A Kelso man who denies falsely obtaining more than £10,000 in benefits will stand trial on August 8, with a pre-trial hearing on July 11.
David Anderson, 57, of Broomlea Court, pleaded not guilty to obtaining benefits of £10,715 to which he was not entitled at Chesters Cottages, Jedburgh, between November 30, 2009, and July 10, 2011.
A speeding motorcyclist, clocked at 124mph, has been convicted of dangerous driving.
Henry Drummond, 35, of New Hunterfield, Gorebridge, denied committing the offence on the A7 at Fountainhall on July 25 last year, but was found guilty after trial.
Convicting the accused at Selkirk on Monday, Sheriff Kevin Drummond commented: “The test to be applied is whether or not the driving by the accused fell far below the standard to be expected of a careful and competent driver in the face of obvious potential dangers.”
Sentence was deferred until Monday for Drummond to appear personally.
SELKIRK FC are at full strength for their East of Scotland First Division clash against Easthouses Lily tomorrow, writes Fiona Scott.
And following a midweek victory over Duns, the Souters will be looking to get a run going.
Defender Jason Inglis said: “Last Saturday we got a draw with Burntisland, but it was a game we deserved to win as I thought we were the better side. Once again, however, we didn’t take our chances and not being able to hit the net has been our main problem this season. We seem to have solved that on Tuesday night, but we must keep it going.
“We haven’t played Easthouses yet, so I am not sure what to expect, but hopefully we can score more goals and get another three points.”
Selkirk got their first win in eight games with a 2-0 triumph over the Dingers.
Bobby Gay and Jamie Gibson were the scorers for the Souters in only their third win of the league season. They sit in 12th place with seven games remaining.
Elsewhere, Selkirk Victoria have only three games left – Bowholm at home tomorrow, Stow at home on Tuesday, and Linton Hotspur away (date tbc).
On Tuesday night, they beat Linton Hotspur at home 3-1 with headed goals from Ross Purves and Ryan Clapperton, and a long-range screamer from Alistair Orr. The Vics are in fifth position in Division B.
The parents of a Selkirk woman who died from Hodgkin’s lymphoma aged just 25 have pledged a “significant legacy” to the Abbotsford Trust .
As part of the donation, Jim and Kath McCallum have gifted a bust of Sir Walter Scott to the trust, in memory of their daughter Shirley Lowthian.
The bust, which used to hang in The Fleece Hotel, is now displayed in the Abbotsford visitor centre.
In recognition of the couple’s donation, an education room in the historic house will be named The Shirley Ann McCallum Lecture Room.
It will be used for a range of educational activities as part of the trust’s commitment to enhancing knowledge and understanding about the life and legacy of Scott.
It will also contain some of Shirley’s own personal memorabilia and tell the story of her life, dedication to her family, beloved horses and courage in her fight against such a cruel disease.
Jim said: “We have spent 17 years relentlessly searching for the ideal memorial to our precious girl.
“I made a heartfelt pledge to Shirley – our only child – that she would never be forgotten and through this new learning centre at Abbotsford, we believe we have found the ideal way to ensure that her precious memory will be treasured. Kath and I believe that by making this donation to Abbotsford, we will be creating a legacy for our daughter that will inspire others who learn about her.”
Jason Dyer, chief executive of the Abbotsford Trust, said: “We are exceptionally grateful to Jim and Kath for their generous donation.”
The house is due to open on July 4 following a multi-million pound refurbishment.
MANY Borderers who are struggling to pay utility bills could suffer more under benefit reforms and following the long winter.
That is the view of Kathryn Peden, manager of the Central Borders Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).
She told The Southern: “Already we help hundreds of people across the Borders who struggle to meet the ever increasing costs of energy, but we’re concerned that rising prices, the long cold winter and changes to benefits could make it even harder for local people to heat their homes.
“Energy prices have doubled since 2004 and benefits cuts and changes are set to take £1.6billion a year out of the Scottish economy – much of it coming from the pockets of the poorest – so it’s no wonder people are struggling with energy bills.”
She added: “Anyone who’s worried about debt or about how to make ends meet can get free, confidential, impartial advice from the CAB.”
Her comments come on the back of research by Debt Advisory Centre Scotland, which revealed that 170,000 Scots are in arrears to one or more utility firms.
Ian Williams from Debt Advisory Centre Scotland said those in arrears needed to ensure they paid for their usage first and foremost.
“You then need to look at your budget and figure out how much you can pay on top of your usage towards your arrears,” he said. “Offer this to your utility provider. Even if they don’t accept this amount, pay it anyway as it will show them that you’re willing to try and work things out.”
WITH the Borders’ population of over-75s expected to double in the next 25 years, the council and NHS Borders have examined what this could mean for services.
The two organisations, in collaboration with Scottish Care and the Borders Voluntary Community Care Forum, have developed the Older People’s Joint Commissioning Strategy in consultation with service users and carers.
Calum Campbell, chief executive of NHS Borders, said: “The strategy is the start of a necessary future plan for all of the elderly population of the Borders.
“We have to start planning now so our services will be able to rise to the demands of the future. This means how our services will be available and what changes are going to have to be made.
“We are committed to working closely alongside older people to achieve this and our partners in the council and independent and voluntary sectors to find the right solutions.”
The council and NHS Borders are looking for people’s views on the strategy. Drop-in sessions and visits to local groups to discuss the strategy are planned.
Schoolchildren have created a smart phone app as part of a project to learn more about what goes on in their home town of Innerleithen.
Through their Local Study topic, primary six and seven pupils at St Ronan’s carried out interviews with local residents and used a variety of sources to gain an insight into the different events and activities in Innerleithen.
They have now compiled all the information and used special software to create the app, called Inner Info, which is available to download, free.
Mark Aitchison, class teacher, said: “It was really important that we let the pupils lead the planning of our topic, allowing freedom to chose aspects of the town that interested them most.
“The pupils chose from a wide range of topics including games week, Leithen Water and the old railway station, which gave light to a diverse and challenging topic.
“The app is a testimony to their own mature approach to their learning.”
Pupil Rachel Lea, said: “I think the best bit was learning more about Innerleithen by carrying out our interviews and hearing what other people think about the town.”
Fellow pupil Callum Robb added: “I thought it was an amazing opportunity to learn more about our town and how to design an app.
“I’ll definitely be making more apps in the future now I know how easy it is.”
Thursday 13 June
6.00pm PETER ALLISS Festival Marquee
6.15pm GAVIN FRANCIS - EMPIRE ANTARCTICA The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
6.15pm ALLAN MASSIE Lochcarron Marquee
7.30pm ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH Festival Marquee
7.45pm SIMON SCARROW The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
7.45pm BORDER VOICES ON SCOTTISH BORDERS AND BEYOND Lochcarron Marquee
9.00pm TOM CONTI Festival Marquee
9.15pm WILLIAM DALRYMPLE The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
Friday 14 June
6.00pm HILARY MANTEL Festival Marquee
6.15pm RICHARD HOLLOWAY AND FRANK CLOSE The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
7.45pm THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE Festival Marquee
7.45pm GARY MULGREW - GANG OF ONE The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
9.00pm STELLA RIMINGTON Festival Marquee
9.00pm STELLA RIMINGTON (LIVE STREAMING) Davidson Chalmers Storytelling Tent
9.15pm BILLINGHAM AND BROOKMYRE ARE INDISCREET The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
Saturday 15 June
10.15am HORACE AND THE HAGGIS HUNTER with SALLY MAGNUSSON and NORMAN STONE The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
10.30am EVEREST IN THE LIBRARY (1) F Melrose Abbey Education Centre, Cloister Rd, Melrose
10.45am THE DAVIDSON CHALMERS WRITE ON! WRITING COMPETITION AWARDS, FREE Lochcarron Marquee
11.30am YOU CHOOSE with NICK SHARRATT F Festival Marquee
12 noon EVEREST IN THE LIBRARY (2)
Melrose Abbey Education Centre, Cloister Rd, Melrose
12.15pm FAR ROCKAWAY with CHARLIE FLETCHER F The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
12.15pm DISCOVERING YOUR ANCESTRY WITH GENEALOGY AND GENETICS Lochcarron Marquee
1.00pm HORRID HENRY with FRANCESCA SIMON F Festival Marquee
1.15pm BOOKBUG RHYME SESSION (1) FREE Davidson Chalmers Storytelling Tent
1.45pm ANNABEL PITCHER and ELEANOR UPDALE F The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
2.00pm EVEREST IN THE LIBRARY (3) Melrose Abbey Education Centre, Cloister Rd, Melrose
2.15pm BOOKBUG RHYME SESSION (2) FREE Davidson Chalmers Storytelling Tent
2.30pm CLAIRE MACDONALD Festival Marquee
3.00pm MEDIEVAL CONSTRUCTION SCIENCE SHOW FREE Lochcarron Marquee
3.15pm MAGIC INK with STEVE COLE F The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
3.15pm STORYTIME FREE Davidson Chalmers Storytelling Tent
3.15pm EVEREST IN THE LIBRARY (4) Melrose Abbey Education Centre, Cloister Rd, Melrose
4.00pm THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL Festival Marquee
4.30pm FRAGMENTS Lochcarron Marquee
4.45pm JULIE DAVIDSON - LOOKING FOR MRS LIVINGSTONE The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
6.00pm BRITAIN’S BEST HISTORICAL FICTION Festival Marquee
6.15pm HELEN McGINN - THE KNACKERED MOTHER’S WINE CLUB The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
6.15pm THE WAVERLEY ROUTE Lochcarron Marquee
7.30pm PHYLLIDA LAW – HOW MANY CAMELS ARE THERE IN HOLLAND? Festival Marquee
7.45pm HUW LEWIS-JONES - THE CONQUEST OF EVEREST The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
7.45pm A.N. WILSON Lochcarron Marquee
9.00pm JOANNA LUMLEY Festival Marquee
9.00pm JOANNA LUMLEY (LIVE STREAM) Lochcarron Marquee and Davidson Chalmers Storytelling Tent
9.15pm WILLIAM MCILVANNEY The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
Sunday 16 June
11.45pm AN INTRODUCTION TO STORYBOOK ILLUSTRATION Lochcarron Marquee
12 noon RUBY REDFORT with LAUREN CHILD F Festival Marquee
12.15pm JUMBLEBUM with CHAE STRATHIE F The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
1.30pm DARREN SHAN: ZOM-B F Festival Marquee
1.30pm STORYTIME (1) FREE Davidson Chalmers Storytelling Tent
1.45pm DARCY BURDOCK with LAURA DOCKRILL F The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
1.45pm BAGPIPES, BEASTIES AND BOGLES with TIM ARCHBOLD Lochcarron Marquee
3.00pm MELROSE MASTERMIND Festival Marquee
3.15pm “CHEDDAR CHEESE AND LIME PICKLE.... NICK SHARRATT and VIVIAN FRENCH” F The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
3.15pm MEDIEVAL ENCAUSTIC TILE-MAKING WORKSHOP FREE Lochcarron Marquee
3.45pm STORYTIME (2) FREE Davidson Chalmers Storytelling Tent
4.30pm HARMONY GARDENERS’ QUESTION TIME Festival Marquee
4.45pm TOM HOLLAND The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
4.45pm THE BUSY BLOKE’S BEER GROUP WITH PETE BROWN Lochcarron Marquee
6.00pm NEIL OLIVER Festival Marquee
6.15pm PENNY JUNOR - PRINCE WILLIAM: BORN TO BE KING The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
6.15pm ROSEMARY GORING - AFTER FLODDEN Lochcarron Marquee
7.30pm KATE MOSSE Festival Marquee
7.45pm SAM LEITH - YOU TALKIN’ TO ME? The Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee
9.00pm JOHN SESSIONS Festival Marquee.
F marks family pass day events
Gary Mulgrew says it wasn’t his experiences growing up in a tough, Glasgow area in the 1960s or working as a nightclub bouncer that helped him survive three years behind the bars of some of America’s toughest prisons.
Rather it was the skills acquired as a high-flying banker which he found the most useful.
Mulgrew, who shot to fame – or rather infamy – as one of the NatWest Three after the collapse of US energy giant, Enron, will be giving a Borders Book Festival audience a shocking insight into life behind bars on the other side of the Atlantic.
Now 51, he was extradited with NatWest colleagues David Bermingham and Giles Darby to stand trial in the US in 2006.
The accusation was that they organised the sale of NatWest holdings in a number of Enron-related investments to a partnership controlled by Enron’s chief financial officer, Andrew Fastow.
It was alleged that with the assistance of Mulgrew and his two colleagues, Fastow was able to buy the shares cheap and re-sell them making millions for himself and the three accused.
A plea bargain to avoid the possibility of decades in prison left the men with 37 months in the US penal system. They were released in 2010 after spending the end of their sentences in the UK.
Mulgrew is steadfast in his claim that he never committed a crime, believing he and his colleagues were handy scapegoats for the Enron disaster.
At Melrose, Mulgrew will talk about his time in Big Spring Federal Correctional Institution in Texas.
Entitled Gang of One, it was published last summer with all the proceeds going to Reunite, the UK’s leading charity dealing with the movement of children across international borders.
Those at Mulgrew’s event at Melrose and who have not read his book, might be surprised it is not just a tale of violence and a rant against the US justice system, but a moving story of hope and human dignity in the face of crushing despair.
While Mulgrew was behind bars, his ex-wife took the couple’s six-year-old daughter to live in Tunisia and, despite frantic efforts to trace the pair, he has not heard from them since.
Mulgrew, who also has a teenage son, says he wrote Gang of One mainly so that his daughter will hopefully read it one day and know her father loved her and never gave up looking for her.
The son of former Labour MSP Trish Godman, Mulgrew says he is looking forward to his appearance at the Melrose festival and is enjoying his new literary life, although he also has other business interests.
“The book has done very well and has been optioned for a film,” Mulgrew told The Southern. “I’ve done a few appearances at literary events, but I don’t think writing just one book entitles you to call yourself a proper writer. It’s something I’d like to purse as a career.”
He says despite being 6ft2ins with a broken nose, it was his talents as a banker that helped him most while in jail.
“I might look the part but I’m not a fighter – I hate all that and in four years as a bouncer I never got into a fight. It was my training at the bank that really saw me through prison.”
Once convicted and awaiting sentence, Mulgrew started researching life in prison and adapted his daily life to reflect the conditions he would find.
“I stopped watching television, gave up alcohol, slept on the floor and only took cold showers. It was a way of preparing myself mentally for what was to come.
“And I did what I used to do when at the bank – I wrote down what the negatives would be. I broke it down into chunks that I could deal with.
“The first thing I wrote down was rape because I was terrified of that happening. That was followed by stabbing, gangs and so on.”
Mulgrew learned very quickly that presence counted for a lot when inside prison: “Posturing was everything – having an air of confidence and projecting that. And my sense of anger fuelled my drive to survive and make it through it all. To get out and find my daughter.”
Mulgrew says his feelings of guilt for the impact his jailing had on his children drive him on still. “When you have kids, you’d go through anything for them.”
l Gary Mulgrew, Gang of One, Scottish Borders Brewery Marquee, 7.45pm on Friday, June 14.
This month sees the introduction of a new cash basis for calculating taxable income for small unincorporated businesses.
The aim is to make it easier for small businesses to deal with their tax affairs.
By simplifying the calculation of taxable income for small unincorporated businesses, the objective is to give them greater certainty over the preparation of figures for their self-assessment tax return and to clarify and simplify self-assessment of business income.
The measures will allow taxpayers to choose the method of computing taxable income that best suits their business. They will not be appropriate for every small business.
The first measure will allow eligible unincorporated businesses to calculate taxable income on a simpler cash basis if this suits them. Theywill not have to compute figures on debtors, creditors and stock, or distinguish between capital and revenue expenditure and they will not have to compute capital allowances to arrive at a taxable income figure.
The second measure will allow all unincorporated businesses to use flat rate expenses for particular items of business expenditure.
Eligible small businesses will be able to calculate their taxable income by taking business cash received in a year and deducting allowable business cash expenses paid in a year. Generally, they will not not have to distinguish between revenue and capital expenditure.
From the 2013-14 tax year, all unincorporated businesses will be able deduct certain expenses on a simplified flat rate basis.
The key aspects of the cash basis are: it is optional and small unincorporated businesses can choose to use it if their receipts for the year are less than the amount of the VAT registration threshold (currently £79,000) or twice that for recipients of universal credit. Businesses must leave the cash basis once receipts exceed twice the VAT registration threshold and may leave if t is no longer appropriate for them
It will work on a cash flow basis. For income, it is what the business receives, when it is received; for outgoings, it is what the business pays, when it pays it. Income includes all means of payment – cash, card, cheque or any other form. A business’s income includes all amounts received in connection with the business, including those from the disposal of non-durable assets, for example plant and machinery.
Allowable expenses must be amounts paid wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade, including for non-durable assets. It will no longer be necessary to calculate and claim capital allowances.
Interest payments are allowed up to £500.
Business losses may be carried forward to set against the profits of future years but not carried back or offset sideways against other sources of income.
Rules on entering or leaving the cash basis are intended to ensure that income is taxed and expenses are relieved once only.
Simplified expenses are based on easier to follow rules that can be used when calculating some some spending and are all optional.
Fixed allowances may be used for business mileage. The car rate may be used for goods vehicles, such as vans, in some cases. A flat rate can be used to calculate expenses relating to business use of the home. A three-tier banded rate can also be used to calculate the adjustment for private use of business premises
For mileage, business use of the home and private use of business premises, the flat rates will be used rather than deductions for actual amounts, apportioned between business and private use. Simplified expenses can be used by any unincorporated business, whether or not they have chosen to use the cash basis.
The cash basis does not change the date that businesses will be able to make their books up to for a tax year, or the way a business should account for VAT. A business registered for VAT may enter details of its business income and expenses either: ■excluding VAT, or ■including VAT, in which case the net VAT payments to HMRC should be included as an expense, and net VAT repayments from HMRC should be included in receipts Profits calculated under the cash basis constitute profits used to calculate NICs.
Further information on the new basis of tax for small businesses can be obtained from Rennie Welch, 01573 224391.
Large orders, more jobs, an international magazine feature and a successful trade event attracting buyers from the world’s leading labels.
It is a list of achievements that most companies would love to tick off in a year, but for Galashiels-based Aero Leather this all came in the space of just one week.
Earlier this month, the firm hosted its first trade show week, which helped secure over a year’s worth of orders from all round the world.
A leading lifestyle magazine from Japan even sent a team to cover the show, with a front page picture and inside spread set for the next edition.
Founder of Aero Leather, Ken Calder, said: “The trade week has been good for us, and good for our staff.”
The event also led to the creation of two new posts due to the increase in orders, while two cloth machinists have been moved to work on leather to cope with the demand.
Mr Calder returned to the helm of the firm in September last year, and is proud to be able to create jobs in the area.
In the past six months he has also hired eight graduates from Heriot-Watt University’s School of Textiles and Design.
Mr Calder said: “These people are the future and have gone through probably one of the best universities for this industry, but had been working in supermarkets or pubs.
“At Heriot-Watt they are taught the right way to do things, and have come here with a really good schooling, so it hasn’t taken long to teach them our way of working.”
With 24 staff currently employed at the firm, and significant orders on the books, it has been a successful return for Mr Calder and his family –wife Lydia and children Holly and Denny also work there.
With a number of staff having come back since the Calders returned, Mr Calder said retirement was again on his mind.
“We have members of the team who have been here a long time and really understand the running of the company, so this time the retirement shouldn’t be so painful,” he said.
A gambler with £35,000 debts embezzled more than £9,000 from his employer – and lost the lot at the bookies.
Thomas Crosbie then walked to Galashiels police station and confessed.
At Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday, Crosbie, 29, of Dingleton Cottages, Melrose, was given a 12-month community payback order and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
He admitted embezzling £9,580 while employed as assistant manager at Aldi in Galashiels between December 30, 2012, and January 15, 2013.
Having already repaid £2,300, he was told to cough up the remainder via a compensation order.
At a previous hearing, prosecutor Tessa Bradley said Crosbie had worked a shift on December 30 and was designated to cash up.
She told the court: “He offered to work the following day, as they were short-staffed, and was again designated to cash up.”
The manager returned to work on January 10 and found that the takings had not been collected as usual, later discovering that the accused had gone home with the safe key.
When Crosbie met the manager in the street, he handed him the store keys and said “sorry” – although the manager didn’t know why he was apologising.
During police interview, he said he had stolen about £9,000 from his workplace. He said he lost the first lot of money – £4,590 at Ladbrokes, and the second sum of £4,990 at William Hill.
Ross Dow, defending, said his client walked straight from the bookmakers to the police station, adding: “He took about £4,500 the first time and lost it, and was desperately trying to win it back to repay the money, and that led to the second offence.” .
The lawyer said Crosbie was currently receiving help in tackling his gambling problem.
“He is said to have gambling debts of £35,000,” observed Sheriff Kevin Drummond.
A group of 25 Earlstonians, including a number of high school pupils, recently returned from a successful twinning visit to Cappella Maggiore in Italy.
The group visited a local secondary school, an olive oil mill and a cheese factory, and enjoyed a day in Venice. Next year is the 10th anniversary of the link.
First Bus has launched a free bus app designed to improve the convenience and availability of information to bus users.
The timetable and live information, which includes all bus operators in Great Britain, is jointly provided by Traveline and First.
Hopes that a temporary one-way system could be introduced this weekend to ease an accident blackspot in Selkirk have been dashed.
Townsfolk backed Buccleuch Road being turned into a one-way street from the Ettrick Bridge to the entrance to the swimming pool, with council bosses planning to see the temporary traffic regulation order (TTRO) come into force tomorrow.
Despite Mill Street being turned into a one-way road, a Scottish Borders Council spokesman said: “The introduction of a TTRO to make Buccleuch Road one-way eastwards is under active decision, but no final decision has been made yet.
If this is to go ahead it needs to be formally advertised and the earliest it could happen now is Friday, May 3.”
The measure follows fierce opposition to plans to remove parking from Buccleuch Road but keep it two-way.
The new order came after an accident and a number of near misses at Yarrow Terrace, which is closed to east-bound traffic as a result of a collapsed wall below the Glen Hotel. Selkirk Community Council chairman Graham Easton added: “Anything that can be done to ease the situation has to be welcomed and we are quite supportive of a one-way system. This is not going to be a short-term measure, this could be in place for a number of months.
A dispute over who owns the collapsed wall, which could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to fix, is in the hands of lawyers.
PLANS for a Flodden memorial garden are being recommended for approval when they go before councillors on Monday, writes Adam Drummond.
However, concerns regarding the lack of detailed designs for various aspects of the garden, including benches and information boards, have resulted in the inclusion of conditions which require these details to be signed off by the council before work starts.
The community council raised concerns about a lack of detail with part of the scheme, but didn’t object to it.
Five conditions have been suggested by planning officers to be implemented along with the approval of the plan.
These include that full details of the seating, interpretation boards, plaques, mosaics and any bins are submitted to and approved in writing by the council before any work starts on the site.
Jake Wheelans, chairman of the Flodden 500 committee, told us on Thursday that he planned to drop off the required details to the council planners by the weekend.
“It is all in hand, and we are looking to get started as soon as possible after we get approval,” he said.
Mr Wheelans added that all the grants were in place, with cash from the Common Good Fund and Landfill Communities Fund contributing towards a significant amount of money raised by the committee themselves towards.
The garden will take up the corner of the Victoria Halls ground closest to the junction of Scotts Place and Chapel Street.
A seating area will be created, with the Flodden 500 insignia in glass mosaic embedded into concrete in the centre of the garden.
A memorial plaque will be erected on the inside of the boundary wall on the corner of the site and five sandstone interpretation panels installed in the central planting area.
Two rowan trees are proposed, as well as three pole cherry trees.
Paving in the garden will include natural red sandstone for the outer path. Basalt coloured cobble-style paving will be used in the central seating area.
Designed by Galashiels-based James Garden Landscaping, the scheme features a large number of native plants, either blue or red in colour.
The official opening scheduled to take place on September 7.
The Ex-Soldiers Standard Bearer this year is David Deacon of Hillside Terrace.
The dad-of-two, who works in the security industry, is delighted by his appointment on Sunday.
The 44-year-old said: “I’m looking forward to the Common Riding in general.
“Not being from the area, it’s a massive opportunity to meet people in the town and get more involved in the community.
“Selkirk is a great place to live and bring up our kids.”
The former member of the Royal Military Police from Glossop, Derbyshire, is married to Fiona and the couple have Callum, 15 and Rhian, eight.
The family moved to Selkirk in 2006, though David worked away from home on operations until 2010.
This year’s Selkirk Ex-Soldiers Standard Bearer joined the Royal Military Police straight from school, aged 15 in 1984, spending his first two years in ‘boy service’. He left in 2010 and had hoped to join Lothian and Borders Police, but the service had stopped recruiting, so he ran training in the private security industry until taking up his current post in August 2011.
Edinburgh Scotwaste Monarchs 55 Berwick New Holland Bandits 37
League Cup
THE Berwick New Holland Bandits returned to the scene of many a Premier League hammering on Thursday night.
But, at the Edinburgh Monarchs Armadale Stadium, they showed they were prepared to give it a good battle.
David Bellego (pictured) picked off both Derek Sneddon and Craig Cook in Heat One following a Matthew Wethers fall to share the opening race, and with Edinburgh’s Jozsef Tabaka making a fine gate in Heat Two as his partner Marcel Helfer went from second to last on lap one the match was tied 6-6.
Theo Pijper forced his way through the rapid gating Berwick pair of Wethers and Kozza Smith with the latter ending up at the back in a home 4-2, followed by a solid Edinburgh maximum 5-1 in Heat Four from Claus Vissing and Tabaka who fought off a good try from Robin Aspegren from behind with the score now 15-9.
Better was to come from the Bandits when Bellego flew from the gate in Heat Five to lead and win the three points well with Smith in third for a 2-4, and the Aussie Smith was in the thick of it again in Heat Seven jetting from the gate with Wethers to be untroubled by Vissing in the Bandit’s 1-5 which reduced the deficit to 22-20.
Unfortunately with Bellego excluded by the referee in Heat Eight for sending Sneddon into he fence the re-run placed a home 5-1 onto the score card putting the home side 27-21 ahead.
Edinburgh then turned the screws on the Bandits - and did it hard with 5-1s coming in both Heats Nine and 10 despite Smith racing as a tactical in the latter, to push the home lead to 37-23 allowing Berwick’s management to use Aspegren as a tactical ride for double points in Heat 11 but despite making a great gate, Vissing was faster and despite a great chase from Aspegren the two points doubled to four was all he could get but with Bellego in third it was at least a Bandits’ advantage 3-5 tightening the score to 40-28.
Pijper’s win in Heat 12 was far from easy as Smith was riding all over the back of him for all four laps but the three points gained was enough to seal victory on the night with two races left on the card with the score now comfortably in Monarchs’ control 43-31.
The Monarchs topped off their night with another 5-1 maximum in the final race of the evening won by Cook in his best race of the night.
Team manager Ian Rae said afterwards: “I though we were up for shocking the Monarchs early doors tonight as the lads seemed well up for laying the ghost of Armadale good and proper but sadly the home 5-1s were back and it became all too familiar once again, but there were some good spirited rides from our lads tonight and that’s a positive to build on for the future.”
Individual Riders’ Score Chart:
Edinburgh Scotwaste Monarchs 48
1Craig Cook 1*,3,3,3,3 = 13+1
2Derek Sneddon © 2,1,2*,2* = 7+2
3Theo Pijper 3,2,3,3,2* = 13+1
4Max Fricke 1,0,2*,2 = 5+1
5Claus Vissing 3,1,3,1 = 8
6Marcel Helfer ® 0,0,0,N = 0
7Jozsef Tabaka ® 3,2*,3,0,1* = 9+2
Berwick Bandits 42
1Ricky Ashworth © rider replacement
2David Bellego 3,3,X,1*,0 = 7+1
3Kozza Smith 0,1^,3,0,2 = 6
4Matthew Wethers F,2,2*,1,3,0 = 8+1
5Robin Aspegren 1,2,0,4^,2,1 = 10
6Alex Edberg ® 1*,0,1,1* = 3+2
7Nicki Barrett ® 2,0,1,0 = 3
Hawick 39 Dundee HSFP 38
Premiership/National Division Play-off
HAWICK RFC will play Premiership rugby next season thanks to a brave and inspiring performance at Meggetland today.
There were 11 tries in total, Dundee recording six, but it’s points that matter in this game and despite being bashed senseless by the big Dundee pack, and conceding three penalty tries, the Green Machine rumbled on to a magnificent victory.
Dundee enjoyed the early pressure but it was Hawick who scored first in the eighth minute when Scott McLeod went over in the corner following some good work from Rory Hutton.
It didn’t take long for the Taysiders to respond however. And, as expected, it was the big Dundee forwards who were to the fore as No 8 Richie McIver crashed over the line and minutes later scrum-half Andy Dymock nipped round the back of a scrum to notch try number two which was converted by Jack Steele.
Hawick were not about to be bullied and five minutes later gave their opponents some of their own medicine with Graham Hogg running in near the posts following a series of pick-up and drives in the Dundee 22. Ali Weir converted and it was all square once more. The Green Machine was not finished yet though. 10 minutes to the break veteran hooker Matt Landels appeared from a pile of bodies five metres from the Dundee line and shot through like a bullet taking everyone, including himself, by surprise by touching down. Weir converted.
And, with three minutes of the half remaining the huge Hawick contingent were in raptures when Rory Hutton swept over the line in style to dot down try number four. Weir converted to make a half time score of Hawick 26 Dundee 12.
For the opening 10 minutes of the second half Hawick were forced to soak up some pressure on their own line. A series of infringements at the scrum failed to amuse referee Peter Allan who eventually lost patience and awarded a penalty try which Jack Steele converted. Worse was to come. Scott McLeod was sent to the sin bin a minute later and shortly after that another penalty try, converted by Weir, brought the scores level.
The Dundee forwards had really been putting Hawick under pressure but, to give them their due, the Greens kept their heads up. Things looked bad again as the final quarter approached when Greg Cottrell was unjustly flagged for putting a foot in touch and Dundee got the line-out on half way. The magic returned though. Rory Hutton intercepted the ball as Dundee went on the attack and his searing break saw the Greens deep in Dundee territory. Hutton then passed to Keith Davies who wove his way through to score. Weir converted and minutes later Hutton notched a penalty from 40 metres to increase the gap to 10 points.
Once again Hawick found themselves under pressure and once again they found the decisions going against them. It was Rory Scott who fell foul of the no nonsense ref and Dundee predictably followed up with a try from Alan Brown.
Still short handed Hawick dug deep and for one of the few times in the game received the benefit of a penalty decision. Weir slotted this one giving his team an eight point cushion with 10 minutes remaining.
With minutes remaining the crowd at Langholm Sevens would have heard the commotion when a third penalty try was awarded to Dundee. Steele converted and as the game moved into injury time there was only one point in it.
Nerves were now at breaking point as the game continued and possession change hands at a rate of noughts. Eventually, after six minutes of injury time, Hawick won the ball and Hutton booted the ball out to record an absolutely amazing victory for Hawick.
Hawick: A. Weir; S. McLeod, J. Coutts, G. Hogg, N. McColm; R. Hutton, G. Cottrell; S. Muir, L. Gibson, L. Launders, K. Willison, N. Mactaggart, S. Graham, R. Scott, K. Davies. Subs: M. Landels, H. Scammell, B. Keown, B. Campbell, R. Smith, G. Anderson, D. Landels.
Dundee: J. Urquart; A. McLean, H. Duthie, R. Lavery, C. Bowie; J. Steele, A. Dymock; N. Dymock, D. Russell, A. Brown, A. Redmayne, C. Cumming, D. Levison, I. Wilson, R. McIver. Subs: S. Longwell, G. Robertson, A. Linton, H. Livingston, R. Lemon, R. Taylor, O. Dyer.
A lot of people neglect their nails, yet by following simple steps, improvement can be seen very quickly in appearance and health.
Healthy nails should be smooth and pink. As we get older nails tend to develop harmless ridges. Nails can develop white spots due to injury, but these grow out.
If there are any of the following on the nails, have them checked – thickening of the nail plate, nail separation, if the nails start to discolour, any unexplained redness or swelling round them.
For healthy nails it is important to eat healthily, file nails regularly from side to centre, cut nails straight across, then round the edges off after soaking them
Use a hand cream, and make sure the cream is rubbed into the cuticles.
Treat yourself to a manicure every four to six weeks.
Wear a base coat under polish to prolong the polish and avoid staining of the nail plate.