Work ground to a halt last week on the building of a new pharmacy in Langlee, Galashiels, after medical syringes were found taped to hoardings, equipment and inside workers’ rest facilities.

It comes just a week after drug-taking paraphernalia was found dumped at the back of a car park in town during a clean-up.

In an email to local councillor Andy Anderson, senior quantity surveyor Alexander Jones of Hawick contractor James Swinton explained why work had stopped at the site.

He said: “Not only is there a risk to our operatives and sub-contractors but the general public also ... the result is that all works have been suspended as we cannot expose anyone to the possibility of harm.”

The company had been granted a two-week road closure to connect existing surface and foul water drains, and divert the gas supply, water and telephone cables. The site was swept on Tuesday morning and CCTV was installed on the site to deter any further stoppages.

It’s believed the syringes are of the diabetic type, which if anything, makes the motive harder to understand.

Councillor Anderson said; “It is beyond me. I have not heard of any ill-feeling because of the road closure to allow the work to progress – if anything this has made things worse as they are going to move their compound, so work will take longer and there will be increased vehicle movements.

“That just leaves malice, I suppose; however, the perpetrators put themselves at risk doing this, in addition to putting workers and local residents in danger.

“They have had to clear vomit and used condoms previously, so this would appear to be an escalation if it is the same perpetrators.

“If it is a prank, there are some seriously deranged people out there.

“There will be limited access to these needles so this could also help identify the culprits – someone may have a fairly good idea who they are.”

Scottish Government plans to allow councils to tax workplace car parks could drive up the cost of living for Borderers commuting to Edinburgh, fears one of the region’s’ two constituency MSPs.

It will do nothing of the sort, however, as it will leave bosses rather than their staff out of pocket, according to the other.

Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP Rachael Hamilton has denounced the forthcoming workplace car-parking levy, approved at Holyrood last Thursday as part of a transport bill, as “nonsensical” and “ludicrous”.

The ruling Scottish national Party agreed to back the levy proposals in return for the Green Party helping get its latest budget passed, and they could see employers being charged an annual tax by councils based on how many parking spaces they provide for their workforce.

How much it would cost is unknown as yet, but there is speculation that it would be along the same lines as a similar scheme already up and running south of the border in Nottingham and charge employers offering more than 10 parking spaces £415 a year for each of them.

Scottish Borders Council has already ruled out introducing such a tax here, but Mrs Hamilton fears those among the estimated 3,300 daily commuters travelling to Edinburgh for work going by car could be affected.

“This move by the SNP punishes hard-working commuters to Edinburgh and is completely nonsensical,” said the Conservative MSP.

“The SNP have teamed up with the Green Party to tax people to park at work, which is simply ludicrous and poorly thought through, given that it could affect commuters from outside the city.

“The SNP constantly shirk their responsibility to properly fund councils and instead make them tax their citizens more in order to make up for the shortfall.

“Yet again we see the out-of-touch SNP government with their anti-business agenda implementing dodgy policies”.

Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale MSP Christine Grahame disagrees, however.

“It should be stressed that Scottish Borders Council have already stated they will not be introducing a workplace parking levy, which I agree with,” said the SNP MSP.

“This would not be the right measure for more rural areas, and nationally all NHS hospitals and properties are also exempt.

“The transport bill does not impose the levy – it just gives councils, amongst other things, the power to impose one if they judge it would be the appropriate thing to do for their locality once they have made the appropriate assessments.

“This levy, if a council chooses to introduce it, will be imposed on employers, not individuals.

“Any money raised by a council will be theirs, ringfenced to spend on sustainable and public transport improvements in their area – for example, park-and-ride facilities.

“Any decision on this, of course, will be subject to democratic scrutiny by voters at the next local council elections.

“I recognise that many Borderers commute into Edinburgh and have concerns about the levy being introduced there.

“The levy is imposed on employers not employees, so I would hope that if – and it is an if – Edinburgh City Council were to impose a levy, in appropriate circumstances, such as when an employee has no option but to commute, the employer would not pass it on.”

“Ultimately, this move is part of a package of changes to give more powers for local government, decentralising power and allowing decisions to be taken at a local level depending on what is best for that local area, something I thought the Tories supported.

“This is simply scaremongering by Tories who voted against a bill which also seeks to stop pavements being blocked by irresponsible drivers.”

A move to “redress the gender balance” of Hawick Common Riding Committee was rebuffed on Monday night.

At a meeting of the town’s community council at the Town Hall, Marion Short put herself forward for the representative position, along with fellow community councillor Bert Wear.

There had to be a vote as only one place is allowed, but before this, Mrs Short told the chair: “The only reason I am standing for this is I feel the need to readdress the gender balance there, and get away from the stigma in town that it is a male-oriented committee.”

She failed in her bid by nine votes to three.

However, this week, Mrs Short said she was not too disappointed.

She said: “I am probably busy enough as vice-chair of the community council as well as the railway campaign group, so it may be a blessing.

“Bert is a common riding man and he’ll do a good job, and he’ll not be shy of giving his opinion.

“It was also good to see that so many new members of the committee were taking on jobs as well.”

She added: “It was good to see this week that there are three women in the nominations for the ward places on the committee.”

The ward rep nominations are now closed, with 15 people nominated over the six wards.

Burnfoot, Silverbuthall and Hermitage wards will be uncontested as there are two or less nominated for them, but Teviot, Weensland and Wilton will go to election as there are more than two nominees in each ward.

That public election will take place in the committee room in the Town Hall, on Monday, October 21, between 7pm and 8pm.

Members of the public, 18 and over, residing in each these wards can vote for up to two nominees in the ballot.❗

Nominations received are as follows:

Burnfoot – William Fletcher and Stuart Hay.

Hermitage – Ex-acting father Stuart Sharkey.

Silverbuthall – Ex-cornet Ross Nichol.

Teviot – Michael P. Robertson, ex-cornet Ian Whillans and Caroline Wilkinson.

Weensland – Cameron Knox, ex-cornet Ian T. Nichol, Frank Scott and William B. Smith.

Wilton – Catherine Elliott-Walker, ex-cornet Ross Gibson, ex-Hawick Community Council chairperson Gillian M. Morgan and David A. Oliver.

A man has been jailed for carrying out a brutal murder attempt by repeatedly stamping on his victim’s head and wounding him with a knife.

Barry Smart, 34, launched that attack on Michael Ledgerwood at a house at Langlee in Galashiels.

Mr Ledgerwood, 36, said that when he turned up at the address in Beech Avenue accompanied by another man, Smart was there with others but “seemed pretty much OK”.

However, at one point he turned around and was suddenly hit on the back of the head by Smart, he told the High Court in Edinburgh.

He said: “I went straight to the floor. He started stamping on me. That’s when my memory went a wee bit hazy.”

Mr Ledgerwood said that Smart was stamping on his head and side.

“It was about three or four times until I was knocked out. He obviously kept on stamping until I was knocked out. I was lying flat out,” he said.

“I can sort of remember someone saying ‘he has had enough. He has had enough, Barry’.”

He said that after the attack he was helped to a car and taken to the Borders General Hospital at Melrose.

Mr Ledgerwood said: “I was really dazed. I knew I’d had a kicking, but I wasn’t aware of my face.”

Advocate depute Graeme Jessop asked him what was wrong with his face and he replied: “It had been slashed open twice – down my face and my neck across my throat and windpipe.”

He was then transferred to St John’s Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, to have stitches and sutures put in.

The left-hand side of his face is now numb following the attack, the court heard.

Smart, of Crosshill at Chirnside in Berwickshire, had denied attempting to murder Mr Ledgerwood on December 12 last year but was convicted of that offence by a jury today, October 16.

During the assault, he repeatedly stamped on Mr Ledgerwood’s head and body and repeatedly struck him to the head and neck with a knife to his severe injury and to the danger of his life.

Mr Jessop told jurors that forensic science evidence of blood-staining on Smart’s clothes and shoes contributed to showing that Smart was involved in the assault.

Defence counsel Sean Templeton told the court that Smart had not been to jail before.

Mr Jessop told the judge that Smart did have previous convictions, some from courts in England.

Trial judge Lord Stephen Woolman remanded Smart in custody and deferred sentence for the preparation of a background report.

He is due to be sentenced next month at the High Court in Glasgow.

Gala YM 45, Earlston 22

YM were ahead in less than one minute when a clearance kick by Earlston was charged down by Ben Gill and he gathered to score at the posts. Billy Brownlee converted.

A few minutes later, quick handling by the YM backs sent Steven Patterson over in the corner for an unconverted try.

Play bounced about from end to end and, after several phases on the YM line , Earlston forced over for an unconverted try.

Play continued in the same vein until, just before half time, Billy Brownlee kicked a penalty goal for a 15-5 lead.

YM quickly increased their lead with a fine move putting Ben Gill in at the corner for his second try, which was unconverted and YM were three scores in front.

Earlston were not going to let YM going for a try bonus and slick handling saw them score another unconverted try.

Earlston had their tails up and constant pressure gave them a third unconverted try.

They went for their bonus point try and got it under the bar, while the conversion put them two points in front.

This shocked YM into action with 10 minutes left and, twice, Billy Brownlee kicked penalty goals to established a four point lead.

YM went for the bonus point try and Steven Patterson scored a great try, to which Billy Brownlee added the extras.

Ben Gill scored a fine solo try to get his hat-trick and YM were home and dry. Right on time, YM got a sixth try to give Steven Patterson his hat-trick and Billy Brownlee converted.

YM had joint men of the match, with Dean Gilchrist and Jason Graham getting the award.

This weekend, YM are away to Queensferry while Earlston host Liberton.

Borders racing driver Lauren Ford, a regular at the Racewll meetings in Cowdenbeath, retired from the Ministox category last week and moved straight into the Prostock Basics formula.

Last weekend, she ended up dominating the proceedings at the west Fife circuit, winning a heat as well as the final.

Lauren, from Earlston, immediately struck form and, had it not been for a race suspension, she might have made it a clean sweep.

In the opening heat, she went straight into the lead and soon began to ease away from the field.

Towards the end of the heat, her lead began to close but, at the chequer, she was still well clear.

Heat two looked as if it was going to be a repeat of the first but, when a car came to a stop on the back straight, the race had to be suspended.

Although Lauren led on the restart, her lead had disappeared and, in the end, she had to be content with second place.

When the final started, she was through into the lead by the end of the opening lap and, almost right away, she began to pull away from the field. As the race progressed, her lead closed a bit but, by the end of the race, she was still clear of the field to end a very pleasing debut.

The company conducted a poll of 4,000 passengers about how long they had to wait to get through the security scanners at airports across the UK, with the worst airport causing an average delay of 22.3 minutes. These are the worst ranked large and small airports for security wait times.

Mystery surrounds the theft of a 6ft-tall mannequin clad in a fluorescent gilet planted in a garden in Selkirk as a warning to speeding motorists to slow down.

Scottish Borders Council’s planning and building standards committee last week gave Melrose-based contractor Rural Renaissance the green light to build 13 homes on land to the south east of Selkirk Tennis Club in Hillside Terrace, sparking safety fears among residents there.

Householders living opposite the proposed site have voiced concerns over the safety of the proposed access from the new homes onto the A7 Edinburgh-Carlisle road.

They say they are taking their lives in their hands when driving in and out of their driveways because of motorists going much faster than the 30mph speed limit there.

They are calling for traffic- calming measures, possibly in the form of an electronic flashing speed sign, but to no avail so far.

In lieu of Transport Scotland taking action, one concerned Hillside Terrace resident, Vivienne Nash, decided to take the matter into her own hands.

She had two mannequins made of plywood, dressed in high-visibility yellow jackets, and put them outside her property in an attempt to persuade drivers to cut their speed.

However, in the early hours of last Thursday, one of the figures was snatched, and Vivienne is now considering whether to replace it.

She said: “We have no idea who took it or why. We don’t have any suspects.

“The figures must be about 6ft tall and they are made of plywood with yellow high-vis jackets and with a fluorescent horse-legging wrapped around their heads.

“He was very, very visible, and I have had so much positive feedback from residents in the town, not just in Hillside Terrace, who have said ‘what a good idea’.

“One of the figures was located at the bottom of our driveway so that people coming south-north could see that there was somebody there that was trying to gain access or exit and the other was at the gate opposite our driveway, diagonally across from our driveway, and that was the one that was stolen.

“The fluorescent sign on its head was to alert people that someone was trying to gain exit, in particular, because that’s even more important that access.”

Fellow resident Lindsay Neil, a retired doctor, believes someone supportive of the housing development gaining approval could have snatched the mannequin.

He said: “The mannequin caused some of the drivers to slow down, which helps a lot, but we’re not sure how legal it is. It went up and then somebody came and stole it. We have no idea who. It may have been someone who was keen to see this development go ahead – that can’t be excluded.

“We don’t know if Transport Scotland even came to look at the place to pay a site visit, and the suggestion to the planning committee that they pay a site visit was passed over.

“For 50 years, common sense has prevailed and further access to the A7 has been prevented, and now they are saying ‘let them get onto the A7’. It is an accident that is inevitably going to happen.

“We rely on these people to safeguard our safety and they are not doing their job.

“We have been campaigned for years to get a bypass for Selkirk. If a Selkirk bypass was agreed, all these problems would go away.”

Gavin Yuill, of Galashiels-based Camerons Architects, told councillors last week that careful consideration had been given to sight-lines at the news junction, along with stopping distances along the A7, saying: “Discussions were held with Transport Scotland to determine the layout of the proposed access, and it is their opinion that the junction provides an acceptable access for the site.”

Scotland U19s beat Germany this week, so we look at another U19s team that ended up playing in the European Championships final back in 2006.

They were beat 2-1 by a Spain side that had Gerard Pique, Juan Mata and Javi Garcia but where are these Scots players now?

Marr...............................38

Selkirk............................13

Selkirk made a valiant bid to end Marr’s unbeaten Tennent’s Premiership record at Fullarton Park on Saturday.

But a three-try burst in the final quarter of the game saw the home team consolidate their position at the top of the league.

The Souters remained in contention right up until the hour mark, when home prop Calvin Henderson was shown a yellow card, allowing Aaron McColm to step up and kick his second penalty of the match.

However, being reduced to 14 men appeared to spur Marr’s players to even greater heights, with home skipper Conor Bickerstaff leading the charge by sprinting over for a score, followed in quick succession by tries from Ollie Rossi and Jamie Drummond.

In an evenly-contested first half, Selkirk’s points came from a try by Josh Welsh, converted by McColm, who also landed a penalty.

Tries by Richard Dalgleish and Fraser Grant (the latter converted by Colin Sturgeon), put Marr 12-10 ahead at the break.

The visitors’ cause wasn’t helped when lock forward Andy Mackay was forced to retire after sustaining a nasty head knock.

Wing Luca Berte limped to the sidelines soon afterwards, nursing an ankle injury.

Not for the first time this season, Selkirk’s stand-out player at Fullarton Park on Saturday was openside flanker Scott McClymont.

The 24-year-old Yarrow farmer’s rock-solid defensive work and tireless support play helped lift his team at crucial points in the contest.

After the contest, Selkirk head coach Scott Wight said his players could take a lot of positives from the afternoon, while acknowledging the strength of Marr’s game.

“They’ve got pace and physicality and it’s going to take someone to play really well to beat them,” he observed.

“That said, there’s still a long way to go and, with the league’s top four clubs playing off against each other at the end of the campaign, there’s always going to be a chance of an upset.

“Our boys stuck in really well on the day and, for the majority of the match, were in the frame.

“Ultimately, the difference between the two sides was Marr’s ability to turn pressure into points – something we didn’t do often enough when we worked our way into promising positions.

“This Saturday’s home game against Musselburgh is huge for us.”

It was a great weekend for the Lauderdale Limpers athletics group, with Manor Water, Pentland Skyline, Chicago Marathon and Keilder among the events to which many travelled.

Georgina McAllister and John Wilkinson completed the Manor Water Hill Race, with Georgina coming first in her category, while in the misty Pentlands, a great turnout from members covered 17 miles of challenging terrain.

Recognised as a race of two halves, the first half of the race is straightforward on good surfaces. The return leg, however, is much tougher, with rougher terrain and fatigue kicking in.

Despite the hills and boggy terrain, the Limpers stuck in with great performances all round, from Jamie Entwistle, Chloe Summerfield, Sarah Plint, Anne Weir, Rachel MacAleese and Luis Molero (pictured).

Huge congratulations were also extended to Calum Stewart, who ran an incredible marathon in Chicago in 2hrs 57mins.

Seasoned cyclist Darren Scott has secured a major European mountain bike title at the first time of asking.

Darren, a 25-year veteran of motocross before switching a few years ago to mountain biking, won the recent 2019 Masters European Continental Series MTB Championships.

The series was raced in five different countries – Spain, Scotland, Austria, Slovenia and France.

Darren (48), who rides for Hardies Bikes of Melrose, finished consistently among the top eight at all rounds, which was enough to win the championship at the two-day race in Loudenvielle, France.

This was the first time Darren, from Galashiels, had entered the event and he modestly said it felt “good” to be European champion for the first time.

He explained he had always used a mountain bike for extra fitness training during his motocross years, in which he won a number of Scottish masters champion titles, and it kind of “followed on” that he would try mountain bike racing, once he’d decided on a different challenge.

In 2017, he finished seventh in World Enduro Masters Mountain Bike Championship, after success in Europe helped him to qualify.

He decided this year to enter the European challenge and dealt admirably with the variation in facilities, terrain, standards of planning and language barriers on his way to success.

He is taking time out now to recover from a series of injuries before the new season begins in March.

However, more recently, Darren finished third in the veteran category of the Scottish championship – in which he said his main opposition came from “younger guys”.

Edinburgh University 6s 0, Fjordhus Reivers 2s 3

The first goal was scored after just 11 minutes as a cracking ball was fed to Jessica Main, who dribbled into the circle and smashed the ball into the back corner of the goal.

Although the Reivers played an attacking game, everyone supported the defenders in helping track back and clearing the ball out, creating more scoring opportunities.

Eleven minutes into the second half, Meghan Campbell outskilled the defence and dribbled the ball to the top of the circle, where she then hit it into the corner of the goal.

Only two minutes later, the Borderers were given a short corner, where the ball was struck to Janet Jack at the top of the D.

She swept it to the back post for Main to deflect in behind the goalkeeper.

In summary, it was a great game, as both teams were keen for the win.

Motoring dealer Leven Kia Selkirk has presented branded kit to local football team Selkirk Victoria AFC, as part of a venture to support grassroots football teams across the UK.

The Kia Motors (UK) Ltd’s nationwide ‘Gift of Kit’ initiative also seeks to help local players stand out on the pitch – and the Vics have certainly done that so far this season, with a fine start to their campaign in the Border Amateur Football Association League ‘C’.

Team captain Lee Stephen said: “We can’t thank Leven Kia Selkirk enough for helping our young team feel like the bees knees.

“We have no doubt this injection of professionalism is what went on to help them play a great game and feel proud to play for our team.”

Ryan Cannon, marketing executive at Leven Kia Selkirk, added: “We are thrilled to be supporting Selkirk Victoria AFC.

“Seeing the team playing in their new kit will be a great boost to them and their supporters.

“As a local business, we are passionate about giving back to our community and we look forward to seeing how Selkirk Victoria perform.”

More information on Kia’s ‘Gift of Kit’ project is available from Leven Kia Selkirk, at Riverside Park in the town, or by calling the team on 01750 462 361.

Potentially hazardous offcuts of trees left on a path on common good fund-owned land in Hawick have been offered to anyone wanting them for firewood.

That offer was made at Monday evening’s Hawick Community Council meeting at the town hall by community councillor Braden George and reiterated by regional councillor Watson McAteer.

However, it has not as yet been repeated by Scottish Borders Council.

At the meeting, Mr George reported that a wooded area close to the town’s golf club on Vertish Hill had been cut down.

He said: “The paths through the common good land are used a lot every day, and the whole place has been left covered in logs and branches.

“It’s made it really hazardous, and I’ve watched older people really struggle to walk between them.

“I’ve spoken to Watson about it, and it’s really a case where the public can go and help themselves to firewood. It’s just a way to clear it up.”

Mr McAteer said: “The brash and branches had been left to fertilise the ground ahead of replanting new trees, but there are also a lot of big limbs that have no chance of rotting down any time soon.

“If anyone came to collect it as firewood, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Referencing the council’s statement that the town’s Christmas tree would only be 20ft high this year, community council chairman Cameron Knox joked: “There wouldn’t be any 30ft Christmas trees lying around, would there?”

We asked Mr George after the meeting if the offer was genuine, and he said: “Yes, the town owns the land, so basically help yourself. It will help to clear the way, but you’d better watch your step because it’s not easy going and you could easily turn your ankle.

“It is a public access route and a lot of people use the path – I walk the dog there every day – so I would say the quicker it’s cleared the better.”

However, when we contacted the regional council this week to confirm the offer, a spokesman said: “The brash and branches within the woods following the tree cutting will be used when the new trees are planted to help them get established quicker as this protects the trees and acts as a mulch, suppressing weeds.

“We’ll look into what has been left on the paths to see if that will also be made use of.”

Plans for a new driverless and electric car training centre have been given the green light despite claims it will put a historic site at risk.

Approval has been granted for change of use of land to the south and west of the Border Toyota dealership at St Boswells to host the centre.

The move comes as the motor industry embraces the introduction of new technology including hybrid and electric vehicles and driverless cars.

The application was agreed by Scottish Borders Council planners despite an objection from a neighbour of the site, Andrew Dow, of Hawthorn Lodge.

His concern centred on the archaeological value of the land due to evidence of previous settlements beneath it.

He wrote: “My greatest concern is that I understand the area of ground has been recognised as being of regional archaeological significance.

“The regional archaeologist, Chris Bowles, has stated that this application should be refused.

“I remain bewildered that when we are fortunate enough to have an area of true significance that we appear to be risking its loss for a driverless vehicle testing area.

“It is an outrage that the Borders’ people should be aware of.

“An area for electric and driverless cars is a first-class idea and could easily be established within the Borders. It does not need to be a historical site.”

In his response after being consulted about the application, council archaeology officer Dr Bowles says: “The site contains an archaeological asset of at least regional heritage significance.

“This is a rectilinear enclosure that until recently was only known through cropmarks extending through the Manse Field to the north and west of the Border Toyota garage.

“The site was archaeologically evaluated in September 2017 and was found to be well preserved despite being in a cultivated field.

“Evaluation trenches identified the ditches for the enclosure surviving in places to a depth of 1.7 metres.

“In addition, the evaluation determined that there is a probable settlement area to the south of the enclosure, and within the development area, that included post-holes and burnt daub, likely from building walls.

“This new insight increases the scientific and cultural significance of the site.

“Other finds included burnt and unburnt animal bone from within the ditch fill.

“The settlement is of at least regional significance. However, I have recently asked Historic Environment Scotland to review the evidence and make a judgement on whether it should be scheduled as being of national significance.”

Approving the application under delegated powers, lead planning officer Julie Hayward said: “Policy states that development proposals which will adversely affect local archaeological assets will only be permitted if it can be demonstrated that the benefits of the proposal outweigh the heritage value of the asset.

“The site has been granted planning permission for more intrusive development in the past.

“The council’s archaeology officer is satisfied the excavations up to two metres in depth would not harm or destroy any archaeological features or artefacts.”

Applicant Archie Maclean, owner of the Border Motor Group, said: “Toyota has virtually ceased supplying diesel vehicles in the UK.

“One of the challenges for drivers of plug-in hybrid and electric cars is infrastructure and having access to proper quick-charging power points.

“Another challenge is teaching drivers how to drive these new types of vehicles, which are not difficult to drive but are different in a number of ways, so time needs to be spent demonstrating how these vehicles are driven, ideally not on the public roads.

“Controlling a driverless car will create new challenges and they will require initially to be driven in a controlled environment off public roads.

“Border Motor Group plans to install electric charging points at its dealerships at Border Toyota in St Boswells, Lawrie’s Garage in St Boswells and the Border Toyota dealerships at Dumfries and Carlisle.

“We applied for planning permission to allow us to demonstrate how to drive electric vehicles correctly so that we can get customers to confidently embrace the new technology and help bring about the cultural change that is needed.”

It’s the last cast of the day ... a flick of the wrist sends the fly to the middle of the pond. You pull the line in by hand, inch by tantalising inch.

Close to the bank, the line judders, you strike! The trout, glistening in the evening sun as it rolls, is coaxed to the side, into a waiting net.

There are few more joyous feelings than catching your first fish on the fly. And it’s only one of the many country sports activities on offer at the newly-refurbished SCHLOSS Roxburghe.

If you are a beginner to the sport, you won’t get a better introduction than from former speycast world champion Eoin Fairgrieve who, along with fellow Tweedstart instructor Malcolm Douglas, can take you through the finer points of setting up your rod, cast with nonchalant grace and how best tease the fish towards your fly.

And for more experienced anglers, the hotel boasts a fantastic stretch of the Teviot, where you can pit your skills against the wily salmon.

If shooting is your game, then senior Clay Pigeon Shooting Association coach Tracy Ferguson is your introduction to the sport at the hotel.

Enthusiasm personified, Tracy will get you hitting that target, even if you have never held a gun in your life, at the facility’s shooting school where eight mobile clay pigeon throwers give you the chance to practice the simulation of a wide variety of conditions and targets.

That sense of satisfaction when you hit the clay dead centre and see it explode into shrapnel takes some beating.

The hotel also offers packages for driven-game shoots for partridge, pheasant, duck and grouse to individuals as well as groups of up to eight people, or even hunting with a falconer and a pointer dog.

The estate is home to numerous breeding grounds, conscientiously maintained by its expert gamekeepers.

Target archery and stress-relieving tomahawk-throwing are also on offer.

A large swathe of the estate is taken up by its championship-standard golf course, designed by Dave Thomas.

It’s signature hole is the 14th, the Viaduct, sporting a elevated tee, which looks down on the Teviot, snaking its way through the spectacular course.

Despite being close to water, the course has excellent drainage, making it a popular venue for golfers throughout the region and beyond, even during the winter months.

Nestled behind the village of Heiton, the hotel has recently undergone a transformation, each of its 20 rooms tastefully modernised to encapsulate the true epitome of luxurious living.

There is plenty here to offer you a most relaxing stay, from the superb 1745 bar and the state room lounge to the excellent Sunlaws restaurant.

The food is stunning, but it’s also ecologically sound. The culinary team, led by executive chef Jacques-Olivier Borja, is committed to sustainability and the environment, with a focus on sourcing locally sourced ‘estate-to-plate’ food where possible, providing Scottish cuisine with a French twist.

Every exquisite mouthful has been foraged or harvested from the grounds, or sourced from suppliers as close as possible to the estate.

And you don’t even need to eat in the restaurant. By arrangement, food can be taken to your party wherever you are in the grounds, whether you are fishing or shooting.

It’s hoped that work will soon start on a extension which will offer spa facilities, a new restaurant and over 50 new rooms, each as luxurious as the existing ones.

With the uncertainty of Brexit making foreign travel more expensive, there’s never been a better time to experience relaxation and excitement closer to home.

For more information and for prices, visit www.schlosshotel-roxburghe.com

A long-established Hawick textile firm’s wares are set to become all the rage among fashion-conscious young professionals in London, a new business there hopes.

Online outfitter Colhay’s was launched just over two weeks ago by London lawyer Ronnie Chiu.

Ronnie has joined forces with Scott and Charters in Hawick to plug what he sees as a gap in the high-quality menswear market.

The 31-year-old wanted to make superior knitwear items likely to appeal to men with a passion for fashion aged from their late twenties to early forties.

Before launching the venture, he spent two years researching the last bastions of quality textile manufacturing across Europe capable of meeting his requirements.

He eventually narrowed his search down to a straight shootout between Hawick and Umbria in Italy.

And after meeting Scott and Charters sales director David Chapman, he decided to start a professional relationship with the Borders company.

Now yarns from Todd and Duncan in Kinross are shipped to the factory in Fairhurst Drive, where workers produce knitwear to Ronnie’s specifications including lambswool crew neck and V-neck jumpers and cardigans, and they are then sold online under his company’s brand name.

Ronnie, some of whose family worked in the garment industry, said he needed to tweak some of the traditional knitwear designs to ensure they meet the demands of his target audience.

He said: “Some of these pieces Scott and Charters are well accustomed to making.

“I made tweaks to the designs that I felt would be more suitable to a modern audience, particularly in relation to sizes.

“If you look at the urban market, guys about my age like things quite slim, so we worked with them on that.

“I wanted to do something within menswear with a strong focus on provenance and have done research for the last couple of years while I was working full-time,

“I felt that within menswear, there was a gap in the market relating to the quality you would see before the 1980s, the kind of quality that my father and grandfather would enjoy.

“As a guy working in London, you are surrounded by high-street brands, with a lot of knitwear made overseas.

“It’s okay, but my experience is that I have bought quite a few of those pieces and they haven’t lasted very long,

“The quality items are stocked in luxury Savile Row outlets where my friends are never going to go, so the idea is to do it online and not go through wholesale channels to make it better value for money and within their reach.”

Ronnie, who has yet to decide if he will return to the law, has been to Hawick twice this year and has already struck up a bond with the workforce at Scott and Charters.

He explained: “The great thing is that as opposed to making things in far-flung destinations, with very little relationship to the manufacturers, here I know David and the workforce and if there are issues, you just pick up the phone and resolve it.

“I feel, in a way, this incredible quality is currently hidden away and it needs to be shared with a wider, younger audience, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

For further details, visit www.colhays.com

A fibre cable manufacturer in the Borders has secured a £56m contract from Germany securing its future for at least the next three years.

The jobs of more than 200 workers at Emtelle’s factories at Haughhead in Hawick and Oxnam Road in Jedburgh are safe after now that multi-million-pound deal with telecommunications firm Deutsche Glasfaser has been sealed.

Emtelle manufactures fibre cables and other equipment and employs around 300 people in the UK and Ireland and more than 450 in total worldwide.

A spokesperson for Emtelle confirmed that the deal secures the company’s future until 2022 and could even lead to further recruitment.

The firm will supply tube bundles and fibre cables for a nationwide fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) expansion.

Emtelle Group’s Tony Rodgers said it would help the German firm meet demand for high-speed connectivity “in every corner of the nation”.

Deutsche Glasfaser’s Stephan Zimmermann added: “As Germany’s fastest-growing FTTH network provider, it’s vital that we have the technology in place which can enable us to rollout ultra-fast connectivity to the outmost rural areas of the nation, and to do so rapidly.”

He said that was why it had chosen Emtelle’s “high-quality, reliable solutions” for the project.

Emtelle was founded in Jedburgh in 1980 and opened an additional manufacturing facility in Hawick in 1999.

It describes itself as the industry leader in plastic tubing for telecommunications and water piping.

Two years ago, Emtelle UK bought out German-based competitor Moore as part of a £27.5m investment.

As well as that acquisition, the firm has made substantial improvements to its Hawick and Jedburgh plants over recent years.

A woman has been banned from the road at Jedburgh Sheriff Court for driving while more than double the legal alcohol limit.

Mandy Hardy, 56, of Bowsden, east of Coldstream, pleaded guilty to driving with a breath-alcohol count of 49 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22, on the A698 Hawick-to-Kelso road near Denholm on August 19.

Sentence was deferred until November 11 for the production of background reports, and an interim disqualification was imposed.

Graham Fraser, prosecuting, said: “It was 11.40pm and police officers were on duty on a country road in the Hawick area.

“They saw the vehicle was all over the road and its speed was erratic, speeding up and then slowing down.

“The driver was pulled over and found to be more than twice the limit.”

Defence lawyer Colin Severin said his client had been at a funeral the previous day for a friend and had been drinking over the course of the two days.

He added: “At the end of the two days, she was overwhelmed and tired but felt sober. She misjudged the situation.”

Sheriff Murdo MacLeod, noting two previous convictions from years earlier, deferred sentence for the production of a criminal justice social work report.