A 22-year-old Galashiels man vandalised cars in the town, causing more than £600 worth of damage.

Daniel Stewart, of High Tweed Mill, King Street, admitted five charges of recklessly damaging vehicles, and also stealing from another car.

He caused £120 damage after striking a car in Roxburgh Place, and £30 damage to a vehicle in Roxburgh Street. Stewart vandalised another car in Roxburgh Street to the tune of £15 and £40 damage to one parked in Union Street. He also caused a total of £400 damage after recklessly damaging five vehicles at Central Garage in Island Street, and stole compact discs and a purse, worth £80, from an insecure car at Torwoodlee Road.

All the offences were committed on September 14/15.

Co-accused Gregory Crantson, 18, of Glenfield Road East, Galashiels, admitted entering an insecure car at Windyknowe Road on the same dates and stealing a satellite navigation system and personal items worth £500.

Both accused had sentence deferred until December 17 for reports.

A Selkirk man involved in supplying diazepam said he believed drug-taking was a personal choice.

But Sheriff Kevin Drummond warned James Sutherland the practice was illegal and he must observe the law, like anyone else.

Sutherland, 45, of Leslie Place, admitted being concerned in the supply of diazepam at King Street, Galashiels, on March 7 after police found 71 tablets and a tick list. Sheriff Drummond commented: “He is of the opinion that if someone wants to take drugs they can.”

Defence solicitor Iain Burke responded: “That is his attitude, but he accepts that there are laws in place and that he has contravened them.”

The sheriff warned Sutherland: “You don’t choose which laws you observe, and you will observe the law the same as everyone else.

“The extent of the supply is such that I am able to deal with this without a custodial sentence.”

Sutherland was sentenced to a six-month community payback order and told to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

A MAN appeared in private charged on petition with assault to injury and danger of life.

Twenty-one-year-old Alan Walker, of Duns, made no plea or declaration and was released on bail.

A drunken man who bought a knife from a Galashiels supermarket during the early hours of Christmas Eve told police he made the purchase for his own protection after a man strangled him in a nightclub.

Liam Brown was seen on the store’s CCTV as he passed through Tesco’s self-checkout, having bought a knife with a five-inch blade.

Brown, 22, of Gala Park Court, Galashiels, appeared on indictment and admitted possession of a knife at Overhaugh Street, Galashiels, on December 24.

Police were alerted when Brown was seen queuing outside the Indigo Rooms nightclub with the knife, which was found in the pocket of his jeans. He told officers a man had strangled him in the nightclub, so he went to Tesco’s and bought the knife to protect himself.

“Police were on duty around 1.10am on Christmas Eve when someone told them there was a man standing with a knife, queuing to get into the Indigo Rooms,” explained procurator fiscal Graham Fraser.

“He was spoken to by police and told he was going to be searched, and was entirely co-operative, showing them a knife in the front left pocket of his jeans. It had a blade of five inches, so was not insubstantial,” added Mr Fraser.

Brown was arrested and taken to the police station.

“He made a comment to the effect that a man had strangled him in the Indigo Rooms, so he went to Tesco’s and bought a knife to protect himself,” continued Mr Fraser. “Police checked the store’s CCTV and saw the purchase captured on that.”

Iain Burke, defending, said he found it “slightly odd” that someone could buy a knife during the early hours of the morning.

The lawyer added: “He is extremely grateful to the friend who alerted police as he was not behaving in a rational manner.”

Mr Burke said Brown now rarely socialised.

“He does not have any history of criminal behaviour and has led a quiet life. His over-reaction relates to his suffering when he was subject to harassment and bullying at school,” added Mr Burke.

The first offender was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order, with a condition he completes 120 hours of unpaid work.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond warned: “I want you to clearly understand that this is the classic situation in which grave consequences can follow. We have a young man, under the influence of alcohol, and with some perceived grudge, who went to Tesco’s and bought a knife. That is a situation which can end up with somebody dead at the end of it.”

In imposing an alternative to custody, the sheriff said Brown “was not without his problems” and appeared as a first offender.

A HAWICK woman has pled guilty to a £40,000 benefits fraud.

Elizabeth Yule was handed a community payback order at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last week after admitting the offence at an earlier hearing.

The 56-year-old from Oliver Place will also be supervised for the next two years.

Yule first appeared in private charged on petition at Jedburgh Sheriff Court charged with a £74,857 benefits fraud.

However, the amount was reduced to £40,000 and she pled guilty on October 16. Sentence was subsequently deferred for reports until last week’s appearance.

A TEENAGER who killed his best friend in a car crash has said he wished he had died instead.

Robert Thornton was at the wheel of a relative’s powerful Mitsubishi Lancer Extreme Evo when it ploughed into a tree on New Year’s Day.

Seventeen-year-old Earlston Rhymers footballer Scott Johnston died and Thornton, 18, of Castle Wynd, Lauder, spent three months in hospital fighting life-threatening injuries.

The driver’s family had been told he might die after he had to be resuscitated in the wreckage of the car and in an ambulance.

At Duns Sheriff Court last week Thornton admitted causing his Earlston pal’s death by careless driving and while not insured on the A697 near Westruther.

Extra police were drafted into the court where Thornton appeared on indictment.

There have been several court cases since the accident with emotions described at one hearing as “running high” in both Lauder and Earlston.

Defence lawyer Ray Megson said: “He (Thornton) does not remember the accident and, in fact, his last memory was Christmas Day. The prognosis was not good and his mother was told to expect the worst, but he has made a remarkable recovery, although he will not fully recover for sometime yet.”

Mr Megson said his client was emotionally “brain dead “ over the impact of the accident.

He added: “He has shown no form of emotion but says that if he could have his time again he would wish he was dead and not his best friend.”

Mr Megson said he would reserve the remainder of his mitigation for the next hearing on December 19 when background reports will be presented.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond told Thornton: “You are a young man with no previous convictions and have not come to the adverse attention of the authorities, and here you are facing this terrible situation.”

But as he left the dock, Mr Johnston’s angry relatives asked out loud why he was being allowed bail and still allowed to drive.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley confirmed the crashed car belonged to Thornton’s great uncle Jock Threadgall who had met Thornton by chance shortly after 5.30pm while out in Lauder celebrating with friends on New Year’s Day and asked for a lift home in the teenager’s Vauxhall Corsa.

Ms Bradley said Mr Threadgall – a former professional rally driver – then decided to go to the pub in Westruther and agreed to allow Thornton to drive his Mitsubishi.

She added that after the owner was dropped off, Thornton went back to Threadgall’s house and asked Scott if he wanted a shot in the car to which he agreed.

The fiscal said: “He tried to negotiate a right-hand bend but lost control of the vehicle causing it to cross to the opposite carriageway and then striking a tree.”

She said members of the public went to the aid of the pair before paramedics and police arrived on the scene, but Mr Johnston’s life was pronounced extinct by a doctor at 7.25pm.

She said no defects were found with the car which could have caused the collision and it had recently passed a MOT.

A static speed camera was checked with no indication that Thornton had been speeding. She added he was not insured with or without Mr Threadgall’s permission to drive.

Thornton – who was on a ventilator for nine days and discharged from hospital on April 20 – told police on August 28 that he had little knowledge of the car and that he was a named driver on his mother’s insurance.

z Mr Threadgall, a blacksmith and farrier in Lauder, appeared at the same court last month and pleaded guilty to causing Thornton to use the vehicle without third party insurance. He was fined £200 and had his licence endorsed with six penalty points.

A PEEBLES mum and dad has called for greater measures to protect school pupils’ clothing after their daughter was forced to walk home in her gym kit when her uniform went missing, writes Kenny Paterson.

Gary and Iris French believe their 16-year-old daughter Emily’s skirt and shoes were stolen from a PE changing room at Peebles High last Thursday.

Emily attended classes the next day in non-uniform as a form of protest, while dad Gary also visited the school to discuss the matter – but was left unhappy with the response.

A Scottish Borders Council spokeswoman said the school believed the clothes were taken by mistake and was not aware of any previous incidents of theft within its premises.

The spokeswoman told us yesterday (Wednesday): “The school informed the parent and explained that they thought someone had picked up the clothes by mistake.

“Pupils in the class were asked to check that they did not put the items in their bags by mistake and a note was put in the school bulletin. To date the missing items have not turned up.

“A deputy headteacher yesterday (Tuesday) spoke to the parent of the child who has lost the clothes to explain the steps taken by the school and the parent is content with this.”

However, after being informed of SBC’s response, mum Iris was still unhappy.

She said: “We are not content with it at all.

“I think the clothes have definitely been stolen. How can someone mistake a pair of shoes for their own?

“We now have to fork out for new clothes.

“Something surely must be done by the school to ensure this does not happen again, whether it is taking all the school clothes and putting them in the corner of the PE hall.”

Speaking to TheSouthern on Tuesday lunchtime before SBC’s statement, Gary told us: “Emily had taken part in PE on the last period of school and when she came back her shoes and skirt had gone. One of Emily’s friends also had clothes stolen from a separate changing room but I believe she did not report it.

“I went in to the school the next day to discuss the matter, but was concerned nothing had been reported and we have had no communication since.

“As a form of protest, Emily then went into school in non-uniform the next day.”

Gary added: “She is a fifth year pupil, so is not a young girl, but this should still not be happening.

“It seems to be malicious, but we have had no communication from the school at all. I have taken football teams to deprived areas of Edinburgh and had items stolen, which you can maybe understand.

“But it is strange for clothes to be taken from changing rooms in Peebles High.”

A Border man’s translation of 8th-century Chinese poetry into Scots has impressed 2012 Stephen Spender Prize judges. The national competition challenges people to translate a poem from any modern or classical language into English.

Among the 51 languages entered this year – including Bengali, Tamil, Sicilian, Ukranian, Kurdish, Dutch and Irish – Brian Holton’s “innovative” and “creative” Scots translation of Spring Sun on the Watterside Clachan by the classical Chinese poet Du Fu was commended in the open category.

Brian, a former Galashiels Academy pupil, Selkirk museum curator and presenter on BBC Radio Tweed, is what Borderers would call “a man o’ pairts”. The 63-year old is hailed as the foremost translator from Chinese in his generation, and the only currently-publishing Chinese-Scots translator in the world.

Now living in Melrose, retired from academic teaching posts in the UK and China, Brian can dedicate more time to his Scots and English translations of Chinese poetry – and expand the two-metre long line of his own books on the shelf.

“I’ll never get bored,” he told TheSouthern, adding: “I’ll never be able to read all the surviving texts of 3,000 years. It’s some of the greatest literature ever written – and less than one per cent of it has been translated. That’s a hell of a toybox.”

Brian first experienced languages and travel at an early age – but in Africa, rather than Asia. He and his twin brother Harvey were born in Galashiels Cottage Hospital in 1949, to their mother Isobel, a natural Border Scots speaker with family connections in Berwickshire and Selkirk, and their Irish father Cyril.

The twins and their younger brother Norman grew up in Nigeria, where Cyril – a commando in the Second World War – learned local languages in jobs varying from buying hunters’ animal skins to the civil service. Cyril was bilingual in English and French, and fluent in the African languages of Hausa, West African Pidgin and Yoruba.

“Dad would play language games with us, asking us to ‘pass the sugar’ in Swahili,” recalls Brian.

Naturally, when the Holtons returned to the Borders, Brian chose languages – Latin, Greek, French and English – to study for his Highers at Galashiels Academy.

“The big moment of illumination for me was standing outside Jo’s Cafe in Selkirk when a friend asked, ‘Are oo gan swimmin?’.

“I realised all my life I’ve been speaking two languages. There’s at least two tongues in the Borders – what you speak at school, what you speak at the kirk, at the office, across the Tweed ...”

But it was a book of Chinese poetry he found in the school library in his final year that, he said, “blew me away”.

Chinese poetry, he explains, has “a clarity, a sense of light of openness. It’s like the beautiful Chinese vases you see: so simple and blindingly perfect.”

To help illustrate the point, he quotes the music critic Alfred Einstein (Albert’s cousin): “Mozart’s music is like clear water: only when you study it do you realise how deep it is.”

Brian added: “A lot of these books are great because they slap you between the eyes and change you. Reading Confucius as a young man changed my life: he teaches you tolerance, compassion and patience.”

He graduated from Edinburgh University top of his class (summa cum laude) in Chinese Studies, and went on to a postgraduate research degree at Durham University – two institutions where in the 1990s he later taught modern and classical Chinese language and literature.

After his student days were over, Brian returned to the Borders during the late 1970s and for a while lived in Yarrow, around Melrose and in Ettrick until the late 1980s, when he moved to the people’s Republic of China to teach English at Ningbo University.

Later, during the 1990s, he became the first programme director of the Chinese-English/English-Chinese translation programme at Newcastle University, before taking, in 2000, the post of assistant professor in Chinese-English translation at Hong Kong Polytechnic University – where he had to learn a new language.

Brian studied Mandarin and classical Chinese, but, he said: “Cantonese is a different language – a bit like the difference between French and Portuguese.”

Mandarin is the standard literary and official form of Chinese, while Cantonese is a form of Chinese spoken mainly in Hong Kong and south-east China.

Now Brian, the last surviving Holton brother, has come back to live in Melrose after 24 years away from this region where he will still be remembered as a weel-kent voice on BBC Radio Tweed, writing and presenting a programme called Life in Scots about the Border tongue.

During the 1980s he also worked in Selkirk for the Ettrick and Lauderdale Museum Service, helping to curate Halliwell’s House Museum, and penning a pamphlet for visitors called The Ring o’ the Toun.

The one-time member of the Hong Kong Ceilidh Band still plays the traditional music of Scotland, Ireland and Northumberland on his whistles, dulcimers, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin and Scottish smallpipes.

Read Brian’s commended poem at www.stephen-spender.org.

SEMI-JUNIOR LEAGUE

YOUTH CLUB encountered a strong Gala Wanderers team on Saturday – and, despite a late fightback, were defeated in an entertaining game.

Gala were put under early pressure, resulting in a penalty for home stand-off Darren Knox.

The Selkirk forwards were working hard against a much bigger Gala pack, however, the visiting centre intercepted a pass to run through and score between the posts, leaving an easy conversion.

Gaining in confidence, Gala began moving the ball about and stretching the home defence, and with 30 minutes played increased their lead after working the ball wide to touch down for a second converted try.

Half-time score: Selkirk Youth Club 3 Gala Wanderers 14.

Gala started the second period the way they had finished the first and were unlucky not to increase their lead when a penalty drifted wide of the Youth Club posts.

It was midway through the half when Gala managed to score again, their speedy winger finding space to burst through and touch down.

Just as it looked as if the visitors had total control, the young Souters knuckled down. With the forwards showing great determination, supported by some good play from the backs, they managed to pin Gala back near their try line.

They were rewarded when, from a lineout, they pushed the Gala forwards over their try line, with Jordan Lunt touching down.

With only a few minutes left, Andrew Toole touched down, Knox adding the extras to close the gap to four points.

Youth Club pressed to get another try, but the visitors managed to kick the ball to safety for the referee to blow full-time.

The Youth Club are grateful to sponsors Jan Beattie & Colin Anderson and J. H. Turnbull (Farming).

THE Borders’ senior councillor for economic development believes a controversial planning policy should be relaxed in order to save the region’s high streets.

The ED4 rule, which aims to protect prime retail frontage in town centres, was called into question at Galashiels Community Council after an application to turn an empty shop in a gym was initially turned down by Scottish Borders Council because it would lead to the loss of a class one shop unit.

However, last month the applicant, Christina Burns, with support from the community council, successfully appealed the decision to the local review body which included Tweeddale East councillor Stuart Bell. Now Mr Bell thinks the policy should be reconsidered, with a report earlier this year indicating the average weekly footfall in eight Borders towns had fallen by nearly 8,000 from 2007 to 2011.

The SNP member told TheSouthern: “I agree with those in Galashiels Community Council who believe the policy should be relaxed in order to encourage business into town centres across the Borders during these difficult economic times when footfalls have fallen across the region.”

He added: “There is a growing opinion in the council that we should think more about Prime People Frontage rather than Prime Retail Frontage – perhaps even change the wording – and try to identify those activities and businesses that will attract people to come into our town centres so they become places where the public relax and enjoy themselves.

“This might be a bit of retail therapy or it might, for example, be medical therapy, such as visiting a chiropractor or a gym.

“Our town centres need to be places where people can meet and chat, and at the same time pay for goods and services, thus generating economic activity.

“This is a vision for a new future for our town centres – it challenges current planning thinking.

“The hard reality is that we must do something to counter the decline and deterioration in some of our town centres.

“The restricted planning designation of Prime Retail Frontage has perhaps had its day.”

Mr Bell believes SBC now has a great opportunity to improve town centres throughout the Borders, with its Local Plan currently being reviewed.

“Some of the current decline in footfall in our towns is a result of the growth of internet and out-of-town shopping, and we may never reverse all of the decline, but I believe we must adapt our planning policies to give every boost possible to our town centres,” Mr Bell told us.

Agents for the Galashiels gym application on Channel Street had written to SBC claiming the ED4 policy was damaging the vitality and viability of the town centre.

Galashiels councillor Bill White says action needs to be taken by both the local authority and businesses, with footfall decreasing in his ward by 14.5 per cent over a four-year period, while neighbouring town Selkirk saw a more dramatic fall of more than 30 per cent.

Mr White added: “Certainly it is something SBC should look at. If the legislation was amended it would help a lot of high streets in the Borders which are not in a great shape, particularly Galashiels.

“The businesses themselves need to get together and decide what they are going to do.

“There are real tough times ahead, especially when Christmas is out of the way and the stores are faced with less trade and tax bills in January.

“I have been assured there is interest in a number of properties in Galashiels but the policy should be changed because of the circumstances we are now in.”

An SBC spokesman said the preferred option as part of this year’s Local Development Plan Main Issues report was to “take a more proactive approach to town centre frontage areas that would allow consideration of uses that provide public activity in the core retail areas where the demand for shops may be insufficient”.

The spokesman added that the council will put together a proposed plan in spring next year.

But Galashiels Chamber of Trade co-chairman David Houston believes SBC should be wary of loosening the rules due to the current economic climate.

He told us: “In Galashiels, we have the introduction of the transport interchange in two years which is due to change the face of the town centre for the long term.

“You don’t want to be altering rules for the long term when there are huge changes ahead.

“The transport interchange is designed to push footfall into Channel Street, and that is where you want your retail rather than non-retail units.”

Bringing cattle indoors after a summer at grass should be enjoyable. What’s not to like about cattle romping round in their new surroundings, knee-deep in clean, bright straw, or watching them come to the feeding troughs when good-quality silage and grain mix appears?

If only. Much of the straw from this year’s wet harvest is poor stuff and silage quality is generally poor, as is grain quality. There’s also a feeling that no matter how carefully cattle have been studied and monitored while at grass – often with supplementary feeding – some in every batch are not as big or as fit as they would have been if summer had been better.

In short, bringing cattle inside hasn’t been as enjoyable as it should be and there is still a long winter ahead during which straw and feed quality will not improve.

As always, the best beef producers will make a living. The latest costings from Eblex Business Pointers confirm that yet again.

Excluding what they call non-cash costs of unpaid family labour, rental value of owned land and interest on working capital – substantial items for many farmers – the report found that the margin for the top third of cattle finishers was £289 per head.

That seems remarkable to me, when the average margin was a pitiful £36. The average margin for intensive finishers was £118 per head, for the top third £185.

Looking at costs, Eblex found that the top third of suckler herds in the hills and uplands had costs of £46 per cow, while the average was £57.

It’s the old double-whammy for below-average producers of costs too high and returns too low. For the less able among us, that is never an easy gap to close, but the advisers keep hammering away.

Carol Davis, a senior analyst with Eblex, said: “The Business Pointers data clearly shows that strict control of fixed costs gives producers an opportunity to make significant efficiency gains and improve their bottom-line results.

“Fixed costs include a range of inputs such as labour, power and machinery, contractor charges, administration, property charges and land resources.

“By benchmarking their own performance against top-third producers in the report, they can pinpoint areas of high cost and try to reduce them.”

Once again, if only. It’s one thing to know where costs are high, another to try and reduce them. But the top-third results show that it can be done, and the same applies to sheep in the same Eblex costings.

Again, excluding unpaid family labour, rental value of owned land and interest on working capital, the net margin per ewe for top-third lowland breeding flocks was £42.36. The average was £6.68. For hill and upland breeding flocks, top-third margin was £42.14, average £14.14; for top-third store lamb finishers the margin was £24.45 per head, average £8.80.

As Robert Townsend wrote many years ago in Up The Organisation – still well worth reading for anyone running a business – “If you aren’t in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing there?”

Looking at the above averages, elementary maths tells us that about one third of producers have margins below those shown. There’s no profit there and, unless I miss my guess, precious little fun. Not much joy for sheep farmers in the latest statements from the British Wool Marketing Board either.

After the good news last year that the average wool price was a 25-year high average of 124p per kilo, this year it is about 80p.

That’s a dramatic slump and wool board chairman Malcolm Corbett admitted that perhaps they had been too optimistic.

A fall in demand from China, the Eurozone crisis, European countries deep in debt and renewed competition from New Zealand had all contributed.

Whatever the causes, the net result for sheep farmers is disappointing. As is the way, lamb prices have fallen by about eight per cent in the past month. That is substantially below last year at this time and even less than 2010.

A main reason has been poorer carcase quality because of the cold, wet summer, while the strength of sterling has made exports less competitive, and the value of sheepskins has fallen.

Anyone getting glimpses of the crowds at last weekend’s rugby internationals featuring Scotland and England might wonder how that could be, although I suppose, apart from football commentator John Motson, sheepskin coats don’t feature much anywhere else.

In Borders fields the last stages of an awful harvest continue to limp along with beans still to cut – or in some cases plough in – and there is still straw to bale if and when there is ever a drying, as opposed to bright and sunny, day. Desperate attempts at autumn sowing continue and will for some weeks.

Some growing crops are looking good, many are patchy because of poor seedbeds and slug and disease damage, and water continues to lie in places I’ve never seen it before.

As a US politician said recently when asked if she was an optimist or a pessimist: “I’m an optimist who worries a lot”.

Most farmers would, at present, fall into that category.

ST BOSWELLS

AT St Boswells Mart on Monday John Swan Ltd sold 75 clean cattle, 104 OTM cattle, 3,436 new season lambs and 1,030 ewes.

Bullocks (46) averaged 204.1p per kg and sold to 236 (-4.4p on week), heifers (29) averaged 213.2p per kg and sold to 238 (+4.9p on week) and 104 beef type OTM cattle averaged 125.7p per kg and sold to 181 (+1.0p on the week).

The 3,436 new season lambs averaged 154.5p per kg and sold to £89.50 (-6.8p on week) and 1,030 ewes averaged £43.91 and sold to £91 for ewes and £113 for tups.

Cows per head: Kersknowe £1547.55, £1530, £1487.20; Humebyres £1444.55; Innerwick £1422, £1258.40; Kaeside £1283.52; Grahamslaw £1224; Brockhouse £1205.40; Birkenside £1164.50; Kirklands £1136; Wester Middleton £1139; Timpendean £1087.70.

Cows per kg: Kersknowe 1.81, 1.70, 1.69; Humebyres 1.73; Grahamslaw 1.70; Wester Middleton 1.70; Innerwick; Langlee Mains; Corsbie 1.55; Langtonlees 1.53; Kaeside 1.51, 1.49; Crookston 1.49; Brockhouse 1.47; Nether Fala 1.46; Old Jeddart 1.46.

Bulls: Phantassie £1334(1.15), £1251.05 (1.31); Muircleugh £1309.35 (1.29).

Prime and cast sheep, principal prices - Lambs per head: Bel;- £89.50, £88 Crookston, Tex.x;- £86.50 Crookston, £85 Greypeel, Suff.x;- £85, £81 The Lee, £79, £78 Huntington, Suff;- £76 Woodside, Char;- £71.50 Greenhead. R, GF;- £68.50 Hartside, £67.50 Burncastle, CM;- £67, £65 Woodside, Chev;- £66.50, £64.50 Whitchesters, Chev.x;- £63.50 Woodside, Ber;- £63 Borthwickshiels, BF;- £60 Harts1de.

Cast ewes: Suff.x;- £91, £85 Smailholm Mains, Tex;- £77 Sorrowlessfield Mains, £75 Eildon Mains, HB;- £67 Haltree, CM;- £67 Langtonlees, GF;- £63 Hillhouse, £61, £59 Thistle Doo, Lle;- £65 Dolphinston, Chev;- £59 Lylestane, BF;- £53 Outerston, £51 Carterhouse.

Rams: Tex;- £113 Greenend, £99 Tynehead.

BORDER LIVESTOCK

LAST week Border Livestock Exchange Ltd sold 123 prime cattle including 64 cull cows, 2,291 prime lambs including 402 cast ewes, 671 store lambs and 171 store cattle.

Aberdeen Angus cross heifers from Eastfield of Lempitlaw sold to 380p per kg to Well Hung and Tender, Berwick. Aberdeen Angus cross steers from Howden Farm, Jedburgh, and Symington Mains, Stow, sold to 378p per kg. Dairy heifers from Kelloe Mains, Duns, sold to 340p per kg and £1,228 per head. Heavy Charolais crosses from Chesterhill, Belford, hit top price per head at £1,455. Cows continue to sell well selling to 290p per kg and £1,271 per head for a Charolais from Blackadder Mains, Duns.

Prime lambs were easier sold towards the end of the week with trade sharpening. Prices for organics from 360p per kg Charlton Mires, Beal, and Netherton Northside, Morpeth. Suffolk crosses to 365p per kg (£76.65) Redpath Farms, Duns. Texel and Cheviot crosses to 360p per kg South Riccalton, Jedburgh, and Tullochallum, Keith.

Store lambs look good value with Suffolk crosses to £57.50 and Cheviot crosses to £47. Spring born suckled calves to £700 and 230p per kg.

WOOLER

AT their weekly Primestock Sale, John Swan Ltd had forward and sold 902 lambs and 78 ewes.

With numbers still tight a slight jump in the lamb trade giving selling vendors returns above expectations. More could have been sold to an advantage but again fleshy lambs more sort after.

Leading prices per head:- Sfx:- £80 Whitsome West, £76 Brandon, £75 Whitsome West and Brandon, £74.50p Mindrum, £73 Shipley Lane (2), Biddlestone Home Farm, Treaty Park, Mindrum, Cockhall, Whitsome West, £72 Whitsome West, £71.50p Cockhall, £71 Biddlestone Home Farm and Ladykirk. Tex:- £77.50p Mindrum, £76.50p Ladykirk, £76 West Longridge and Burradon Mains, £74.50p Mindrum, Shipley Lane, Ladykirk, Yetlington Lane and Ladykirk,

£74 Ladykirk, Cockhall, Kettleburn, West Longridge, Biddlestone Home Farm, £73.50p West Longridge (2). Ven:- £73, £72 (2), £71 South Lyham. Cha:- £73 Lorbottle. Ham:- £70 (2) Kettleburn. H.B:- £72.50p Brandon.

Leading prices per kilo:- Tex:- 177.9p, 176.2p Ladykirk, 176.2p Cockhall, 174.4p Yetlington lane, 13.3p Shipley Lane, 172.7p, 172.1p West Longridge, 172.1p Biddlestone Home Farm, 170.9p Shipley Lane, West Longridge, 170.2p Mowhaugh. Sfx:- 169.8p Shipley Lane, Biddlestone Home Farm, Cockhall, 165.9p Shipley Lane, 164.6p Cockhall, 160.2p Treaty Park. Char:- 169.8p Lorbottle. H.B:- 164.8p Brandon. Chv:- 165.9p Linbrig.

No change in ewe prices, numbers tight.

Ewes:- Sfx:- £74 Ladykirk. Tex:- £74 Cockhall, £60 Ladykirk and Cockhall. BF:- £34 Black Mountain, £32 Shawdon Woodhouse. Chv:- £61, £56 Linbrig. Mule:- £48 Ladykirk.

Rams:- Tex:- £70 Shawdon Woodhouse. Rye:- £57 Islay Hill.

LONGTOWN

THE Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart PLC had forward 50 prime cattle, five young bulls, 60 over 30 month cattle, 4,974 prime lambs and 7,595 cast ewes and rams at their weekly sale at Longtown last Thursday.

A larger show of cattle with a much better offering of quality. Trade exceeded previous weeks helped by a larger ringside of buyers. The sale was topped at 228.5p for a Limousin heifer shown by Messrs R Neill, Upper Tinwald, others to 224.5p from W and W Faulder, Houghton House both heifers being purchased by Mr John Little. Limousin bullocks to 222.5p from PJ Armstrong, High Moat and purchased by MJ Wharton, Wholesale Butcher, Wigton.

Principal prices per kilo: Bullocks, Limousin 222.5p, 216.5p, 205.5p High Moat, 204.5p Swaites. Bazadaire 208.5p Swaites. Heifers, Limousin 228.5p Upper Tinwald, 224.5p Houghton House, 217.5p, 215.5p Brydekirk Mains, 213.5p Brydekirk Mains and Smallholms, 211.5p Houghton House, 210.5p, 207.5p, 203.5p Brydekirk Mains. British Blue 215.5p Upper Tinwald. Bazadaire 218.5p Swaites. Charolais 215.5p Upper Tinwald.

Priuncipal prices per heade: Bullocks, Limousin £1417 High Moat, £1361 Nether Onsett, £1342 High Moat. Charolais £1465 Nether Onsett. Heifers,

Limousin £1291 Upper Tinwald, £1201 Houghton House, £1196 Brydekirk Mains, £1142 Smallholms and Brydekirk Mains, £1120 Houghton House and Brydekirk Mains, £1118 Sandbed, £1105 Brydekirk Mains. British Blue £1206 Upper Tinald. Bazadaire £1103 Swaites. Charolais £1314 Upper Tinwald.

The best quality prime bulls sold well, topping at 223.5p for a Limousin from J and P Routledge, Netherton.

Principalo prices per kilo: Limousin 223.5p, 197.5p Netherton. British Blue 212.5p Netherton.

Principal prices per head Limousin £1397 Netherton. British Blue £1455 Netherton.

More cast cows were on offer with a large portion of weathered cows forward which saw trade similar to late rates. Top price was 173.5p for a Limousin from GT Bewley, Southdene.

Principal prices per kilo: Limousin 173.5p, 139.5p, 133.5p South Dene, 133.5p, 130.5p, 127.5p, 124.5p, 121.5p Greystoke Castle. Charolais 132.5p Shankbridge End. British Blue 133.5p Home Farm, 129.5p South Dene. Aberdeen Angus 140.5p Minsca. Galloway 133.5p Park Nook, 112.5p Byers Hall. Shorthorn 164.5p ,134.5p Minsca. Luing 124.5p Geltsdale.

OTM bull, Limousin 129.5p Rinnion Hills.

Principal prices per head: Limousin £835, £828 Greystoke. Charolais £887 Shankbridge End. British Blue £1041 Home Farm. Shorthorn £981 Minsca. Aberdeen Angus £1025 Minsca. Limousin bull £1275 Rinnion Hills.

There was a large show forward of 4,974 lambs to a busy ring of buyers and with the quality of lambs on offer far better than seen in previous months, this due to increased buyer demand for best quality export lambs. The sale average was a very respectable 163p and more good lambs could have been sold to advantage.

The sale was topped at 238p per kilo for Beltex from AF Young and Co., Bankhead and to £100 per head for Texels from JA Park and Co., Drinkstone.

Another fine show of 7,595 were forward to a full ring of buyers although demand was steady owing to the backlog after weeks of huge numbers and resulting in trade being easier on the week.

Plainer ewes beginning to dry up and numbers likely to slow up in coming weeks. The sale topped at 118.50 for Texel rams from Four O Boot and Backlane.

A CALL has been made for community wardens to be handed video cameras to alleviate threatening behaviour towards them, writes Kenny Paterson.

Galashiels Community Councillor Murray Dickson made the plea after spending a morning with Scottish Borders Council’s SB squad in the town.

The team of eight patrol the region and have the power to issue fixed penalties for littering, dog fouling and fly tipping.

And working with Lothian and Borders Police, they also aim to tackle anti-social behaviour such as street drinking and noisy neighbours.

Mr Dickson believes the use of video cameras would deter incidents such as one he witnessed, whereby a man aggressively argued with a warden who warned him about throwing away a cigarette.

And he believes SBC should follow the lead of other local authorities in Scotland, who do issue wardens with cameras.

Mr Dickson told Galashiels CC’s November meeting: “While the police have CS spray, batons, and body armour, all the wardens have are mobile phones.

“They are sending out these people without any protection. They are knocking on people’s doors but do not know what is behind them. I really thought they were doing a great job.”

SBC depute leader John Mitchell said the wardens were not replacements for the police. However, Mr Dickson replied: 
“But they are going to doors and people are aggressive towards them.”

Fellow Galashiels community councillor John McLaren added his support to Mr Dickson’s view.

He added: “If wardens are concerned for safety, they should be talking to the council because there are stipulations under the Health and Safety Act.

“It needs to be looked at – they absolutely need to be protected.”

A spokesperson for SBC said: “We will investigate use of video cameras with other local authorities to check exact circumstances and how effective they are. We will also seek advice from the police.”

In terms of fly-tipping, the spokesperson said: “If you suspect someone is fly-tipping, please report it to the Dumb Dumpers stopline on 0845 2 30 40 90 or report it online at www.dumbdumpers.org.

“Fly-tipping in any form is unacceptable and anyone caught can face fines of up to £40,000 or six months’ imprisonment.”

Although no wardens were at the meeting, Galashiels community council heard that 15 dog fouling complaints had been made in the town last month, but 11 had been untraceable.

Community council chairman Ian Purvis said: “I really think they (wardens) should be here.”

SBC have also defended its dog fouling poster campaign.

The placards – which feature Border Amateur League referee Raymond Hume showing a red card to a dog – were criticised by Mr McLaren at the Galashiels meeting.

He said: “I think the posters showing the dog getting a red card sends out the wrong message. It is the owners at fault, not the dog.”

However, an SBC spokesperson told us: “Scottish Borders Council takes the issue of dog fouling very seriously.

“It constitutes a potential health hazard, especially to children, is anti-social and is against the law.

“On the poster the dog being red-carded is a bit of fun, but it stands out and helps bring this very serious issue to the fore.

“We feel the posters have worked well, and we’ve even had requests from members of the community to get them up in their area.”

ANOTHER trip for Chernobyl children to visit the Borders is being planned for next summer.

An information night will be held in the Kingsknowes Hotel, Galashiels, on November 19 at 7.30pm. Members of the Chernobyl Children Life Line (Borders link) are hoping people interested in hosting the youngsters or willing to assist in other ways will attend.

Secretary Sarah Barton said: “The open night is an opportunity for anyone interested in finding out more about charity, meeting our group and getting involved, perhaps as host families.”

The organisation raises money for youngsters from Belarus to visit this region each summer. They all live in the contaminated zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power station explosion in 1986, but it is estimated that spending just a month in the clean Borders environment increases their lifespan by two years.

Anyone interested in finding out more about next July’s proposed visit is urged to attend the meeting or contact chairman Fraser Simm (01578 730297) or Sarah Barton (01835 840333).

WITH climate change predicted to accelerate over the next 20 years, Borders communities have been urged to sign up to a resilience plan to deal with emergencies.

The scheme - put together by Scottish Borders Council - aims to enable townsfolk and villagers to respond themselves to potentially disastrous scenarios such as severe weather.

Already ten Borders communities, including Yetholm which has previously been hit by severe flooding, have signed up to the initiative.

Others are likely to follow, with flooding affecting Earlston, Jedburgh and Peebles in recent months.

The resilience programme is in line with David Cameron’s Big Society policy idea and the Prime Minister has already been presented with the plan.

SBC’s emergency planning officer Jim Fraser, who helped introduce the scheme, spoke to Galashiels Community Council this month in an effort to persuade the town to join.

He said: “We put together the plan after the winters of 2009 and 2010 when the Borders experienced particularly severe weather.

“Our debrief thought we could engage with the communities much better.

“This plan has become the benchmark for the UK and has been discussed in the Scottish Parliament.

“Indeed, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, even took it to show the cabinet including David Cameron.”

Mr Fraser said the framework was prompted by an elderly man in his 80s who was unable to get his wife to hospital for kidney dialysis treatment due to bad weather.

“He asked for help and we provided it but it took six hours for our guys to get there and by then the appointment had been missed,” added the former senior fireman.

“They were both upset and we felt people such as this elderly couple could be better helped by a community plan.”

The CRP includes a series of measures to combat emergency incidents, with community members who sign up asked to carry out tasks such as clearing snow from the pathways of vulnerable people, placing sandbags in flood risk areas or putting flood gates in position, and providing hot meals in town or village halls.

A risk assessment is also drawn up to help volunteers assist utility failure, fire, loss of communication and missing person searches.

Mr Fraser said: “We have access to five day forecasts rather than two days which you get on TV.

“If they have a long term forecast, people can buy two pints of milk rather than one, or two loaves of bread.

“We can warn about incidents such as metal thefts which have occurred in the area.”

He added: “We also have to consider that the national grid system is quite old and in 2010 it nearly tripped on three occasions.

“We are told it takes 28 days for residents in rural areas to be reconnected should this happen in the future. This is where the community resilience plan can help.”

Mr Fraser explained that if Galashiels CC agreed to kickstart the initiative in the town, a public meeting would be held, followed by a questionnaire and finally the plan being developed.

He added: “You would need around 200 people in Galashiels to make it work. Less than that, and you would be relying on the same people all the time.

“It may well be that initially we target a specific area of Galashiels which has a high percentage of vulnerable people.”

Community council chairman Ian Purvis added: “Obviously it is a great scheme but it might be too big to implement for this winter.”

But fellow community councillor Murray Dickson replied: “A disaster can happen at anytime, we don’t necessarily have to have this done this winter. But we have to get started.”

Mr Fraser agreed, adding: “If you look at Stow and Fountainhall, both have suffered bad flooding this summer.”

Meanwhile, SBC’s environment and infrastructure committee have approved a grant of £20,000 to set up a protection scheme for Jedburgh following August’s flash floods.

A blocked culvert on Skip Running Burn has been blamed for incident which damaged 50 homes and businesses.

Buoyed by its debut performance of Finale in August, Walkerburn’s Oyster Theatre is returning with a pantomime Alice in Wonderland next week.

Their production is being staged at Walkerburn Village Hall on Friday November 23 and Saturday November 24, starting each night at 7.30pm.

“We have a big cast,” writes Oyster Theatre’s Sue Tickner, “including evil Knave Alistair Moody from Tibbie Shiels Inn, and his side kick Frank Usher, both of whom will be playing live on stage,”

“There’s also a loud, brash Queen played by Jayne Levy-Young and her long suffering husband, the King, is played by Angus Wolfe-Murray. Debbie Finnerty has created a fabulous, flamboyant Dame (breaking panto tradition – this role is usually played by a male).

“Alice in Wonderland is guaranteed to be a lively, fun and entertaining evening, suitable for all ages.”

Tickets cost £7.50/£6, and are available from Walkerburn Post Office, TAVO Thrift Shop and Siobhan’s Beauty Spot, Innerleithen. Reservations by phone 01896 830040.

FORMER council leader Drew Tulley believes the local authority should have done more to ensure the Borders General Hospital ambulance station plans were approved.

However, a member of the planning committee has accused the Scottish Ambulance Service of failing to listen to the concerns of council officials.

The proposal by the SAS at a site north west of the hospital was refused last week, as Scottish Borders Council cited the removal of woodland and the scenic affect on the Eildon Hills, while there were also road issues.

Planners said they voiced their concerns with SAS representatives – who claimed quicker response times was the motivation behind its chosen site – but the frontline service still went ahead with its application.

An SAS spokesman told TheSouthern last week it was now considering its options for the new station, which is due to replace the current Galashiels depot.

But Mr Tulley felt building a modern facility for an emergency service was more than important scenic issues.

He told last week’s Galashiels Community Council: “It seems a great pity that the application was turned down.

“The site had easy access to the Melrose bypass. I am very disappointed with the decision taken by SBC.

“If you call 999 you want that service to respond as quickly as possible, you don’t want a detour of the Eildons.

“People in Melrose used to say the sight of the white buildings of Langlee was a disgrace.

“But I think the people of Langlee could say the same thing about the housing now sited on the former Dingleton hospital below the Eildons.

“Every effort should be made to accommodate the emergency services.”

However, Galashiels councillor and planning committee member Bill White insisted no-one on the 13-man panel wanted to throw out the application.

He added: “Everyone agreed it should be at the BGH.

“There were six potential areas to site the station (in the BGH estate) but even as late as October the planners were going back to the ambulance service to talk about the problems with the junction to the Melrose bypass.

“The planners tried to get this message across to the ambulance service but they didn’t seem to listen. They wanted it there at all costs. If that had been a garage everyone would have been up in arms.

“We had to make that decision but I was very disappointed about the whole thing.”

On the matter of the BGH bypass junction, Mr Tulley added: “It should have been made into a roundabout – you very rarely see accidents at roundabouts and that would have saved a lot of bother.”

NHS Borders have admitted any delay to the opening of a new station at the BGH will put back its plans to build a new £1.8 million health centre at Roxburgh Street, which is due to expand onto the current Galashiels ambulance depot in 2013/14.

The move is also required as SAS say the Galashiels station is out of date, with paramedics struggling to reach life threatening calls from rural areas within the national target of eight minutes.

A FRESH chapter in the history of the Chambers Institution in Peebles began last weekend (NOV 3/4) with the official opening of the John Buchan Story Museum.

More than three years in the planning, the museum, dedicated to the life of one of Scotland’s most distinguished sons, opened its doors to showcase the life of Buchan (1875-1940), his family connections in Peebles and, of course, his literary story.

Buchan, who wrote The Thirty-Nine Steps, was also an MP and intelligence officer before becoming Governor General of Canada.

The museum was opened by Gordon Campbell, High Commissioner of Canada, who was welcomed to the town by the Lord Lieutenant, Captain David Younger. The Duke of Buccleuch was also in attendance with a good number of the Buchan family, including Lord Tweedsmuir.

“The opening was a great success,” said Ian Buckingham, chairman of the museum committee, “with very positive comments about the design and layout of the Buchan collection in its new home.

“This will be a definite asset to the tourist trail in Peebles and assists the work of the Chambers Institution Trust in further developing the cultural heritage of the town. We are already planning several literary events and establishing links with similar tourist attractions throughout the Borders.”

The museum is open each day from 1-4pm until December 6, with an event planned for the evening of the Christmas lights switch-on before it closes for the winter. It reopens from the 2013 Easter weekend until the end of October.

COLDSTREAM-BASED Graham Bell, right, was re-elected chairman when the Borders branch of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) held its annual meeting in Newtown St Boswells.

Mr Bell is joined by Hans Waltl, Jane Kemp, Neil Ballantyne and David Whittle on a committee that will represent the interests of the organisation’s 700 members in the region.

Guest speaker at the event was Scottish Borders Council economic development spokesman Councillor Stuart Bell who outlined the authority’s plans to support the local business community.

BREAST cancer survivor Ada McLean raised more than £300 when she skydived 10,000 feet earlier this month.

The Trust Housing Association employee from Lilliesleaf, who turned 60 in March, was raising money for Breast Cancer Care and carried out her jump from Fife Airport, Glenrothes, together with her niece Michelle McLean and Michelle’s fiance, Chris Pullinger.

Daughter Hollie McLean said: “In the run-up Mum was having serious doubts about whether she would be able to do it, but on the day, before the jump, she was ‘scared by her lack of fear’ which seemed to be worrying her more than the actual jump!

“Afterwards she couldn’t stop shaking and said ‘it was amazing, an indescribable feeling, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Not bad, just very different’.

“A few hours later whilst sitting with a glass of wine she suddenly announced, ‘I jumped out of a plane today!’.”