AN alcoholic was found by police lying drunk on the floor of a Galashiels bank, breaching the terms of his antisocial behaviour order (ASBO).

Garry McElrath, 30, of Glendinning Terrace, Galashiels, pleaded guilty to being drunk and incapable of looking after himself to the alarm of others at Lloyds TSB in Channel Street.

Fiona Caldwell, prosecuting, said an ASBO had been issued at Jedburgh Sheriff Court in February last year regarding his drunken behaviour.

But she added: “About 5pm on Thursday, October 18, the accused entered the Lloyds TSB in Galashiels where he was incoherent and it was unclear what he required from staff.

“He was heard to swear various times and he was asked to leave the bank. He ended up lying on the floor of the bank and police were summoned.

“At about 5.20pm police found him lying on the floor of the bank and unable to stand up. He was assisted to his feet, but he was extremely drunk and smelling strongly of alcohol.” The prosecutor went on: “A check was made and it was found he was subject to an ASBO which prevented him from behaving in a drunken manner. He was taken to Borders General Hospital and checked over before being released back into police custody.”

The prosecutor said McElrath’s ASBO was due to expire in February and asked for consideration to be given to extending the order.

Defence lawyer Matt Patrick admitted: “He is an alcoholic and until his problem is addressed he is going to have these problems.”

Sheriff Donald Corke deferred sentence for four weeks for a report by the Borders Community Addication Team (BCAT) to be produced and other reports related to his drinking.

He released McElrath on bail until a court hearing on December 3 and said: “You are making a nuisance of yourself, but you are maybe killing yourself. So we have to try and help you and also help the public.”

A Hawick man who kicked and smashed the door of a shop had sentence deferred until November 16.

Barry Hayward, 30, of Kenilworth Avenue, admitted recklessly damaging a door at the Co-op, Kenilworth Avenue, Hawick, on August 31.

A MAN who smashed a bottle over the head of another male during a New Year’s Day karaoke party has been ordered to pay £1,000.

Paul Gresham appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday after failing to turn up at a previous hearing for sentence and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The 33-year-old – now working in Lincolnshire – handed himself into police when he realised a warrant had been issued.

Prosecutor Fiona Caldwell described how the victim, Kevin Williams, had been drinking in the White Swan pub in Kelso with other witnesses on New Year’s Day when the incident happened.

She explained: “Brian Campbell was running the karaoke at the bar and the accused was drinking in the bar with friends.

“The witnesses were facing the karaoke machine when, all of a sudden, the accused approached and struck Mr Williams with a glass bottle of Blue Wicked over the head. It caused a small cut on the back of the head and the accused was ejected by Mr Campbell as he was trying to leave.”

Ms Caldwell said Mr Williams had initially not required medical attention, but when police visited him on January 5 he was found to have a half-inch cut on his head.

She added: “He did later attend at Borders General Hospital and he was given ear drops over 14 days after complaining of hearing problems. During the police interview the accused said he had been drinking with friends and the complainer was there, who he had previous problems with. He said how he was sitting on the bench facing the karaoke and walked over as he was drinking the bottle and just flipped.”

Ms Caldwell continued: “He said, ‘I just wanted to hurt him and show him he could not pick on me as he had done in the past. I am sorry for doing it. It was the history and being full of drink were the reasons for doing this’.”

Gresham, who formerly lived at Inchmyre in Kelso, claimed through defence lawyer Iain Burke that he had been bullied over the years by the victim.

Sheriff Donald Corke told Gresham: “Whatever the history is between you, there is no excuse for this kind of assault. Certainly drink is not an excuse.”

The sheriff admitted that the fact Gresham was working long hours made it difficult to impose a sentence as he wanted to impose the alternative to custody to mark the seriousness of the offence through a community payback order and working unpaid hours.

Instead he fined Gresham £500 and ordered him to pay £500 compensation.

A TEENAGER was released on bail at Jedburgh Sheriff Court last Friday – only to be arrested for an alleged house break-in in Kelso the following day.

Seventeen-year-old McRae Fairbairn, of Bowmont Street, Kelso, appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday.

He denied breaking into a house in Albert Place on Saturday and stealing aftershave, alcoholic drinks and foodstuffs while the subject of an ASBO (antisocial behaviour order) and on bail.

His lawyer, Iain Burke, said the case would depend on whether Fairbairn had permission to enter the house as his client had been drinking with the householder earlier in the evening.

Sheriff Donald Corke fixed a trial date for March 7 and put Fairbairn on a home curfew of between 7pm and 7am.

STEALING a giro cheque and cashing it by forging the recipient’s signature resulted in a Kelso man being sentenced to a two-year community payback order and told to complete 125 hours of unpaid work at last Friday’s sitting of Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Benjamin Trimble, 24, of Station Road, admitted stealing the cheque at a house at Maxmill Park, Kelso, on November 3 last year and forging a signature to obtain £91.63 at the town’s post office.

Trimble also pleaded guilty to entering an unlocked car and stealing a remote control at Croft Road, Kelso, on May 15.

He and another man, who was carrying bolt cutters, were captured on CCTV wiping potential fingerprints from the inside of the vehicle and its door handles.

Trimble admitted forcing open a garden shed at Croft Road with intent to steal on the same date and stealing electrical items from a house at Grovehill, Kelso, four days later.

Trimble also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, kicking doors and striking windows at Maxmill Park on May 21 and stealing alcohol from Lidl, Shedden Park, Kelso, on 
June 13.

A COUNCIL depot in Galashiels has been hit by metal thieves. They struck overnight last Thursday into Friday at the SBC yard in Hall Street and escaped with cast iron street furniture, including tree protectors, benches and bollards.

Police say their haul has been valued at around £5,000 and have appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Today

Jedforest Historical Society (TALK): Chris Veitch “The Story Behind the Pictures”. British Legion, Jedburgh. 7.30pm.

Scottish opera - La traviata: Volunteer Hall, Galashiels. 7:30pm. £14/£5 under 26s. Tel: 01896 759655.

THe man who had all the luck (theatre): Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. 7:30pm. £14. www.eastgatearts.com. 01721 725777.

Friday

dukes of uke (MUSIC): Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. 7:30pm. £8. www.eastgatearts.com. 01721 725777.

Saturday

stow old time dancing: With Stuart Anderson. Stow Town Hall. £5. 01578 730355 / 01578 730520

Monday

iron (theatre): The Wynd Theatre, Melrose. 7:30pm. £12. 01750 725480. Runs until Tuesday 13.

Tuesday

melrose historical association (TALK): ‘Abbotsford and Sir Walter Scott: history and literature’ by Sandra McNeil. £3. 01896 822339.

life on the rocks (TALK): With Stuart Monro, director of Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth. Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. 7:30pm. £5. www.eastgatearts.com. 01721 725777.

Thursday, November 15

the dramateurs - Game plan by alan ayckbourn (theatre): Volunteer Hall, Galashiels. 7:30pm. Runs 15th, 16th & 17th November. Tickets £6 on the door or email lynseymcevoy@hotmail.com to book.

the borders big band (music): Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. 7:30pm. £10. www.eastgatearts.com. 01721 725777.

Friday, November 16

meet the makar - liz lochhead: Tower Mill, Heart of Hawick. 7pm. £10. www.heartofhawick.co.uk. 01450 360688.

Rory mcleod & the beggar girls: Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. 7:30pm. £13. www.eastgatearts.com. 01721 725777.

rolling hills folk (Music): George & Abbotsford Hotel, Melrose. 8:30pm. www.rollinghillsfolkclub.org.uk

Saturday, November 17

children’s book & storytelling festival: The Haining, Selkirk. 10am-4pm. Child tickets £2.50 (accompanying adults free). Unaccompanied adults £3.

June James & The swing street band (jazz): Whitsome Ark, Duns. 7:30pm. £6.50 on the door.

The children’s book illustrator Patrick Benson, whose pictures adorn books by Roald Dahl and Wind In The Willows author Kenneth Grahame, is returning to Hawick Art Club at Hawick High School tonight, at 7.30pm, to give a lecture titled Drawing From Life: an Illustrator’s Tale.

Mr Benson, who studied classical drawing in Florence and at the Chelsea School of Art, has illustrated 24 titles, including William Mayne’s Hob Stories, Owl Babies, written by Martin Waddell, The MinPins by Roald Dahl, as well as The Little Boat, by Kathy Henderson, and The Sea-Thing Child by Russel Hoban, both of which were shortlisted for a Kate Greenaway Medal.

A passionate fly fisherman, Benson also illustrated Fly Fishing by J. R. Hartley, of Yellow Pages television advertisement fame.

“It is with great anticipation that we welcome him once more,” said Hawick Art Club’s president Elizabeth Jackson. “Visitors on the night are most welcome.”

Tickets cost £3, and there will also be tea and coffee served.

Impressively perhaps, for just one man, Rory Mcleod is an ex-circus clown and fire eater, and now performs as a one-man soulband, poet and storyteller, singing his own unique upbeat dance stories.

The travelling troubadour, who uses tap shoes, acappella, harmonica, guitar, trombone, spoons, finger cymbals, bandorea, djembe and various percussion instruments, is joined by local band The Beggar Girls at Peebles’ Eastgate Theatre on Friday, November 16, at 7.30pm.

“The Beggar Girls are a four-piece folk band from the Borders, playing original/Balkan/English and French songs and tunes on fiddle, viola, accordion, double bass and three-part harmony vocals,” said Jo Powell, accordion player and singer with the group.

McLeod (top of page) composed the music for the TV animation series Creature Comforts, and was also voted best live act at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2002.

Tickets cost £12. Go to www.eastgatearts.com, or call 01721 725777.

Kelso’s Art House Gallery is hosting an exclusive exhibition of master engraver Graham Short’s work.

The gallery’s foyer now houses several microscopes through which Short’s work — enlightening quotes and inspirational proverbs engraved on miniscule household objects such as pins and razor blades — can be viewed.

Graham’s creative methods are unconventional, to say the least. When he works, he straps his arm down to ensure that his controlled movements are as precise as possible. A dedicated swimmer, he pursues an active lifestyle to keep his heart beating as slowly as possible. Due to the vibration that traffic causes during the day, Short works only at night, and often meets the dawn as it rises.

After a national newspaper discovered Graham’s unique talent for engraving, his work was in high demand.

Since then, he has reached the heights of global celebrity, appearing on the Discovery Channel and BBC’s The One Show, and is now regarded as one of the most talented living artists in the world today.

The Art House Gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10am-5pm.

The Dramateurs, a local amateur dramatic group based in Galashiels, are performing Alan Ayckbourn’s near-the-knuckle, touching and unconventional comedy GamePlan at the town’s Volunteer Hall on November 15, 16 and 17.

GamePlan, the darkest of the British playwright’s trilogy called Damsels In Distress (FlatSpin and RolePlay being parts two and three), is about a teenage girl who tries to support herself and her mother through prostitution.

“This daring play will have you both laughing and feeling uneasy as they take on a somewhat taboo subject,” writes the Dramateurs’ Louise Dunford. “The surrounding events will result in an intense yet heart-warming comedy.”

The play is set in a gleaming riverside flat in the brave new world of London’s Docklands – the home of the Saxons. Lynette Saxon and her husband did well on the internet market: hence the apartment and the good school for their daughter, Sorrel.

But then the business failed, and the husband ran off with Lynette’s business partner.

Lynette now works as an office cleaner, smokes heavily and is racked by a cough that is clearly partly nervous.

The flat may have to be sold. It is at this point that Sorrel takes action.

Sorrel’s idea, proving she has inherited both her father’s entrepreneurial genes and his lack of judgment, is to keep herself, and her mother, financially afloat by setting up as a part-time hooker.

The play is at its funniest when Sorrel, helped by her cheerful but dim friend Kelly, sets up her business and receives her first client: an elderly, bald widower, who pontificates about decency and gets all tearful about poor Marjorie, while Sorrel tries in vain to attract his attention with what she thinks are erotic gestures.

“Just when you wonder what will happen in this terrible situation,” Louise continued, “the play becomes a farce about body disposal, police questioning and media intrusion.

“This really is a great play by Alan Ayckbourn that will certainly offer something different as well as entertaining to the public!”

The play starts at 7.30pm, and tickets cost £6 from Fountain News, on the door, or email lynseymcevoy@hotmail.com to book.

Arthur Miller’s first play, The Man Who Had All the Luck, continues its first tour of Scotland at Peebles’ Eastgate Theatre tonight at 7.30pm.

The story follows the life of David Beeves, a motor mechanic in a small rural Midwest American town in the late 1930s, who is continually blessed with almost supernatural good fortune.

In contrast, his family and friends face difficult times: his father desperately trying to raise his under-performing brother to success on the baseball pitch, and his friend Shory, who is confined to a wheelchair, becoming increasingly resentful of his misfortune.

While those around him suffer everyday failures, David continues to prosper.

Yet the more success he achieves, the more guilty, depressed and paranoid he feels about the plight of those around him.

Like Midas, everything he touches is tinged with gold, leaving him to wonder if and when his luck will change and he, too, will be forced to deal with life’s tragedies, until he eventually realises that his good heart, hard work, and quick thought have been responsible for his success far more than luck.

The Man Who Had All The Luck remained one of Arthur Miller’s least-known plays for more than 50 years, until it was revived in 2000.

And this year, Sell a Door Theatre Company tours Miller’s masterpiece across Scotland for the first time.

The play is directed by David Hutchinson, and designed by Richard Evans, with a cast including Edward M. Corrie, Karen Bartke, Stephen Bisland, John Clyde, Richard Morse, Chris Anderton, Kenny Blyth and Megan Pitt.

A spokesperson explained: “Sell a Door tries to produce their season to cater for a wide genre of ages and tastes, yet the majority of their touring work is targeted at the young adult and teenage bracket.

“Bringing young people to the theatre is essential in growing our industry, and with the competition of cinema, online entertainment and other media outlets, Sell a Door feels its greatest challenge is to attract young adults and teenagers (who usually would not attend live theatre) to see their shows and excite them of the possibilities in theatre.”

The Sell a Door Theatre Company was established in 2007 by a small group of artists studying at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. In the years since being incorporated, Sell a Door has produced an impressive portfolio of work, such as UK tours of Dracula, A Taste of Honey and Lord of the Flies, and has established itself as a leading producer of mid-scale touring theatre, and one of the UK’s liveliest companies.

Tickets cost £14. Go to www.eastgatearts.com, or call 01721 725 777.

Songwriter Karine Polwart presents a special seven-piece live line-up at Innerleithen Memorial Hall on Thursday, November 29, following glowing reviews for her brand new album Traces.

Since she launched her first solo album Faultlines in 2004, Karine has gone on to win multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and established a reputation as an adept musical collaborator with the likes of Scots-Canadian ensemble The Burns Unit (with King Creosote and Emma Pollock), folk experimentalists Lau and Roddy Woomble.

Harnessing some of the filmic sweep of her new songs, Karine performs here with regular bandmates Steven Polwart (guitars & vocals) and Inge Thomson (accordion, percussion & vocals) alongside special guests Leila Dunn (clarinet/vocals), Sarah Hayes of Admiral Fallow (flute/vocals), Iain Sandilands (vibraphone, percussion) and Graeme Smillie of Olympic Swimmers/Unwinding Hours (keys/piano).

“Karine draws from folk music’s long tradition while keeping pace with the ceaselessly changing times,” her website explains. “Her talent for crafting unique, enduring melodies, her gift for saying just enough without overstating her case, the range and dynamism of her arrangements, all come together in songs of powerful contemporary relevance.

“She also has the purest and most approachable of singing voices, drawing the listener towards her in the same way one might lean towards a late night tale by the fireside.

“Her songs deal with humanity in all its many guises: there is tenderness, triumph and sorrow, raised flags of rebellion and independence, flashes of anger at power abused and misused. Perhaps most frequently she deals in spare, unsentimental empathy, often with those who have been dealt the least playable hands in the game of life.”

Having gained a first-class degree in politics and philosophy at Dundee University, a masters in philosophical inquiry from Glasgow, and later working in the area of women’s and children’s rights, Polwart has always wanted her music to perform some useful social function.

“For me,” says Polwart, “music is one of the most powerful ways of making sense of the world. It’s for celebrating, grieving, sharing, wondering. Nothing inspires me more than the realisation that any one of my songs means something to someone else.”

Her first job after her studies was as a philosophy tutor in a primary school, a job she describes as giving her a “massive buzz”. After this she spent six years working for the Scottish Women’s Aid movement on issues such as domestic and child abuse and young people’s rights and these experiences have influenced her songwriting.

Her debut album Faultlines won the Best Album award at the 2005 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, along with two others at the same ceremony, and increased Polwart’s profile not just in the folk community, but also in the wider musical arena.

Her fifth album Traces includes tracks inspired by the Occupy London protests (“King of Birds”) and Donald Trump’s controversial golf course development in Aberdeenshire (“Cover Your Eyes”).

Doors open at 7pm, and tickets cost £15 (plus booking fee in advance), available from Scotlight in Innerleithen, the Eastgate Theatre in Peebles, Ticketmaster and Tickets Scotland.

THE first train may end up being another year late in arriving and the scheme several hundred million pounds over its original budget, but Network Rail’s signing of the deal this week to construct and reopen a Borders railway by 2015 at the very latest, was still met with jubilation across the region.

On Tuesday, Scottish Transport Secretary Keith Brown also signed the agreement, transferring responsibility from Transport Scotland to Network Rail, which will see the longest railway to be built in Scotland since the Fort William-Mallaig line in 1901.

The target for the first services to be operational in the Borders for more than 40 years remains late 2014, but the terms of the contract have set summer 2015 as the date by which the 35-mile route has to be open.

At the Newtongrange ceremony, Mr Brown also announced the £294million scheme design has been enhanced to allow tourist charter trains to use the new Tweedbank terminus.

Calling it an “historic day” for the Borders, Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker said it ended any doubts about the project’s delivery.

“The Scottish Government has been committed to this project from the outset and it is delivering on the promises that it made to the Borders public,” said Mr Parker.

“I would also like to thank the Campaign for Borders Rail (CBR) and the many Borderers who have campaigned to make today’s announcement a reality. The efforts of CBR and other community representatives have been critical in achieving the return of rail services to the Borders.

“This is a project that has spanned five council administrations and three council leaders; it has required numerous studies, an act of parliament and a significant amount of work by Scottish Borders Council, Midlothian Council, City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland and Network Rail.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates that if you have vision and commitment it is possible to achieve what many believed was impossible.”

Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the formal transfer of responsibility, but is now urging the Scottish Government to fund the expansion of the line through to Hawick and on to Carlisle – a move that would re-establish the historic route, which was controversially closed by the Beeching cuts in 1969.

Chamber convener, James Aitken, commented: “After an absence of more than 40 years, the reintroduction of the rail line finally brings some normality back to the Borders and provides huge opportunities.

“Indeed, it is the single most important economic development in the area I can think of in my lifetime. It is a fantastic day for all of the Borders.” However, Mr Aitken said the celebrations were slightly marred by what he termed the years of “unwelcome amount of political squabbling locally” which had gone on over the issue.

“I and the chamber take the view that it is critical to our future and now we are about to enter the construction phase, I would urge that the unwarranted negative campaigning stops and that everyone gets behind the project.

“Getting the railway back is vital because it reconnects us with the rest of Scotland.”

But not everyone is happy, with local Tory MSP John Lamont MSP warning the cost of the project was continuing to spiral, while the completion deadline has been pushed back.

“We have a duty to ensure that we get the best value for money from public funds and so far the handling of this project has completely failed to achieve this,” he said.

However, even arch-rail critic Councillor Nicholas Watson (Leaderdale & Melrose, BP), who founded the Borders Party on the single issue of opposing the rail link, said he would consider using local trains when they become available.

“Our arguments have always been about how the Borders should develop in the future, and I have no doubt that we’ve helped many people across the Borders, including planners, to think hard about the difference between development which is damaging and development that’s well related to local needs and employment,” he said.

“The railway puts massive pressure for suburban development on the central Borders, so the Borders Party message about looking after the region’s particular qualities and assets is more important than ever.”

“That said, if all really is agreed, then I hope they get on with it, stick to the budget – if we are ever allowed to know what that is – and get it to Carlisle.”

Asked if he would use the train, Mr Watson replied: “Of course I would, maybe even three or four times a year.”

Meanwhile, councillors have approved the realignment of the railway at Tweedbank, due to underground power lines below the Black Path.

MOUNTAIN biking enthusiasts are undertaking training to be better guides at an annual cycling festival, writes Sally Gillespie.

Previous Tweedlove volunteers who have led visitors on trails in the region are being put through their training by organisers.

Tweedlove director Neil Dalgleish said: “We received public funding and sponsorship from local businesses for the festival so it’s great being able to give a thank you to some of the volunteers in this way.

“They all do an amazing job and the festival wouldn’t happen without them.”

The mountain bikers will be coached by local bike skills business Ridelines Ltd for their Trail Cycle Leaders qualification.

Aspiring guides Campbell Johnstone, who has volunteered at TweedLove every year, said: “We’ve all been riding these trails for years, but it’s great to get the proper tuition – it gives us all added confidence in dealing properly with groups of riders.

“There’s a lot to learn but it’s a lot of fun too.”

Guided rides on and off-road are a popular feature of the annual event which organisers say brings in visitors from all over the UK and has an estimated economic impact of £500,000 for the region.

Mr Dalgleish said: “One of the best things about TweedLove is our programme of free guided mountain bike rides.

“Anyone can come and join us for a ride-out – it’s free to take part and great fun. They’ve been so popular that we’re now running these rides throughout the year – visitors really enjoy the rides and it’s a great social opportunity too.”

Anyone wishing to volunteer for the May festival should email volunteers@tweedlove.com For further information about Tweedlove visit www.tweedlove.com

Just after the first frosts of the season began I was heading up north with my parents. The main purpose was to get some hills done.

Despite the fact that the Highlands have enjoyed a better summer, I shivered at the idea of heading to the deep, dark glens and being in the mercy of their shadow.

The Strathpeffer Hotel was a gaudy and cluttered conglomerate of tasteless objet d’arts and so was a disappointing start to our week. I was not inspired. I felt bad for my father; it was all he could find with spare rooms at short notice. The next morning we had to leave mother in this uninviting space as we headed for our first hills of the weekend.

Strathconon lies west of Strathpeffer. Both names, as the strath indicates, are wide valleys. The latter means valet of the wolf river; so I can imagine that at one time wolves would have made this their territory and were maybe spied drinking at the river’s edge. Although, the river that runs along the valley floor is called the River Meig, meaning boggy river.

Certainly, the start of our hike up the eastern slopes of Creag Ruadh were boggy and I had forgotten my gaiters. The mountain tops were obscured by the cloud base. As we ascended we looked down onto huge amber-coloured moorland, a section was still highlighted by sun though a rare break in the clouds.

Below the first summit we moved into the clouds, the temperature dropped and the air was saturated with moisture. Unusually, this went for my chest and I found myself reaching for my inhaler several times. From Creag Ruadh, the topography changed to a narrow ridge with steep slopes obvious even in the reduced visibility.

The summit of Meallan nan Uan (838m), lying north-west of the creag was surprising small. This is the type of summit where you stop abruptly in the thick mist, unsure of how dramatic the rocky slopes are around you. The strange thing on the ridge is the whiteness of the lichen on the rocks, even in dim light the thousands of blotches have a weird effervescence.

Heading north-north-west to the bealach, the landscape changes. We descended off the first mountain onto a large, open high moor. The clouds were on the move and had started to break and rise. The prominent ridge to our west, Creag Ghlas, was accentuated by cloud that looked as if it was being ripped off. The increasing view was tantalising and difficult to leave, we seemed to tarry in this huge space.

We skirted round the eatern side of Carn Fuar to begin our second ascent north-east to Sgurr a ‘Mhuillin.

Again, our surroundings transformed. The grass was short and beautifully green, the sun had come to greet us, widening our eyes.

A window opened to the west, giving life to the wider surroundings. Sgurr Coire a’ rainich and Sgurr a’ Ghlas leathaid stood in the new light with their heads held high – almost haughty. They were right, we looked at them in awe.

Turning round towards the summit, a thin veil of cloud moved up the hills momentarily, taking the brightness out of the green slope.

I held back to take photographs of Dad and his friend John walking along this pleasant ridge; they were gilded with light against a huge blue sky scored with a barred cloud.

It was not until we left the hill that its name was realised. The word sgurr in a mountain name suggests a sharp, pointed hill.

From our approach from the west it seemed so gentle, even serene, but the descent east follows a very steep shoulder topped with huge slabs.

Below us, on the north side of the Allt an t Strathain Mhoir, the bog gashes were spread out like the waves of a feather that has been in the water – bending and narrowing to the end of each line.

Thank you to all who e-mailed after last week’s mention about the number of coal tits in my garden. It would appear that the influx is fairly widespread across the region.

I really appreciate reader feedback like this.

However, please remember to say where you live as several messages didn’t contain this vital information.

Last Sunday was another of those cold, crisp, sunny days just made for walking, so I decided to head off down the river to see what was about.

On the river were the usual gulls and busy dippers and I paused to watch a group of jackdaws using the shallows for drinking and bathing.

Several female goosanders cruised along the surface of the river, occasionally dipping their heads below the surface to see if any small fish were within striking range.

The ubiquitous herons were scattered around in various locations, usually dozing on the river bank, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

As I approached a wooden footbridge crossing a burn which emptied into the river at this point, I noticed a carrion crow acting strangely.

Normally these wily corvids are off at the merest hint of human presence, but this one carried on tossing fallen leaves into the air to see if anything edible lurked underneath.

I stopped to watch and it continued as if I wasn’t there, leaving me time to take loads of pictures. At one point, it waded into the muddy delta formed by the burn and started pulling leaves out of the water, looking for food.

I was so engrossed in photographing this behaviour that I failed to notice the approach of a lady who was out for her Sunday constitutional.

She must have been there for several minutes before I eventually saw her. I explained what I was up to and she said: “Oh that thing’s here every day. A lady comes here and feeds it all the time.”

So much for my stealth and wildlife observational skills!

Anyway, it was a great opportunity to see such a normally shy bird up close and to get some pictures for my files.

FEARS a ban on hunting would lead to job losses and the slaughter of hounds have proved groundless, according to statistics out last week.

Country sports supporters, Countryside Alliance surveyed UK hunts and found nearly a third have more followers now. And rather than local economies being hit, with huntsmen, farriers, feed merchants and other businesses affected, some hunts are going out more and nearly two thirds feel there is greater community support for them now.

Buccleuch Hunt chairman and former Scottish Countryside Alliance director, Allan Murray said support locally for hunting remained strong since the introduction of the ban 10 years ago, and that generally there had been a “huge upturn” in interest.

He told us: “The Borders is the backbone of hunting in Scotland. It’s a very popular activity which is going to continue. It’s down to land owners and managers: without them there would be no country sport and we are extremely fortunate.

“I think the community here welcomes the hunt for a variety of reasons – community spirit, the social gathering as well as what it brings to the local economy.”

The Buccleuch Hunt goes out three times a week during the winter, providing a fox control service to farmers, as does the Border Hunt, while the Jed Forest usually meets twice a week. Other local hunts are the Liddesdale, the Berwickshire and the Lauderdale.

Of the 320 hunts registered in the UK, 123 responded to Countryside Alliance’s questionnaire, including the Border and the Jed Forest, among four from Scotland.

Nearly 60 per cent of hunts had about the same number of supporters on horseback and on foot, while 30 per cent said they had more. Over 80 per cent hunted as much as they did before, with 10 per cent going out more. Most hunts (over 85 per cent) still assist farmers and other land managers by culling foxes. Just under 40 per cent thought more foxes had been killed since the ban, while about the same number said there had been no change. Over half of hunts went out two days a week. More than 80 per cent have the same number of hounds since the ban, with five per cent keeping more and nearly 15 per cent less.

Just two of the hunts which replied are always followed by animal rights activists, while more than a quarter are never targeted.

More than 60 per cent of hunts felt better supported by their local communities, while a third said support had remained the same.

Onekind’s (formerly Advocates for Animals) Libby Anderson said: “When the Scottish Act came into law 10 years ago, the hunting lobby made dire predictions of job losses and the wholesale destruction of horses and hounds, but in fact hunts are still active north of the border. It is still possible to hunt without subjecting a sentient mammal to a prolonged chase and a cruel death in the jaws of the hounds. That is a wildlife crime, and rightly so. However, foxes can be flushed and shot, although we do have concerns that this is not always done as quickly as possible.

“From our perspective, the Scottish debate was only ever about animal welfare.”

Mr Murray said there has been a “huge surge” in country activities and interest in them since the ban.

Buccleuch Hunt takes their hounds to fairs and shows throughout the country and he said: “The amount of interest shown in the hounds by the public, many of whom have never seen them, is phenomenal. We get a huge response in areas where there is no hunting. People can come in and stroke the hounds and kids think this is fantastic. We want to encourage everybody who wants to go hunting to come and give it a go.”

THE MILTON-Keynes operators of a caravan park in Peebles plans to build up to 200 homes at the site.

Bridge Leisure took over the management of the park last year and hope to upgrade facilities.

And it says to help pay for the revamp it plans to develop the area fronting Rosetta Road for housing.

Myriam Hengesch, of planning consultant Savill’s, said: “It’s quite a big park so in order to provide the improvements, Bridge Leisure is looking at releasing some of the land for housing at the Rosetta Road end which is the least visible. This [200 houses] is an estimated number... [and] is not fixed as we are currently carrying out detailed technical assessments which will inform the final number.”

Ms Hengesch said the company had submitted a proposal of application notice to Scottish Borders Council.

The proposals so far include plans for a café and shop, as well as the houses.

Ms Hengesch said: “We are looking at having better facilities and bringing the park more up to date.”

The developers are holding a drop-in exhibition of the proposals at the town’s Eastgate Theatre from 4pm to 7pm on Friday, November 23.

Ms Hengesch said: “We want people to come and look at the plans and make comments.

“Through careful design we will be able to mitigate any adverse impacts and with input from the local community we hope to ensure the new holiday park helps bring as many additional visitors to Peebles as possible.”

Community councillor Amanda Kubie said the council welcomed plans to improve the park’s facilities but that it was concerned about the housing development because of access.

She said: “We can’t see that the roads there will support 200 houses, given that Violet Bank on the opposite side of the road is being developed and 50 houses are going there, unless there is a second crossing over the Tweed.”

AFTER news that a major Borders employer was bucking the current harsh economic conditions with a major recruitment drive, it has been announced that another company is on track with its exciting plans for expansion.

Last week, TheSouthern reported how the Kelso plant operated by American-based high-tech manufacturer, Plexus, had taken on 57 new staff in the three months up until October.

And this week, plastics specialist, Forbes, which also has its factory in Kelso, has announced further major investment.

Forbes has already ploughed substantial sums into its extensive developments on its site at the town’s Pinnaclehill Industrial Estate in recent years.

Part of that was made possible with funds from the sale of land to supermarket giant, Sainsbury’s, for its new store in the town.

And company chairman, Lee Forbes, told TheSouthern this week that, following the purchase of an additional 1.7 acres of land earlier this year, ground works are almost complete for the latest expansion, with the foundations of another large building now in place.

And, in line with company policy, where possible, local companies are involved, with the main ground works and the customised factory building being contracted out to local firms.

Once complete, the buildings will house a new manufacturing plant to manufacture an extensive range of very large storage and processing tanks, together with gas scrubbing towers, in thermoplastic materials.

With diameters up to four metres and capacities up to 100m3, these will be produced with the latest custom-built automated equipment

This is another addition to Forbes’ already comprehensive range of tanks, vessels and scrubbers currently built in Kelso.

Representing an investment of over £1.7million, this new plant will enable the company to satisfy virtually every recognised type of construction for tanks and scrubbers in plastics.

Mr Forbes told us: “This very large investment demonstrates our confidence in the people of Kelso. A large part of the success of the company has been down to our excellent workforce.

“This new development will involve further employment. We have plans to increase the workforce and have already taken on personnel with a view to starting training ready for this exciting expansion”.

Mr Forbes explained how important the cash from Sainsbury’s had been to the expansion project.

“Without the co-operation of Sainsbury’s, we would not be in the fortunate position we are today. Over the past two years we have increased our exports, primarily due to the increased efficiency of being on one site in modern custom built buildings.”

The new plant is scheduled to start operations in February and will employ a further five workers.

Local Scottish Borders councillor Tom Weatherston (Con) told us: “The recent expansion of the Forbes site on Pinnaclehill estate is another good news story for Kelso and since the relocation of all their factories on to one site, to allow for the Sainsbury’s supermarket, there has been a real upturn in steady orders all year round.

“With work now started on the latest Forbes factory, this will be another boost for the town and the Forbes workforce.

“There are several new businesses also showing keen interest in the new Pinnaclehill estate expansion, so fingers crossed there will be more good news coming shortly.”

The news of the expansions from Plexus and Forbes, comes just weeks after a rescue deal was announced for Hawick-based Barrie Knitwear.

A total of 176 jobs were secured after luxury French fashion label, Chanel, announced a takeover of the Borders mill.

The future of Barrie Knitwear and its workforce had been in doubt after parent company, Dawson International, fell into administration in the summer, due to pension fund problems.