ASHKIRK
Parish church
The church will host a soup and pudding lunch on October 24 (noon-2pm) in the village hall. Cost – £5 adults, £2.50 children. The harvest thanksgiving will be held in the church on October 25 at noon. Canned and dried food, and money for the foodbank welcome.
caddonfoot
Parish church
The Reverend Duncan McCosh, retired minister of St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Galashiels, conducted the morning service on Sunday. Mr McCosh was standing in for the Reverend Elspeth Harley who is recovering after breaking her hip while on holiday in Germany. It was a pleasure to see Mrs Harley and her husband, Ewen, attending the service. The Bible reading was delivered by Fay Brydon and Dorothy Howden played the organ. In the World Council of Churches’ Prayer Cycle, prayers were said for the people of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as those at home. There is a hamper in the vestibule for gifts for the annual sale of work in the Volunteer Hall, Galashiels, on Saturday, October 31. This hamper will be removed next Sunday. There will be a choir social in Trinity on Friday, October 30, at 7 pm. It is hoped Caddonfoot members will attend. Tickets, priced £4, are available from choir members. The next meeting of the congregational board, due to be held today (Thursday), has been postponed.
EARLSTON
Parish church
The October 25 service is at 10.15am and will be conducted by the Reverend Julie Woods. November 1 is the last day to hand in filled shoeboxes for Blythswood into the church. The congregational board meet on November 2 at 7.30pm in the church hall lounge. Services on November 3 at Grangehall (2pm) and Hanover (3pm, communion). The traditional praise service will be on November 22 – pass any favourite hymn requests to Julie.
Women’s group
The next meeting is on November 5 at 8pm in the church hall and the speaker is from Border Blooms in Kelso. The menu for the Christmas meal at Rhymers Tower on December 4 will be available to choose from.
Wednesday club
The latest meeting was opened by hostess Mrs C. Seaton who gave a special welcome to some of the original members from the first meeting in 1970. She then introduced Stuart Anderson who entertained his audience with music and stories. The cake was cut by Mrs D. Kilmartin, an original member who has just celebrated her 90th birthday. She was ably supported by six other ladies who are also all over 90. Competition – Border photograph – 1, Mrs G. Forsyth; 2, Mrs S. Donaldson; 3, Mrs W. Henderson. The next meeting is on October 28. Competition – preserves jar/jam pot or dish.
Ettrickbridge
Interest Talk
Kirkhope parish hall will host an Interest Talk on October 29 at 7.30pm when Philip Grant speaks about his RAF experience and flying with British Airways.
SWI
At the AGM the following office bearers were elected: President - Isla Young, Vice-president - Marion McNeill, Secretary - Joyce Black, Treasurer - Jean Guthrie. Isla reported on the year’s activities, including the recent 90th birthday. She thanked the previous office bearers and wished the new ones well. The cup for most points went to Alison Blackadder; 2 (equal), Isla Young and Celia Wilson. Competitions – autumn photo – 1, Rosalin Scott; 2, Ruth Scott; 3, Alison Blackadder; flask of soup – 1, Ruth Scott; 2, Rosalin Scott; 3, Isla Young. The next meeting is a cookery demonstration on November 11 with Caroline Tullie. Visitors welcome.
galashiels
Studio Club
October 29 – afternoon session with Marion Neilson on “Create a clay candle holder” in St Paul’s Church hall, Scott Street, from 2.15 pm until about 4pm. New members always welcome. Enquiries – 01896 820023.
Trinity church
Sunday’s service was taken by the Reverend Duncan McCosh, with Dorothy Howden leading the music and Marette Hose reading the lessons. The service was followed by a soup lunch in the church hall which was attended by about 30 people and which raised £126 for church funds. The choir are having a social on Friday, October 30, starting at 7pm. Tickets, priced £4m can be bought from choir members. Blythswood shoeboxes must be returned by Sunday, October 25.
Table tennis
See Kelso district.
glendouglas
Whist
Whist drive results – ladies – 1, Maureen Gibson; 2, Hannah Wilson; 3, Greta Middlemas; booby – Evelyn Taylor; gents – 1, Christine Ballantine; 2, Peter Hedley; 3, Ray Buccanan; booby – Marion Thompson.
hawick
Rotary
Callants’ Club member Derrick Tait gave a video presentation on an emotive trip to Gallipoli on the centenary of that fateful campaign. Several members of the party were direct descendants of the men who succumbed in the battle. About 200,000 from both sides were killed, reported missing or injured, of which 132 were Teris. Due respects were paid at the 11 known graves of Hawick men as the rest were lost without trace. Many questions ensued, after which president Mairhi Trickett gave the vote of thanks.
Table tennis
See Kelso district.
hownam
Towford SWI
Yvonne Eade demonstrated some simple, but delicious, Chinese recipes. She was assisted by her husband, Oliver. A tasting session followed each recipe. Yvonne and Oliver fundraise for the Sick Children’s Hospital in Edinburgh and all donations for their cookery demonstrations go to this cause. Competition – flower arrangement in a wine glass – 1, Mary Towers; 2, Jean Douglas. The next gathering is the annual business meeting on November 3 at 7.30pm. Speaker is Margaret Rustad.
Innerleithen
Church
There will be a communion service in Innerleithen Church on Sunday, October 25, at 11.30 am.
jedburgh
Table tennis
See Kelso district.
Churches Together
On October 25 at 12.30pm in the Church of Kenmore Halls is the culmination of One World Week, with a soup and roll lunch to mark One World Sunday and also the opportunity to support Mary’s Meals, a Scottish-based charity in Dalmally help to feed up to a million children in Africa. Speaker is John Helliwell from Linlithgow who will give a visual presentation of the work of the charity.
St John’s Church
The church held a well-attended autumn concert last Sunday when two guest artistes, Anna Solth (organ) and Joanna Nicholson (clarinet), joined the choir in a programme of musical treats, from the classical to Gershwin and Scott Joplin, concluding with a selection of Scottish songs. Following refreshments, donations were received towards choir expenses. October 25 is Bible Sunday, and will be led by the Reverend John Evans at 9am and 10.30am. The next vestry meeting is on October 25 at 7pm.
kelso
Table tennis
Kelso youth project’s Borders Table Tennis Challenge Cup tournament is on November 7 at the town’s high school games hall, with registration from 12.30 pm. To obtain a registration form, email ian at ianrendallreid@cheviotyouth.co.uk. For further information, ring Ian on 07958 277766.
kelso
Bridge club
October 14 – Abbey Salver – N/S – 1, Joyce Thomson & Helenor Pratt; 2, Jean McLaren & Alison Ireland; 3, Dominic & Diana Alkin; E/W – 1, Chris Anthony & Mary Stone; 2, Lynda Douglas & Lesley Dick; 3, Jean Henry & Myra Thomson. October 15 – Calchou Cup – 1, Bob Stevenson & Lee Leeson; 2, Keith Ackerman & Jim Stone; 3, Dominic & Diana Alkin; 4, John Urquhart & Nancy Porter; 5, Maureen Weightman & Lesley Dick; 6, Alison Darling & Mary Logan.
Concert
A concert with the Oxnam Valley Voices, conducted by Jamie McKenzie, will be held in Kelso North Church on Friday, October 23, at 7.30 pm to raise funds for Marie Curie.
Sale
Plexus Social Club is running a table-top sale for the charities the firm is supporting this year (Noah’s Ark at BGH, and Connor’s Journey – Stand Tall) at the Tait Hall on October 24. Set-up for sellers from 9am. Tables cost £10 each – double tables available. Open to the public from 10am-2pm. For more information, contact Nicki Humphreys (Nicki.Humphreys@plexus.com or 07884 397 546).
Farmers’ market
A farmers’ market will take place in The Square on October 24 (9.30am-1.30pm), featuring food demonstrations by two local chefs.
lauder
Community centre
Due to generosity and hard work of local groups, customers and the Weir Trust, particulary a sponsored spinathon in April which raised £2,000 and a grant from trust, Lauder Community and Leisure Centre has just taken delivery of a new treadmill, free weights, two bars and a bench, all for the gym.
As a thank you for their spinathon support, participating charities were handed back 50% of their sponsorship earnings. A quiz night at the beginning of October realised just under £500. The centre will be closed for the festive season from December 18-January 4. It will start 2016 with an offer for new members – six weeks membership for the price of four. This will run until February 29. Apart from the gym, the centre hosts a range of classes and Careen Paterson, in-house trainer, offers a range of services, from fitness assessments to diet and exercise plans, and personal goal settings. Contact the centre for further information.
AGM
New members will welcome at the AGM of the Lauderdale News to be held in the Town Hall on Monday, October 26, at 7pm.
melrose
Winter Talks
The first of a new series of Greener Borders Winter Talks will take place on October 22 (7.30pm) in the Ormiston Rooms. Speaker is Michael van Beinum, of Borders Organic Gardeners, on “Environmental Ethics and Climate Change: different ways to think about the good life”.
Border Flower Club
Members were once more in the awards lists at the Scottish Association of Flower Arrangers’ Show which was held at Stirling. Marion Hamilton won first in the class “In and Out”. She also won the Flower Arrangers’ Award for this class. Julia Loudon was commended for the “Bonnie Wee Thing” class. The October meeting had a most interesting title, “Designs by Nature”, when Elizabeth Paterson took members through topics of nature, starting with stone and the part it plays in our world. The farm was next, using a milk churn as her container, and golden beech and a variety of white flowers denoting the sheep. The hedgerow then brought many different textures with berries in a woven basket with sunflowers and Achillea. A huge glass bowl filled with shells and stones took us to the beach, the white chrysanths and white larkspur representing the surf. Her final design was with exotic flowers, showing the fantastic colours and foliage from other countries. Next meeting is on November 4 in the Corn Exchange, Melrose, at 7.30pm. There is a change of demonstrator due to Gill Garrow being unable to come due to an accident. But Linda Souter has come to the rescue.
Literary society
At its next meeting on October 27, Melrose Literary Society will be addressed by Robert Leach on the theatre and the Scottish Enlightenment. He has written books, poems and plays and worked as a theatre director, as well as having been a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. He lives in Selkirk. The meeting will be in the Ormiston Lounge at 7.30pm.
Parish church
Autumnal sunshine greeted worshippers at Bowden and Melrose. October 25 services at Bowden (9.30am) and Melrose (11am) with, at noon, Macmillan coffee morning after church. Shoebox appeal deadline November 1, Poppy collectors phone 822349, foodbank ongoing, November 8, Holy Trinity, 7.30pm, Abbey Consort, Remembrance.
Trimontium
October brings holidaymakers from school – usually in different weeks – as well as visitors taking a late autumn holiday. This may mean extended business for visitor attractions, but also people just “down for the day” and happy to wander the streets and window shop. Visitors who live near a Roman or native site themselves often come in to see what the Trimontium presentation looks like, compare notes with what they know already and leave a greeting in the visitors’ book. Some years ago a couple from Italy left their mark with “I Romani sono ritornati” – the Romans have returned. Recently there was a couple from Viroconium (Wroxeter), proud of the high-standing wall at their site in the Midlands; a girl and her mum from Aachen, near the Dutch/German border (she translated for her mother) who left us a message from Varnenum, the Roman site there; and a couple from Forres, who had taken part in the Birnie (two hoards) dig near Elgin and were worried about the future of their local museum which had had its annual cash grant withdrawn. Trimontium has never been involved in such dependence. Colchester lecture – Thursday, October 22, 7.30pm.
Rotary
Speaker at last week’s meeting of the Rotary Club of Melrose was Simon Wallace, newly-appointed fundraiser for Borders Pet Rescue Centre. The members were impressed with the work which the small, but vital, animal charity manages to carry out with relatively meagre resources. Stories such as Mitzi the Dog and Petal the Kitten brought home the need for such charities and how neglected animals can be happily restored to good health and found loving owners. On Saturday some of the members were active in Melrose selling tickets for the Christmas raffle which, among other charities, will help to fund the Melrose Christmas parade on Saturday, December 12. Rotarians are grateful to all who supported them by buying tickets and to Rhymers Fayre for the welcome cups of coffee.
Morebattle
Badminton
The badminton season will get under way on October 26 at 7pm in the village hall. New members welcome.
Turn to page 38
From page 37
Indoor bowls
Indoor bowls start on October 30 at 7pm in the village hall.
SWI
A talk on Breadshare Bakery took place when members enjoyed tasting different loaves of bread. The vote of thanks was given by Janette Stenhouse. Competitions – two cheese scones – 1, Linda Nairn; 2, Margaret Blackmore; 3, Helen Cessford. Rolling pin – 1, Mary Pringle; 2, Grace Cessford; 3, Margaret Blackmore. Arrangements were made for all entries, sales table items, scones and tray bakes for teas to be with Mary Pringle and Helen Cessford by October 29 in connection with the forthcoming SWI show to be held on October 30 and 31 at Springwood Park, Kelso.
peebles
Table tennis
See Kelso district.
ROXBURGH
Sale
A table-top sale of crafts, home baking, used toys, second-hand and vintage items will be held in Roxburgh village hall on October 25 (noon-3pm).
selkirk
Pop-up shop
Ettrick Valley committee of Macmillan Cancer Support will have a pop-up shop at Jenny Muir’s in High Street on October 24 (9am-4pm). There will be Christmas cards and gifts, as well as home baking for sale.
SWI
On November 6 and 7, Selkirkshire SWI is hosting the national drama competition in the Victoria Halls. The Anstruther Gray Trophy for this competition was donated many years ago by a former chairman and is competed for annually by institutes from across the country. There will be three short plays on the Friday evening, starting at 7pm, and five on the Saturday, beginning at 2pm. Tickets are available in advance from 01750 62219 or can be purchased at the door – £9 for both days or £6.50 for a single day. On November 21, also at the Victoria Halls, the federation show opens at 2.30pm. All six institutes will compete for trophies and there will be afternoon teas, sales table and raffle.
Table tennis
See Kelso district.
ST BOSWELLS
Exhibition
St Boswells Parish Community Council will be hosting a small exhibition of local memorabilia from the First and Second World Wars in the village hall after the Armistice Day Parade on November 8. It also provides an opportunity for local residents to view and comment on plans for the proposed relocation of the village war memorial. This is something that has been discussed for over 20 years and, after considerable consultation, planning permission has been approved by Scottish Borders Council to move it to a more central and safely accessible location within the village. However, the community council does not wish to proceed until villagers have had the opportunity to see artist’s impressions of the memorial on its new site and provide their feedback. Specific funding sources for projects such as this are available and will be approached to cover the cost of dismantling, rebuilding and landscaping, so that money is not being diverted from core Scottish Borders Council provision, such as social care or education. An additional advantage of the proposed new site is that it would enable local schoolchildren to once again be involved in caring for the memorial, as was originally intended when it was first erected in 1920. This lapsed many years ago and the school has expressed interest in reinstating the arrangement, being of both educational and social value, but it is not safe to do so in its present location. Refreshments will be available in aid of village hall funds.
stow
AGM
The arrival of the railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank has added impetus to the Campaign for Border Rail’s drive to extend the former Waverley line to Hawick and beyond. For the first time, members will be able to travel by train to the AGM which will be held in Stow Town Hall on Saturday, October 24, at 6 pm. Among the speakers will be Hugh Wark, who was project manager for the new railway. Simon Walton is standing down as chairman due to work commitments south of the border, while other positions also have to be filled. There will be a raffle and doors open at 5pm.
Traquair
Service
There will be a communion service in Traquair Kirk on Sunday, October 25, at 10am.
Walkerburn
Service
The next service in Walkerburn Public Hall will be on Sunday, November 8, at 10am.
yarrow
Whist
The annual church whist drive will be held in Yarrowfeus Hall on Monday, October 26, at 7pm. The event is in aid of the church fabric fund.
yetholm
Morgan and West
Due to a boiler breakdown in the Wauchope Hall, this event, which was to have been held on October 31, has been postponed.
Surgery
Local councillor Simon Mountford will be in the Youth Hall on October 24 (10-11am) to meet with local constituents.
Guild
Yetholm Guild opens the new season on October 27 at 2.30pm in Yetholm Church when the speaker will be the Reverend Robin McHaffie. New members welcome.
Community council
Members meet on October 27 at 7pm in the Youth Hall. This meeting will also include a festival meeting at 7.30pm.
Quiz night
A quiz will be held on October 28 at 8pm in the Plough. Proceeds to the Bonfire night.
Dog fouling
Dog fouling continues to be an issue. Residents are urged to port any incidents witnessed to Scottish Borders Council or the police.