AFTER what he felt was a disappointing performance from his team in their Border League clash against Selkirk last week Gala coach George Graham has made a couple of changes in his starting line-up ahead of their crucial league match with Melrose on Saturday, writes Fiona Scott.

Craig Keddie retains the no 6 jersey after following a couple of good displays, and a few tries, along the way while Alan Emond has forced his way back into the side with a couple of strong second half performances.

Captain Opeta Palepoi is also back to steer the ship against what is sure to be a very determined Melrose side, desperate to get back to winning ways in the league.

Graham commented: “Every time Gala face Melrose there is always a sense of anticipation.

“Over the last few seasons there has been nothing separating them. Although the media seem to be writing off Melrose’s chances of retaining the league title anybody who has any knowledge of rugby will know that you don’t win back to back titles without having the spirit and the determination to come back fighting.

“The challenge for Gala is to be able to play at the level and intensity that they have shown plenty of times this season and if we do I’m sure we can come back with the points and go top of the premiership.”

Gala team to play Melrose at the Greenyards on Saturday (1.30pm): A. McLean; G. Sommerville, C. Auld, A. Emond, C. Robertson; L. Millar, George Graham; L. Pettie, R. Anderson, E. McQuillin, C. Weir, O. Palepoi, C. Keddie, G. Graham, E. Dods. Subs: C. Mackintosh, K. Mein, S. Cairns, B. Turner, G. Young.

VAPOUR from aluminium filings has been blamed for a major chemical alert at a Kelso engineering factory.

Specialised crews from Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service in Edinburgh joined colleagues from Kelso and Coldstream at Border Precision last Thursday morning.

The emergency services were called to the firm’s base on the Pinnacle Hill industrial estate and experts carried out an analytical risk assessment at the plant.

All risks were described as tolerable, but fire chiefs did discuss with the company’s engineers fears of a possible dangerous mix with oil.

However, fire crews stood down at around 1pm as Border Precision staff took over the handling of the situation.

Lothian and Borders Police officers also attended and a spokesman said the vapour was not a noxious gas.

Border Precision was founded in 1976 and in its 36 years of business has seen its workforce increase from 12 to 180 employees operating from an 80,000 square foot factory.

A 16-foot mural was unveiled at Woodside gardens near Jedburgh yesterday afternoon.

RSPB Borders commissioned Kelso illustrator Lucy McCririck to produce the work for a wall of their resource building in the walled garden near Ancrum.

Local committee member Keith Davies said: “The mural is absolutely superb, it’s bright and cheerful and it totally transforms the resource centre.”

The conservationist group opened a ‘wildlife garden’ in the south west corner of Woodside last year after raising money for the venture for four years and gaining £10,000 Lottery cash for hard landscaping.

Mr Davies said: “I don’t believe the RSPB have another site quite like it.

“The garden is designed to encourage people to garden in a way that encourages wildlife and it demonstrates you don’t have to have a wild garden to attract wildlife.

“It’s a question of being selective in what you plant, how you plant and how you maintain it – for example sometimes you can leave pruning and deadheading so the seeds develop for the birds.”

The mural was set to be unveiled yesterday afternoon by RSPB’s south and west Scotland director, Anne McCall.

Mr Davies said: “She’s been enormously supportive of the wildlife garden and officially opened it for us last year.”

The work, nearly five metres (16ft) long and over a metre (4ft) high, is in three panels and depicts the garden and wildlife that might be seen at Woodside.

Miss McCririck took photographs and asked local RSPB members advice about flora and fauna at Woodside before spending three weeks creating the piece.

“I was painting it in a hallway and into a room next door because it was so long – I’m impressed it fits together!” she joked.

The Edinburgh College of Art graduate is known locally for her painted model calf designed for the Border Union Show. She has also produced a children’s guide for the Scottish National Trust and illustrated a children’s gardening guide.

GALA Rugby Club is to take no further action against head coach George Graham after he admitted punching a man he believed had got his wife the sack.

Graham pled guilty at Carlisle Crown Court to causing actual bodily harm to Michael John Stimpson at an industrial estate in the Cumbrian city. The 46-year-old was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay court costs of £300.

Gala president George Marshall said this week that the club had discussed the incident with Graham, who led the 1st XV to a Scottish Cup win earlier this year.

Mr Marshall told TheSouthern: “George told us there was likely to be a court case after the incident happened.

“He has been open about it with the club. We have since discussed it internally and told George we hope it is a one off as we don’t want the club being brought into disrepute. It was a personal matter and it has been dealt with.”

The court heard Graham, who lives in Carlisle, went into the offices of the Network 4 furniture delivery company at Kingmoor Park one evening in July and confronted Mr Stimpson, who was working there.

The former corporal and physical training instructor in the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders accused Mr Stimpson of spreading “rumours” about his wife and told him: “I am not going to hit you here, but if I ever see you outside...”

Graham became increasingly “wound-up and aggressive”, prosecutor Becky McGregor told the court and Mr Stimpson tried to back off.

But Graham punched him in the face with his clenched fist, sending him falling backwards onto a pile of mattresses, from which he bounced, knocking himself unconscious as he landed on his face on the floor.

Mr Stimpson suffered concussion and needed a total of 11 stitches – seven inside his mouth and four outside, the court heard.

When interviewed by the police later Graham admitted he had been “angry about the situation” involving his wife.

In mitigation, defence advocate Mike Reay said Graham had suspected Mr Stimpson of “having had some part” in his wife’s dismissal.

She had now found another job, but it was only part-time and poorly paid, he said.

Judge Peter Hughes QC described Graham as a “hard working man who doesn’t stand any nonsense”, and chose not to make the former Scotland prop pay compensation to Mr Stimpson because of the circumstances of the case.

Judge Hughes added: “There plainly was a background to this incident, but I am not concerned about the rights and wrongs of that.

“You are a strong man and well able to look after yourself. You allowed your temper to get the better of you.

“Wherever the justice may lie in relation to the problems your wife was having at work, they provide no justification for you taking matters into your own hands in quite the way you did.

“It may have been one thing to go and speak to Mr Stimpson to express your views, but it was quite another to push him and then punch him to the floor.”

Graham started his playing career at Stirling County in 1987 before switching to rugby league in the early 1990s with Carlisle Border Raiders. When he returned to rugby union he played for Newcastle Falcons in a successful six-year stint before joining the Border Reivers in 2002.

After finishing his playing career, Graham had three years as forwards coach with Scotland until May 2008.

He spent one season coaching at Petrarca in Italy but returned to the Borders in 2009 when he was appointed head coach of Gala.

Graham, whose two sons George and Gary play at Netherdale, has brought success back to the club, taking Gala to Scottish rugby’s top club division in 2010/11 before winning the Scottish Cup and Border League last season.

The Maroons are in the running to win their first Premiership title for 30 years this season, and a victory at great rivals Melrose this Saturday would take them top of the league.

THE authority responsible for delivering the return of trains to the Borders for the first time in over 40 years have admitted there will be increased traffic on the A7 during the construction phase of the project, writes Kenny Paterson.

Around 70 people visited Network Rail’s drop in session in Stow Town Hall on Monday, while 230 people attended Old Gala House on Tuesday night to see the plans for the £300million scheme.

One issue to come out of discussions with members of the public – also brought up at last week’s Eildon Area Forum – was the affect on the road network when the building of the railway begins early next year.

Network Rail’s communications manager Craig Bowman said: “It is unavoidable that there will be an increased number of articulated vehicles using the A7 to get to access points along the railway route.

“But we won’t know exact figures until next year.”

Mr Bowman added that Network Rail officials, who were joined by the British Transport Police, had been taken aback by the numbers who have taken in the community sessions thus far.

He added: “We have had a huge amount of interest and we have been pleasantly surprised by the number of people we have had through the doors. There have been some negative comments, as you would expect, but I would say around 80 per cent have been positive.”

Mr Bowman said Network Rail would attempt to inform residents living close to the new line if unexpected works were to take place over the next two years.

“We found when constructing the Airdrie to Bathgate link that people became annoyed when they were not informed of works taking place near their homes, so we aim to regularly communicate with members of the public throughout the construction phase,” he added.

Network Rail take their roadshow to Dalkeith on Monday and Danderhall on Tuesday before returning to the Borders for sessions at Langlee Community Centre next Thursday, November 29, from 4.30pm to 8pm, and Tweedbank Community Centre on Tuesday, December 4, from 4pm to 8pm.

Network Rail took over the Borders Railway project earlier this month, following a ceremony in Newtongrange, which saw Scottish Transport Secretary Keith Brown sign an agreement to transfer responsibility to the government quango.

The target for completion of the 35-mile line remains late 2014 but the terms of the contract mean it is more likely to be summer 2015.

THE Betfair Chase has become a respected Grade One 3m race since its inception seven years ago.

Kauto Star won it four times in five years and Saturday’s renewal sees one of his former stablemates trying to carry on where he left off. A French bred horse, like Kauto Star himself, Silviniaco Conti is undoubtedly a Grade One horse in the making. He is also a six-year-old, the same age his old pal was when he first won it.

I expect him to get the better of the Gold Cup winning Long Run as he has the benefit of a previous run. I hope Tidal Bay doesn’t run as he is the sort who could quite easily spoil the party depending what sort of mood he’s in. At 12/1 he’d be my main danger if he runs.

Over at Ascot I’m hoping Get Me Out Of Here turns up against Oscar Whiskey in the Coral Hurdle, again I believe the benefit of a run will help him turn the tables on his Cheltenham adversary and at 4/1 he looks appealing.

My banker of the day though would be Captain Chris if he turns up in the Amlin Chase on the same Ascot card, there’s no way Finian Rainbows will give this fellow 10lb if he’s anywhere near his best.

SELECTIONS

Saturday November 24

Haydock (Betfair Chase) – Silviniaco Conti

Ascot (Coral Hurdle) – Get Me Out Of Here

Ascot (Amlin Chase) – Captain Chris

The winners of two CDs of Scottish folk band Lau’s new, third album, Race the Loser, are Finlay McDermid of Kelso and Alan Brunton of Selkirk.

Finlay and Alan correctly answered the question posed by TheSouthern’s competition earlier in the month: “What does ‘lau’ mean in the dialect of Orkney, where the band’s Kris Drever is from?”. The answer was ‘light’, as all the entrants said – but sadly we only had two CDs to give away. Good luck next time.

Children’s Christmas shows are as traditional as mince pies.

This year, Northumberland Theatre Company are touring Grimm Tales, adapted by the poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, at Lilliesleaf Village Hall on Saturday, December 1, at 3pm, and at Westruther Village Hall on Friday, January 4, at 7pm.

“Based on the infamous Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, Duffy’s selection of dark, spooky stories provide seasonal entertainment for family audiences, with lots of music, scary stories and plenty of fun,” a company spokesperson promises.

“A combination of familiar and unfamiliar stories from the collection including The Golden Goose and The Musicians of Bremen ensure that this is imaginative storytelling at its very best.”

There is no shortage of material: the Grimm brothers – German philologists and students of folklore – collected 201 oral tales. Carol Ann Duffy’s versions of Grimm include some very familiar tales, but there will be surprising and unexpected elements in them all.

The Golden Goose tells the story of a young boy who is kind and generous to a starving old man in the woods. The old man tells the boy that in return for his kindness he will get a surprise when he cuts down the next tree. The surprise is a golden goose, which the boy decides to sell at the market.

On his way, he stops at an inn for the night where the innkeeper’s daughters attempt to steal one of the goose’s golden feathers – and they find themselves stuck to the goose. The next day the boy continues to the market, and soon has a group of people following him, all stuck to one another.

As the line of people walks past a palace in the town, the beautiful but very serious princess sees them and begins to laugh. The king who has been trying to amuse his daughter for years is surprised to see her so happy and allows the boy to fall in love and marry her as a reward leading to great things for the boy.

The tales are suitable for families with children aged six and over. For tickets and more information, contact 01835 870311 for the Lilliesleaf show, or 01578 740265 for the Westruther show, or visit www.northumberlandtheatre.co.uk

“reflective songs, driving tune sets and caustic wit” are promised as Edinburgh accordionist Sandy Brechin and Borders singer/guitarist Ewan Wilkinson return to Peebles’ Eastgate Theatre on December 1 at 7.30pm to play tracks from their much anticipated new album, Hard Times Come and Go.

“This will be an entertaining evening of traditional and original music,” their spokesperson says.

“Wilkinson’s unique interpretation of Scottish and English folk songs, plus his burgeoning repertoire of self-penned songs in the traditional idiom are interwoven seamlessly with Brechin’s subtle accompaniments and fiery 
tune sets.

“As well as originals they play exquisitely through centuries-old songs.”

Ewan, an emotive singer and an articulate guitarist, has been hailed as an upcoming talent and the new young voice of the Borders.

To book the £13 tickets call 01721 725 777, or visit www.eastgatearts.com for more info.

Peebles’ Eastgate Theatre welcomes two Scottish comedians this week and next: the “half-man-half-Xbox” Daniel Sloss today (November 22), and the “cheeky, irreverent and gloriously camp” Craig Hill on Friday, November 30.

Sloss may be only 21, but he has already toured internationally, sold out four Edinburgh Fringe seasons. His website says: “To top it all off, he’s recently left home. So, now the gloves are really off! (Although the dirty socks are still on the floor).”

Scotland’s “hormone-ridden comic prodigy” from Fife is “one of the fastest rising stars of UK comedy,” his website continues. “He appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, 8/10 Cats, the Rob Brydon Show, Comic Relief’s Mock the Week, the Paul O’Grady Show, and starred in his own BBC show The Adventures of Daniel – all before he started to shave.”

Sloss won 2011’s Scottish Variety Award – Best New Comedian, and he is supported on his present 50-date UK national tour by Kai Humphries: “Newcastle’s hilarious and lovable rising comedy super-star”.

The Eastgate show begins at 8pm, costing £14.50, and the content is not suitable for under-16s.

Then the East Kilbride comedian Craig Hill’s show Jock’s Trap hits the stage the following week on Friday at 8pm, with “a deliciously wicked evening of no-holds-barred comedy and pure, unadulterated fun,” his agent promises.

His act comprises stand-up, comic characterisations and improvisation styles with musical diva impersonations, notably parodies of Julie Andrews singing punk songs and Shirley Bassey singing the football chant Who Ate All the Pies?.

Hill is a veteran of the Edinburgh Festival, having performed a show every year for the last 10 years, with memorable titles such as Kilty Pleasures and Craig Hill’s Alive with the Sound of Music.

He has hosted his own Friday night comedy show on BBC 1, called Craig Hill’s Out Tonight, followed by BBC Radio Scotland series Craig Hill’s Passionate Encounters: a quirky look at people and their passionate hobbies.

For more information, visit www.eastgatearts.com

Denholm Drama Group begin their tour of Borders village halls in the first week of December with three one-act comedies: Costa del Packet by Anthony Booth, Immobiles by Michael Frayn, and Belly Buttons by Michael B Malone.

“After having unfortunately had to cancel our plays in 2011 due to a lack of actors, the group is back under the expert directorial eye of Jo Scott who has chosen a trio of hilarious short plays that will push both actors and backstage to their limits with quick-fire cues and one liners,” writes the drama group’s chair, Alan Dowler-Smith.

The tour begins on December 4 at Jedburgh’s Kenmore Hall (£7), followed by Eckford Village Hall on December 5 (£6) and Denholm Village Hall on December 6 (£7).

The fourth and final show takes place at Southdean Village Hall on December 8 (tickets £10, including supper).

All performances start at 7.30pm, with refreshments and raffles available.

Tickets from W.M. Glennie, Optometrist in Hawick, P&S Dorricott, Hardware in Jedburgh and the Auld Bakery, Denholm. Call 01450 870604 for more info.

A BORDERS audience is to be at the heart of a theatre experiment this week.

The Heart of Hawick is hosting Stellar Quines’ Rehearsal Rooms, a space where new scripts and new writers are presented to a live audience for the first time.

For the Tuesday event, Rehearsal Room 19, Stellar Quines has partnered with Lung Ha’s Theatre Company to explore the work of two female Finnish playwrights.

The show will be streamed live to the internet, where viewers will be able to choose which camera to watch through, and even to suggest camera angles.

Extracts from Island by Laura Ruohonen, and 13 Sunken Years by Paula Salminen, both translated by Eva Buchwald, will be presented script-in-hand by members of both companies. In a discussion afterwards, the audience will be invited to have their say on the script.

Paula Salminen is travelling from Finland to the Heart of Hawick to talk about Finnish female playwrights and her play.

The afternoon rehearsal between 2-4pm, and from 7pm the whole of the evening’s event and post-show discussion, will also be live streamed via Stellar Quines’ website: www.stellarquines.com.

Stellar Quines’ creative producer Lesley Anne Rose said: “The live stream will include a chatroom where an online audience can have their say and ask questions in the post show discussion.

“Those watching online will have the opportunity to choose which camera they watch – all of them at once if they prefer. They will also be able to give the camera operators instructions on what they want to see.

“We want to test how audiences want to watch these events online – so join us and have your say.”

Established in 1993, Stellar Quines is a Scottish theatre company celebrating the energy, experience and perspective of women, Rose said. “We provide a platform for women’s stories and create live theatre driven by women, and where female practitioners are at the forefront of all creative roles. Live theatre lies at the heart of the company, and Stellar Quines is underpinned by a commitment to pushing boundaries and challenging stereotypes.”

Lung Ha’s Theatre Company applies the highest professional standards to present, performing arts events of exceptional quality – providing opportunities for people with learning disabilities to develop theatre skills.

“It aims to be a leading theatre company for people with learning disabilities, in Scotland and internationally. Since its inception in 1984, it is estimated that the company has worked with over 300 performers with a learning disability,” Rose said.

In Paula Salminen’s play, 13 Sunken Years, three women of different generations are tied to one another not only by blood but also by the magic of the river that runs through their remote Finnish town. Eva, turning 18, is eager to set off to university and make her way in the world. Her mother disappears and her grandmother is diagnosed with dementia. As Eva tries to make sense of her life, the lyrically atmospheric play examines the connections between family, roots, destiny and the journey that becomes life. 

Tuesday evening’s performance of 13 Sunken Years and Island, on starts at 7pm, and tickets are £5. To book, call 01450 360688, or go to www.heartofhawick.co.uk for more information.

AN Andalucian horse called Pluto made history when he became the first live horse to take centrestage in Peebles’ Eastgate Theatre at the weekend.

The gelding wore a giant pair of Pegasus-style wings crafted from goose feathers and had landscape images projected on his flanks.

The horse was part of Sunday’s Diamonds and Hoof Oil exhibition and performances. The events were the finale to a six-month project called Fetlock Deep in which performance artist Claire Pencak, visual artist Catriona Taylor and sound artist James Wyness were commissioned by the Eastgate to develop events and exhibitions celebrating the importance of horses in the Borders.

Funded by Creative Scotland, the artists collected horses’ names, asked what their owners thought might be their animals’ most vivid memories, and taped sound.

Ms Taylor screen-printed the names, drawings and some of the memories on slates and created an installation on a Peeblesshire drove road, while Ms Pencak gave clay to horse lovers to model their animals. The 500 model horses and ponies were photographed in areas associated with horses and where equine memories would have been imprinted over centuries, such as livery yards, stable blocks, race courses, farriers’ workshops, old drove roads and the “debatable lands”. Some of the images were displayed.

Anyone missing the weekend theatre performance can visit the photographic exhibition in the Eastgate and Ms Taylor’s outdoor installation on the drove road from Traquair to Minch Moor.

CONSTANTLY dripping with sweat, pyjamas and bedsheets soaked through and sticking to your body, yet unable to get up and change them because of the ravages of cancer and the side-effects of treatment.

For many people that is a reality of living with the disease, but now a Borders textile designer and former cancer patient has come up with a revolutionary garment aimed at helping those enduring such dreadful nightime drenches and boost the vital work of a local charity.

The charity involved is The Lavender Touch, which next year celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Founded in 2003 by Heather Runciman, from Lauder, Galashiels photographer Sheila Scott, and award-winning complementary therapist Jan Beattie, from Selkirk, it has helped more than 2,000 Borders families with its complementary therapy treatments.

These can help alleviate some of the symptoms experienced by those living with cancer, such as insomnia, muscle aches and pains, anxiety, low mood and nausea.

In its near-decade of existence, The Lavender Touch has grown and now boasts 13 therapists and a co-ordinator who works in conjunction with NHS Borders.

Anyone who lives in this region and has cancer is eligible for treatment, as are those who spend most of their time and energy looking after someone living with the disease.

It costs £25,000 per year to run the service and it is hoped that designer Pauline Birse’s new sleepwear will not only help those living with cancer, but bring in much-needed money to expand the service and realise a long-held dream of opening a Lavender Touch Centre.

Just over three years ago Pauline approached Sheila and Jan with the idea for her new sleepwear, after benefitting from The Lavender Touch service.

“I felt so much better after using The Lavender Touch that I wanted to repay them for what they did for me,” Pauline said.

First-hand experience of the terrible excessive drenching symptoms had left her determined to use the expertise garnered from a 30-year career in textile design and manufacture to benefit other people living with cancer and the charity.

“I would wake up five or six times a night, absolutely frozen with dripping wet pyjamas stuck to my entire body, due to the side effects of chemotherapy,” Pauline told us.

“I was not able to get out of bed, to change my pyjamas and the sheets as well.

“The reality of a cold sweat is a constantly frozen neck and bald head, and every half hour it feels like standing in snow naked.

“Water runs down your arms, legs and back – it drips into your eyes from your bald head because you also have no eyebrows.

“I would never have imagined the trauma of going to bed every night until I experienced it for myself.”

But over the last three years Pauline and The Lavender Touch have worked closely to turn her sleepwear design to reality.

A community enterprise company has now been created and is due to take delivery of its first batch of 100 pairs of ‘Bamboo Touch – Drench to Dry Sleepwear’, to give it its proper title.

Patients who have trialled the new sleepwear have praised its benefits, with comments such as “a life-saver”, “changed my life” and “look forward to putting them on at night”.

Extremely soft and comfortable to wear, the sleepwear is completely natural and is 60 per cent more absorbent than cotton, boasting extreme wicking and anti-bacterial properties, and offering unrivalled dryness.

At Pauline’s request, money raised from the sales of the unisex garments will go to The Lavender Touch, as well as aiding the development of other products to assist those living with cancer.

But until further funding is available, it has only been possible to produce an initial 100 sets of sleepwear.

Sheila explained: “We cannot take it to a worldwide market as we couldn’t afford to stock any quantity which would be sufficient to handle any orders we would receive .”

That could all change if a new appeal is successful in bringing to fruition a long-cherished dream held by Sheila and Jan.

The two women have always wanted to develop the service further with the creation of a dedicated Lavender Touch 
Centre.

They hope Pauline’s sleepwear could be the catalyst to make that happen, with plans for the charity to mark its 10th year by setting itself the huge target of raising £150,000 to create that specialist facility.

A property has been identified in the central Borders, which is within easy reach of the BGH, the local Macmillan Centre and the new Margaret Kerr Unit.

“If funds could be raised, we would create a centre as a community resource and meeting place for cancer patients, carers, therapists and the general public – outwith a medical environment,” explained Sheila.

“This centre could become the focus of The Lavender Touch cancer service in the Borders, taking forward ideas and products to benefit people living with cancer.”

TO help mark the 10th anniversary of The Lavender Touch, TheSouthern is joining forces with the charity as its media sponsor for 2013.

Every month throughout the coming year, we will run feature articles in support of the charity and its dream of creating a dedicated centre.

We will publish reports and photographs from any fundraising events, which have already kicked off with the fantastic sum of £1,631.50 from the Zumbathon staged recently by Norrie Smith and Amanda Richard.

Anyone who would like to offer any help, financially or otherwise, should call 07932 174317 or email enquiries@lavendertouch.co.uk.

Alternately, you can visit the website at www.lavendertouch.co.uk.

The new sleepwear can be ordered using the same contact details and if orders exceed the quantity available, details will be taken for the future.

Full funding for the sleepwear is available from Callum’s Trust for those undergoing treatment for lymphoma, leukaemia or myeloma, just call 01896 757887, or email afinney@callumstrust.org.

Patients can also make enquiries through their Macmillan nurse.

z Women members of Lauderdale Rotary are donating their fundraising efforts from a Christmas Craft Fair, being held this Saturday in The Lauderdale Hotel, to the fund. The event runs from 11am-4pm.

THE Borders is on flood alert as heavy rain hit the region today.

And the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued a flood warning to residents living in the Drumelzier and Dawyck area in Peeblesshire as the River Tweed continues to rise.

A SEPA spokesperson said: “There is a risk of flooding to the access roads at Rachan Home Farm and Drumelzier Place as well as flooding to low-lying agricultural land.

“Standing water on roads may lead to difficult driving conditions.”

As for the Borders as a whole, the spokesperson added: “A spell of wet and windy weather is expected throughout the region on Thursday.

“There is a risk of surface water flooding in built up areas and on the road network.

“There is also a risk of flooding from rivers and small watercourses, particularly in the western part of the region.

“SEPA will continue to monitor the situation and further updates will be issued as necessary.” The rain is expected to ease this evening, before clearing completely by early Friday morning.

MORAG Sterrick would have a job reshaping Jeremy Clarkson’s infamous hairstyle, but the Top Gear presenter would surely approve of the Earlston hairdresser’s latest salon makeover, writes Kenny Paterson.

Morag’s Aquarius premises has been redesigned to feature two work stations made from the bonnets of Mini and Rolls Royce cars.

With the official unveiling taking place yesterday (Wednesday), Morag is confident the new layout will move the salon up a gear.

She told TheSouthern: “I have had a seaside theme to the salon, but felt I needed a change after 10 years.

“I decided that I could not go back to being a normal salon design because my clients expect something really interesting. So I felt this time I would go with a really unusual experience.”

Morag enlisted the help of Kelso enthusiast Les Bell to track down an iconic Morris Mini, which was modified by St Boswells spray painter and welder Tam McEwan and turned into a cupboard by Earlston joiner Billy Thom.

Tam and Billy also converted a 1971 Silver Shadow Series One Rolls Royce – which Morag sourced from Yorkshire – while Galashiels firm Monro Auto Electric made sure the lights and horn of both cars are still in use.

Morag added: “I thought the lights and horn would prove popular with the kids, but it has been the men who have enjoyed playing with them the most.”

The salon refit follows Aquarius being named a finalist in the Borders Supported Employment Network’s Diversity Awards last month for providing work experience to a Galashiels woman who has struggled to find a job. Morag added: “Both ourselves and the person on work experience, who has previously found getting work difficult, benefit.”

ETTRICK Forest Riders Association (EFRA) was well represented at the British Riding Clubs Area 1 Winter Dressage Qualifiers held at Scottish National Equestrian Centre at Oatridge, Broxburn last weekend.

The team – Carly Scott (Selkirk) riding Zelema, Lindsay Dun (Heriot) riding Ruben Aota, Laura Sanderson (Denholm) riding Tamerosa and Jill King (Jedburgh) riding Mylo – scored very highly to win their qualifier, competing among 20 teams from all over the south of Scotland.

The local girls won four classes and were third in another with scores averaging 70 per cent which is high achieving. They were judged by some of the top judges in Scotland, who were complimentary about the standard.

The EFRA team now goes forward to the British Riding Club Winter Championships, which will be held at Hartpury College, Gloucester at the end of March.

BORDER Area Darts Association pool of players to play Lanarkshire away on Saturday, December 1.

Men: Graeme Bell, Stuart Bell, Peter Craig, Michael Culley, Barry Dalgleish, Norrie Forsyth, Kevin Green, Ryan Hogarth, Kevin Inglis, Craig Martin, Jimmy McGuigan, Neil Mercer, Stean Paterson, Graeme Patterson, Kevin Richardson, Paul Scheibe, Stuart Whellans, Kevin Wright. Reserves: Adam Ballantyne, Paul Simpson.

Women: Alison Burnett, Karen Darling, Irene Hogarth, Nicola Hogarth, Helen Knight, Linda Marshall, Alison Mitchell, Janice Mitchell, Lyn Scott, Laura Virtue. Reserves: Steph Dalgliesh, Julie Martin, Moira Middlemas.

Minibuses leaving Kelso 8.45am, Newtown St Boswells 8.45am and Gala 9am. Any call-offs or queries, contact Robert Hay on 07504 493676.

THE success of the last victorious British and Irish Lions rugby team will be used by keynote speaker Jim Telfer at the Community Sport Summit on Sunday to inspire Borders communities to come together and create a new vision for sport in the region.

More than 150 representatives from sports clubs and bodies throughout the Borders are expected to attend the event which is being organised by Borders Sport and Leisure in partnership with Scottish Borders Council and sportscotland as a platform for the launch of the Borders Community Sports Hubs.

The Community Sports Hub initiative supports the Scottish Government’s 2014 legacy plan and aims to provide a focal point to bring local sports clubs and people together to share resources and expertise and make it easier for more people to engage in active and health lifestyles.

Alongside sportscotland chief executive Stewart Harris, former Lions player and coach Telfer will make an address to the delegates on how he brought four nations together to create one vision, and how that is relevant to the Borders’ new drive to create a stronger sporting landscape. Telfer played for and captained the Lions in tours to New Zealand and South Africa in the 1960s and returned as head coach of the 1983 New Zealand tour.

After leading Scotland to Grand Slams in 1983 and 1990, he worked again as assistant to Ian McGeechan to mastermind the 1997 Lions series defeat of South Africa – the Lions’ last success.

The born-and-bred Borderer has also coached schools, youth and club teams.

Telfer said: “Sport and leisure has always been a huge part of life in the Borders and it is integral to the future wellbeing of our communities.

“There are great people working very hard across sports and leisure pursuits, in schools, clubs and different organisations, but we need good facilities, more opportunities and more strategic thinking if we are to move forward.”

“It is great to see BSLT, SBC and sportscotland working together to take a grip of it, and provide some real direction and support. I am hopeful that the summit will be a great launchpad for the new hubs and would urge everyone interested in sport and leisure in the Borders to make sure they are represented at this event.

A number of hubs across the Borders will be officially launched at the summit and the day will include workshops on driving these forward in addition to an invitation for all those in attendance to sign a specially produced banner, pledging their commitment to the initiative.

The Community Sport Summit will be held from 9.30am till 3pm on Sunday at the Scottish Borders Campus in Galashiels.

DUNS rally driver Garry Pearson, the recently crowned British Junior Rally Champion, and Craig Wallace from Kirriemuir collected their Renault Twingo R1 and class winning trophies at The British Rally Championship Awards Dinner in Manchester at the weekend.

As Garry could not be at the Berwick and District Motor Club Dinner which took place on the same night, the club’s prestigious Jim Clark Shield was also presented to Garry in Manchester.

The duo travel to the South of France this week to start preparing for their British Junior Championship Prize Drive which is a fully-funded drive in Rallye du Var, the final round of the French Rally Championship.

They will be competing in a Renault Twingo R2 for the first time on some of the Var region’s notorious twisty roads.

Pearson said: “A finish would be a great result!”