Mark Entwistle reviews the final two books on the shortlist for the Walter...
Reviews: The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng/The Streets by Anthony QuinnIn his new novel, The Garden of Evening Mists, author Tan Twan Eng quotes a Chinese proverb – “The palest ink will...
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The biggest week of the year for another Border town is fast approaching, with final preparations being made for Melrose Festival.Taking place between Sunday, June 16, and Saturday, June 22, the...
View ArticleDelinquent turkey’s delusions of grandeur
No chickens this week. Or chicks. Or rally cars. This week I’m talking turkey. Well, one turkey in particular. A turkey that is trouble with a capital T.My original...
View ArticleFavourite barbie location lost to bees
Wow – more than a week of glorious sunshine! Could this be summer at last? Despite the lovely weather, there still seems to be a dramatic lack of insect life, especially butterflies, moths and bees. It...
View ArticleCombating obesity is ongoing project say health bosses
A trial this month will see nutrition experts coach primary seven school children in Galashiels on healthy eating before they make the transition to high school. The work is part of the ongoing joint...
View ArticleCrossFit explained at Selkirk gym open day
The Borders’ only CrossFit gym is holding an open day next Saturday.RDAS CrossFit at Weavers Court, Forest Mill, in Selkirk will be open to anyone interested from 10am to 3pm when trainer Neil Davidson...
View ArticleGrandad Bob’s bike back to fitness
Hawick nutrition and fitness enthusiast Bob Mitchell talks about his return to health...Without fitness, health and vitality we have little to look forward to and/or little to strive for. Do you leap...
View ArticleFestival favourite Sessions looks forward to Melrose appearance
This year’s book festival will be closed on the final night by none other than legendary Scottish conductor and raconteur Sir Sandy McStanley.Or rather by another one of the brilliant, hilarious...
View ArticlePolitics, like rugby, is a passing game
Harry Truman had a sign on his desk which famously read: “The buck stops here”.It was perhaps stating the obvious, since the desk in question was in the White House’s Oval Office and Truman was...
View ArticleHome with a view to producing pot
When an estate agent went to view a house, he found a cannabis cultivation with a potential value of £3,000 in a cupboard.Police found 33 plants, a lamp and a thermometer in the property at Craigend...
View ArticleJailed for insulting sheriff
A confrontational remark to the sheriff who remanded him saw Scott Morrison jailed for three months.As he was led to the cells at Duns Sheriff Court last Wednesday, Morrison directed his frustration at...
View ArticleAlastair extols benefits of anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion could potentially be the next big thing for Borders farmers.That’s the view of Scottish Borders councillor Alastair Cranston, who has returned from his third trip to Germany in...
View ArticleIt’s never been an easy life for man ... or woman
It’s hardly surprising that things have changed in 170 years. But it is still a sobering thought that in 1841 one in four people in Britain were employed in farming, while now it is less than one in...
View ArticleI don’t buy this online shopping lark
Shopping. Love it or loathe it. There’s no in between. It’s something that has to be done and for me that actually means a trip to the shops.I have never shopped online and never will. The idea of...
View ArticleJanet is star of show
A Kelso woman, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday, has beaten more than 200 other entries to scoop a major care sector award. Janet Gray won the Individual Service User of the Year Award at...
View ArticleAllotments opened to Kelso gardeners
The Duke of Roxburghe, pictured second from left, planted a blueberry bush last week to mark the official opening of new allotments on the outskirts of Kelso, with the help of Matty and Lewis Fleming....
View ArticleJed pair put Borders on the Burns map
Jedburgh pupils Hannah Wyness, left, and Eryn Rae have triumphed in the Robert Burns World Federation National Schools Competitions. The national secondary and primary schools events were held in...
View ArticleCrowning 60 years of national service
Last week the Queen celebrated 60 years on the throne since her coronation in 1953.She has been a dedicated servant of the nation throughout these years and I am sure everyone in the Borders will want...
View ArticleDesign prize success built on centre’s green credentials
The visitor centre at Abbotsford has been awarded a prestigious architectural prize in this year’s Scottish Design Awards. The building, which opened last August, was designed by Edinburgh firm, LDN...
View ArticlePetition for new Gala footpath
The council will today consider a petition for a new section of pavement at Mossilee Road, Galashiels. But SBC’s director of infrastructure Rob Dickson has warned that a footpath would require...
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