Traffic signals and a lower speed limit look to be on the way in an effort to cut the number of accidents at the road entrance to the Borders General Hospital at Melrose.

Transport Scotland this week confirmed that new signals and a speed limit reduction on the stretch of the A6091 that passes the hospital would be its prefeered way of tackling problems there.

That decision follows a feasibility study by road management company Amey into ways of easing the difficulties being experienced by motorists at the junction.

Investigations are now taking place to try to determine whether such signals would have the desired effect and if the necessary changes to the junction and the A6091 would be viable.

Transport Scotland hopes to start consultation about its preferred design this month, with final agreement on the confirmed layout, and any changes to be made, by the end of next month.

If agreed, work on improvements to the junction could get under way within months.

NHS Borders would also carry out improvements to the hospital entrance, and Scottish Borders Council would do likewise to the road near the junction.

Council leader David Parker and NHS Borders chairman John Raine have welcomed the proposals put forward by Transport Scotland in response to a joint letter they wrote to then Scottish Government transport minister Derek Mackay in 2015 expressing concern about the junction’s accident record.

Leaderdale and Melrose councillor Mr Parker said: “I am delighted that Transport Scotland has carried out such a comprehensive feasibility study looking at all available options to address concerns at the junction.

“From the draft layouts I have seen, if all the investigations reach a positive conclusion, a very significant scheme will be put in place that will hopefully prevent the accidents and many near misses that take place.

“Although traffic signals are the preferred option, other solutions, such as a roundabout, were carefully considered but have all been deemed unworkable for very sound reasons.

“The scheme which is being developed would be a major investment in accident prevention.”

Mr Raine added: “It is clear that the difficulties at the Borders General Hospital junction have been taken seriously, and the proposals which are emerging are a very welcome step forward in the right direction.

“It is an unwelcome irony that there is a perceived accident blackspot outside the region’s main hospital, and NHS Borders has worked in partnership with the council to try to find a permanent solution to the difficulties experienced at the general hospital, and I am very hopeful that the work is about to come to fruition.

“Staff and visitors to the hospital have consistently raised concerns about the junction’s safety over many years, and I am sure that many people will welcome proposed improvements.”

A public consultation on whether or not to allow unconventional oil and gas extraction (UOG) has been launched by the Scottish Government.

A moratorium on UOG, which includes hydraulic fracking, has been in place since January 2015 with a decision expected to be taken this year on whether or not a full ban should be applied.

The consultation, which will continue until May 31, includes a dedicated website - www.talkingfracking.scot - to provide information about UOG as well as the findings of research commissioned by the Scottish Government.

Energy minister Paul Wheelhouse said the Scottish Government has “sought to present impartial, independent information on unconventional oil and gas in order to encourage informed dialogue and debate.”

He continued: “As most of Scotland’s unconventional oil and gas deposits occur in and around former coalfields and oil shale fields in Scotland’s Central Belt, which contains some of the most densely populated areas of the country, as well as in the area around Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, it is vitally important that communities, businesses and interest groups from across Scotland have an opportunity to put their views across.

Mr Wheelhouse said the responses would be independently analysed before the government makes its final recommendation.

He added: “We will then ask members of the Scottish Parliament to vote on our recommendation, and we will come to a final decision by the end of 2017 on whether or not unconventional oil and gas has a role in Scotland’s energy mix.”

Anti-fracking campaigners, however, argue that the process is bad for climate, public health and is a threat to communities.

Mary Church, from Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Nation-wide resistance led the Scottish Government to call a halt to onshore gas drilling and fracking two years ago. If we don’t turn the current moratorium into a ban, communities across the central belt of Scotland will continue to be at risk from this dirty industry.

“It’s clear there is no place for fracked gas in Scotland’s energy future.”

The consultation Talking “fracking” can be viewed on the Scottish Government’s consultation website http://consult.scotland.gov.uk

A new trail chronicling key sites connected with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites has been established by some of Scotland’s top heritage agencies.

The 25 sites, which cover the length and breadth of Scotland, include some of the most significant associated with the ill-fated attempt to restore the Stuart dynasty to the throne, from Glenfinnan where the Young Pretender raised his standard at the start of the Jacobite campaign to Culloden, where it met its bloody end.

A partnership between National Museums Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Royal Collection Trust and The National Trust for Scotland, it is hoped the initiative, which attracted £40,000 match funding from tourism agency VisitScotland, will increase the number of international tourists who are keen to explore that turbulent era of Scotland’s history, given its prominent portrayal in the hit television series ‘Outlander’.

VisitScotland’s funding will allow online videos and promotional material to be developed to reach a greater digital audience across the UK, while also tying in with the 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

As well as including sites directly connected with the Young Pretender and the rebellion, National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh will between June 23 and November 12 host the biggest exhibition on the Jacobites in more than 70 years. This will include, among numerous other items, Charlie’s shield, sword and his travelling canteen.

Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland chief executive, said: “Scotland’s history and culture is one the top reasons for visiting Scotland and 2017 offers huge opportunities for the tourism industry and collaboration across sectors. Bonnie Prince Charlie is one of Scotland’s most enduring historical figures and we are delighted, through the VisitScotland Growth Fund, to support this collaborative campaign that will help visitors follow in his footsteps.”

David Forsyth, lead curator of the National Museum of Scotland’s exhibition, ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites’, said: “Our exhibition will present the best material there is – real objects and contemporary accounts and depictions – to present the truth of a story which is even more layered, complex and dramatic than the many fictional and romantic interpretations which exist in popular culture.

“Through this partnership, we are delighted to extend the exciting invitation to people to not only come here and see those real objects and hear that real story but also to travel the country and visit the places where many of these momentous events actually happened.”

Simon Skinner, National Trust for Scotland chief executive, said: “The Jacobite story is one of Scotland’s most complex, compelling and, ultimately, tragic tales. Through this partnership we hope to bring this important part of Scotland’s heritage to life for visitors at the sites where these events took place.”

Details about the campaign can be found at www.jacobitetrail.co.uk

Borders MSP Christine Grahame took outgoing Scotrail managing director Phil Verster to task over skip-stopping, after she spent two hours getting back to her car.

At a recent meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee at Holyrood, Mr Verster was giving evidence of Scotrail’s performance.

Ms Grahame commended Scotrail and Network Rail on “the delivery and the way that the Borders railway is operated,” saying it was “superb and has been very successful”.

However, she asked about the practice of skipping stops, which, she said, “has caused a lot of concern”.

She addressed Mr Verster, saying: “I understand that you have stopped doing that at peak times so that people can get off where they want. Has that been held to 100 per cent? Also, what about off-peak times?

“The issue has affected me and my constituents. One day, I spent two hours going to and from a station that you had skipped to pick up my car. I know that you did not do that to me deliberately, but it was not a good experience.”

Mr Verster replied: “On running trains express – or skipping stations – we have implemented a clear policy that trains that are travelling into big city centres and conurbations at particular times in the peak period will not skip-stop. Similarly, trains that travel out from big city centres in the evening at particular times in the peak period will not skip-stop.

“I clarify that we do not skip-stop in the off-peak period because we want the train that is running to get to its end destination in time ... the moment we skip a train past a station, it is counted as having failed its punctuality.

“We skip stations because the network is interconnected and a train that is running late in one place can hold up 10, 12, 17 or 20 other trains.

“Very often, people do not understand that. The practice of skip-stopping is used in all railways throughout the world.

“The issue is when we do it to cause the minimum customer impact. We are sticking to that practice, and any change to it must be signed off by me or the operations director.”

Ms Grahame also commented that she had been on several trains in which no-one was checking or selling tickets.

Mr Verster replied: “We always have a second person on the train. I am not sure about the issues with tickets not being sold, but I will gladly follow that up after the meeting.”

Ms Grahame asked her final question: “Does Abellio ScotRail have spare carriages when there are pressures throughout Scotland—for example, at hogmanay, when there are common ridings ... or do we just have to pinch them from somebody else in order to deliver elsewhere?

The departing railway chief said: “We have squeezed another class 158 out of Angus Thom’s maintenance allowance, which allows us to put one extra two-car train on the Borders service, giving us more capacity on that route, which is a massive benefit. We have been running that since September.”

He added: “When there are big events for which we need extra rolling stock, we make decisions about what services we can run on other parts of the network, and we make compromises in terms of the level of capacity that we provide.”

It’s full steam ahead for Borders tourism businesses, who are celebrating the release of new figures which suggest that the arrival of the Borders Railway has been a huge boost.

The aptly-acronymed Scottish Tourism Economic Assessment Monitor (STEAM) statistics show a significant improvement in key tourism performance figures in the first half of 2016, compared to the first half of 2015 when the railway was still being built.

Councillor Stuart Bell, SBC’s executive member for economic development, added: “Tourism is absolutely vital to the Borders’ economy, and that is why this substantial rise in tourism activity in the first half of 2016 is so important.

“For the first time in a decade, the Borders have shown improved results in every STEAM category – the only area of mainland Scotland to do so for this period.

“The introduction of the railway has undoubtedly contributed to these figures.”

Mr Bell added: The 27% increase in the acccomodation sector shows we are moving away from simply being Scotland’s leading short break destination, and more and more people are staying overnight.”

The STEAM figures for the Borders also show:

● A 20 per cent rise in visitor spend on food and drink

● Visitor spend on accommodation is up 17 per cent

● A 16 per cent rise in overall visitor spend

● The number of days visitors stayed in the Borders has increased by almost 11 per cent

● Eight per cent increase in employment related to tourism.

The figures also show increased numbers in tourism-related businesses in Midlothian.

One of the businesses which has undoubtedly benefited from the railway is Abbotsford House.

Giles Ingram, chief executive of the Abbotsford Trust, told us: “Over the course of last year, we estimate that our visitor numbers were up about 10 %, which we directly attribute to the railway, because it has opened us up far more to the Edinburgh market, whether it be people who live in Edinburgh or have based their holiday there and come down for a visit.

“When the weather is good, the majority of people do choose to walk to Abbotsford from the station. The fastest route is through Tweedbank, but there is another route, which not many people are aware of, but it is far more scenic and it takes you there along the banks of the Tweed.”

And while the new Born in the Borders kiosk has been open for only a week, and is therefore not included in the STEAM statistics, its manager Nicola Duffy said that passengers seem to have welcomed the new facility, which also provides the station with its first public toilet.

Mrs Duffy said: “We were really delighted to be asked to tender for it.

“The official launch was just a week ago, so visitor numbers are difficult to gauge.

“These are the sort of facilities that people were crying out for, though, and we have had a lot of custom from daily commuters.”

Alasdair Smart, the ScotRail Alliance’s tourism manager, said: “We are proud to play our part in creating a positive Borders Railway experience, and it’s fantastic to see such significant growth in tourists and visitors to this beautiful part of Scotland.”

Long-time champion of the railway, Christine Grahame MSP, added: “These figures are great news for the Borders, with visitors staying longer and spending more on both accommodation and food and drink.

“We’re already seeing an increase in tourism employment as a result and it’s important we continue to capitalise on greater visitor numbers to create real regeneration and opportunities for our communities.

“The Great Tapestry of Scotland’s visitor centre is due to open in Galashiels in 2020 and I believe if we lay the groundwork now we can use it as further incentive to draw even more visitors down the railway and onwards to attractions such as the Borders Textile Trail, reinvigorating the local area.

“I campaigned for the railway for many years because I believed it offered both greater connectivity for residents and the chance to attract more tourists to come and explore all the Borders has to offer. I’m pleased to see this now starting to come to fruition.”

Annika Meiklejohn, director of Tweedbank’s Tempest Brewery said that the railway was a great way of attracting something they could not do without – talent.

She told us: “It’s been great. The railway was one of the main reasons we moved to Tweedbank Industrial Estate because we knew it would provide us with visitors, but it also allows us to attract the best brewers.

“We have staff who travel from Edinburgh and Glasgow, and without the railway we would not be able to employ those people.

“We can attract really talented staff here because of it.

“We have not done much in the way of brewery tours, but we hope to do more of that in the summer.

“And as we promote responsible drinking, it’s best they come on the train rather than drive.”

Annika also hopes the train will help drive ticket sales for their Springfest music festival on April 29, tickets for which are available on Tempest’s website – www.tempestbrewco.com

Annika said: “We released our early bird tickets on Saturday morning. Within half an hour, 50 had gone and by Sunday night they had all been sold.

“You can still buy tickets on our website, but you’ll have to be quick.”

A group of young Borderers are carrying out fundraising activities across the Borders to raise cash for a trip to Bolivia.

More than 20 youngsters will go on the trip next summer however, the team aged between 16 and 24 each need to raise a cash total of more than £2,000.

The visit will involve the venturers helping out and living in communities to experience different cultures.

The trip, organised by the Borders Exploration Group, was initially planned for Brazil, but following the outbreak of the Zika virus, organisers followed advice from health officials to move the location to somewhere above 2,200 feet. Bolivia was chosen to allow the expedition to remain in South America.

The group is made up of pupils from Peebles, Galashiels, Selkirk, Kelso and Eyemouth, and will include recent school leavers. The team will fly out to Bolivia on June 30, 2017, before returning on July 24.

David Hunter, chief leader Bolivia 2017, said: “The opportunity is to not only go out and visit another country, but to be part of its culture and community.

“What we do is we go out there and we have three different phases. There will be a community phase where we will identify communities that we can help where we might, for example, help to build a school. There will be a cultural phase where the venturers will learn about the country and then there will be an over-arching phase which is adventure. At the moment we are thinking this might be a trek through Bolivia, but we have not yet decided.

“Young Borderers, generally speaking, tend to have reasonably safe and comfortable lives, and so this way they get to experience how other people live and they will certainly find that out in Bolivia.

“We are still negotiating with which communities we will go to and we are looking into different project ideas at the moment but we hope to have come to a decision on that in January.

“With the political situation in Bolivia we really need to ensure that the project will be sustainable.”

Bolivia 2017 venturer Freya McIlwraith, who left Selkirk High School after her fifth year last summer, said: “Going on a trip like this has always been my dream. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to travel around the world and help the people there. I love to travel and I love to help people so this trip is ideal. I get to combine my two greatest loves which are learning about new cultures and languages, which is a huge passion of mine.

“I also think that there will be many challenges within the group, such as the fact that 3-4 weeks is a long time to be sleeping, eating and working with the same people and there will be times when people fall out and we get a bit fed up of one another.

“However, no matter the challenges, it will definitely be worth it.”

The 17-year-old currently volunteers at Cornerstone Connects, a centre for adults with complex needs in Galashiels.

She added: “Due to the differences in culture it will be challenging to try to fit in as no matter how much we try to learn before going it is impossible to know all of the traditions of each individual town.”

The venturers have been getting to know each other through training weekends which aim to develop observational skills, team skills, and knowledge of camping outdoors. The most recent one was held in October at Lilliesleaf which was aimed at helping the team cope with the challenges they may face abroad.

Fundraising will include a 10k run, car boot sales, selling homemade crafts and prints of commissioned artwork. So far the group have held a ceilidh, a quiz night and a Scalextric night.

16-year-old triathlete Zoe Pflug, also of Midlem and who currently attends Selkirk High School, said: “I hope to experience a different culture and make new friends. People in years above me at school had been on previous expeditions and have explained how life changing the experience had been.

“I can imagine people will suffer from altitude sickness regardless of how well we try to acclimatise. People maybe homesick or people may find the community phase difficult. However, I feel like the group of people going on the trip could get us through anything. The leaders are so genuine and the venturers all have a great sense of humour making for a very successful trip.”

The trip has also been supported by renowned chocolatier, Olivier Nicod, of Borders-based Cocoaecosse. The former head chocolatier at Hotel Chocolat donated a metre-high artisan chocolate Santa that weighs more than 3.5kg to a fundraising raffle held at The Flower Room in Kelso last month.

The chocolate consultant who moved to Scotland from France in 2004 said: “I heard about a young lady in Kelso doing this trip to help people and I think it is great to give young people this opportunity to go and see these other places. It’s a very good thing to let them experience other places and for countries to mix.

“When I heard, I wanted to do something to help her realise her dream.”

The charity began 25 years ago and every two years since it has taken young Borderers on a worldwide trip of a lifetime. Previous trips have included Malawi, Cuba and Vietnam, with the most recent being Austria in 2015.

Two Borders mothers whose children display symptoms of Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA) are campaigning for recogniton of the condition in the region.

In December, Mary Black from Chirnside and Patricia Hewitt from Sprouston presented a 514-signature petition to the Scottish Government, calling for wider awareness and recognition of the condition, the symptoms of which include: avoidance, excessive mood swings and impulsivity, and obsessive behaviour.

Mary claimed her 13-year-old daughter Hannah was handcuffed in an effort to restrain her following an outburst in primary school, and Pat says her two sons (now aged 19 and 20) were bullied from primary two to sixth year in secondary school, and were systematically excluded.

Pat said: “Organisations in the Scottish Borders have an endemic failure to recognise people on the spectrum. Even now, Scottish Borders Council does not accept it is a condition. It’s very much a postcode lottery as some regions accept it, some don’t.

“And the ironic thing is that we moved here from Newcastle because I had heard of this wonderful education system, but if we stayed where we were, there is now a unit which recognises PDA.”

PDA is increasingly accepted as a behaviour profile on the autism spectrum, but not all experts agree. The conditions is still not officially recognised across Scotland and without a formal diagnosis even organisations set up for parents with children on the autism spectrum can’t help.

In January, Mary and Patricia were accompanied by former Scottish Deputy Minister for Education and Young People Euan Robson when they attended a Petitions Committee meeting to give evidence about their experiences and the need for a better understanding by those in authority.

Gala 23

Hawick 15

Gala won the psychological skirmish ahead of next weekend’s crucial relegation battle with Hawick by dumping the Robbie Dyes out of the BT Cup competition on Saturday.

It was the second stage of what is effectively a three-round match-up spanning six weeks between these two close neighbours.

Hawick claimed the first in the Border League, with the Maroons levelling things at the weekend in the cup.

The final round comes on February 11 at Mansfield Park, where the two will have 80 minutes to save their respective BT Premiership seasons.

The match was full-blooded and frantic, amid sub-zero temperatures, but it was not the kind of contest to inspire much poetry.

Fielding a slightly more senior side than Hawick, Gala, in the end, were deserving of victory and a place in the fourth round of the cup.

George Hunter led the way for the hosts with two first-half penalties and a conversion of Matt Carryer’s 15th minute try.

A Grant Huggan touchdown and a penalty and conversion from Ali Weir kept the Greens within touching distance but, for a team lauded in the past eight weeks for its stout defence and thrilling attacking play, Hawick struggled mightily.

Trailing 13-10 at the interval, Hawick’s Achilles heel for much of the season was their slow starts and it again came back to bite them when winger Dwayne Burrows touched down with barely a minute on the clock.

Hunter’s conversion and penalty 10 minutes from time, following Kirk Ford’s yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, essentially wrapped up the victory for the hosts.

Hawick did attempt a brief fightback through a late Lee Armstrong try but Gala closed ranks and held firm to close out for the 23-15 win.

Looking ahead to the BT Premiership’s conclusion, Gala skipper Graham Speirs said: “We have to go into these games confident because they are against teams in a similar position to ourselves, so they are effectively eight-point games. Hawick at home is always a daunting prospect. We’re under no illusions – these are huge games with big repercussions when it comes to league positions, but the boys are focused and confident.”

Greens captain Bruce McNeil, who watched from the sidelines as he concluded a two-game ban, said: “We are out of the cup and it’s pretty depressing, as everyone loves a great cup round. We were just second best to a lot of things on the day.” While there were postiives, inaccuracies had proved costly and McNeil suspected the players’ minds had been elsewhere. “I think a lot of the boys were looking to the game next week rather than this one,” he said.

Scottish Borders Council has at last installed a dog waste bin at a popular dog walking route near Melrose after a volunteer-run bin had been removed after four years.

John Brown, of Rushbank, was compelled to build and install a wooden dog waste bin four years ago when the council refused to install one on Trimontium Road, Newstead. At the time a request to the council for a new bin on the route was turned down as there was already a bin at the other end of the walk at Leaderfoot.

However, John along with two other volunteers ran the now-defunct Newstead Youth Group over nine years during which they made and distributed posters highlighting the dog mess problem in the area.

He cleaned and maintained the bin and emptied an average of 15kg of dog poo every second week. Last November he ended his tireless assistance due to ill health.

The council has since put in a new bin which they regularly check and empty. It was installed in January this year.

John, 67, said: “I am pleased that the council has finally realised the need for the bin. It is ridiculous that it had to go to the paper first though.

“There is now one at either end of the Trimontium/Leaderfoot walk.

“Scottish Borders Council are constantly asking us to pick up and bin rubbish, especially to bin dog poo, yet when asked for bins they say no. Why? They cannot quote costings as they have regular bin wagons drive past almost every bin, surely these could be added to their pick up routes if required too.”

A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: “A permanent replacement litter and dog waste bin has been installed near the gate at the Newstead end of the road. There has always been a bin at the other end of the road, near the Leaderfoot bridges.

“These bins are checked and emptied weekly.”

John added: “Melrose and District Community Council have been at the council for over 14 months for bins. All they now ask for is one at end of Black path at Dean Road. We live in hope.”

Maliciously spraying white paint on road surfaces, street furniture, a bus stop and a wall cost Justin Deans a total of £260.

The 20-year-old from Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, was fined £130 and ordered to pay a similar amount in compensation to Scottish Borders Council for the offence which happened in Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, on July 21, 2015.

Revised plans to build 26 new affordable homes in Galashiels have been submitted to Scottish Borders Council.

The proposals were put in by Persimmon Homes on behalf of Selkirk-based Eildon Housing Association.

They come as part of a large-scale new housing development previously approved by the council back in 2012.

Those plans are set to see the construction of more than 390 new houses and flats at Easter Langlee in eastern Galashiels.

The proposals for 26 new homes on a section of that development, originally earmarked for 15 four and five-bedroom houses, will now comprise 18 terraced houses and eight flats, accompanied by35 parking spaces.

A spokeswomen for Eildon Housing Association said: “We are delighted to be pressing ahead with plans for a further 26 new affordable homes at Easter Langlee.

“Over the next five years, we are planning to deliver more than 700 new, high-quality affordable homes across communities in the Borders.

“As well as addressing housing in the Scottish Borders, this investment, supported by the Scottish Government and Scottish Borders Council, will generate jobs, training and a range of community benefits.”

At the time the proposed development of 397 homes was initially submitted to the council, it attracted both supporters and objectors with concerns about the scale of the project and its impact on roads.

Those proposals were put to the council in June 2012 and were approved in November that year.

A council spokesperson said: “The application for 26 houses is an amendment to a relatively small part of the development first granted to Persimmon Homes in 2012.

“It comprises a change of layout and house types to meet the requirements of Eildon Housing Association.”

In December the council’s planning committee voted 5-3 to approve planning permission for 60 rented units owned by Eildon Housing Association for a neighbouring site at land south of Coopersknowe Crescent.

That development includes three blocks of flats and currently is home to 30 four and five-bedroom houses.

In June 2014 the Scottish Government announced funding of £800,000 for Eildon Housing Association to help it acquire the land at Coopersknowe situated on the opposite side of the road from the Easter Langlee site.

Many of us will have played with them but how many of these classic toys from the 1980s can you remember?

See if you can beat your friends in this fun quiz.

The team behind the new Kelso skate park is celebrating having secured £42,000 from a community grant scheme this week.

A year and a half after taking over the lease at the Shedden Park site, the Kelso Skate Park Project was given the cash boost by the Viridor Credits environmental company through the Scottish Landfill Communities fund.

Project chairman Ali Hay said: “Securing our first big grant has meant so much to the group as we can now see the project’s end-phase coming together after years of hard work.

“It’s great because it takes quite a bit of confidence in a project for a group to fund it on such a large scale, but they have jumped on board and hopefully now others will follow suit.

“It’s just superb news.”

The grant, accounting for 25% of the total build and design costs of the park, marks a milestone achievement for the group, formed in 2009 to update the existing park, built in 2001.

Due to limitations in funding and a desire to grow, the group took over the lease in May 2016 and raised £5,305 to cover insurance, a feasibility study, new designs and planning permission.

Ali, 28, has been hands-on in both improving the existing park over the years and the design of the new park.

He said: “It’s going to be a whole new development. That complete skate park will get taken away and within that footprint, a new, modern park will be built.

“It’s a really big park we have there, but we can’t do a lot with it. With the new concrete design, we can change shapes and include different areas.

“Currently, if we have more than 30 to 40 people at the park, it is just too busy.

“Now we are at the stage that it is so popular, we have to do it properly.”

The new park will offer more diversity, space and areas to suit all different abilities. It will also include planted areas, creative features and a Kelso cobbled wall.

“There are going to be so many good features relevant to linking the park with Kelso,” Ali added. “We have done the work and the research, and now it’s just about timing our applications. There’s really exciting times ahead.”

The group hopes building work can begin in May and finish within the year.

Calum Kerr, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, added: “I’ve been glad to support this project over the past year.

“This funding success is a real credit to the energy and determination of everyone involved.”

“It’s a great example of the self-starting approach that you see all across our region.”

Gareth Williams, funded projects manager at Viridor Credits, added: “This is a wonderful example of a true community project that will have far-reaching benefits in the Borders. Skate parks are a fantastic way to bring people together and foster community spirit.”

An investigation is under way into the death of a forestry worker in an accident near Selkirk this week.

Kenny Scott, a self-employed woodcutter, died following an accident on a rural estate on Tuesday afternoon.

The 58-year-old, originally from Jedburgh but living in Minto, near Denholm, of late, was working on the Sunderland Hall estate, near Lindean when the accident happened.

Emergency services were called to the estate in the late afternoon following reports of a man being badly injured.

Despite efforts by paramedics to revive him and the call-out of an air ambulance team, Mr Scott was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police in the Scottish Borders are investigating after a 58-year-old man died as a result of an accident in woodland near Selkirk.

“The incident happened around 2.30pm on Tuesday, January 31.

“The death is currently being treated as non-suspicious, and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal in due course.”

The Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team was also called out to help, and a spokesman for the Melrose-based operation said: “The team were called out to assist the Scottish Ambulance Service with the extraction of an injured forestry worker from difficult terrain.

“Unfortunately, the casualty’s injuries were severe, and despite a multi-agency response involving the mountain rescue team, paramedics and Helimed with an emergency medical retrieval service team on board, the casualty died of his injuries at the scene.

“All involved are deeply saddened by this tragic outcome, and our thoughts are with the family of the deceased.”

The Health and Safety Executive has been made aware of the accident, and an investigation into the circumstances is being carried out.

A spokesman said: “We have been made aware of an incident at Sunderland Hall, and we are liaising with Police Scotland to determine the circumstances.”

An independent review of the legal aid system has been announced by the Scottish Government.

Legal aid provides publicly-funded legal advice and representation in court for those most in need the year-long review will explore how best it can contribute to improving people’s lives now and in the future.

The review will be chaired by Martyn Evans, chief executive of the Carnegie Trust, who will be backed an expert advisory group including legal aid board chief Colin Lancaster, members of the Law Society and the Faculty of Advocates and representatives from Police Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland.

Legal affairs Minister Annabelle Ewing said that the current approach is based on legislation dating back almost 30 years and that Scotland needs a “flexible and progressive system”.

She said: “I am proud we have a legal aid system that enforces people’s rights and upholds social justice. Our guiding principle is to focus legal aid on those who need it most and we have maintained access to publicly funded legal aid in both civil and criminal cases.

“With legislation that dates back to the 1980s, change is needed and the time is right to conduct a comprehensive review of legal aid. This is about ensuring we have a flexible and progressive system that is sustainable and cost effective.

“Martyn Evans brings a wealth of experience as a champion for the rights of Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens. I am delighted he has agreed to chair the review and look forward to receiving his report.”

Mr Evans said: “The provision of timely and effective legal assistance is a necessary part of a fair and equitable society. It’s important therefore that Scotland has a system that delivers the best possible support to those who rely on it.

“I am pleased to be asked to chair the review of legal aid and, over the coming months, I look forward to engaging with and hearing from the widest range of people with an interest in this area.”

A Hawick man has been jailed for eight months for stabbing a former friend after they fell out over comments on Facebook.

Aarron Atkinson, 24, had posted a message about his late father on his social networking site, but took exception to a comment by Stuart Ogilvie and an argument flared between the pair. It ended with Mr Ogilvie going round to Atkinson’s house in Allars Bank for a confrontation on January 31 last year.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told that Atkinson rushed out of his home with a Stanley knife and stabbed his victim on the chest and in his back.

Prosecutor Graham Fraser said Mr Ogilvie required three stitches to one of the wounds, adding that he broke his hand hitting Atkinson.

Atkinson pleaded guilty to punching Mr Ogilvie in the face and repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife to his injury and permanent disfigurement, but under provocation.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said: “It was only pure luck that there were not more serious injuries.” He reduced the prison sentence from a year to eight months because of the guilty plea.

MAN STOLE CASH FROM HIS MUM

A 35-year-old man has been put on a home night-time curfew after admitting withdrawing £250 from his mother’s bank account without permission.

Michael Dodds stole the bank card from his mother’s home in Gorse Lane, Galashiels, last month.

He then went to the Spar shop in Langlee and withdrew sums of £40 and £50 from its cashpoint before heading to the Asda store in Galashiels town centre at 3am to take out another £160.

Dodds has since repaid the money, the court heard.

He was given a restriction-of-liberty order keeping him in his Gun Road, Earlston, home between 8pm and 5.30am for the next nine months.

CASE AGAINST PAIR DESERTED

Two Jedburgh men accused of repeatedly asking two women to perform sexual acts during the course of a car journey have had the case against them deserted at the town’s sheriff court.

Stuart Spence, 25, of Hartrigge Crescent, and Craig Hall, 19, of Howden Road, were due to stand trial on a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person fear and alarm.

The offence was alleged to have been committed in a vehicle on the Jedburgh-Oxnam road on Sunday, October 23.

Before the trial could get under way, however, the crown announced that the case against the pair would be deserted for the time being.

No opposition was expressed by the pair’s lawyers.

JAIL LOOMS FOR REPEAT OFFENDER

A woman responsible for two disturbances at the Borders General Hospital within the space of four days has been warned she faces the prospect of a prison sentence.

Karen Turner, 31, pleaded guilty to shouting and swearing and acting in an aggressive manner in the Melrose hospital’s accident-and-emergency unit on Sunday, August 21.

She also admitted threatening or abusive behaviour in an ambulance and at the hospital on Thursday, August 25, when she struggled with police and kicked a female officer to the leg.

Turner also pleaded guilty to struggling violently with three people and kicking a door during another incident in Howegate, Hawick, on Saturday, August 13.

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence on Turner, said to be in the process of moving address from Hawick to Galashiels, for the production of a criminal justice social work report until Monday, February 20, but he warned her: “You should be well aware that, given the nature of the offences, a custodial sentence is the most likely outcome in this matter.”

ACCUSED FACES THEFT CHARGES

A third man has made a court appearance in connection with a series of vehicle thefts in Berwickshire last month.

Jamie Shaw, 24, of Edinburgh, is charged with two counts of stealing from locked vehicles and also obstructing police.

It follows thefts from vehicles in Duns and Reston overnight on Monday, December 12.

Shaw made no plea or declaration during a private hearing at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, and his case was continued for further examination.

He was bailed.

His co-accused – John Garden, 29, and Alan Halcrow, 38, both also of Edinburgh – have already appeared in court charged with thefts from vehicles.

EMBEZZLEMENT ALLEGATION

A woman’s trial on an embezzlement charge will now take place in April.

Catherine Knight, 23, of Scott Crescent, Hawick, has already pleaded not guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to embezzling money and vouchers from clients to the value of £355 while working as an agent for Merseyside-based Park Retail between November 2014 and October 2015, but more time was requested to prepare for the case.

The trial will now go ahead on Monday, April 24, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, March 20.

DOG OWNER FINED £400

A horse dealer has been criticised for a “cavalier attitude” which resulted in his dogs killing a lamb on a farm.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that Mark Ashe, 37, had neen warned about his lurcher and hound running loose on farmland and worrying sheep belonging to a farmer living nearby.

Matters came to a head at Whisgills, near Newcastleton, on Saturday, June 18, when the farmer again spotted the dogs in the field, with all his sheep huddled into one corner.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley said the lurcher and the hound were tearing a lamb to pieces, and there was blood from the lamb all over the hound’s back.

When Ashe was quizzed by police, he asked if the matter would be dropped by the procurator fiscal if he got the dogs destroyed.

Ashe pleaded guilty to allowing his dogs to worry a lamb, resulting in it being killed near his Whisgills home on June 18.

His solicitor, Natalie Paterson, told the court that after the farmer had spoken to him, Ashe said he had built a kennel for the dogs, but they must have got loose.

Sheriff Peter Paterson told father-of-four Ashe: “You have shown a pretty cavalier attitude towards the ownership of the two dogs who have a well-known propensity to chase sheep.”

He added that Ashe had been well warned by his extremely patient neighbours, but he had simply paid lip service in his attempt to control the dogs properly.

The sheriff said it was unfortunate that he did not have any powers to control Ashe’s ownership of dogs in the future and was restricted to imposing a financial penalty under the terms of the 1953 Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act.

He fined Ashe £400 and ordered him to pay £200 compensation to the farmer whose lamb was killed.

The court was told that the hound had been given to the Buccleuch Hunt and had since been destroyed, but it was unclear what had become of the lurcher.

FLASHING CHARGES

A 37-year-old man will stand trial later this month accused of three indecent exposure incidents in Selkirk.

William Brown is charged with exposing his genitals in a sexual manner by opening his dressing gown to a woman and a seven-year-old girl in Station Road on Saturday, October 15.

He is also said to have exposed his genitals in a sexual manner to two 16-year-old girls by lying on the ground and lifting his legs in the grounds of Philiphaugh Primary School on Friday, March 25.

Brown, of Laidlaw Court, Galashiels, pleaded not guilty to a total of three charges at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

A trial date has been fixed for Tuesday, February 28.

His bail conditions ban him from entering Philiphaugh Primary School’s grounds and having contact with any child under 16 years of age unless supervised by an adult.

DRIVER NEARLY SIX TIMES LIMIT

A man appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court and admitted driving while almost six times the legal alcohol limit.

Paul Ramage, 40, of Beech Avenue, Galashiels, had a breath-alcohol count of 126 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22, when he was pulled over in his works van by police on the A7 on Sunday.

The court heard Ramage was only a provisional licence holder, was not displaying L-plates and had no insurance.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the vehicle was owned by his employer, a local farm contractor, but Ramage had not been working and was visiting a friend.

He was first spotted by an off-duty police officer who noticed the “van was all over the road”, so the police went looking for Ramage, eventually stopping him in Selkirk.

Mat Patrick, defending, said the father of two had a serious problem with alcohol and last March had a heart attack as a direct result of his alcoholism.

He added that Ramage was going to lose his employment because of the offence.

Sheriff Peter Paterson disqualified Ramage from driving for 21 months and fined him £100. He also imposed a fine of £100 for having no insurance and another £100 for not displaying L-plates.

KNIFE OFFENDER MUST BEHAVE

A man found in possession of a knife on the Langlee housing estate has been ordered to be of good behaviour for a year.

Gordon Ward, 35, of Hawthorn Road, Galashiels, pleaded guilty to committing the offence in Woodstock Avenue.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told police received a call shortly before midnight on Hogmanay telling them that Ward was depressed and was carrying a knife in his pocket.

It was described in court as a kitchen knife around 20 centimetres in length.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said the father of three had no recollection of the incident, adding: “This was due to a combination of alcohol and painkillers for an artificial hip. He apologises for his behaviour.”

STRUGGLING ALLEGATION

A Galashiels man will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on February 28 on a charge of struggling with others in his home street of Langlee Drive.

Grant Garment, 25, also pleads not guilty to assaulting a former partner on December 17.

EX-NURSE OWNS UP TO FRACAS

A former nurse has been ordered to carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work for causing a disturbance in the accident-and-emergency department at Borders General Hospital.

Philip Skey, 56, of Carlin Court, Tweedbank, pleaded guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court to shouting and swearing and making offensive remarks on July 31.

GALA WOMAN DENIES CHARGES

Sarah Scott, 24, of Woodstock Avenue, Galashiels, will stand trial on a charge of breaching her home curfew at a property in Melrose on New Year’s Day.

She also denies struggling violently with police.

A trial is due to take place at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday, February 16.

TEENAGER FACES ASSAULT TRIAL

A teenager has been accused of assaulting a woman to her severe injury at a house in Galashiels.

Beckie Baxter, 18, of Fenham, Newcastle, denies assaulting Donna Baxter by kicking and punching her on the head. A trial date has been set for March 2 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

LAST CHANCE FOR OFFENDER

A Peebles man who admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in the town’s Kingsland Square in August has been given a final chance.

Raymond Thomson, 21, of Violet Bank, also pleaded guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely a broken table leg.

Sheriff Peter Paterson gave Thomson a community payback order with supervision, and a requirement to undergo drug treatment over the next 18 months.

He told Thomson: “This is the last chance.”

MAN DENIES AGGRESSION

A Hawick man will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court next month on a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.

Ross Wightman, 36, of Wilton Dean, denies acting in an aggressive manner towards Kelly Wightman and Glenn Smith, and challenging the latter to a fight, at the court building in Ettrick Terrace on January 4.

Assault allegation

Ross Morrison is charged with assaulting a staff nurse at East Brigg Hospital in Galashiels on September 21.

The 31-year-old, of St Andrew Street, Galashiels, is also accused of stealing a packet of cigarettes from the Co-op store in Gala Park, Galashiels, on October 30.

He pleaded not guilty, and a trial date was set for Selkirk Sheriff Court on March 13, with an intermediate hearing on February 27.

BACKGROUND REPORTS

Background reports have been ordered on a Jedburgh woman after she admitted assaulting a police officer at Borders General Hospital on June 20.

Stacey Tennant, 37, of Blair Avenue, will be sentenced at Selkirk Sheriff Court on February 27.

WOMAN DENIES BITING CONSTABLE

A 31-year-old woman has been accused of throwing a cup of water over a nurse who was treating her on Hogmanay.

Davinia Harrison is also charged with biting a female police constable’s arm and repeatedly kicking her legs during the disturbance at the Borders General Hospital.

She also faces a third charge of threatening behaviour by shouting, swearing and screaming loudly.

Harrison, of Ramsay Road, Hawick, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

On a separate complaint, she also denies finding £29.22 at the Almond Tree cafe in High Street, Hawick, on December 1, not trying to find its true owner, then stealing the cash.

SENTENCE DEFERRED

John Sherlow, 26, admitted a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour near his home in Hawthorn Road, Galashiels, on May 6.

He shouted and swore, uttered threats of violence and repeatedly struck a door with his hands while holding a knife.

Sentence has been deferred at Selkirk Sheriff Court until February 27 for reports.

PLACED ON SUPERVISION

A Galashiels man who struggled with police officers outside a pub has been placed on supervision for 15 months.

Simon Hadden, 39, of Hawthorn Road, also made threats to the officers, saying he knew where they lived, during the disturbance in Marigold Bank on March 17.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said the community payback order was an alternative to custody.

COUPLE DENY SHOPLIFTING

An Edinburgh couple are to face trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on a shoplifting charge.

James McMillan, 42, and Farrah Black, 34, deny stealing alcohol at the Co-op store in Peebles Road, Innerleithen, on January 26.

Their trial is due to take place on February 2.

MAN THREW BIN AT TAXI

An Earlston man threw a refuse bin at a taxi, damaging its windscreen.

Harry Baillie, 28, of Queensway, pleaded guilty to the offence, committed in the town’s High Street on July 9.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told Selkirk Sheriff Court: “The taxi came along the street, and the accused tried to get into it.

“The accused then approached it and threw a wheelie bin at it.

“There were five people in the taxi, including the driver.

“A new windscreen had to get fitted, and the vehicle was off the road pending repairs, which resulted in a substantial loss of earnings.”

The cost of damage to the winscreen was put at £300.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said he wanted to know how much earnings were lost when the case recalls on February 27.

He has also called for background reports to be produced.

ACCUSED DENIES DRINK-DRIVING

A Galashiels man has been accused of drinking and driving on Christmas Day.

Robert McAllister, 51, of Forest Gardens, pleaded not guilty to having a breath-alcohol count of 94 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22, while driving in various streets in Galashiels.

He also denied a charge of failing to co-operate with a breath test.

A trial date has been set at Selkirk Sheriff Court for March 30, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, February 27.

Berwick Watchtower Gallery’s latest exhibition, Shadows of Light, displays printed images from the 19th century to the present day.

Featuring work by the Victorian engraver James Faed and photographer Stewart Ross Hardie, the images have been produced using the best technology and skills of their time.

The highly detailed works are printed from hand-engraved steel plates and original and artistic photographic studies.

The exhibition is open 12 noon-4pm, Thursday-Sunday until Friday, February 24. All are welcome. Free entry.

In last week’s article the sea birds at St Abbs Head were the main subject, and, important as they are, they are only a part of the fascinating selection of wildlife that finds a home and refuge at the Head.

The bedrock at St Abbs Head is very close to the surface over much of the reserve and the thin layer of soil is stony and dries out quickly, especially on the exposed slopes. A host of special small plants thrive in this harsh habitat, they cannot compete with large rank plants found on richer, moist soils.

Found at several sites along the Berwickshire coast, the Rock Rose is abundant on the Kirk Hill where for 40 years the sheep grazing has been managed for the advantage of this plant, with enough grazing to keep large plants under control without overgrazing the Rock Rose, although at the moment a plague of rabbits seem intent on undermining the hillside with their burrows.

The Rock Rose is not a true Rose but is a species of Helianthemum. It is a small sub-shrub growing only a few inches tall with evergreen leaves and bright yellow flowers. The Rock Rose is the host plant for the local and rather special Northern Brown Argus butterfly which is quite a small species. The upper side of its wings are dark brown with orange spots along the margin and a white spot in the centre of the wing. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of the Rock Rose but its numbers are small and do no damage to the plant.

Another special plant found in the short turf, often near the cliff edge, is Purple Milk-vetch (see photo), a small member of the pea family with rich purple flowers. It is found along much of the Berwickshire coast but the number of specimens at many sites is tiny whereas at St Abbs it is reasonably plentiful.

On the north facing cliffs near the lighthouse there is a large colony of Roseroot which is a type of Sedum. It is widespread on cliffs near the top of many of the mountains in the Highlands but here at St Abbs it is quite at home on the sea cliffs.

It is also not related to roses but it is said that its fleshy roots are rose scented if broken. It has yellowish flowers in early summer and the fleshy leaves often take on nice shades of yellow and red in the autumn.

Two other plants which grow in great abundance are the white flowered Sea Campion which has glaucous grey leaves and showy white flowers and of course the Thrift or Sea Pink which grows in great abundance and turns much of the Head pink when it is in flower and is a sight which is almost as amazing as the cliffs of sea birds.

The fourth Big Farmland Bird Count is underway (February 3-12) and farmers in the Borders are being urged to take part.

All you need to do is spend about 30 minutes recording the species and number of birds seen on one area of the farm.

Farmers, gamekeepers and landowners are crucial in the survival and protection of many farmland bird species. However, several of these birds are in decline and efforts to monitor their numbers varies across the country. This is your chance to find out what you have on your farm. This year is even easier. You can use an exciting new online tool to make it quicker for you to record your count and will enable you to plot trends and compare your farm with others in your region.

To take part visit www.gwct.org.uk/bfbc download a count sheet, count the birds on your farm and then submit your results online

Last year 130 different species were recorded, from fieldfare, which migrate from Scandinavia, and long-time resident, the yellowhammer. Other birds expected to be seen include skylarks, which can be found on most areas of open farmland, corn bunting which prefers open lowland farmland, the yellowhammer which favours winter stubbles, game cover and wild seed mixes.

Lapwings were one of the most abundant species last year, as they will live on all types of farmland, but prefer mixed farming systems and extensively managed wet grasslands.

Commenting on the count NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: “Citizen science seems very fashionable nowadays with initiatives such as the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch attracting plenty of media attention. So it’s great to see the farming community having its own version in the GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count.”

“I always choose a different spot on my own farm to see what species are attracted by certain locations. In 2015 it was the middle of the marsh, so it was dominated by species such as lapwing, golden plover and brent geese.”