club
November 19 – 1, V. Johnstone and D. Usher; 2, S. White and R. Francombe; 3, J. and M. Miller; 4, P. Gilligan and M.Millar.
Camera club
The third monthly competition, entitled People, took place last Thursday evening with Mark Davey judging. Projected Images – 1, The Kiss by Brian Marriott; 2, On a Steep Slope by Mark Hogarth; 3, The Lone Walker by Danny Bowie. Mounted Prints – 1. More Fruit, Madam? by Dennis Laing; 2, Birds on Bikes by Edith McLean; 3, Stan by George Sudlow. December 4 sees a three-way digital competition at Galashiels, between clubs from Selkirk, Galashiels and Hawick.
Rotary
Speaker Dr Olivia Giles OBE enthralled her audience with her talk on the charity “500 Miles” which she had founded. Until 2002, Olivia was an Edinburgh lawyer, but was suddenly struck down by streptococcal meningitis with septicaemia. In life-saving operations, both her lower legs and lower arms had to be amputated, and she was in hospital for almost a year. She described her first few steps with her artificial legs as the best feeling ever. Olivia then set about raising funds for the Meningitis Research Foundation and other charities, realising £450,000. During a visit to Malawi, Olivia saw a man with only one leg, living literally in the gutter, begging and unable to stand or walk, and she realised that in some countries people who have suffered amputation or been born with deformed limbs are treated as outcasts. Olivia decided to start “500 Miles”, named after the famous Proclaimers song, because the charity’s aim is to allow as many of those afflicted to walk again. Hawick Rotary Club has already donated £1200 to the charity. Before the meeting ended, the club agreed to send £250 to Rotary International for use in the aftermath of the Philippines disaster.
Innerleithen
Late-night shopping
Local businesses are staging Shopping After Dark tomorrow (Friday), from 6-9pm. The Allotment will be hosting a cheese and wine tasting, The Framing Gallery supplying refreshments and shortbread, while Robert Smail’s Printing Works has mulled wine and mince pies on the menu. The Whistle Stop Cafe will also be open.
Switched-0n Sunday
December 8 sees Innerleithen getting Switched On for the fourth time with a programme of events, entertainment, shopping and activities leading up to the switching on of its Christmas lights at 4.30pm. Tweedvale Pipe Band gets things under way from 1.45pm at the Memorial Hall for the start of KICK (Kids Innerleithen Cycling Klub) Common Riding’s cycle ride which departs at 2pm. The Memorial Hall Garden stages the cycle pump track and pony rides. The Masons host performances from St Ronan’s School Choir and Tweeddale Folk Group. Innerleithen and District Amateur Operatic Society will also be performing, accompanied by members of St Ronan’s Silver Band, outside Scotlight at 3pm, while Tweed Valley Male Voices are providing a programme at three venues – St Ronan’s House (2pm), Mercer Court (3pm) and Traquair Arms (5pm). The First Responders’ tombola at Innerleithen Holiday Lets aims to both fundraise and raise awareness of this service. The Silver Band will gather folk for the Switch-On after 4pm, before leading the parade to the Christmas tree at the Memorial Hall for our Christmas community singing. The Christmas Shop Window Competition will be judged during afternoon, as well as a photography competition – so bring your cameras with you to stand a chance of winning the £50 cash prize. Entries must be on the theme of Switched-On Sunday and emailed to innerleithenevents@hotmail.co.uk by December 14.
Coffee morning
St Ronan’s Border Games will hold a coffee morning on November 30 in the Vale Club from 10am-noon.
Show time
The children of St Ronan’s Primary School are presenting their Christmas show – Cinderella and Rockerfella, a musical in the style of a pantomime – in the school on December 11 at 6.30pm, and the following day at 1.30pm and 6.30pm. Tickets are available from the school office (01896 830349).
Concert
A feast of seasonal music is on offer from St Ronan’s Silver Band at a concert in the Memorial Hall on December 14 at 7.30pm. The Future Band will also make an appearance. Tickets can be obtained from Adam’s Bakery and the Thrift Shop in Innerleithen, Robb’s KeyStore in Peebles, by ringing 01896 831721 or emailing KJBelleville@aol.com. Anyone in the Innerleithen area who requires transport should contact Elma on 01896 830577.
Service
A gift service will be held at 10.30am on December 1. Bring along a gift (unwrapped) suitable for a child or young person. The service will be followed by lunch in the church hall.
Jedburgh
Church
The first of the three carol services will take place on Sunday, December 1, at 6pm in St John’s Church. This will be followed by carols, in association with the Rotary Club, on December 22 at 3pm and Epiphany carols on January 5 at 10.30am. The first service is followed by free refreshments in the church. It will be led by the Reverend David Dalglish and the choir conducted by Ted Ferguson.
Bridge club
November 18 – N/S – 1, V. Johnstone and M. Miller; 2, I. Weir and G. Young; 3, R. Oates and S.West; E/W – 1, N. Porter and A. Stewart; 2, A. Peebles and B. Peebles; 3,M. Ouldcott and H. Ouldcott.
KELSO
Film club
Kelso Youth Project Film Club presents Monster University at the Tait Hall on December 4. Doors open 6pm – free entrance.
Thursday Group
Members heard about the work of The Lavender Touch
from Jan Beattie. Jan, a physiotherapist, learned about the uses of essential oils in complementary therapy for cancer patients and this has
now been extended to their carers. The sum of £42.50 was donated. At the next meeting Captain Mike Perry will speak about the several ships named Discovery – Abbey Row Centre, 2pm.
Museum friends
Friends of Kelso Museum were fascinated by a talk from Mary Craig, entitled “Border Lepers – The Shamed and the Shunned”, last Wednesday. She transported her audience back to an age when lepers were shunned by society – even to the extent of being given the last rights by the church and as such regarded as dead. The next series of talks for Friends of Kelso Museum will resume on March 5.
Church
Kelso North and Ednam Parish Church continues to reach out to those who have not much in comparison with many of us. Some 285 shoeboxes were filled earlier in the month in association with Blythswood Care and will be finding their way to many places all around the globe in time for Christmas, along with more than £700 to help defray fuel costs. The previous month at harvest thanksgiving, £620 was raised for Water Aid, to help provide clean drinking water and sanitation for people in Madagascar. At present funds are being raised in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The church continues its long association with Dr Graham’s Homes (DGH) in Kalimpong, India, where the minister, Tom McDonald, spent study leave in 2010, returning the following year in the wake of the devastating earthquake which badly affected many of the school buildings and cottages. Earlier in the year a Kalimpong Curry and Ceilidh Night was held at Kelso Rugby Club, raising £2,700 for the Special Needs Unit at DGH, and £1,400 was raised over four days by way of soup and pudding lunches held at the Forestfield Manse, enabling the church to sponsor a fifth student at DGH. The special collections at Christmas have been earmarked for the Special Care Baby Unit at Borders General Hospital, with last year’s £2,065 going to the Tear Fund Project ‘With Love from Uganda’. Over the course of a year, some £2,000 is dispersed to a number of local and national charities through the Saturday coffee mornings. Along with other member churches of Kelso Churches Together, the church takes part in the Kelso Food Bank, with the project operating from the basement of Kelso North. A recent presentation was made to the trustees by Roger Dodd & Co. Plans are in hand for the possible demolition of the former flats in Bowmont Street, which now house the church office etc. These would be replaced
Turn to page 28
From page 27
with a building fit for purpose and fit for the 21st century. A similar presentation will be made to the congregation during morning worship on Sunday, December 15, at Kelso North at 10.30am. If this Bowmont Street Project goes ahead, not only will it be a great asset to the church, but also to the wider Kelso community.
Bridge club
November 20 – Abbey Salver 3 – N/S – 1, Jean Henry and Myra Thomson; 2, Dominic and Diana Alkin; 3, Alex Jeffrey and Jock Dun; E/W – 1, John and Marian Miller; 2, Gerry Eglington and Jon Bridger; 3, Archie Stewart and Billy Potts. November 21 – Calchou Cup 5 – N/S –1, Rena Stewart and Val Johnstone; 2, David and Pam Palmer; 3, Pauline Smart and Helenor Pratt; E/W – 1, Gerry Eglington and Jon Bridger; 2, John and Marian Miller; 3, Alison Darling and Mary Logan.
Langholm
Accordion club
There was a good turnout at the accordion and fiddle club meeting in the Royal British Legion clubrooms last Wednesday night. Guest duo were Leonard Brown, the 2012 Scottish accordion champion, who was playing with drummer Malcolm Ross. Adam Grant was again compere, and the accordion players who entertained were Kenny White of the Rigg, Les Hurst and Newby Park from Carlisle, Billy Bell of Penrith and James Lawrie from Gilsland. Also playing were David Dunbar of Lockerbie and Robin and Deryn Waitt from Claygate. Ian Wood from Newcastle was on the fiddle and Jock Thompson from Roberton played the drums, as did local Robert Willens. The guests next month are north of England duo Roddy Matthews (fiddle) and Gary Forrest (accordion).
Sponsored walk
Two local organisations – the Mothers and Toddlers and Young Riders’ Club – benefited by £576 each from the efforts of six young women from the town who took part in the Kilt Walk from Hampden Park to Loch Lomond over a distance of around 28 miles. Friends Jill Grieve, Janie Hotson, Alison Nicol, Kristy Blaen, Donna Borthwick and Laura Douglas all completed the course. The event was in aid of a number of Scottish children’s charities.Together, they raised £2,305, of which £1,153 went to the children’s charities and they were given the remainder for local causes, which they shared with the two chosen.
Art exhibition
The town and district art club’s Christmas exhibition opened on November 27 in the gallery at the Town Hall. The event, featuring paintings by local artists, many of which are on sale, continues until December 11. It is open from Monday to Thursday (10am-noon and 2-4pm) and the same times on Friday (plus an extra session – 5.30-7pm) and 10am-noon on Saturday.
MELROSE
Trimontium
The arrival of the annual copy of Britannia, which details all that’s going on in Roman Britain today, contains a note on Falla Knowe, near Pennymuir and Towford. A local metal detectorist came across what appears to be only the second (so far) Roman brooch-making centre in Scotland, the other being in Ayrshire. What was found, along with a strap mount and a fragment of a bridle bit, was an unfinished Roman brooch. Just off the Roman military road of Dere Street, the site is an Iron Age settlement. Walter Elliot and Fraser Hunter were involved in investigating the site, the geophysical survey of which was sponsored by the Trimontium Trust.
Church
Activities – November 28, 10am, study group on “The historical Jesus” (also December 2, 7.30pm); donations for local food bank received every Sunday; December 1 – services at Bowden (9.30am) and Melrose (10am and 11am); December 15 – Eildon Singers Christmas concert.
Flower Club
Don Billington from Liverpool was the demonstrator at Border Flower Club’s November meeting and the title he chose was “Christmas Grotto”. This was an interesting slant on different designs for Christmas, and as his business is called Every Picture Tells a Story, this was relevant with his demonstration. The first colour combination was green and white, then on to a spray of spruce with red roses. A complete contrast was a cool blue and white design with delphiniums agapanthus and antirrhinums. Green was his next choice with chrysanthemums and ornamental cabbages. He also showed leaf manipulation with palm and aspidistra leaves. The final design was a traditional Christmas tree made with fir decorated with red anthuriums gerberas and variegated holly. The next meeting is on December 4 in the Corn Exchange, Melrose, at 7.30pm when the demonstrator will be Elizabeth Forster, a past chairman of the club. Her presentation is entitled “Christmas Sparkle”.
morebattle
Film club
See Kelso district.
Coffee morning
The institute is hosting a coffee morning on December 7 for the Sick Children’s Hospital, Edinburgh.
Folk night
Kelso Folk Club entertained last Saturday in the Templehall Hotel. At the interval 50 bottles were raffled and the proceeds went towards the village’s hall roof fund and flower show.
Newtown
Senior citizens
Speaker Mary Redburn’s subject will be “Border Views” at the next meeting of Newtown and Eildon Senior Citizens’ Club in the Community Wing on December 3 at 2pm.
Christmas lights
On December 1, Newtown in Bloom holds its Christmas lights switch-on parade. The parade leaves Milestone at 5.30pm, being piped to the Christmas tree outside SBC headquarters where, at 5.45pm, the lights will be switched on. There will be carol singing with St Boswells Silver Band at the tree, followed by refreshments and a Christmas shopping evening in the community wing between 6.30pm and 8pm.
selkirk
Camera club
Pat Rafferty from Hawick judged the monochrome competition. Prints – 1, Margaret McKinney, “Colin”; 2, Pauline Fenton, “Issac”; 3, Pauline Fenton, “Peek a Boo”. Projected Images – 1, Eileen Nichol, “Bike Spokes”; 2, Eileen Nichol, “Raindrops on Grasses”; 3, Aileen Allan, “Guitar Player”.
St Boswells
Poppy appeal
The village Poppy appeal collection raised £578.61.
Traquair
Service
The next service in Traquair Kirk will be on December 8 10am.
walkerburn
Fashion and fun
The rugby club was the stage last Saturday for an afternoon of fashion and fun. The doors opened to more than 70 eager fashionistas who sipped cocktails and appraised their goody bags. As the music started, a hush fell and the curtains parted for the Dress Sense fashion parade which began to a round of applause. The 30-minute vogue spectacle was followed by a chocolate indulgence demonstration by The Pampered Chef which included audience participation. Afterwards, there was a Christmas shopping event.
YETHOLM
Film night
The next gathering is a double bill and aims to please young and old. On Saturday, December 7, at 2pm, youngsters will enjoy Tangled, and in the evening at 7pm Les Miserables takes to the screen. Performances are in the Wauchope Hall, with doors opening half an hour before the performance.
Heritage
Members of the history and archaeology society, which is planning to open a heritage centre in the former Mission Hall in Town Yetholm, visited Newcastleton’s heritage centre at the invitation of the local history society. The Yetholm visitors were given much information and advice which they will bring back to the village.
School trip
The top two primaries at Yetholm school had an outing to the museum at Beamish.
Community council
The local community council is changing its name – from Yetholm Community Council to Yetholm and District Community Council to reflect its geographical area. Councillors next meet on January 28.
Christmas trees
David Edgar and the community council are responsible for the Christmas trees in both Town and Kirk Yetholm – both have arrived in good time.
Romany Ramblers
Saturday, November 30 – meet at 9am at the Wauchope Hall for car sharing. Route – 8.7miles (Greenhill, Heatherhope, The Street, Hownam, Greenhill).
Film club
See Kelso district.