A motorist has been banned from the road for 14 months after admitting driving while almost three times the legal alcohol limit.

Robert McLeod, 38, pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to driving with a breath-alcohol count of 58 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22.

That offence was committed in a car park at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose on October 16 last year and on the A7 Edinburgh-Carlisle road at Ashkirk.

McLeod, of Stonefield Place in Hawick, was initially charged with driving while almost seven times the legal limit.

He was accused at first of having a breath-alcohol count of 145 microgrammes but put forward a defence of post-incident drinking, and following negotiations in court, a lower reading of 58 was accepted.

As well as being banned from driving, McLeod was fined £225.

A woman has been found guilty after trial of assault and making racially offensive comments.

Lucinda Cosker, 41, had denied committing those offences at Inchmyre in Kelso on February 28, but she was found guilty of both following a trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Cosker, of Orchard Park in Kelso, was fined £200 for assaulting a woman by striking her head, pulling her hair and kicking her repeatedly to the body.

She was fined a further £100 for behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing and making racially abusive comments.

The annual summer bowling pub league, organised by Selkirk Bowling Club, recently reached its conclusion.

Held throughout July and August, with eight teams battling for the honours, the winners this year were the Colonial Society.

Second place was shared by three teams, Ex-Standard Bearers, Fire Service and the Legends. Last years winners, Merchant Company, slipped to last place.

Pictured with the trophy are Ian Clapperton (skip), Moira Wilson, Pat Clapperton and Alan Hulme, while missing from the photo was Peter Henderson.

Background reports have been ordered on a Peebles man responsible for causing a disturbance at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose.

Scott Gibson, 28, of Northgate, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing in the hospital’s accident-and-emergency department on February 9.

He also admitted stealing bottles of wine from two Peebles shops – the Sainsbury’s store in Northgate on May 7 and May 28 and McColl’s in the Old Town on July 3.

Sentence was deferred at Selkirk Sheriff Court until September 23.

A university student has admitted dealing drugs.

Police officers raided Callum Lothian’s home in Glensax Road in Peebles on April 10 and seized 58.7 grammes of cannabis, valued at £1,100, plus £710 in cash.

Defence lawyer Ross Dow said the 19-year-old was usually of good character and had a lot to contribute to society.

He explained that Hogarth had only got involved with drugs “to make himself more popular”.

Mr Dow told Selkirk Sheriff Court: “It was all very short-lived. He had only bought the drugs in bulk two weeks previous. He has never been in trouble before and regrets all of this.”

Sentence was deferred until September 9.

Last weekend, Jedburgh Bowling Club was the venue for the Borders Championship Finals, featuring teams from all across the south of Scotland.

Clubs had to negotiate quite a demanding route to reach finals day, with each club team having to play three matches just to qualify for the competition.

There were numerous categories in a very busy day of compeittion and, among those snapped by photographer Bill McBurnie were the four-player winners, from home club Jedburgh, which took the prize for the first time since 1978. THe rink was composed of Grant Robson, John Taylor, Greg Nagle (skip) and Steven Fisher.

Also pictured are the triples winners from Gala Waverley BC, comprising Steven Hardie, David Hancock and Gary Thorburn.

Background reports have been ordered on a Peebles man convicted of breaching court orders by contacting a former partner.

Andrew McFadyen, 57, of Cross Street, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a court order by phoning the woman on Saturday and making offensive comments and on Monday by phoning her as well as sending her text and WhatsApp messages.

Sentence was deferred at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Tuesday for the production of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction-of-liberty order assessment on September 23.

At the same court on Monday, the self-employed joiner was fined £300 for behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at a house in Leithen Crescent in Innerleithen on August 11.

A 23-year-old man who threatened to stab himself in his Tweedbank home has been given a night-time curfew.

Luke Marley had been involved in a dispute with his neighbours in Carlin Court earlier on July 22.

Police were called back to the property but Marley refused to answer the door and swore at officers, also making threats to harm himself.

He also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at a house in Grieve Avenue in Jedburgh on May 8.

Marley was given a six-month restriction-of-liberty order keeping him at home between the hours of 7pm and 6am as an alternative to custody.

Reports have been ordered on a 39-year-old man convicted of spitting in a police constable’s face.

Jay Hope, of Woodstock Avenue in Galashiels, admitted that offence and also pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and struggling violently with officers.

Those offences were committed at his then home in Hawthorn Road in Galashiels on September 10 last year.

Sentence was deferred for four weeks at Selkirk Sheriff Court for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction-of-liberty order assessment to be compiled.

A cinema set to celebrate the centenary of the building that is home to it next year is putting its faith in family values as it looks to the future.

The Pavilion Cinema in Galashiels has been putting Borderers in the picture for deacdes, and its bosses hope to keep doing so for decades more to come, they say.

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Market Street building now home to the four-screen cinema, the old Galashiels Playhouse, though it only began screening what were then known as talkies a decade later.

Building work actually began on the playhouse in 1914 but was put on hold later that same year after the outbreak of the First World War, only resuming in 1919.

Renamed the Capitol then the Kingsway before adopting its current name, the cinema has been run by the Poole family for the last 26 years.

Owners Andrew and Neil Poole, along with wives Lenore and Lorna, are determined to see off challenges such as the rise in popularity of streaming movies via the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, along with the opening of the Borders Railway offering Gala folk the option of hopping on a train to see films in Edinburgh, and have undertaken a rebrand intended to make customers feel even more at home.

The fact that the Pavilion, the only commercial cinema in the Borders, is family-run was the key message the Poole brothers wanted to communicate to customers, emphasising that the venue has long been a regular destination for families of all ages, prompting the strapline ‘Our family. Your cinema’.

Andrew said: “I’ve operated the Pavilion since 1993, but our family involvement in cinema goes as far back as the 1940s, when our dad started his own cinema in his living room.

“In the 1970s, we operated a mobile cinema across the eastern Borders, and then in the 1980s, we moved into full-time cinema ownership.

“Over the decades, we’ve seen lots of changes in the industry, but the biggest change was the move from traditional 35mm film to digital projection in the early 2010s.

“Like any small business on the high street, we’re facing significant challenges, so we decided to meet those challenges head on.

“We recognised that over the years we’d never had professional advice on actually marketing our business, so, with the help of a local marketing company, we threw out almost everything we were currently printing and using to communicate with our customers and refreshed the lot.

“We redesigned our website and significantly rethought our social media marketing plan.

“When it came to thinking of a strapline, we engaged with all our 16 staff and sought their ideas. One of our juniors actually said to us ‘I love working here. It’s like one big happy family’. As much as any employer would love to hear that from their staff, it also made us realise she was absolutely correct.

“Our family extends well beyond the four Pooles and includes all our hard-working staff, but also has an additional meaning – that we regard our customers as family too, and we treat them like so.

“It’s almost always the case that one of us is on duty, selling tickets or serving popcorn, and present at the end of a show to say goodnight and if anyone wants a chat about the film they’ve just watched, we’re all ears.”

For details, in due course, of the Pooles’ plans to celebrate the centenary of their cinema’s home, go to www.pavilioncinema.co.uk

Selkirk’s Fleece Bar and Kitchen picked up the prize for best Scottish cuisine at this year’s Food Awards Scotland.

The Ettrick Terrace pub and restaurant beat seven other finalists to claim that accolade at this year’s awards, the sixth, held by marketing firm Creative Oceanic at the Glasgow Marriott hotel on Monday.

Fleece owner Tracey Ward said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been awarded this accolade, which celebrates the very best Scotland has to offer in the hospitality industry.

“To win the category for best Scottish cuisine when we’re a family-run restaurant situated in a small Borders town is testament to the commitment and focus of our staff and the support we have from our customers and the community.

“There were some great, long-established restaurants in our category, and for us to have come out on top was a welcome surprise.”

The Fleece was the Borders’ only winner.

Jim Jack’s fish-and-chip shop in Peebles and the Horseshoe Inn at nearby Eddleston were also shortlisted for awards, for best chippy and gastropub respectively, but missed out on the night.

Creative Oceanic chief executive Irfan Younis said: “Congratulations to all the winners and finalists at the sixth Food Awards Scotland.

“We welcomed and rewarded some of the best in the Scottish food industry who serve us up some of the tastiest food, enhance our culture, deliver top-quality customer service and provide us with some of the best banter around.

“All winners and finalists should feel immensely proud as the competition was tough this year.”

Borders hockey players shared the agony and the ecstasy of European competition after taking part recently in the Masters in Germany.

Defender Janet, of Ancrum, who plays for the Scotland 55s team, came away with a silver medal after a hotly-contested final with England.

The Fjordhus Rievers player/coach and experienced hockey development officer was also among the top three goalscorers for the whole competition – a situation which left her “surprised”.

“I obviously just found myself in the right place at the right time,” said Janet, who netted four goals throughout the tournament.

“It was great to win silver, one up from bronze last year at the World Cup,” she added.

“One of the main themes the coach worked on was trust – in the process and in each other. We all put in a lot of work, for ourselves, for our team and for our country, and that showed.

“We maintained our quality throughout the tournament. The work rate and the work ethic was exceptional – we ended up being supported by all the other teams.”

Scotland won five out of six matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding only three.

They lost the final 2-0 to England, who scored twice in the final seven minutes.

Scotland kicked off with a 7-0 thumping of GlobeDutch before a 2-0 win over Ireland. A 3-0 win over Germany put them in the quarter-finals against an Alliance team.

They notched up a 5-0 victory before a tough semi-final test against the Netherlands. The Dutch scored first but Scotland equalised on the 25-minute mark, then found the winning strike in the 58th minute to go through to the final against England.

The English came out the blocks and put Scotland under pressure but the defence stood firm and then came slowly in to the game.

It was end-to-end stuff until the last seven minutes, when England converted a short corner and followed up with a well-worked goal to seal the gold medal.

Meanwhile, club-mates Jackie and Carolyn, from Duns, suffered the disappointment of missing out on bronze in the 50s section, after a field goal in the 15th minute from Ireland was enough to see them through.

It was an impressive tournament run, though, with three wins, one draw and two defeats in six matches.

In fact, Carolyn – who got herself on the scoresheet with a field goal in a 2-1 group stage win over Germany – said the tournament was probably the highlight of her Masters career.

“The squad was well prepared and definitely had the ability to go further than we eventually did,” she said.

“Playing for bronze against Ireland, the reigning world champions, was always going to be tough and, although we had the majority of play, Ireland sneaked the only goal of the match past us early in the first half.

“After a years hard work by both the squad and coach, fourth was disappointing but we enjoyed marvellous wins against France, Germany and Wales along the way. A personal achievement was scoring the winning goal against Germany.”

Jackie, from Hawick, added: “The whole European experience was fantastic. The highlight for me was the 2-0 win against Wales. The team played some brilliant hockey and linked together all over the pitch. Our hard work in training came in to its own, giving us the win we deserved to reach the semi-finals.”

Trials begin soon for selection for next year and anyone eligible to play for Scotland is welcome to attend.

For more information on the Masters programme, see: www.scottishwomensmastershockey.uk

Four young Borders hockey players returned with medals last Sunday, having played in their final Scottish age group games of the season at the Futures Cup.

Hannah Miller( Gala Academy and Fjordhus Reivers,U17 girls’ age group), Livvy Hogg (U15 girls, Earlston High School and Fjordhus Reivers), Molly Byers (U15 girls, Selkirk High School and Fjordhus Reivers) and Charlie Jack (U15 boys, Ancrum and Inverleith), were representing Scotland as the Caledonian Cougars.

The U17 girls, with Hannah Miller, made the bronze play-off with 1-1 draws against both Wessex Leopards and the Saxon Tigers.

Their final game was also a 1-1 draw but saw the girls win 3-2 on running penalties against Mercia Lynx, earning them the bronze medal.

The U15 girls disposed of Merica Lynx 3-1 and followed up with a Wessex Leopards win by 3-2, which took them into the final.

This was a fiercely competitive game, with the girls going up 1-0, but a 30-second lapse in concentration resulted them losing two goals in quick succession which resulted in a frustrating 2-1 loss. A silver medal, however, is the highest placing for the girls in this tournament.

The U15 boys dominated their first two qualifying matches, sweeping aside Saxon Tigers with a 6-2 victory, followed by a 6-1 win against the Celtic Jaguars. Charlie Jack was on hand to put two in the net against the Celtic Jaguars.

The final was a much more competitive game, with the Wessex Leopards going 1-0 up. The boys pulled it back to 2-1 by half time with another goal from Charlie.

The second half was a fantastic end to end game with both teams scoring one apiece, leaving the final score 3-2 to the Scottish boys and a well-deserved gold medal. This is the first time the boys have won the tournament and have also won against every Home Nation this season.

The U17 boys also won the gold medal with an 8-4 victory in their qualifying round against Mercia Lynx and a 4-4 draw against Celtic Jaguars. They then disposed of the Penine Pumas 4-3 to lift the gold medal.

This tournament draws to a close the national programme for the 2019-20 season, with Charlie, Molly and Livvy moving up an age group to the U18s.

All four will be looking ahead and working hard to try and gain a place in their respective Scottish squads who will play in the European Cup in July 2020.

All the players were grateful to Clubsport Ettrick and Lauderdale, Clubsport Roxburgh and the Rowan Boland Trust for their support, plus Live Borders ASP (Athlete Support Programme).

Hawick’s £5m new Home Bargains store is now open for business.

The discount retailer opened the latest of its 500-plus stores across the UK in the former Homebase premises at Galalaw Retail Park on Saturday, August 24.

News that the Merseyside-based firm was set to move into the town was welcomed last year following the closure of the do-it-yourself store in November.

The 22,000sq ft Home Bargains store is now open to shoppers from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm on Saturdays and 8am to 6pm on Sundays.

It offers products including homeware, health and beauty essentials, sweets, snacks and drinks, as well as fresh and frozen food.

Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, said: “We’re thrilled to have launched our first store in Hawick and look forward to welcoming customers through the doors.

“Galalaw Retail Park is a great location for us, and we’re proud to be able to offer local people top-branded goods at exceptionally low prices.”

Store manager Deb McHugh added: “Myself and the team are really excited to be part of the town and love the warm welcome we have received from the people of Hawick and its surrounding communities.

“It’s great seeing all the smiling faces coming in through our doors, and we look forward to offering them excellent customer service as well as our extensive range of top brands at bottom prices.”

The firm has created up to 60 jobs, a welcome development following the loss of 20 jobs at Hawick Knitwear earlier this year, coming soon after the sudden closure of Homebase last year, putting 27 staff out of work.

The home improvement chain announced in August 2018 that it was closing 42 of its stores as part of a national shake-up intended to revive its fortunes.

The closures included its store in Hawick with the reported loss of 27 jobs.

Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall is among those glad to see an empty shop brought back into use, saying: “Early indications are that this new store is being well supported by townsfolk, and after speaking with some staff this week, they are absolutely thrilled to have gained employment with this very popular discount chain.

“Several employees that I know have been unemployed for some considerable time, and I’m delighted that others who were recently made redundant from Hawick Knitwear have also been offered positions within the new store.

“I think it’s brilliant to see something good come from the closure of the former Homebase outlet.”

Hawick’s new Home Bargains store is one of two in the Borders, the other being in Stirling Street in Galashiels.

Borders Triathlon specialist Caroline Wallace has scored a memorable victory in Triathlon Scotland’s national race series.

The venue last Sunday was Aviemore for the 2019 Scottish National Cross Triathlon Championship, part of the Aviemore Triathlon, organised by Durty Events.

Race conditions were very warm, with the water temperature at 15 degrees (wetsuit optional) and, on land, the temperature was between 23-27 degrees throughout.

There were 234 people entered into the race, with 68 eligible for the championship.

In the women’s event, Caroline Arthur (Fleet Feet Triathletes) was first out of the swim by 90 seconds (21:44). Mari Cole (University of St Andrews Triathlon Club) was the next to emerge from the water and third – almost another two minutes back – was Caroline Wallace (Borders Triathletes).

After T1, Mari took control of the race and completed the cycle course in just over an hour (1:00:42). Caroline Wallace had taken second place by the end of the mountain bike section and Caroline Arthur had dropped to third.

On the run through the forest, Caroline Wallace showed her quality and experience, overtaking Mari on her way to a 44:37 run time and her third Scottish National Cross Title (2:13:32). Mari finished second (2:14:49) and Caroline Arthur was third (2:24:20).

Afterwards, Caroline Wallace said: “I was really happy (to win). I don’t do many events so I was not sure how I was going. I had to make my way through the field. I think I was around fourth coming out of the swim, then to second on the bike, and then there was still one in front on the run, so I had a bit for work to do. So to win in the end is really good.”

She added: “I just love these events. I am going to see if there are some left at the end of the season, since I am doing well.”

The next event is the final Scottish Championship of the year, the 2019 Scottish Standard Championships, this Sunday at Knockburn.

Last weekend’s roll of honour also included: Female Veteran – 1 Caroline Wallace (Borders Triathletes) 2:13:32, 2 Laura Mackay (Pea Squad) 2:27:50, 3 Janine Inman (Stirling Triathlon Club) 2:31:25.

Male Super Veteran – 1 Grahame Veitca (Kelso Wheelers) 2:09:22, 2 Graham Calder (Ben Wyvis CC) 2:13:33, 3 David Stewart (Monifieth Triathlon Club) 2:14:34.

Scottish international athlete Ellie O’Hara, from Cardrona, maintained her dominance in both triple jump and long jump at the recent Scottish Athletics Age Group Championships in Grangemouth.

Ellie, an under 17 age group athlete, stepped up to the under 20 Age Group Championships, competing in both long jump and triple jump.

Having taken both titles at the U20 indoor championships in February, she was determined to take the outdoor titles as well – and she left with gold in both events.

In triple jump, Ellie took gold with a distance of 12.30, winning by over a metre, and her winning long jump of 5.82 metres was a fine distance in wet and windy conditions, which made jumping difficult.

The following weekend, it was back to Grangemouth for Ellie’s own age group championships and she took both triple jump and long jump golds, retaining both titles she won last year. In triple jump, the Peebles High School pupil leapt out to 12.27m for a new championship record, beating her own record of 11.77m set last year.

In long jump, Ellie reached a milestone with her first jump over six metres, taking the gold with a jump of 6 metres 7cm, putting her at the top of the UK rankings in both long jump and triple jump in her age group.

Coached by Linda Nicholson and part of the Scottish Athletics Development Academy, Ellie has, over the year, completed a clean sweep of all Scottish Championship titles she has entered at both long jump and triple jump, at both U17 and U20 age groups, indoor and outdoor. So, altogether, it’s been a very successful year.

With two major cycling events coming to town in September – starting with the Tour O’ The Borders this Sunday – a (bike) light is being shone on local cycling talent as well as the national names.

The Tour O’ The Borders, a home-grown, closed-road event with up to 2500 riders, hits Peebles and its surroundings on September 1.

The following weekend sees the start of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, held annually across eight days – with stage two being concluded in Kelso on September 8.

Top individual riders and famous teams will be entering – and one local cycling enthusiast has forged a direct link with one of the squads.

Oscar Onley, of Kelso,has been invited byFrench team Ag2r La Mondiale to join its U19 Development Race Team, based in France, next season.

The 16-year-old races throughout Britain and Europe in the junior men’s cycling category, as well as with with Scottish-based Spokes Race Team and also rides for Team Scotland.

The Kelso High School pupil is keen on a career in cycling and the French outfit has teams of U19s and also U23s, so there is plenty of time to gain experiene and develop his ability. He started road cycling after watching the Tour de France.

He began with the Kelso Wheelers racing time-trials.

“He was 10 years old and rules stated he needed an adult to ride with him,” recalled mum Sharon. “He ‘dropped’ (cycling term for leaving the opposition in your wake) his dad after 10 metres! From there, he progressed through youth racing throughout Scotland and the UK.”

Now racing his first year as a junior for Spokes Racing Team and Team Scotland, Oscar has been further afield, racing at the highest level frequently in France and Belgium. “As the first non-French rider to be taken on the team’s 12-year history, it’s is quite an honour,” added Sharon. “His aim is to work his way up hopefully to race for a World Tour team.”

Sharon added: “The saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child” is never truer than when you see the support Oscar receives from the cycling community in the Borders.

“All help is invaluable and without such would prove his aim of reaching professional level unlikely.”

Triple Formula One champion Sir Jackie Stewart OBE officially opened the new Jim Clark Motorsport Museum in Duns yesterday (Thursday).

Following a tour of the premises, Sir Jackie unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and took part in a Q&A session with other invited guests, including fellow patron of the Jim Clark Trust and three-time Le Mans winner, Allan McNish.

Sir Jackie said: “I would like to congratulate everybody who is responsible for being able to bring together enough money to do something as nice as this. Really, you should all be very proud of it and I think a lot more folk are going to come to Duns to see it.

“Because this goes round the world: Formula One is a global sport and, therefore, anybody who knows anything about it knows the name Jim Clark, so I think you are going to attract all those people because it is so well done – it is beautiful.

“I think you are going to have a great success from it. I’m sure everybody in Scotland will be pleased they have something as important as this in the Scottish Borders.”

Sir Jackie added: “When Jim Clark was racing, he was my hero and forever will be. He was certainly the best racing driver I ever raced against. We had a great life together and he was an enormous help to me and taught me so much about the business. The manner in which he drove racing cars was just different to everybody else, so I had somebody very good to learn from.”

The museum, which opened to the public in mid-July, has already welcomed more than 5000 visitors in that time. It honours and charts the life and racing career of the Scottish Borders farmer and double Formula One World Champion Jim Clark, a close friend of Sir Jackie.

Doug Niven, cousin of Jim Clark and trustee of the Jim Clark Trust, added: “Sir Jackie has given the museum and the redevelopment project a huge amount of support and encouragement over many years and I was delighted to show him round the finished product and see his reaction.

“The official opening was an opportunity to thank all those people, from across Scotland and the rest of the world who backed this project, financially and with contributions to the new exhibitions. It was particularly pleasing to see so many people here who had a close connection to Jim, either through racing or his life here in Berwickshire.”

Funding for the £1.6million partnership project has come from Scottish Borders Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland and the Jim Clark Trust, the latter including a grant from the Fallago Environment Fund and individual donations from around the world.

Euan Jardine, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for culture and sport, said: “Today’s event marked the culmination of the efforts of so many people from various organisations over a significant period of time.

“Having Sir Jackie here, along with other Jim Clark Trust patrons, Jim’s family, friends and racing compatriots, was fitting not only to officially unveil this outstanding new museum but also reflect on Jim’s enduring legacy and the inspiration he has provided, and continues to do so, to so many people.”

The museum, operated by charity Live Borders, includes two of Jim Clark’s race cars, new image galleries, film footage, interactive displays and a simulator. There is also expanded exhibition space showcasing memorabilia and the trophy collection.

The facility was designed by SBC’s architects and delivered by local company James Swinton and Co, with many local sub-contractors also supported.

Ewan Jackson, chief executive officer of charity Live Borders, said: “We are absolutely honoured that Sir Jackie made the special trip to Duns to to see the new museum and carry out the official opening.

“The visitor numbers and the feedback from them has been fantastic and we look forward to welcoming many more visitors, from near and far, to this must-visit attraction.”

Adult admission to the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum costs just £5, with visitors able to return as often as they like for free for the following 12 months. There is a small additional cost for the simulator. For more information, visit www.jcmm.org.uk

Jim Clark won the Formula One championship in 1963, becoming the then youngest ever World Champion. He followed it up with victory again in 1965 and in the same year won the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in America. He remains the only driver to have won both the Formula One and Indy 500 titles in the same year.

Clark tragically died at Hockenheim in Germany in 1968, at the age of just 32. He was much admired for his modesty and humility alongside his remarkable natural ability in all forms of motor racing. He is still considered one of the greatest ever racing drivers and remains to this day one of Scotland’s most admired sporting heroes.

VisitScotland director of industry and destination development, Riddell Graham, said: “The opening of the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum is a fantastic addition to the region’s tourism offering, propelling the Scottish Borders into the spotlight and helping to attract new visitors and a destination and customer experience worth talking about.

“The museum celebrates the life of one of the greatest racing drivers of all time and we hope people young and old will feel inspired to visit, stay and explore the region where he lived.

“Scotland’s reputation as a quality destination relies on continued investment to ensure current provision meets future demand. Tourism is leading economic transformation in the south of Scotland – an area which has everything our visitors seek in abundance.”

Riona McMorrow, acting head of the National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland, said: “Thanks to players of the National Lottery, Jim Clark now has a visitor attraction worthy of its his sporting greatness.

“The museum will be a huge boost for the Borders’ tourist ecomony, attracting motorsport enthusiasts from from across the globe and inspiring future generations, as they follow the story of a tractor driver who became the greatest Formula 1 racing driver of his time.”

The Jim Clark Motorsport Museum is open Monday to Saturday (closed Wednesday) 10am-4.30pm, and Sunday 1pm-4.30pm.

Borders tennis players have to be hardy souls, as indicated by last week’s Adult Confined Tournament, played at Melrose Waverley Tennis Club and St Boswells Lawn Tennis Club.

However, players had to contend with it being very cold on the Monday and Tuesday, and very wet on the Wednesday and Thursday. Dry on Friday, then very hot and sunny on Saturday’s Finals Day.

The standard of play was high and matches were hard-fought but sporting throughout, even when 22 matches went to a tie-break decider.

Tennis Borders was very grateful to the Melrose Waverley club for hosting the event, providing a marquee, sports therapy, tuck shop and drinks facilities, and for attracting three new sponsors – two of whom attended and presented trophies and vouchers to the winners.

The club had, for the first time, invited past champions of this event and there was a good turnout from Borders players and some now living in Edinburgh, one in Dunblane, and one in Gullane – still the only Borders player to have competed at Junior Wimbledon.

Mary Campbell of Duns attended – she had won the first Mixed Doubles title in 1965 with her male partner.

Thanks were also given to St Boswells LTC for hosting the event each weeknight and providing a tuck shop, along with tournament committee secretary Susan Smith, treasurer James Collin, referees Christine Lawrie at Melrose and Elspeth Whitelaw at St Boswells.

(Key: C = Consolation/Plate Event for first-match losers, 1 = winner, 2 = runner-up, LTC = Lawn Tennis Club, TC = Tennis Club). Results:

Open Mixed Doubles – 1 Lewis Armstrong and Robyn Harvey (St Boswells LTC/Duns LTC), 2 Harris Brogan and Tara Harvey (Wilton Park & Hawick LTC/Duns LTC). C1 Adam Drummond and Claire Townsend (St Boswells LTC), C2 William Fleming and Susan Wight (Melrose Waverley TC/Duns LTC).

Open Women’s Doubles – 1 Zara Elliot andAleksandra Misz (Peebles LTC), 2 Lisa Campbell and Juliet Smith (Peebles LTC), C1 Kirsten Begg and Robyn Harvey (West Linton TC/Duns LTC), C2 Alison Moore and Lesley Watters (Melrose Waverley TC).

Open Men’s Doubles – 1 Sean Berthelsen and Graeme Kirkpatrick (West Linton TC/Peebles LTC), 2 Lewis Armstrong and Glen Gordon (St Boswells LTC/Melrose Waverley TC), C1 Ivan Burt-Smith and Joshua Thomson (Selkirk LTC), C2 William Fleming and Colin Green (Melrose Waverley TC/Earlston LTC).

Open Women’s Singles – 1 Aleksandra Misz (Peebles LTC), 2 Zara Elliot (Peebles LTC), C1 Sophie Macbrayne (Melrose Waverley TC), C2 Robyn Elliot (Peebles LTC).

Open Men’s Singles – 1 Harris Brogan (Wilton Park & Hawick LTC), 2 Ivan Burt-Smith (Selkirk LTC), C1 Callum Gray (Borders Tennis Centre), C2 Daniel Main (Selkirk LTC).

Both teams eager to avenge defeats last week. Falkirk bring Aidan Connolly and Ian McSHane into the starting XI while Lewis Toshney and Louis Longridge drop to the bench.

Refresh page for live updates