Gala Fairydean Rovers Amateurs 0 Newtown 3

Beveridge Cup final

Newtown player manager Gary Hastie is over the moon after his team picked up their first piece of silverware of his first season in charge.

“There have been plenty ups and downs and I have certainly a new respect for all my previous managers after this year,” said Hastie after his side ran in a 3-0 victory in the Beveridge Cup final at Greenlaw last night.

“I am really pleased with the performance against a good, young Gala side.

“They were missing a few experienced players in James Scott, Welsh Curran and Colin Riddle, but we still deserved the win,” he added.

Despite playing plenty of their trademark passing football, Rovers lack any attacking threat bar youngster Tommy Patterson who fire just over with a 25-yard free kick on 24 minutes.

Newtown slowly got themselves into the game, and after Russell Hunter’s toe poke shot flew just over, the Villagers opened the scoring six minutes before half time as a Matt Scott in-swinging corner was met perfectly by the head of Neil Macvicar from six yards out to find the net.

Shaun Hardie was forced off with an ankle injury at half time, and were it not for a top save by Glen Murray, Gala could have been two-down within a minute of the break as Hastie’s effort was blocked.

Teenager Patterson forced Newtown keeper Jason Henry into his first save of the match on 50 minutes when he palmed away a fierce shot.

But it was Hastie who was to play a pivotal role in deciding where the cup was heading.

The former Gala Rovers striker showed why he was among the best finishers in the Borders with a well-timed header from a Russell Hunter cross on 65 minutes, and three minutes later he controlled and finished a Matt Scott pass with aplomb to find the bottom corner of the net.

Gala woke up in the closing stages with Craig Macdonald and Brad Lochrie forcing Henry into a couple of decent saves, but they could not even manage a consolation.

Newtown: J. Henry, P. Scott, G. Hastie (J. Broom 75), S. Makepeace, C. Strathdee, N. Todd, N. Macvicar, S. Swanston, S. Leitch (J. Hunter 89), R. Hunter (D. Richardson 85), M. Scott.

Gala Fairydean Rovers: G. Murray, J. Harkness (C. Mackenzie 66), K. Matheson, S. Mackenzie, R. Grant, M. Blackwood (D. Bond 68), B. Lochrie, P. Hossack, C. Macdonald, S. Hardie (S. Quinn 45), T. Patterson.

More in next week’s Southern Reporter

The latest fat burning exercise class from America is set to rock the region this week.

Eight Borders Sport and Leisure instructors have been trained to deliver Insanity – a cardio busting workout that can burn up to 1000 calories a session – and the response so far has been madness.

The first taster session, held in Jedburgh on Saturday had hoped to attract about 25 participants but over 40 attended.

Claire Chisholm, Borders Sport and Leisure’s Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Manager said: “Insanity is here to stay.

“I’ve never done a workout like it. You can burn up to 1000 calories in one class and by doing two or three sessions a week amazing results can be achieved in terms of toning and re-shaping your body.

“We have been offering free taster sessions across the region this week and they are proving incredibly popular. “Our instructors have all been trained in delivering Insanity to ensure participants do the moves both safely and effectively and also work themselves to the max.”

Insanity classes will be held in Kelso, Jedburgh, Eyemouth, Earlston, Hawick, Duns, and Galashiels with full details of class times and locations available by contacting Borders Sport and Leisure on 01896 661 166.

Ewan Jackson, Chief Executive of Borders Sport and Leisure added: “Insanity is already a world-wide hit with a host of celebrity fans.

“Our fitness instructors are fired-up to deliver Insanity sessions across the Borders as part of our aim to offer new and interesting ways for people in the region to get active.”

Claire concluded: “Insanity is the perfect way to shape up for summer and we are also offering the class members fitness testing, nutritional support and progress monitoring. All those who complete an eight week course will get their own free insanity t-shirt. It is full package of support designed to turn fitness goals into reality.”

Members of the council’s executive committee have approved Earlston as the site for a single complex needs unit.

The unit, to be built at the former high school, will bring together current provision for autistic children at three school units and will also provide services not currently available in the area.

It is hoped this will mean parents will chose to send their children to the new unit rather than outwith the area, which can cost SBC over £150,000 per pupil per year.

Over £1.5m has been set aside in the council’s capital plan for the creation of the unit, but Councillor Catriona Bhatia has called for a fundraising campaign to be started to help pay for its fitting out.

She said: “This is a facility that will require some really inspirational internal fittings for the children there.”

The unit will cater for cup to 40 children aged between three and eighteen with complex educational needs, both learning and physical, and will provide full and part time school places, assessments, training and outreach.

The closure of the school-based units will enable St Ronan’s Primary to use the vacated space as a classroom, and a nursery will be relocated at Wilton Primary.

Howdenburn Schoolhouse will be surplus to requirements and will be sold.

Two figures caught my eye recently - one was that average farm rents in Scotland rose 13% last year, to about £15 an acre and the second was that the average price of land sold in Scotland was more than £4,500 an acre.

Looked at together that would suggest that anyone buying land to let to someone else could expect a return of about 0.3%. Hardly a return to tempt the buy-to-let property brigade looking for annual returns of at least 5%, except in London and Edinburgh where the sky seems to be the limit for both property prices and rents.

In farming the position is much more complicated than that, not least that many of Scotland’s landowners have owned tens of thousands of acres for centuries and didn’t pay for it in the first place. But both the present price of land and its rental value suggests yet again that professional farmers committed to the business are more optimistic about the future than they, or the National Farmers’ Unions, ever admit in public. Several land sales in Scotland last year were for more than £10,000 an acre. More significantly, about 75% of open-market land purchases were by local or neighbouring farmers trying to expand, not the “outsiders” we’ve heard so much about in recent years.

Rents also vary widely within that £15 average, up from about £13 an acre the previous year. Rent for farms in the designated Less Favoured Area – hills, upland and moorland that accounts for much of Scotland – was about £10 an acre, up 24%. Rent for non-LFA land was about £52 an acre, up only 3%. Many farmers will be paying much more than that, others much less The report on rents by the Scottish Government also indicates that long-term tenancies are declining while seasonal lets, such as those for grazing, have increased. About 24% of Scottish farmland is still on full tenancy terms, about 14% seasonal.

It seems enough farmers are confident about the future to compete with each other to buy or rent land. The layman who has followed – not easy – the cascade of doom and gloom about the looming disaster of the European Union’s common agricultural policy (CAP) subsidy changes from next year must wonder why.

The problems of acquiring land by whatever means, hanging on to it, using it to make money and how to pass it on are never far below the surface in farming. More than anything else land disputes can divide families, and those are even more likely when land prices are high as at present. As farm consultant Peter Cook said recently the fact that a modest 200 acre farm can now be worth £1million and more can make decisions about its future more contentious.

He said: “Non-farming siblings who were often quite happy in the past for their farming sibling to inherit the farm, and the overdraft, are now looking for their share because of the value of the land.”

In April the council dealt with five incidents of flytipped garden waste, just a month after the removal of the kerbside collections.

The Southern has learnt of two further incidents this month, near Hawick and in St Boswells.

Councillor Michelle Ballantyne, Conservative group leader, said: “I cannot say I am surprised. It was talked about when the removal of the service was discussed.”

Mrs Ballantyne said she believed SBC had underestimated the cost impact of the removal of the service, particularly in terms of dealing with flytipping and also increased landfill costs associated with people putting garden waste in household waste bins.

However, she said the full impact of the removal of the service will not be known until the autumn, when the figures can be compared to last year.

Following a report of bagged garden waste being dumped in St Boswells, community council chairman Douglas Oliver told us: “What did the council expect? They cut the service and folk will get rid of it one way or another.”

An SBC spokesman said: “Flytipping in any form is unacceptable and anyone caught can face fines of up to £40,000 or six months imprisonment.”

He added that garden waste can be taken to any SBC recycling centre and free composters are available to households affected by the removal of the service.

Police Scotland has named the officer who died in a road accident while travelling to work on Friday as Constable Mark Murtagh, who was based at Galashiels Police Station.

Constable Murtagh’s motorcycle was in collision with a bus on the A6105 near Earlston, and traffic officers are continuing to investigate the accident and appealing for witnesses.

Chief Superintendent Gillian Imery, Divisional Commander for the Lothian and Scottish Borders Division of Police Scotland, said it was with the deepest regret that she confirmed Constable Murtagh’s death.

“Our sympathies are with his family, friends and colleagues at this very difficult time,” she continued.

“Road Policing Officers are continuing their investigation and I would urge any members of the public who witnessed the collision, or whom believe they can assist with this enquiry to contact Police Scotland immediately by calling 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

In a statement released through Police Scotland, Constable Murtagh’s family paid tribute to him, saying: “Mark was a caring and loving husband, a devoted father and will be greatly missed.

“We would ask that the media respect our privacy at this difficult time and allow us to grieve in private.”

The Prince of Wales has given his backing to a plan to preserve the Blainslie home of the late sculptor Tim Stead for public access.

In a proposal brochure drawn up by the newly-formed Tim Stead Trust, Prince Charles writes that Mr Stead, who died in 2000, aged 48, had created a place of extraordinary artistic interest at The Steading.

“He was a remarkable woodcraftsman; a true and gifted artist who created wonderful furniture and sculptures. He had a unique understanding of the sustainable management of woodlands and the use of indigenous hardwoods and he did so much to encourage local sourcing and to educate people about wood and woodcraftsmanship,” states Prince Charles.

The Tim Stead Trust Steering Group has been set up to save The Steading as a base for education in woodcraft and art, for the benefit of traditional woodcraft heritage and for the benefit of the local community. The group is now trying to establish a viable way of buying the property and its adjoining workshop. Mr Stead’s widow, Maggy Stead Lenert, said the trust’s proposals would be the biggest accolade to her late husband’s work and life.

She told the Southern: “This house is very much part of Tim’s legacy and it would be wonderful if it could be preserved, not as some dusty museum, but as a living, breathing space, that continues to inspire new generations of artists and craftspeople.”

Very soon Richard Curtis, feted director of Four Weddings and a Funeral, will have a bag of Hawick balls and haggis land on his doorstep.

And it’s all thanks to young readers from 10 local schools in the Hawick area who picked Curtis’ first foray in children’s picture books, The Empty Stocking, as one of their two overall winners in this year’s Heart of Hawick Children’s Book Award

A voluntary project which was created by local parents, teachers and librarians, the awards, held last week at the town’s Tower Mill, are aimed at encouraging reading 
for pleasure amongst children.

Around 600 children from nine local primary schools and the town’s secondary came together to vote for their favourite debut book by a new children’s author from a shortlist.

The shortlisted books are supplied to schools and special events organised to accompany the awards.

As well as Curtis – whose book was illustrated by Rebecca Cobb – the other overall winner from the shortlist of four picture books and four for junior fiction readers, was Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones.

Youngsters also created a special animated short film about the awards and their favourite books to go with the event and there were appearances by several other children’s authors.

A film crew from ITV were in the town to record the youngsters working on their animation of a scene from the book Shrunk!, by Fleur Hitchcock.

The author and her husband flew up from Bristol for the event and also in attendance were Scots author, 
Daniella Saceradoti, Rachel Lyon, from Hale, and the illustrator Eva Katz, from London.

These authors each did a school visit to a Hawick primary school on the morning of the ceremony last Thursday..

One of those behind the awards, local primary teacher Julie Patterson, praised all those involved, including staff at Hawick Library for their help. She told us: 
“This year’s event went really well.

“Unfortunately, neither of the winners could be there, but they both sent messages saying how delighted they were to have won.

“And the winners get sent a goodie bag containing local produce like Hawick Balls and haggis.”

The National Beef Association (NBA) Beef Expo 2014 is set to eclipse previous years’ events thanks to the sheer number of animals on display and record numbers of exhibitors and entries expected to attend.

The event at Hexham Mart brings together the cream of pedigree and commercial animals from across the country from breed associations, the prestigious National Spring Spectacular Show, farm tours, demonstrations and commercial trade stands.

With a prize fund of £6,000, The National Spring Spectacular Show has attracted 140 head of beef cattle, including young handlers and novice exhibitors. In addition there are 22 breed societies from Aberdeen Angus through to Welsh Black Cattle.

Commenting in advance Chris Mallon, NBA director, said: “The calibre of breeding in the British Beef industry is phenomenal and we’re delighted to be displaying the very best at this year’s NBA Beef Expo”.

“This event really is a shop window for everyone involved in the British Beef industry and we are covering every aspect of the sector, with something for everyone from the professional farmer to interested members of the public. We’re looking forward to welcoming a huge crowd and our international missions from Norway and Canada and Northern Ireland to Hexham Mart to join in our festival of British Beef.”

Visitors will be able to find out more about preparing and cooking nutritious beef-based meals in a fun Ready, Steady, Cook-style contest pitting auctioneers from the region’s top marts against each other.

Melrose completed a remarkable run of sevens victories this weekend, when they notched up their eighth win from 10 tournaments.

At a sun-bathed Riverside Park on Saturday evening, the Greenyards outfit defeated the hosts 5-24 in the final of the 2014 Mainetti Jed-Forest Sevens.

Melrose looked sluggish in their first three ties, but improved as the afternoon wore on and booked their place in the final by defeating Edinburgh Accies 19-5 in the second semi-final.

Jed-Forest put Berwick and Selkirk to the sword in the early rounds, before disposing of a hard-working Gala side 17-14 in the semi final.

The final was a repeat of last year’s, which the hosts won 27-7. But Melrose were determined to avenge that loss and by half-time had built up a 0-19 lead.

Melrose’s first half tries came from Andrew Skeen, Callum Anderson and scampering scrum-half, Tommy Wilson.

Two minutes after the restart and the home side got their first points on the scoreboard with a try from Rory Marshall.

But that was all the scoring Jed was able to manage against an increasingly dominant Melrose seven and, forced to play the last two minutes a man down after a yellow card, proved too big a mountain to climb for the hosts.

The final nail in the coffin came when Melrose’s Lewis Mallin went over for the last touchdown of the day.

Watching his players lift not only the tournament trophy, but also the cup for the Kings of the Sevens title secured several weeks ago, Melrose head coach praised his squad’s incredible winning run: “It’s remarkable, a huge achievement,” Dalziel told The Southern.

“Eight out of 10 I think speaks for itself.”

Leithen Rovers played out of their skins for departing boss Paul Graham on Saturday, winning the South Cup against top opposition.

Carluke Baptist AFC were massive favourites ahead of the match, having made the quarter-finals of the Scottish Amateur Cup this year,

And they looked like they were strolling to victory when 3-1 ahead with 26 minutes remaining.

But the Rovers, bouyed by the visitors losing one man through a rash tackle and another in a cynical foul late on, went on to win 4-3.

Alan McMath was the main reason the scoreline kept ticking over, his hat-trick, and brilliant partnership with strike partner Peter Shearlaw making a huge difference.

Baps strolled ahead in the seventh minute with a great finish from Scott Murphy, who thumped Craig Stewart’s cutback into the top corner,

And things did not look great for Rovers as Carluke keeper Cameron Stewart looked to be a tough nut to crack, a superb double save from Shearlaw and McMath dented the home side’s mini revival.

But a goal did come for Rovers, McMath stabbing home the equaliser from a Hagen Steele cross just before half-time.

McMath had the ball in the net again four minutes into the second half. Unfortunately it was from an offside position and it did not count. But it did act as a warning notice to the men from Carluke.

First, Scott Crone found Georgie McColl, whose shot was deflected into the net by Rovers’ Chris Borthwick.

Then Baps made it 3-1 as Craig Stewart scored from a Musafa El-Zubaidi corner.

Then it all started to go wrong for Carluke.

Iain Anderson received a straight red card for his challenge on Simon Philbin in the Baps box. Andy Hardie stuck away the resultant penalty.

With Carluke’s shape knocked out of kilter, McMath grabbed the equaliser three minutes later from a Shearlaw low cross.

And in the 80th minute, McMath got his hat-trick after playing an impeccable one-two with Shearlaw.

Baps fought for another but the Leithen defence held out.

Graham told The Southern: “It being my last game is immaterial, if the players want to win it, it’s for them and the club.

“I knew we were underdogs, but I knew they had it in them and they gave it their all.”

It is not unique to farming, but there is a problem when representing the industry, as the national farmers’ unions do, or writing and talking about it that we necessarily take a “one size fits all” approach.

Every representation or comment can’t be hedged about with qualifications that there are good, bad and indifferent farmers. The NFU can’t stake a claim for more support by admitting that attempts to keep the worst farmers in business will mean the best making even bigger profits. Even the convention of top third, middle third and bottom third for efficiency, costs, returns or outlook on life can be too general.

But as we can’t represent farming or write about it by discussing tens of thousands of individual cases every time we have to generalise and that applies to all those ready and willing to advise farmers on how to run a competitive business. They know that even as they write and talk the most progressive farmers are ahead of them and a large number are at least abreast and they’re preaching to the converted. As for those lagging behind, stuck in their ways or heading for oblivion by their own favoured method – drink and betting often figure – they’re not going to read or listen anyway.

But the well meaning keep trying. A recent effort was by Peter Kendall, who stood down in Feburary after eight years as president of the NFU of England and Wales. He is now chairman of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board which has the remit of trying to improve British farming’s competitiveness using levies from farmers. That makes it as popular as any levy-raising organisation has ever been with farmers, but Mr Kendall believes the board can help British farmers feed the growing world population, cope with climate change and increasing constraints on how farmers are allowed to farm.

A basic lesson to learn, he believes, is that shoppers will buy imported food if it is cheaper. I can’t recall if he mentioned that when NFU president, but it is true. And regardless of how European Union farm subsidies are allocated – I’m not going into all that again – farmers can do more for themselves by farming more efficiently. As noted above, the best of them already are and I’ve always thought that if only half the effort the industry as a whole puts into arguing about subsidies was put into improving efficiency and productivity it would – again as a whole – be much better off.

The truly progressive sectors, such as un-subsidised egg and chicken have proved that. Mr Kendall pointed out that the feed conversion rate for chickens – amount of feed needed to put on weight rapidly - had improved by one per cent per year for 20 years. Against that dairy farmers, he said, could add £450 million a year to output if the present middle third raised performance to the level of the present top third and the present bottom third reached present middle third levels.

The Jim Clark Rally has been cancelled with immediate effect after a serious accident, Police Scotland said this afternoon (Saturday).

Unconfirmed reports said a number of spectators have been seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle.

The emergency services are at the scene, at Little Swinton near Coldstream, and it is believed the Borders General Hospital is on standby for the arrival of an air ambulance helicopter.

It is now being reported by the BBC that two people have been killed in an accident this afternoon, near Swinton in the Scottish Borders, at the Jim Clark Rally.

Police Scotland say that the rally has now been cancelled until further notice.

Three people have now been confirmed dead after an accident this afternoon at the Jim Clark Rally in the Borders.

Police Scotland says it is investigating two road collisions at rally. One involved a serious incident at around 4pm when a rally car came off the road near Kelso and collided with spectators.

Emergency services attended and three people were pronounced dead at the scene.

The fourth person was conveyed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and is in a critical condition.

The rally was stopped at that time. An earlier incident occured at 2.05pm, when a rally car collided with five people.

Four people were treated at the scene and one person was conveyed to hospital where they are in a serious condition.

Police are in attendance at the scene and the investigation into both collisions is at an early stage.

Local MSP John Lamont lives close to the scene of the accident, at Swinton, and told The Southern: “This is tragic news for the Borders, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

“I know that the rally organisers place considerable emphasis on the safety of the spectators and drivers but with any event of this nature, there will always be an element of risk.

“I live just a few miles away from the scene of the accident and I know that everyone is shocked and saddened by this dreadful news.”

Commenting on the tragic events at the Jim Clark Rally in the Borders, Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond called it “desperately sad and difficult news”.

Mr Salmond said: “The police have confirmed three fatalities and my thoughts are with all of those involved and the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.

“The Government is in contact with Police Scotland and we await the outcome of their inquiries.

“The Jim Clark Rally is a longstanding event of over 40 years. It is much loved in the Borders and by the rally driving community who I know will share in our sadness at what is a black day for the Borders and for Scotland.”

The organisers of the Jim Clark Rally say they are devastated after three people were killed while spectating on today’s event.

“The thoughts and prayers of everyone connected with the event are with the family and friends of those involved in this tragic accident,” said a statement on the club’s website this evening.

This was the 44th running of the Jim Clark Rally, which has always been held in the Borders area of Scotland, around the town of Duns, home of Scottish motor racing legend Jim Clark.

The event has previously had an excellent safety record. The accident took place during Special Stage 16, at Swinton, and the remaining two stages of the rally were immediately abandoned.

Tomorrow’s Reivers Rally has also been abandoned. Berwick and District Motor Club, Border Ecosse Car Club and the governing body, the Motor Sports Association, are reported to be co-operating fully with the police investigation.

As with any serious incident on a motor sport event, the MSA will conduct its own thorough enquiry once the police investigation is concluded.

Organisers also say that, out of respect for those injured in the incidents, and with due consideration for the feelings and goodwill of the community, rally stewards in consultation with clerks of the course decided that Sunday’s Reivers Rally has also beenabandoned.

Selkirk Common Riding is a “community event that reflects the 21st Century Selkirk”

So said Provost David Anderson at Friday night’s Ex-Soldiers Association dinner dance and Colour Bussin’ at O’Malleys in the town.

The Provost was making his toast to the Royal and Ancient Burgh when he referred to the Association’s Standard Bearer, Fiona Deacon being the first woman Standard Bearer. He said: “I think it has surprised a few people just how smoothly and seamlessly this has been accepted. There is a view that because we commemorate our ancient history and traditions we must be antiquated in our views on things. On the contrary, I’m very proud at how inclusive our Common Riding is, with no barriers on the grounds of gender, race, or religion. It is a community event that reflects the 21st Century Selkirk and long may it continue to do so.”

He talked too about the future of the town: the good news of the Cross Keys opening as an office, meeting room and exhibition place, set against the bad of NGT closing.

He continued: “The example of adapting the use of the Cross Keys shows that any setback can be seen as an opportunity for someone else. Let’s hope a new use can also be found for the NGT building. Dare I say it, it’s just about the right size for an indoor sports pitch, without any problems over parking and access?”

He revealed he met the council’s museum service staff who gave him a list of memorabilia the service holds for Selkirk.

And he told diners: “We are hoping to sit down with the various crafts and organisations later this year to do a stock take on what other bits and bobs are scattered throughout the town to see if we can fill in the blanks and decide on what other artefacts could be preserved. Potentially having a site like the Cross Keys to display some of these things would give that project an added impetus.”

An historic dinner, Bussin’ o’ Colours and dance took place in Selkirk on Friday night.

The Selkirk Ex-Soldiers Association held its usual annual dinner dance at O’Malleys and, for the first time, combined the event with the colour bussing, which usually takes place the night before Common Riding.

The Association earlier this year appointed the Common Riding’s first female Standard Bearer. And on Friday night, the colours of the Association’s Standard Bearer Mrs Fiona Deacon, were bussed by her husband, David, who was the Association’s Standard Bearer last year.

Association chairman, Graham Easton told the Wee Paper yesterday (Thursday): “It went very well. It was a full house, it was well attended and all the comments have been very favourable.”

He explained the reasons behind including the Colour Bussing on Friday: “The Thursday night before the Common Riding, the United Crafts have their Bussin’ and the Crying of the Burley clashes with the beginning of our Bussin’: it’s a busy night, there are a lot of people going about and we had confined ourselves to do our thing. It lets people be free to enjoy other groups and organisations the night before the Common Riding.”

During the dinner he made introductions and reflected on the Selkirk Ex-Soldiers Association’s past year.

He asked the assembled to reflect on 2014 being the 100th anniversary of the breakout of the First World War and said: “We should remember that when we assemble at 5.30am on Common Riding morning because it’s because of their (soldiers) sacrifice that we are here to enjoy the Common Riding today.”

He referred to change too and told the Wee Paper: “We have probably made more changes in the last year than we have in the last 100. We have to change with the times, we can’t stand still.”

David Deacon introduced this year’s Standard Bearer, his wife, Fiona who replied before Bryan Hoggan performed a song for diners. Provost David Anderson then made his toast and introduced the Royal Burgh Standard Bearer, Greg MacDougall, who replied.

The Association’s 2012 Standard Bearer, Stuart Lunt, also spoke.

And after the Colour Bussin’, Graham presented the Colours to Fiona.

She told the Wee Paper: “I very much enjoyed the evening. The format worked very well.”

Asked if there was a particular highlight, she said: “Being presented with the Colours by the Chairman during the Bussin’ was a highlight but I thoroughly enjoyed everything, the whole evening was a great success.”

The vote of thanks was proposed by Donald Francis and the piper for the evening was Colin Turnbull.

The first young drivers to pass the Scottish Borders Council’s sponsored advanced driver course have been queuing up to praise the innovative scheme and encourage their peers to sign up.

Up to 400 drivers aged 17 to 25 years old from the Borders are eligible to take the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) course for free thanks to council funding of £48,000, which aims to cut the number of serious injuries and deaths on our roads.

Among the first young drivers to sit and pass the course – which is supported by former British Touring Car champion John Cleland – was 17-year-old Callum Merritt of Kelso.

Callum said: “I have seen a great improvement in my driving due to the training. I want to join the police, so this is a first step to helping me achieve that.”

The course is being run four more times this year on Tuesdays or Sundays, starting in September. For more information visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/skillsforlife and sign up by phoning IAM on 0845 126 8600.