Icy blasts and snow flurries were the medicine dished up last weekend, so it was another blank night at the moth trap on Friday.

Things were better on Sunday, however, for the final wildfowl count of the winter. One of my lochs produced well over 100 birds, with an amazing swan count of over 40, most of which were whoopers.

Next were wigeon, but I was most pleased with the coot number, which topped the 20 mark. It was great to see this once common water bird making a bit of a comeback after a few years of mysterious decline.

On Sunday, it was a mixture of snow, hail and sunshine as I headed for St Mary’s Loch.

Being Mother’s Day I expected it to be really busy.

In my young days, the occasion usually entailed a run in the car and a high tea for mother at either the Gordon or Tibbie’s. Things have obviously changed, as at 2.30pm I found that mine was the only car in the extensive parking area near the Glen Café!

The big swan count earlier in the day reminded me that soon these winter visitors will be heading northwards to breed, to be replaced by the summer migrants which come here to nest.

It is a few years since I last published the list of summer visitors and their usual arrival times in the Borders, so here it is again for those who like to keep tabs on such things.

It was originally compiled many years ago by the late Tom Irving, an ornithologist from the Langholm area. With climate change now a reality, some of these dates may be a little different, but on the whole it should provide a rough guide.

Wheatears – April 2, chiffchaffs – April 4, ring ouzels – April 8, sand martins – April 10, swallows – April 12, common sandpiper and& willow warbler – April 15, yellow wagtail – April 19, house martins – April 23, tree pipits – April 24, cuckoo – April 24, redstarts – April 26, whitethroats, garden warblers and whinchats – May 1, wood warblers – May 2, pied flycatchers – May 3 (now probably extinct in the borders), blackcap & swifts – May 3, spotted flycatchers - may 6.

Why not cut out the list and keep it handy and if you spot any unusually early arrivals, drop me an e-mail.

Roll on the first wheatears, then spring can really get going.

A mountain bike lift at Innerleithen took a step forward last week when campaigners heard they can rent land for the facility.

Community charity AIMUp learned their application to lease part of Traquair and Elibank Forest, from Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), for the lift and a toboggan run was successful.

AIMUp chairman Gordon Donald told councillors at last Wednesday’s meeting of the Tweeddale Area Forum that the charity has “in principle” agreements in place for all the land required.

He said the next major step was to secure funding for the estimated £5.5million development, which will include a visitor centre.

A spokesman for the group said: “The team has developed a model of multiple funding sources, and is pressing ahead with several applications to funding bodies, such as the lottery.

“It is believed the key to securing the funding is to be able to quickly identify and confirm an anchor funder for the project.”

Mr Donald called on Scottish Borders Council to help the charity find a major funder through providing access to government and European sources.

And he also hoped the local authority would formalise its help to AIMUp by creating a project team.

Mr Donald also said AIMUp members had visited the Wiegand factory in Germany to see one of the group’s preferred lift systems (Wie-li) and coaster toboggan ride.

The AIMUp spokesperson said: “The trip offered the AIMUp team a great chance to review the technical and construction requirements for the two systems.”

The representatives also saw an example of the Wie-li lift, which carries over 200,000 winter and summer visitors, at a ski resort near Frankfurt.

The spokesperson said: “The visit enabled the AIMUp team to determine how the system operates and assess the noise levels, operational requirements and get an understanding of how the system would fit into and benefit the Tweed Valley.

Wiegand have been manufacturing toboggans for more than 20 years and the AIMUp visitors saw and tried a 1,160m coaster similar in design and length to what they propose near Nuremberg.

The spokesperson said: “They could easily see how the coaster would make a great addition to the visitor attractions in the Tweed Valley.”

They added they were looking for a system that would fit into and benefit the Tweed Valley with low level design and low noise levels.

AIMUp’s Ian Campbell said: “We now have planning approval, ‘in principle’ lease approval for the land required to build the uplift, fantastic local support demonstrated by our community ballot in October 2012, as well as wide-ranging political support.

“Putting these all together, we have the firm base required by potential funders. This [the research visit] is another big step towards the realisation of the uplift.”

Site visits to rope and cableway companies are also planned.

A BORDER Reiver descendant and former press secretary of Gretna Football Club has written a book on the walks of Northumberland.

Now living in Carlisle, Jon Tait decided to conduct a few raids of his own in the Border country two years ago to create his first book, Northumberland: 40 Coast and Country Walks.

Jon said: “When Sally, my wife, went back to work full-time as a nurse a year after having our son Jack, I took over the childcare responsibility and doing the walks was something I did on weekends and days when Sally was off.

“We had some great family days out doing it and I also enlisted my good friend and walking pal Glenn Thompson from Rothbury to do a few with me.”

Originally from Rothbury, Jon is a direct descendant of Will Tait of Cherrytrees, Yetholm, who was his 12 x great grandfather, and Jon’s walks have seen him stride out in the footsteps of his forebear.

Jon said: “Will spent four years locked up in York and Berwick from 1598 with other men from Teviotdale, and the notorious Liddesdale reiver Sim Armstrong of Whitehaugh, who was part of the gang that broke Kinmont Willie Armstrong from Carlisle Castle.

“When 12 prisoners attempted a daring escape from York Castle, it was Sim and Will who were first to leap from the walls.”

He has spent six months doing the family tree for Jack: “He’s got Tait and Scott blood from me and Robson and Davison blood from his mam, so he’s a real Borderer. I’ve gone back to around 1600 for most lines, 1530 for the Robsons.”

He said: “I’m very proud to have a lineage back to Will and I’d have loved to have heard their old reiving tales – they must have had some great stories to tell.”

Jon studied journalism at Carlisle and was in the year above the BBC’s Helen Skelton.

Jon worked for Gretna Football Club during its promotion to Scotland’s premier league and subsequent fall with financial difficulties. The club is now in the East of Scotland league with other Borders clubs.

Jon, now press officer for the Northern Football Alliance in the North East, said: “Gretna was a real rollercoaster time and it wasn’t until it was over that I really got a chance to look back and reflect. I met some great people in the game and the media.”

He also works part time as a postman.

Northumberland: 40 Coast and Country Walks is published by award-winning Scottish publishers Pocket Mountains and features a mix of easy to moderate family-friendly strolls along beaches, more challenging hill walks, routes along Hadrian’s Wall and walks in and around Berwick, Alnwick, Rothbury, Hexham and Morpeth.

“My favourite walk in the book is Yeavering Bell (near Wooler). On the top you can not only scan all around to see the whole Cheviots range and the North Sea in the distance, but it also felt like home with Yetholm just over the back,” said Jon.

He is now working on a book about walks around Carlisle, which will include a few around Newcastleton, where his mother’s family, the Scotts, hail from.

“Everyone can enjoy the walks in the book and it’s a perfect way to spend a holiday at home this summer with money still being tight for the majority of people,” said Jon.

The 96-page book contains photography and maps, alongside route texts and history, and is available from Waterstones and Cotswold outdoor stores or online at www.amazon.com or direct from the publisher www.pocketmountains.com for £6.99 including postage and packing.

POLICE say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a 21-year-old man in Galashiels yesterday.

The man was discovered at around 3.20pm in his home on Torwoodlee Road, according to a spokesman.

Police added they carried out door to door enquiries and scene of crime officers investigated but confirmed last night that the death is not being treated as suspicious.

A Hawick woman who broke another woman’s thumb after assaulting her was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order, with a condition she completes 200 hours of unpaid work.

Deborah Higgins, 40, of Noble Place, appeared on indictment and admitted repeatedly punching and kicking the woman, and bending her thumb, all to her severe injury and permanent impairment, at a house in the town’s Trinity Street on April 3 last year.

Iain Burke, defence solicitor, said it was a week later before the victim realised her thumb was broken.

He pointed out that the complainer had stayed with his client after the offence, adding: “She crashed at her house that night.”

Sheriff Kevin Drummond told Higgins: “The combined circumstances enable me to deal with this by unpaid work in the community, but the severity of the injury requires that it be at the upper end of the range.”

An employee who admitted embezzling £9,580 from a shop in Galashiels had sentence deferred until April 9 for reports.

Thomas Crosbie, 29, of Dingleton Cottages, Melrose, committed the crime while employed at Aldi between December 30, 2012, and January 15.

A SHERIFF this week voiced concern about violence at Tesco’s Galashiels store.

Kevin Drummond made his remarks during a case in which an assault victim ended up unconscious.

“Young men seem to assemble at Tesco and this court has dealt with a number of episodes of violence there, and this has got to be stopped,” he said.

Seventeen-year-old Ryan Scott, of Hawthorn Road in Galashiels, admitted, along with another, assaulting a man to his injury at the Paton Street store on July 19, 2011.

Mat Patrick, defending, said his client believed the victim had been making derogatory comments about him and took umbrage at that. He added that Scott “very rarely consumes alcohol now”.

Sheriff Drummond described the assault as “a totally unprovoked attack on a member of the public who just happened to be at Tesco”, adding: “He then ends up unconscious after being set upon by two yobs under the influence of something.”

Scott was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order, with a condition he completes 60 hours of unpaid work. He was also banned from Tesco and its car park for six months.

The teenager had sentence deferred on a further complaint for six months after he pleaded guilty to breaching a bail condition not to enter Tesco on September 16 last year.

“He was subject of an assault himself and was bleeding, so went straight to the toilets in Tesco to clean up,” explained Mr Patrick.

A man and woman from Galashiels appeared in private, charged on petition with drugs offences.

Brian Johnston, 32, and Zoe Forsyth, 22, made no plea or declaration when they appeared before Sheriff Kevin Drummond

Johnston was released on bail and Forsyth remanded in custody.

POLICE have warned those responsible for the removal of speed cameras in the Borders that they are risking a prison sentence and even their own lives.

Between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning two more cameras on the A68 were targeted by vandals, those closest to the Carter Bar, at Camptown and Huntford.

This brings the total number of cameras on the route which have been attacked with a high power saw to six, in less than a year.

Police are investigating the incident and are treating it as theft, vandalism and attempting to pervert the course of justice, and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Superintendent Denise Mulvaney, from Lothian and Borders Police, said: “It is extremely disturbing that there appears to be a systematic campaign of violence aimed at safety cameras.

“The method used to attack the cameras is highly dangerous, the people responsible for these actions are putting their own lives at risk, as well as the safety of others.

“Anyone who comes into close contact with a camera that has been attacked in this fashion could be electrocuted.”

Supt Mulvaney added: “I’m urging any member of the public who has information they think might relate to any of the crimes aimed at safety cameras to contact the police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.”

A spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Safety Camera Partnership said: “While the fixed safety cameras are out of action mobile safety camera deployments will take their place.”

The speed camera at Newtown St Boswells, which was attacked in December, has recently been replaced, and the spokesperson confirmed that the other cameras vandalised will also be replaced.

A camera near Oxton was attacked last July before one at Earlston was struck in September. The Newtown site was hit by vandals in December and last month the camera at Longnewton was removed.

FUNDRAISING is going to get a little help from the other side next Friday.

For international medium, clairvoyant Margaret M Nash is raising money for Borders General Hospital’s ward 7 with an evening of clairvoyance at the George and Abbotsford Hotel, Galashiels, on Friday March 22.

There will also be a raffle in aid of the surgical, ear, nose and throat and ophthalmology ward.

Tickets are £10 and will be available at the door or in advance by ringing 07703 358368. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

A TRIBUTE night to ‘one of Hawick’s great men’, the late Viv Sharp, last week raised more than £900 for charity.

The town’s Burns Club was packed last Friday night as family and friends listened to song, recitations and stories about the much-loved entertainer and past president and life member of Hawick Linden RFC.

Compere for the evening was Ian Nichol and Hawick’s Drew Gibb, John Tait, Michael Aitken, Joyce Tinlin, Malcolm Grant, Graeme Robertson and Laurie Coburn entertained, Dougie Telfer gave recitations and Ian Seeley played a piano medley of some of Viv’s most popular songs, while ‘Rab’ Robertson sang in the style of the late singer.

Other highlights included the trio of Michael Aitken, John Tait and Joyce Tinlin performing a song specially written by Ian Landles and Alan Brydon, “I Like Viv Sharp the Best” and between the musical entertainment, former Scotland caps Ian Barnes and Jim Renwick recalled stories of Viv’s life.

The evening raised £930 for Borders Red Cross.

STAFF and students at Borders College have cycled 500 miles in aid of charity.

Organised by lecturer Liam Thomson, Sam Anderson and Jamie McIntyre the static cycle raised £276 at the Galashiels campus last Tuesday.

The three staff members were raising cash for Cancer Research UK through In Jimmy’s Footsteps, the 500-mile walk from Fife to Kent planned by Galashiels grandfather Alistair McIntyre, 54, this summer.

And they achieved their original target of 359 miles at 2.30pm so carried on with other staff and students on their static and road bikes on rollers to record 565 miles by 3pm.

Well wishers cheered on the bikers and donated to the cause which will see Mr McIntyre follow in the footsteps of his miner grandfather who undertook the walk and cycle to seek work 80 years ago.

Mr McIntyre’s granddaughter, six-year-old Belle McIntyre was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nerve cells, in 2011.

For more information visit www.jimmysfootsteps.co.uk

FEARS about the safety of people using a path linking Galashiels with Tweedbank continue.

Ian Purvis, chairman of Galashiels Community Council, said he was still hearing concerns about the Black Path.

Galashiels Councillor Bill White believed the fears were “more perception than reality”.

But Community Councillor John McLaren hit back, saying: “This is not a myth; people have genuine concerns about the Black Path.”

Galashiels councillor John Mitchell said the town was safe, adding: “Yes, we have serious crimes which take place here but it is less than other areas of Scotland.”

Community councillor Judith Cleghorn also called on a member of Galashiels Police Station to attend the next meeting, after no representative was available for March’s date.

In a written police report, Galashiels CC were told that anti-social behaviour in public places continues to be a problem in the town, often relating to alcohol.

In total, there were 28 alcohol related incidents recorded in February out of 64 crimes in total, of which 42 were detected.

And since the start of 2013, police report that 734 crimes have been recorded in Galashiels, down from 937 over the same period last year.

THE people of Galashiels have been told to clean up their acts.

Councillor Bill White has labelled the current levels of litter lying about the town as “absolutely diabolical”.

But he is hopeful that a controversial new recycling plan costing £32,000 can improve the situation.

Mr White made his initial comments at Galashiels Community Council last week, as complaints were heard about the amount of waste ruining the image of the town, in particular material from fast food chain McDonald’s.

But with Scottish Borders Council’s budget tighter than ever, he has asked Galaleans to pick up after themselves.

Speaking to TheSouthern, Mr White added: “It really has deteriorated in the last two months.

“We are coming up to the time when Galashiels should be looking at its best, but in the last six or eight weeks I have noticed more and more litter.

“We have bins which are sitting empty, yet 10 yards away there is a pile of rubbish on the road.

“If people would put their rubbish in the bins then the money spent clearing it up could be allocated elsewhere, such as education.

“There are plenty bins around the town for people to use.

“We are not as bad as some places elsewhere in the country, but we do not want it getting worse.”

Some members of Galashiels CC believe McDonald’s should clean up the mess, with areas such as Low Buckholmside seeing piles of wrappers and paper from the global chain’s nearby restaurant.

Other areas to suffer from litter louts include Currie Road and Huddersfield and Dale Streets on the route to Netherdale.

But Galashiels CC chairman Ian Purvis says locals have to take more responsibility.

Mr Purvis told last Wednesday’s meeting: “It is easy to blame McDonald’s and the council but I think the emphasis should be on the public to clean up after themselves.”

However, a McDonald’s spokeswoman said the company would be willing to discuss with residents and other businesses how to stamp out littering.

She added: “Employees at the McDonald’s restaurant in Galashiels are committed to carrying out daily patrols to collect all types of litter in the surrounding area and we have funded McDonald’s bins and signage in the vicinity of the restaurant in an attempt to encourage everyone to dispose of their litter responsibly.”

Last month, Selkirk Community Council lambasted plans to place 97 huge community recycling bins across 22 town and village centres.

The 5ft by 3ft units, as part of a new Recycling on the Go scheme by Scottish Borders Council, were compared to Daleks by one community councillor from the Royal Burgh.

But Mr White disagrees. He told us: “I think these bins will help the situation in Galashiels. They are striking in size but you need them to stand out in order for people to notice them.”

Community council responses to the recycling bins pilot are to be submitted tomorrow.

Hawick Amateur Operatic Society staged Annie Get Your Gun way back in 1959.

Since then the Hawick company has put on many a show. Countless songs have been sung, countless dance routines performed and countless principles and chorus members have graced Hawick Town Hall.

Following a break of more than half a century however, Annie is back in town.

What’s more this Irving Berlin musical is back with a bang. For thanks to the sharp shooting direction of producer Brian McGlasson, who has choreographer Anne Anderson and musical director Derek Calder riding shotgun with him, Annie Get Your Gun has been blasting away Hawick audiences throughout this week.

This trio has done a lot of trail-blazing over the years in the Border amateur operatic scene and they have hit the winning trail in an explosive Hawick production.

Fast-paced and action-packed Annie Get Your Gun, which was updated in 1999, is a delightful romantic comedy tale of Annie Oakley who wins fame in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, as well as having a rough and tumble romance with the dashing Frank Butler.

In her first major role, Janie Mallin is just superb as heroine Annie. Janie puts absolutely everything into her part and just like the gun-firing Annie, she hits the target in all she does.

Janie not only excels with her singing numbers but also shines with her acting, and she captures the part of her colourful character with a great zest and exuberance. A star Janie certainly is.

Firing from the same top-notch gun is Merijin Schepens as the womanising Frank Butler. Making his Hawick stage debut, Merijin who is from the Netherlands but now lives and works in Hawick, is the perfect leading man.

Apart from having the charismatic appeal that his part needs, Merijin has a great singing voice. He opens the show with his rendering of There’s No Business Like Show Business and from here on he has the audience captivated with his every stage entrance.

This rootin’ tootin’ show has many others who deserve the plaudits to the full as well. None more so than Amanda Blacklock who is a gem in her own right, in giving a dazzling performance as Dolly Tate.

Emerging from the same mould is Kevin Sykes. Kevin breezes through his role of Charlie Davenport and seems to enjoy his part as much as the audience do watching him.

Natalie Paterson (Winnie Tate) and Ross Aitkin (Tommy Keeler) have a great stage chemistry between them and blend splendidly as the young lovers with great enchantment.

Former super-heavyweight boxer, David Paterson (Sitting Bull) is a knockout. Indeed you could not wish to see a better chief than big David.

Iain Scott (Buffalo Bill), Billy Rooney (Foster Wilson) and Steven Law (Pawnee Bill) are others who star.

Also featuring highly are the performances of the children in the show.

Connie Lothian and Shanni Murphy (Jessie), Abbie McCaughey and Eildh Murray (Nellie) and Ben McCredie and Nikki Stavert (Little Jake), the young siblings of Annie are delights.

The show has many top numbers such as You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun, My Defences are Down and Anything You 
Can Do.

Overall, from its singing and dancing to its lavish colourful costumes and to the magnificent music from a great orchestra, Annie Get Your Gun is a fun-filled enjoyable musical romp.

Ongoing “bad blood” between two families saw a father and son attack a man in a pub toilet.

Raymond Sutherland, 52, and his son, Des, 27, both of Balnakiel Terrace, Galashiels, admitted, while acting with others, assaulting a man to his injury at the town’s Woodcutter pub on October 6.

Fining Raymond Sutherland £1,200 at Selkirk on Monday, Sheriff Kevin Drummond told the accused: “You are a 52-year-old man who appears to have lived a largely offence-free life and a useful life in the community. You are said not to represent a risk of imminent harm.”

But he warned: “People taking the law into their own hands cannot be tolerated in a civilised society. You played a more significant part in this episode.”

Desmond Sutherland was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order, with a condition he completes 160 hours of unpaid work.

“The extent of your involvement allows me to deal with this by the alternative to custody,” Sheriff Drummond told him.

At a previous hearing, prosecutor Tessa Bradley said the offence was committed against a “background of ongoing bad blood between two families”.

The victim had been drinking in the pub when Des Sutherland’s brother came into the premises around 6.30pm and was told to leave by the complainer. When he told other members of his family, the two accused went to the pub about half-an-hour later.

Ms Bradley said the man was in the toilet when four men, including the two accused, came in behind him, adding: “He was struck on the shoulder from behind and the force was such that he fell to the ground. He was then subjected to a barrage of kicks and punches, and tried to protect himself by covering his head.”

The two accused and two others left the pub, and the man was found lying bleeding on the toilet floor. He was taken to hospital by ambulance, having suffered two cuts to his forehead and bruising.

Raymond Sutherland denied being at the pub and gave police a “no-comment” interview, while his son admitted his involvement, claiming to have acted alone.

Ed Hulme, representing Raymond Sutherland, said there had been ongoing problems between the two families. He added: “Des was going to the pub and he decided to go with him, in the hope that things wouldn’t escalate.”

Des Sutherland’s solicitor, Ross Dow, said there had been “a litany of abuse towards the family” and his client “saw red” and went to the pub.

“He did take the law into his own hands, and he shouldn’t have,” he added.

On Monday, solicitor Iain Burke, representing Raymond Sutherland, said his client wished to stress how full of regret and shame he was.

“He responded wrongly to a volatile situation, and is quite clear that he will not make the same mistake of trying to sort it out himself,” said Mr Burke.

Mr Dow, representing Des Sutherland, said his client was also “suitably regretful”, adding that the conviction would have a significant deterring effect.

“There has been a hate campaign towards my client and his family,” he said.

A man found with an illegal drug at his home was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order, with a condition he completes 108 hours of unpaid work.

Kurt Muir, 28, of Cheviot Road, Hawick, admitted having amphetamine at a house at Halliburton Place, Galashiels – where he was living on December 20, 2011.

He was fined £55 after he also pleaded guilty to having an air rifle there – when excluded from possession of a firearm within five years of his release from a prison sentence.

SCOTTISH Borders Council’s stance towards a government body during an ambulance station application at Borders General Hospital has been fiercely attacked, writes Kenny Paterson.

Representatives for the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), which is appealing SBC’s rejection of new facility at land north west of the hospital, have accused the authority of conceit by not taking into account Scottish Natural Heritage’s decision not to object to the plans.

SBC is also been accused of being dogmatic by refusing to accept response times would be quicker at the ambulance service’s identified site, rather than another location beside Huntlyburn House, also in the BGH’s grounds. A final decision is expected within weeks, as Scottish Government reporter Philip Hutchinson makes a site visit to the BGH on Tuesday.

Reiterating its position regarding SNH, an SBC spokesman told the reporter: “The council gave due weight to SNH’s view in its determination of the planning application, but was entitled not to consider it overriding.

“The principal reason for doing so was because of the extent of woodland screening that would be lost, the limited screening value of what would remain, and the resulting potential exposure of both the development and the hospital to views towards the Eildon Hills.

He added: “Relying on SNH’s comments to judge the planning application despite the council’s reasonable doubts about the screening value of the trees that would remain is simply not justified.”

But in a fiercely worded letter to Mr Hutchinson, Antony Duthie of planning consultants Clarendon wrote: “For the council to infer that SNH are not to be relied upon is a staggering assertion.”

He added: “The Scottish Ambulance Service are of the contention that SNH have indeed fulfilled their statutory obligations in the foregoing regard and that Scottish Borders Council did not afford all due credence to same,” Mr Duthie added.

“For the council to suggest that SNH’s opinion is not overriding belies the very purpose of statutory consultation if it is not respected or ignored simply if it does not accord with the council’s own landscape officer’s view.

“Such highlights our client’s suspicion that the council’s officers had a preconceived position without, to the contrary, giving supposed ‘due weight to SNH’s view’.”

Mr Duthie added: “It is considered conceited that the advice of a principal statutory consultee has been ignored.”

As part of its appeal, SAS said research had shown its application would increase the chances of patient survival by up to a fifth compared to SBC’s preferred location beside Huntlyburn House.

But an SBC spokesman wrote: “This council is not convinced that the appellant’s modelling of traffic times accounts for the fact that the application site is regularly affected by significant vehicle movements, particularly at peak periods, when traffic can back up toward the hospital car parks, as anyone who has visited the hospital will know.”

Mr Duthie replied: “Notwithstanding response times and landscape impact, Scottish Borders Council continue to labour under the misapprehension that other sites were indeed available to the Scottish Ambulance Service and have been dogmatic throughout the process on this front.”

A SURGE in the pupil population at Earlston High School means more time from additional needs assistants (ANA) will be dedicated to its catchment area, writes Kenny Paterson.

The losers will be Eildon West – including Galashiels Academy – and Tweeddale, which covers Peebles High, with both communities seeing its ANA time reduced.

Members of Scottish Borders Council’s education committee decided at its Tuesday meeting to back the proposals to revise its £3.24million allocation of core hours for staff who work alongside teachers in mainstream education.

For Eildon East, which includes Earlston and Selkirk High Schools, its allocation from 2014/15 rises from 15.5 per cent to 18.9 per cent, while Tweeddale sees the biggest drop in hours by almost 4.5 per cent.

Berwickshire, Cheviot and Teviot will see slight increases in its ANA provision.

SBC Cheviot locality manager James Marshall said: “We have found that Earlston’s pupil population has seen a massive rise, while in Galashiels it has fallen.

“We have found in some classes of 20 pupils that there was one teacher and three ANAs – that is not a good use of resources.”

Mr Marshall added that the loss of core hours from both Tweeddale and Eildon West will be partly compensated by the allocation of hours due to exceptional needs students, with both areas traditionally having a larger proportion in that category.

The new method of calculating ANA core hours followed a review of the process which discovered it to be time-consuming, inequitable and not transparent.

“This process, which identified annually the individual needs of children, required a cumbersome paper and meeting process to complete,” wrote Mr Marshall in his report.

A review group was set up to revise the method and agreed to reallocate 80 per cent of the hours, with the remaining 20 per cent being left aside to support children with exceptional needs.

The new way of distributing ANA staff time was devised using a school index, produced to work out any shortfalls or not needed cover within SBC’s community learning areas.

It was made up by combining school roll and each community’s ranking in a Scottish index of most and least deprived zones.

Mr Marshall said the new system would provide flexibility, with schools which do not require as much ANA support being able to transfer core hours to a school which does need it.

But Selkirkshire councillor Vicky Davidson said: “The thought that schools are going to give up their allocation for other schools seems a bit optimistic.”

However, Mr Marshall said the new system would streamline the process and ensure it is fair.

In his report, he added: “School session 2013/14 will be a transition period when the existing method of allocation will be used.

“Concurrent with this, the review group will compare the existing allocation against the allocation obtained by using the new method using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and the moderation of exceptional needs.

“This will allow any revision of the model before full implementation (in 2014/15).”

FEARS have been expressed there will be an rash of fly-tipping incidents in the Kelso area once the special ‘Saturday lift’ bin lorry service in Borders ceases at the end of this month.

Members of Kelso Community Council, meeting this week, heard that Saturday, March 30, will be the final uplift.

The service has seen the vehicles and their crews stationed for several hours, on certain Saturdays each month, in Newcastleton, Jedburgh and Lauder, as well as Kelso.

It has allowed householders to dispose of bulkier items, including furniture and electrical goods, without having to transport them a considerable distance to local authority dumps and recycling centres.

And such has been the popularity of the service in Kelso, that its Knowes car park – where the monthly bin lorry stations itself – often sees vehicles snaking their way right round the car park and out onto several nearby streets.

But the service is being axed as part of measures by Scottish Borders Council to make savings for future years.

The local authority has said there will be alternative disposal options available, including the council’s six community recycling centres, where household waste is accepted free of charge, or via the chargeable special uplift service.

But the end of the monthly service will leave residents in the Kelso area with nothing except the option of a 40-mile round trip to the nearest recycling centre, or coughing up the £25 charge to have items taken away.

And the decision was again slammed by local Scottish Borders councillor Tom Weatherston (Kelso & District, Con).

“There has already been a couch dumped along Spylaw Road – that will be the start of problems if this service goes,” Mr Weatherston told the community council on Tuesday night.

“This has been a large issue for me on my travels around Kelso. In fact, I’ve never had such a response to an issue in all the time since I first became a councillor.

“There’s a lot of the Kelso public feeling very badly let down over this.”

His fellow local Scottish Borders councillor, Alec Nicol, suggested the community council should issue an invitation to Rob Dickson, the local authority’s director of environment and infrastructure, to attend a future meeting: “And let the people of Kelso know what the plans are.”

Mr Nicol added that part of the difficulty experienced by the council was that the Scottish Government kept “changing the goalposts” when it came to recycling.

The community council also heard from community councillor Dean Weatherston, who described how his 79-year-old grandfather had been informed he was responsible for getting an unwanted sofa down a cul-de-sac and out to the main street if he wanted it collected by the council.

Mr Weatherson (Tom) explained there was a service available to help with such problems. But Mr Weatherston (Dean) replied: “He was not informed of that by the council contact centre – it was never mentioned.”

Community council vice-chairman John Bassett described charging people for such an uplift service as “really disgusting.”

On a related issue, Mr Weatherston (Tom) also told councillors it appeared households would be receiving another waste bin in 2015 – for the disposal of foodstuffs – to go with the existing ones for household rubbish and items for recycling.

“If I’m reading the legislation right, then this will be another large expense for councils,” he said.

z The next Kelso Community Council meeting will be on April 9 in the Town Hall.