Jenny Pike, with the help of senior carer Lesley Crawford, blows out the candles on her 100th birthday cake during celebrations with other staff members and family at Lennel House Nursing Home in Coldstream.

Jenny, who never married, was born in a farm cottage near Melrose.

Her favourite subject at school was nature studies and this was perfect for her first job – milking cows. For most of her life she worked as a housekeeper, moving between Gordon, Weststruther, Duns and Coldingham. One of her big loves is music, especially bagpipes, and her favourite season is spring.

Jenny has been at Lennel House since 2010.

Police in the Borders are appealing for witnesses after a man stole a woman’s handbag in Hawick yesterday.

The incident happened around 7.30 am in Mart Street when the man stole the handbag from a 27-year-old woman who was standing at a bus stop.

Officers are now urging anyone who has information that can assist them with their inquiries to please get in touch.

The man is described as being white, in his late 20s to early 30s with short dark brown hair. He has a small cut under his left eye.

He was wearing a royal blue hooded top, dark tracksuit bottoms and white trainers.

He was last seen running in the direction of Teviotdale Leisure Centre.

Police Constable Adam Oliver of Hawick Police Station said: “Thankfully the woman was uninjured but understandably shaken and upset by this incident.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed this happening or who has information that can help us to trace the person responsible.

“Police can be contacted on 101 or alternatively calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously.”

Specialist enforcement firm 3GS has been named as the external contractor to work alongside Scottish Borders Council (SBC) to tackle dog fouling and littering.

3GS has been appointed as part of a 12-month pilot which empowers its officers to issue £80 fixed penalty notices for either dog fouling or littering.

Alongside enforcement, the officers will also fulfil an education role and are expected to be in post by late May.

The agreement is believed to be the first time a Scottish council and private company have teamed up on the issue.

The pilot is part of SBC’s new responsible dog ownership strategy,

The strategy follows extensive research to consider best practice from other local councils. These include prevention and changing behaviour, the introduction of enforcement officers targeting known blackspots and engagement with communities and volunteers.

Councillor David Paterson, SBC executive member for environmental services, said: “While we are keen to educate owners about the issue of dog fouling, the considerable feedback received from the public, communities and Councillors has indicated that enforcement is also crucial.

“That is why I am pleased to announce 3GS as the external contractor to work beside the Council by issuing tickets for dog fouling and littering.

“We are carrying out a number of positive educational activities including the Green Dog Walkers scheme, but for those not willing to listen, they face an £80 fine or potential court appearance.”

3GS’s Managing Director Paul Buttivant said: “We are obviously delighted to be working with Scottish Borders Council as they implement this pilot following significant pressure from local residents concerned about the escalating problems created by environmental crime, in particular dog fouling and litter.

“Residents can be reassured that our officers are highly trained and will only issue fixed penalty notice to individuals who choose not to observe the law.”

The Earlston Ukulele Club (EUC) has scooped a top award at this year’s Ukulele Festival of Scotland in Dumfries.

The ‘Club Together’ award is presented for best community spirit, participation and enthusiasm throughout the festival.

The trophy was presented by MC Paul L. Martin (left) during the finale of the festival to: (from second left) Peter Fry, Sarah Gulliver-Goodall, Mark Smith, Jenny Miller and Mike Dennison.

Phil Snape took part, but is not in this picture.

Jenny said: “We are delighted to receive this award at such a brilliant event and playing on the main stage was an amazing experience”.

The sentiment was seconded by Peter, who said: “It was such a friendly festival, sharing stories and hanging out backstage with so many international Ukulele players was a great fun.”

Amd Mark commented: “It was fantastic to have all our hard work and effort over the last few months recognised and to put Earlston firmly on the ukulele playing map”.

For more information or to get involved look up ‘Earlston Ukulele Club EUC’ on Facebook.

A Galashiels opticians has donated more than 80 high visibility vests to three local children’s groups – the Rainbows, Cubs and Beavers.

Store director at Specsavers in Galashiels, Stuart Forrester, said: ‘We’re very pleased to have been able to supply the local clubs with vests. Despite the better weather starting and the mornings and nights getting brighter, it is still extremely important for youngsters to stand out.

The vests will be used by all the clubs when doing outdoor activities and going on trips.

Rainbow group leader Ellen Halliday said: ‘We are over the moon at the donation of high vis vests.

“It’s a privilege to work with such a fantastic company who pride themselves on community work. Thank you so much to Specsavers for helping keep our girls safe’.

THE Flying Scotsman locomotive’s trips in Scotland this weekend have been cancelled due to Network Rail failing to check if the steam engine would fit the routes.

Thousands had hoped to catch a glimpse of the famous engine as it made it’s way to Tweedbank in the Borders and north across the Forth Rail Bridge to Fife tomorrow following a recent multi-million pound restoration.

However, those plans now lie in ruins after Network Rail informed promoter Steam Dreamsyesterday that their engineers had failed to gauge whether the train would fit through bridges to the south or Dalmeny Station to the north.

It will pull into Edinburgh Waverley from York later tonight.

The Borders and Fife legs of the trip will now go ahead being hauled by a vintage diesel engine instead – a move certain to disappoint thousands of fans expected to turn out to see the world’s most famous locomotive, including passengers who had paid up to £150 for the sold-out trips.

Marcus Robertson of Steam Dreams said West Coast Railways, which will run the trips, had only been told yesterday afternoon that checks had not been made to see if the 93-year-old locomotive would fit under bridges and into platforms on the lines.

In a letter to passengers Mr Robertson wrote: “We can only apologise again for what we believe to be an absolute disgrace and an insult to all steam lovers in Scotland.

“Our train operating company, West Coast Railways, received a call from Network Rail special train planning in Milton Keynes to say that they have been unable to gauge Flying Scotsman to go to Tweedbank because their system did not have the right data.

“This basic job only takes a few hours to complete and Network Rail had weeks of notice to carry this out.”

Network Rail has since confirmed that Flying Scotsman will no longer be able to undertake this weekend’s tours of the Borders and Fife.

A spokesman said: “The routes the Flying Scotsman had planned to cover this weekend are new ones for the locomotive and have to be individually assessed by our engineers in advance.

“Unfortunately we have been unable to carry out the work in time and cannot allow the engine to run when we are unsure if the unique design of the Flying Scotsman is compatible with the current railway infrastructure across the Fife and Borders routes.

“We understand the disappointment this will cause and a full investigation will be undertaken.”

Built in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in 1923, Flying Scotsman soon became the star locomotive of the British railway system, pulling the first train to break the 100mph barrier in 1934.

{http://bit.ly/scotsmanfoodanddrink|Scotsman Food & Drink: ideas, inspiration and guides}

The cancellation of the Flying Scotsman locomotive’s trip to the Borders on Sunday has been described as “unbelievable and unacceptable”.

The comments come from Councillor David Parker, leader of Scottish Borders Council, following Network Rail’s {http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/local-headlines/flying-scotsman-trips-to-borders-and-fife-cancelled-1-4127800|decision to pull the plug because the route had not been adequately checked by engineers.|Flying Scotsman trip to Borders cancelled}

MSP Christine Grahame said the “appalling” news was down to “complete incompetence by Network Rail”. She is now calling for a full investigation.

Councillor Parker said: “Network Rail’s failure to complete the necessary work is quite frankly unbelievable and unacceptable. Only discovering the position on Friday evening makes the news even more shocking.

“A huge amount of work has gone into the planning of this event, and we know this news will leave thousands of people very unhappy and let down.”

Ms Grahame is furious that the routes had not been individually assessed by engineers in advance of the visit.

She said: “This is appalling news and I am very upset on behalf of all of those who have spent a good deal of time planning this event. It is complete incompetence by Network Rail to have failed to carry out the work necessary for the train to travel on the line when they have known about the visit for two years.

“I will be contacting the chief executive as well as the transport minister, Derek Mackay, at the earliest opportunity to find out why this came to light with only a day to go until the visit was due to take place.”

The MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale said she will be pressing for Network Rail to compensate businesses or local organisations expected to be out of pocket.

Scottish Borders Council is now reviewing plans it had made for Sunday’s event and is expected to make an announcement later today about alternative arrangements.

In early April the sun shone for our annual Easter Show when we were delighted to secure some great judges for the fixture, including Denise Richardson who travelled up from Cumbria, to judge the Horse Working Hunter classes.

The Working Hunter Championship went to Jedburgh based rider Rebecca Dun and Ginja Ninja.

The Ridden Championship, judged by Claire Marshall, went to John Wilson and Silver Dream Shadow, who also went on to take the supreme horse championship.

The standard in the Working Hunter Pony classes was extremely high and very well supported, with around 25 in each class, and this gave judge Kirsty Mundell an extremely difficult task!

The Working Hunter Championship went to Helen Ker and Kentchurch Sandpiper while the Ridden Pony Championship, judged by Jan Scott, went to Emma Brown and Beanie who also went on the take the Overall Pony Championship.

Due to the wet conditions in late March and early April, nearly all the British Eventing fixtures were cancelled.

On April 10 we decided to put on a last minute Arena Event in the afternoon, although we already had a Schools Dressage fixture organised for the morning! Peebles High School took top slot at the Schools Dressage qualifying for the Team competition, as well as Caledonia and Persia Bhatia winning both the Prelim and Novice classes individually.

The last minute Arena event attracted many riders, some travelling several hours in desperation to compete.

The 1m10 class was won in fine style by Sarah Hislop and Philippa Shirley-Beavan’s lovely horse ‘Sam’. This combination were the only competitors to finish on a ‘zero’ penalties score.

After a forecast of snow we were relieved to wake up to glorious sunshine on Sunday, April 24, for our first Fun Ride. This five mile route took in some glorious views of the Ale Water Valley and around 120 riders of all ages took part.

The funds from this event are going towards purchasing a new Dressage Arena which is required for Championship fixtures we are organising later this year.

May sees the start of our Summer Series which offers fantastic prizes from our generous sponsors.

Points are awarded at each fixture, the overall winner at the end of the series again wins more amazing prizes and the popular branded ISEC Rugs.

All dates can be found on the website www.ianstarkequestriancentre.co.uk.

I’m just back from a week in the Highlands and what a difference seven days makes in our crazy climate. When I left it was snowing and when I got back it was 23 degrees!

In the garden, the daffodils were going over to be replaced by the tulips which are just coming to their best.

A quick look in the garden pond confirmed the presence of recently hatched tadpoles – not very active yet, just hanging around in the vegetation, building up body mass ready to take on the various predators no doubt lurking in the hidden depths.

The garden birds seem to have been taking advantage of my absence. With nobody to disturb them, a pair of blue tits have moved into one of my nest boxes and are frantically flying in with beakfulls of moss and dried grass.

Overhead the already present swallows and martins have been joined by their faster chums the swifts – always the last to arrive and the first to leave.

Behind my house in an adjacent stubble field, a pair of lapwings has taken up residence and can be heard calling at all times of the day and night. It is many years since these declining birds have attempted to nest here and with the quick turnaround in field use nowadays, I was concerned about their chances. However, I met the landowner and he told me that the field was going to be set-aside this year, so the birds have a fighting chance of rearing some chicks.

On my first venture up the riverside since my return, I was struck by the changes which had taken place there as well. Things were much greener and the birds were more numerous. A week previous willow warbler and chiffchaff were the only warbler species around, but by Sunday they were joined by blackcap and garden warbler. Another migrant which I saw for the first time was the diminutive spotted flycatcher. It is a great time for bird watching at the moment, as most species are singing and are easily visible. Once the leaves open out on the trees, life for the ornithologist will be much more challenging.

In the sunshine, the first of the season’s butterflies were out as well. Several peacocks were on the wing as well as a handful of orange tips – the males easy to identify as they are mostly white with orange wing tips.

Yes it’s a great time of the year here in the Borders for getting out and enjoying our varied wildlife. If you see anything interesting or unusual, drop me an e-mail – a photo too if you like, to corbie@homecall.co.uk

Flying Scotsman will take to rail tracks in the Borders today after Network Rail reversed a decision to cancel trips at short notice.

The track operator said on Friday night that the famous steam locomotive would no longer be able to undertake planned tours in Scotland today because it had not been able to carry out safety assessments on some lines.

The decision dismayed hundreds of rail enthusiasts planning to see the recently refurbished steam engine and after an outcry led by Scotland’s Transport Minister Derek Mackay, Network Rail reversed its position and said checks had been carried out overnight to allow the train to take to the track.

The famous steam engine arrived at Edinburgh Waverley to fanfare on Saturday evening and will travel on the new Borders Railway to Tweedbank today before travelling across the Forth Bridge.

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne offered a ‘’wholehearted and sincere apology’’ for the earlier cancellation which Mr Mackay described as a “debacle”.

An investigation is still to take place into the reasons for the premature cancellation.

Mr Carne said: “Engineers and analysts have worked hard to find a way to get the necessary safety checks and engineering assessments done.

‘’I am pleased to say that we have been successful and are now able to reinstate the original planned tours of Flying Scotsman in Scotland on Sunday.

‘’I wholeheartedly and sincerely apologise for the consternation caused by the premature announcement yesterday.

‘’Once the tours have been safely and successfully run, I will be instigating a full investigation into how this problem occurred on our railway in Scotland.’’

Excursion operators Steam Dreams said Network Rail had known about the trips for months but left work ‘’until the last minute’’.

Mr Mackay said: ‘’I hope that many people will now get to enjoy the experience of Flying Scotsman returning to Fife, Midlothian and the Borders.

‘’This however does not explain how we ended up in this farcical situation, nor will it comfort the many people who have been looking forward to this day and have had to amend or cancel travel plans at the last minute.

‘’This is not the end of the matter, I am still committed to seeing a full investigation into the reason why the initial work by Network Rail GB was not completed in time and how it was mishandled so badly.’’

MSP Christine Grahame said: “I’m delighted to hear the Flying Scotsman visit to the Borders is back on but I am still calling for an investigation into why Network Rail cancelled in the first place. This should never have been allowed to happen.

“Well done to Scottish Government transport minister Derek Mackay for all of his efforts in making sure the event still goes ahead.

“Questions still remain about the nature of the announcement and of course people may have cancelled already so I will still be pursuing the matter early next week.”

Built in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in 1923, Flying Scotsman pulled the first train to break the 100mph barrier in 1934.

The National Railway Museum in York bought the locomotive for £2.3 million in 2004 before work got under way on its decade-long restoration two years later.

An elderly Borders woman reported missing at the weekend has been found safe and well.

Sarah Philips, 79, of Bonchester Bridge, was reported missing early on Saturday but turned up later the same day.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Officers wish to thank the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team, the Borders Search and Rescue Unit and the coastguard air support, as well as the media and public, for their assistance in tracing Sarah.

The pensioner, said to be fit for her age, was feared to have got lost after going out for a walk in nearby woodland.

More than 1,500 people attended Business Gateway events in the Borders during 2015/16, and last year’s popular Masterclass events will be run again.

The Business Gateway service is provided by Scottish Borders Council and offers information, advice and guidance to people who are considering starting a business or growing their existing business.

The Business Gateway service offers clients a ‘one-stop shop’ for business support enquiries as well as providing direct support and a conduit to other business support services provided by the Council and its partners, such as Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland.

The service reached 219 start-up customers during the financial year of 2015/16, and also performed well in respect of assisting higher value start-up customers and growth advisory services.

There will be an increase in the number of events delivered across the whole of the Scottish Borders and there will be an emphasis on the areas of exporting and innovation. A series of retail workshops will also be provided to assist local High Street traders and those interested in setting up business in town centres.

A Business Week will also be organised in November, tying in with the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Councillor Stuart Bell, SBC’s executive member for economic development, said: “I am pleased that the Business Gateway service is adjusting the way it works and the services provided to meet the dynamic needs of local businesses in the area.

“Once again, the Business Gateway team has successfully engaged with a significant number of businesses and entrepreneurs and has set them on the road to growing or establishing their business and the survival figures for businesses accessing Business Gateway services continues to show the value of this service to firms in the Scottish Borders.”

The latest round of free workshops offered to new and existing businesses will take place later this month at Ettrick Riverside, Selkirk.

On Tuesday, May 24, the event is ‘Marketing Your Business’ 9.30am -12.30pm, and the session on Wednesday, June 22 (also .30am-12.30pm) focuses on business start-up finance.

May’s events conclude with a class on bookkeeping on Wednesday, June 29 from 9.30am to 12.30pm, which is designed to equip businesses with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage finances and comply with regulatory legal requirements.

A historic Borders hotel has re-opened for business after what has been described as a “quirky upcyled facelift” paying homage to its former life.

The Park, in Peebles, which is part of the Crieff Hydro chain of hotels, has re-opened following an unusual transformation which celebrates its historic connection with the local community and the recently closed March Street Mills.

Paying homage to the Borders’ industrial past, The Park has undergone an exciting programme of investment, resulting in “a quirky upcycled facelift which weaves together Peebles’ past and present”.

An array of businesses, previous Mill employees and dignitaries from the local community were welcomed by Stephen Leckie, CEO of Crieff Hydro Ltd, at a re-opening launch event on Thursday, May 12.

The guests were treated to tasty bites from The Park’s new bakery and beef inspired menus and a first look at the textiles and memorabilia saved from the Mill, as well as a tour of the upcycled public spaces.

Stephen Leckie, CEO of Crieff Hydro Ltd, said this week:“We’re delighted to finally open our doors and invite people in to experience the new Park.

“We’ve worked hand-in-hand with the March Street Mills to create an upcycled interior which we hope will surprise and inspire.

“Having recognised the fantastic opportunity to really celebrate The Park’s connection with the local community, and investing significantly at both the Hydro and The Park, we’re determined to keep the memories of the March Street Mills alive through our upcycled refurbishment project.”

Both The Park and the March Street Mills were purchased in the late 18th century. Henry Ballantyne bought The Park, whilst the March Street Mills was established by Henry’s brother David Ballantyne in 1884, and remained a fixture of the Borders textile industry until it unfortunately failed to find a buyer last summer.

Jen Thomson, Chef Patron at The Park, added: “It’s been a hugely exciting time for the team here at The Park, and we can’t wait to show-off our new bakery and beef inspired menus.

“With an emphasis on great food, sourced in part from local suppliers, we’ve created a relaxed atmosphere with lots of places for customers to get comfy and enjoy our new upcycled look and feel.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming many people through our doors, both from the local area and further afield, to enjoy the new surroundings and sample our food.”

Rural transport challenges in the Cheviot area will be tackled at an event at Jedburgh Grammar School on Tuesday, June 7, organised by the Community Planning Partnership’s Strategic Transport Board.

Rural transport can be a problem for residents, from children unable to access after-school clubs to people unable to take up jobs or apprenticeships because they cannot get to or from the place of work on time.

Speakers will include Lyndsay S Wilson from the British Red Cross who will discuss the Borders Community Transport Network Hub and Richard Armitage, an independent transport consultant.

Councillor Gordon Edgar, SBC’s Executive Member for Roads and Infrastructure, said: “Innovative ideas are needed to tackle this issue in the Cheviot area, with public transport simply unable to meet everyone’s needs.”

The event at Jedburgh Grammar School takes place from 9am to 1pm on Tuesday 7 June. Booking is essential and lunch will be provided.

Anyone interested in attending this event but unable to get to the location by their own means can request a lift when they book.

Visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/cheviottransport for details and to book a place.

Three Borders General Hospital workers have been reaching for the sky in aid of charity.

Samantha Moffat, Skye Brown and Katrina Lennon, all domestics at the Melrose hospital, have raised almost £1,500 for its charity the Difference by doing a skydive at Peterlee Parachuting at Shotton Colliery in County Durham.

Samantha, 24, of Hawick; Skye, 20, of Selkirk; and Katrina, also 20, of Tweedbank, were joined on the 10,000ft jump by their friend Jamie Ritson, 23, of Hawick, a worker at Selkirk’s HGS call centre.

“My hat came off and our instructor caught it with his mouth after we had jumped into thin air,” said Samantha. “It was completely amazing.”

The four friends were inspired to undertake the skydive by the plight of another pal currently battling cancer, Elaine Stevens, a former colleague of Samantha’s at Hawick Care Company.

A mural created by a group of Peebles High School students has been given pride of place in the office of Scottish Borders Council’s Convener, Councillor Graham Garvie at Council headquarters in Newtown St Boswells.

Border Life is the result of a collaborative project between 12 students working within the school’s art and design department, thoughtfully designed to represent the rich heritage of the Borders and its people.

The mural embraces some of the area’s most recognisable and ancient buildings such as Traquair House, Melrose Abbey and Abbotsford while images of the ride-outs stretching across the bottom reflect the region’s distinctive local culture. The exciting return of the rail link to Edinburgh is also depicted.

The artwork was created using mixed media, such as acrylic paint, inks, photo transfers and tartan textiles. The vibrant colours used were chosen to signify the ever changing hues of the Borders’ rolling landscape through the seasons.

Pupils involved in the project were Niamh Shaw, Rosie Donnelly, Lauren Watson, Anita Halliwell, Grace Blissitt, Ruaridh Brunton, Maisie Farrer, Rachael Gemmell, Daragh Ramage, Martha O’Donnell, Kirsten Rodwell and Lily Carvalho. They were supported by art teacher, Mary Tweedie.

Niamh Shaw said: “It was quite a journey to get it to this point but it is lovely to see it on display in such an important setting. It was started by another group of pupils so in the beginning we only had some line drawings to give us an idea of what they were trying to achieve. However, as more people became involved and brought their ideas and skills to the project, we started to get a better sense of what it was going to look like and realised it could actually turn out to be something quite special. Seeing it here today makes all our hard work and commitment worth it.”

The mural was presented to Councillor Garvie at an unveiling ceremony on 13 May. He said: “When I first moved into this office, I knew it needed some artwork on the walls. I began with a more traditional picture that I obtained from the Tweeddale Museum but really wanted something innovative and original that would showcase this wonderful region of Scotland that is the Scottish Borders. I approached Peebles High as my local high school but know that any of our other eight senior schools would have done an equally impressive job.

“What has been unveiled has exceeded all my expectations and everyone who has contributed should be extremely proud of the vision, creativity and hard work that has gone in making this outstanding mural, very aptly named Border Life. I have no doubt that it will be greatly admired by the many and varied visitors who come to this office and is certainly a legacy which I will be delighted to pass on to my successors in due course.”

Recently re-elected MSP John Lamont has welcomed news today that the UK Government views the extension of the Borders Rail to Hawick and on to Carlisle as a “realistic prospect.”

Speaking in Edinburgh today, David Mundell MP, Secretary of State for Scotland said everyone was “of a mind” that the line should go on to Carlisle and pledged to work closely with the Scottish Government on a feasibility study.

Hawick MSP John Lamont has welcomed the news and pledged to work closely with both the UK and Scottish Governments to ensure that the work to look at the effects of extending the railway is done quickly and accurately.

John Lamont MSP said: “Any extension of the railway onto Carlisle will require close cooperation between the UK and Scottish Governments and so this is a very welcome intervention from David Mundell MP.

“The extension of the railway has the potential to really benefit Hawick at a time when the town is struggling to attract investment and retain jobs.

“I am very supportive of extending the railway to Hawick and onto Carlisle, but it is really important that we properly explore the effects this may have on the Borders to ensure we get maximum return for the investment.

“We also need to do more to ensure that the transport system for the current railway and any extension is properly integrated so that everyone from the Borders reaps the benefit of this investment.

“I look forward to working with both Governments in Westminster and Holyrood to ensure this work is carried out as quickly as possible.”

Lidl has recalled three of its products after failing to list potentially deadly allergens on the packaging.

The supermarket is asking customers to return Bavarian Style Smoked Cheese with Ham, Bread Baking Mix and Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts.

Each item contains wheat, rye, barley (gluten), milk or hazelnuts which are not mentioned in English on the label.

With each recall, Lidl said the “product is a possible health risk to anyone with an allergy or intolerance” to one of the allergens.

It advises customers to not eat any of the items if they are allergic to the products, and instead return them to the store they bought them from for a “full refund”.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) also warned anyone with an intolerance to the ingredients not to eat them.

It said: “The above products contain wheat, rye or barley (gluten), milk or hazelnuts which are not mentioned on the label in English.

“This means the products are a health risk to anyone with an allergy or intolerance to one of the above allergens.”

The affected products are:

* Bavarian Style Smoked Cheese with Ham

Product brand: Meine Kaserei

Pack size: 150g

Batch code: 154

Use by date: May 30, 2016

Undeclared allergen: Milk

* Bread Baking Mix (Sunflower Seed, Ciabatta, Farmhouse and Rustic Wholemeal)

Product brand: Belbake

Pack size: 1kg

Best before dates: March 4, 2017, March 13, 2017, March 16, 2017, March 24, 2017

Undeclared allergens: wheat, rye, barley (gluten)

* Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts

Product brand: Fin Carre

Pack size: 100g

Batch code: L6028A123

Best before date: December 23, 2016

Undeclared allergens: Milk and hazelnuts

Scots are being warned to prepare for a plague of voracious bloodsuckers as rain follows the recent heatwave.

Many parts of the country have seen sweltering temperatures in the past week, but meteorologists are predicting heavy rain in the days ahead.

Scottish midge expert Dr Alison Blackwell says the warm, wet weather is “perfect” for the insects to surface after spending winter as larvae in the ground.

“The key thing now is we need some warm, damp weather and they can get cracking,” she said. “It has been quite quiet for midge sightings so far but the forecast is for it to warm up.

“Between now and the end of the month we expect to see things beginning to happen. The warm temperatures help the whole midge emergence process but we need a bit of rain to maximise their survival when they come out.

“It’s hopefully going to be a good midge season.”

Forecasters have said the weather is turning more unsettled from today, with rain coming in from the west.

The day will start with light showers in northern Scotland but heavier rain will spread eastwards in the afternoon, according to the Met Office’s Alex Birkhill.

He added: “The weather will be increasingly changeable as the week goes on, with outbreaks of mostly light, showery rain affecting most parts.”

Up to 15mm of rainfall is expected, though some areas will see more like 20mm.

There are 1000 midge species in the world, 48 of them in Scotland, but it is the 3mm-long Highland midge – Culicoides impunctatus – that wreaks greatest havoc on unsuspecting humans.

Only the females bite, but an attack from an average swarm of around 3000 sets of miniature scissor-like jaws can send even the toughest outdoors types running for a safe haven.

Dr Blackwell operates the national Midge Forecast, which predicts densities of the insects.

She says this month is a crucial time for midge populations, with weather conditions dictating survival rates.

The torch is passed to a new generation in this week’s DVD as the Rocky series continues with an enjoyable return to Philadelphia’s mean streets in Creed.

The film’s title relates to Rocky’s first and most famous opponent, Carl Weathers’ stylish and slick Apollo Creed, who defeated the Italian Stallion in the first Rocky film (but got his comeuppance in the sequel).

It’s now years later and although Creed is long gone, his troubled son is determined to follow his path.

Michael B Jordan plays the young Adonis Creed, an angry young man struggling to find his place in a world where his father’s legacy looms large.

It isn’t long till he finds his way to his father’s ex-nemesis, convincing the reluctant Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) to help train him for an unlikely shot at the world championship.

This is a classic boxing movie in every sense, and a return to form for a series which lost its way slightly in the last instalment, Rocky Balboa.

From an underdog looking for a chance to prove himself, to a wizened old trainer, to a first-rate training montage, this film has all the ingredients.

These ingredients are brought to life by strong lead performances. Jordan puts in an accomplished display while Stallone slips into the old boxer’s skin with practiced ease, putting in a nuanced performance which earned him a well-deserved Oscar nomination earlier in the year.

However, while there is something comfortingly familiar about the set-up of the film, director Ryan Coogler has added enough new touches to keep things fresh. Tessa Thompson provides complexity as Creed’s love interest Bianca, while real-life British boxer Tony Bellew does well as the film’s main antagonist, ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan.

By the time the action culminates in a championship title fight at Everton’s Goodison Park football stadium, you’re invested in this young character and his fight for recognition.

It all points to a bright future for the ongoing Rocky boxing saga.