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Issue 64 March 2014

Upper Tweed Community News 1

The Upper Tweed Community News

T h i s i s s u e i s s p o n s o r e d b y T r e e S u r v

£ 0.70

Upper Tweed has been inundated with rain, causing flooding of fields and roads, although not as severe and long-lasting as in other parts of the UK. There is an advantage, perhaps, of living in an upland region. The level of the Tweed is an indication of the rainfall. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) monitoring at Kingledores recorded the highest level of the River Tweed since it started the monitoring system in 1986 at 2.86 m (9ft 5inches) at 13.00 hours on 30.12.13.The B712 road was closed repeatedly with flooding of 3-4 feet over the festive period, with water coming over the top of the flood defences. The flooding there was just less than that in 1987. It was a challenge and frustration for residents wishing to work and go to school, for farmers, and for those providing local services. A resident at Merlindale illustrated the impact. His wife was unable to get into the hospital where she works on several occasions in December and January. The school bus was unable to get through the floodwater. He and his children were unable to get out to go to work and school. The post van was likewise blocked. Campsies Garage at Biggar pulled 10 cars out of the water while friends, relatives and neighbours rescued other cars. At the end of February more flooding stranded an ambulance, a fire engine and more cars.On January 7th there was a meeting of parties representing various interests and organisations: the Upper Tweed Community Council, the SBC flood prevention officials, SEPA’s geomorphologist, SNH, Tweed Foundation and Tweed Forum. It was pointed out that the repairs may not solve the problem, which was due in part to increased amount of gravel in the riverbed. The increasing gravel in the riverbed may have a further impact on fishing on the Tweed, an important business and recreation, as well as increasing the risks of future flooding. SEPA is reported to be assessing the problem. Any report should be a co-ordinated plan with SEPA, local landowners, residents, SBC officials, and the Upper Tweed Community Council. An agreement has recently been reached to put measures in place to prevent the flooding accross the B712. Repair were recently planned but it was too wet to undertake them!

Flooding - Water, Water Everywhere

The River Tweed below Carlowse Bridge The River Tweed at Patervan

Flooding by Drumelzier Place

Flooding at Merlindale

Flooding at Drumelzier

Contents - see page 3.


“A professional service delivered by a motivated team caring for your environment”

TreeSurv Woodland Management (est. 2003) is a local family run business offering a range of services for all woodland management, planting, tree surgery and gardening needs.

TreeSurv leads the field in the design, planting and restoration of native woodland. We take on large and small scale projects and have gained a reputation within the industry as specialist in this area. Since 2010 we have been involved with the Corehead project which has seen us plant 22680 native trees in one of the most remote environments that the Scottish borders has to offer.

TreeSurv also specialises in the management of mature trees, whether they are part of established woodland or found in a garden setting. This frequently involves undertaking an Arboricultural Survey and could be anything from an informal tree condition survey to a British Standard specification survey for the purposes of planning permission; whatever the client requires!

We tailor our on site teams using local expertise wherever possible, so that all necessary skills, training and experience are present to undertake the work efficiently and - more importantly - safely. We always leave a site safe and tidy! TreeSurv deals with a wide range of clients from local authorities to architects, charities, and businesses in the agricultural and forestry sectors as well as having an extensive list of private clients. We value our standing within the community and have been happy to lend support to projects such as The Crook Inn and Broughton’s Christmas celebrations.

As an open-minded business we are always looking to take on new challenges and add to our pool of knowledge, so if there is an opportunity to do something out of the ordinary we will take it on. One of our key objectives as a business that looks to the future is to promote the role of trees within our environment, not only as a means of aiding the control of pollution but providing a sustainable resource for future generations.

We like to tell people about the work and projects that we get involved with, so we keep a blog on our website. This gives us the opportunity to share our knowledge and experiences on a whole range of tree related subjects. Further details of the services we are able to offer can also be found on our website – or pick up the phone and speak to us!

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UPPER TWEED COMMUNITY NEWS

We welcome articles and notices on all subjects of interest to the people of Upper Tweed.

Editor: Duncan Davidson Assistant Editors: Richard Carr, Gill Lindsay, Denise Lintott, Sally Walker, Murdo ElderAdvertising & Sponsorshp: Murdo ElderTreasurer: Brian Bushell

The next issue will be published on 1st June 2014

Articles and notices should be sub-mitted by 15th May 2014 to: Duncan Davidson, Oliver, Tweedsmuir, Biggar, ML12, Tel 0189 880278 [email protected]

We also seek to make the publication more attractive and have introduced colour to the front and back pages.We hope that you like it.

Hall Contact Name & Number

Facilties Cost per hour Parking

Broughton

Cynthia Brown 01899 830365

Large hall with stage Small hall Meeting room Kitchen available, Electricity / heating included disabled access and toilet

£15 per hour £9 per hour £6 per hour One off cost NB Rates may change later 2014

Large car park with numerous spaces.

Drumelzier

Rosalind Birchall 01899 830319 or Lesley Sexton 01899 830397

Meeting room Hall Kitchen No Disabled access Electricity 25p per unit

Discount for Drumelzier Residents. £20 per session or £30 all day Rates negotiable for long regular bookings

On street Parking for 12 vehicles or fewer. Arrange with committee for larger numbers.

Tweedsmuir

Christine Parker 01899 880329 Or Lesley Mason 01899 880200

Large hall seats 100 and 12 large tables and temporary stage Small meeting room kitchen disabled access and toilet Electricity charged at 20p per unit Extra equipment available for hire

All bookings: Tweedsmuir Residents £5 per hour £10 per hour all others

Car parking for 25

Skirling

Katy Miller 01899 860252 Or Helen Savage 01899 860236

Large Hall Small Hall / meeting room Kitchen Suitable for Badminton

£22.50 per session £15 per session Whole premises £45 per session. 33% discount for Skirling residents or £2 per hour

Limited on street parking

YOUR GUIDE TO VIllaGE HallS - TEaR OUT aND kEEP -

CONTENTS PaGEFlooding in Upper Tweed 1Tree Surv 2Village Halls, transport study 3Finding Arthur 4Gardening Notes 4Drumelzier Hall Improvements 5New Community Fund announced 5Tweedsmuir Talk 6Carlowse Bridge decision 7Crook Inn Update 7Bananas 8Broughton Primary School 9Noticeboard 10Noticeboard 11Photo page 12

COMMUNITY TRaNSPORT QUESTIONNaIRE

There are not many bus services in our area, and those that do exist often run at inconvenient times, with long gaps, and do not serve the Tweedsmuir area at all. However, it may now be possible to get some improvements, if enough people want them. The Upper Tweed Community Council would be very pleased to have everyone’s views about any additional bus services they would like to see, and how often they would use them. A questionnaire about local bus services is, therefore, enclosed. If there is sufficient demand for additional services, it may be possible to access wind farm funding to run a pilot scheme. To enable this to be done, however, there needs to be enough evidence that such services would actually be used. Would you please fill in the inserted questionnaire, consulting other family members as necessary, and return it to the Broughton village shop (or post it to me at Thirlestane House, Broughton, Biggar, ML12 6HQ) as soon as possible.»

Chris Lewin Chairman, Upper Tweed Community

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If you thought that the place names associated with King Arthur were to be found in Wales or the West country you will be interested to know that, according to Adam Ardrey’s research, King Arthur belongs to Scotland. You will also be interested to know that he was never king or Christian, that is maybe why he is remembered in myth and legend. His people were not the eventual victors or ‘winners’ in the propaganda exercise, The Christian faith was successful and it is to these sources that Ardrey has gone to find Arthur.

Adam Ardrey’s previous publication explored Merlin and his meticulous research confirmed the facts around Merlin: he was a druid and leading figure in the Kingdom of Strathclyde around the same time that Arthur, a prince, but not king of the Scots, was fighting the Picts and the Angles. His latest book claims that Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh was named after this Arthur because he saved the people of Edinburgh from The Angles. He also claims that the King’s Knot, an earthwork in the grounds of Stirling Castle provides the origin of the round table. Adam Ardrey is able to strip away the magical stories of the Arthurian legend and show the facts which he thinks prove his case. The famous twelve battles listed by Nennius which were fought against the Picts on one hand and the Angles on the other, have all been meticulously pieced together and the actual sites documented. The last battle was fought against Mordred, his nephew, of the Goddodin at Camelon, near Falkirk. Mordred attacked Arthur when he was at his weakest just after a battle where Arthur had finally defeated the Picts.

FINDING aRTHUR – THE TRUE ORIGINS OF THE ONCE aND FUTURE kING

aDaM aRDREY: bOOk REVIEW 2013Four of these twelve battles were fought in the Borders in 586 and it is in these battles that Arthur utterly defeats the Angles and makes sure that when they do attack again, they will attack southwards not north into Scotland. He secured peace for 50 years.

The book is a fascinating and convincing read, many of the characters are historically accurate. Ardrey can account for Gawain, Gareth, Gaheris, Cai(Kay), Mordred, King Lot (of Orkney) and Merlin. He is able to piece together the facts behind the legends of the sword in the stone, the sword Excalibur and the other stories we associate with Arthur. Guinevere (the name means ‘most fair’ or ‘exceedingly beautiful’) was probably a Pictish princess who brought lands with her and these were coveted by others and there was no affair of the heart as is described in the legends. Certainly Ardrey believes that Lancelot was a very late addition to the myths. The fact that his wife may have been unfaithful was a way of belittling Arthur.

Arthur was a prince, who died before his father, so was never a king. He fought with a war band on horseback for the kingdom of the Scots and for his father, the king. The Scots had come from over the water in Ireland and settled in Western Scotland. They were to give Scotland its name. The Scots fought the Picts for the land which was eventually to be called after them and also with the Angles who would conquer the southern part of Scotland fifty years after Arthur’s death.

Adam Ardey’s meticulous and careful research is seductive. Perhaps he has found the real Arthur. Certainly this is a fascinating read.

Denise Lintott

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GaRDENING NOTESSingle species planting has many excellent applications and is suitable for both large and small gardens. One of our own such schemes has been to under-plant a row of five Swedish whitebeams with a double row of Spirea betulifolia ‘Thor’. This compact plant has flat-topped sprays of tiny white flowers in early summer and in autumn one can see why its breeder gave it the variety name of ‘Thor’. Its leaves turn a wonderful glowing orange-red. My only criticism of it is that it is slightly brittle, so care is needed when yanking out the few weeds that manage to grow under its canopy. If you have rampaging dogs in your garden, you might do well to go for a more wiry member of the Spirea family, though most of them exceed ‘Thor’s mature height of 60cms. Aside from creating an unfussy and calmer atmosphere to a garden, single species plantings are usually much less trouble to maintain - no struggling to stop the march of more vigorous plants as they threaten to overwhelm gentler neighbours.

A number of herbaceous plants look good massed – Hemerocallis (day lilies), hardy geraniums, Iris sibirica, lupins and so on. Reverting to shrubs – the hardy fuchsias would also lend themselves well to this treatment. Jane Buchanan-Dunlop

Spirea betulifolia


Six ways to contact David:

• write to David at 2 Holm Street, Moffat, DG10 9EB

• telephone on 0800 731 9590 (freephone)

• visit one of David’s surgeries – see local press for details

• E-mail [email protected]

• David’s website at www.davidmundell.com

• Tweet at @DavidMundellMP

DaviD MunDell MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweed-dale Constituency

In the last six months Drumelzier Hall has been upgraded and greatly improved thanks to a most generous grant from Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE).The kitchen has been completely replaced with attractive work-tops and cupboards, a new sink unit and modern electric cooker. With all the windows now double glazed, new heaters and curtains, the hall is much better equipped for a wide variety of functions. None of this would have been possible without the magnificent grant from the SSE.Yoga and Art classes take place on Monday and Thursday evenings. The hall is particularly suitable for classes, private events and children’s parties. Rates are reasonable! For bookings and enquires or to view the hall please telephone 01899 830319 or 830397.

D R U M E l z I E R H a l l I M P R O V E M E N T S

The attractive Drumlzier Hall in use for Drawing Classes

NEW COMMUNITY FUND aNNOUNCEDThe Infinis Glenkerie Community Fund was announced at a reception in the Broughton Village Hall on January 24th. Applications for funds for projects, large and small (see page 11 for details) are invited. There will be at least £57,200 per annum. This announcement is the end of a long process of discussion of funding from the wind farm company at Glenkerie, Tweedsmuir, initially Novera and then, after a take-over, Infinis Ltd. The fund will be administered by Foundation Scotland, a national charity that administers many community funds across Scotland. Cara Gillespie, Community Engaagement Executive, is the key contact from Foundation Scotand. A Local Panel, appointed by the Community Council, will also assess the applications. Applications will be especially welcome for projects that seek to provide adequate access to services for community members, improved local transport, opportunities to grow the local economy and to develop and maintain community assets. The first applications should be by 31st March, 2014. This is a great opportunity to develop projects that strengthen and improve the local community.

The Local Panel: L to R: Rosalind Hume, Louise Willins, Gavin Parker, Chris Lewin (Chairman), Catriona Bhatia, Damion Wilcock, Duncan Davidson

Grants available:Small grants £250-£2000Medium grants: £2001-£10,000Large grants: over £10,000, which can be multi-year in nature.


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bROUGHTON VIlllaGE STORE

All through the winter months Upper Tweed has suffered from the ferocious storms bringing destructive winds, copious amounts of rain, sleet and leaving snow topped hills. Thunder and lightning woke the community and took out power supplies to the phone-masts on Broadlaw summit and local satellite TV signals, taking several days for the organisation of tracked vehicles to get access through the snowy summit to repair the fault. We have also witnessed a 30-year high when the River Tweed burst its banks on 30th December 2013, leaving debris tangled in fences, washed up hundreds of yards from the river bank and caught 10 feet high above the normal water level. Although farm fields were waterlogged we are fortunate that the water levels drop quickly in this area.There was plenty of greenery in the hall for the ‘Come dine with me’ Christmas wreath-making night. Seventeen ‘girls’ of all ages came prepared with secateurs to create their own individual masterpieces with a seasonal snack and mulled wine, Far too much mess for any household and great fun. The Community Christmas Party was as well organised as ever with a superb afternoon tea, some very silly games, some involving a lot of Vaseline, Santa Claus, ice-cream, mulled wine and a chance to chat with some of the new friends from the village. Christmas Eve in Tweedsmuir Kirk was another all ages affair. The Kirk was full to bursting as everyone came to sing Christmas carols and hear the readings read by young and the young at heart. Our youngest reader aged 10 said “I

Tw e e d s m u i r Ta l kthought there would just be the usualpeople there but it was full up!” However, at the Kirk annual meeting in February it was highlighted that the Kirk is running at a loss and is not sustainable in the long term and that the income will need to increase. The Boxing Day shoot was luckily a dry, cold day as the clays flew high in the wind overhead. The best spectator spectacle was during the team shoot where clays come at random and leave guns empty at the wrong time. Congratulations to Alan Rose for winning the Bobby Kay Memorial trophy.The Village Hall New Year dance made a healthy profit this year and we were grateful for the bus from Moffat that came to support us. Tartan-clad school children were keen to show off their social dancing skills learnt at school and put many of the older generation to shame as their energy was endless. Tweedsmuir dance has a ‘get up and try it’ philosophy, a real fun event and a chance to catch up with old friends.On 25th January we celebrated the Scots Night. The hall was beautifully prepared for piping in the Haggis. Talented guests provided songs, music and funny poems to entertain the diners. Yvonne’s fitness class resumed after the holiday break, and now that our muscles have remembered the exercises, she is bringing kettlebells into the routine, with the promise that they do not involve a cup of tea!

Christine Parker

Gathering for the Scots Night celebration

Children at the Christmas party

Kilted and cheerful at the New Year


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THE CROOk INNThe successful Save the Crook Inn Campaign to purchase the Crook Inn in 2012 was busy, demanding and well supported by many in the Upper Tweed community. The Crook Inn is now the only community-owned hotel/pub in the South of Scotland but remains closed. It needs complete renovation, a challenging task and yet an opportunity to create a Crook Inn that is sustainable and serves both the needs of the community and tourism. The Tweedsmuir Community Company (TCC) has undertaken considerable background work: it has become a charity, obtained a Feasibility study from an external consultant, updated the busimess plan, and commissioned a quantity survey estimate of possible renovation costs. Most important, the TCC’s application for Stage 1 of a grant under Growing Community Assets has been approved. The TCC is now in discussion for a development grant to fund the design team of architects, to make a planning application and to develop the business plan suitable for major grant(s).The vision is a bold one - to create a Crook Inn Community Hub that will retain the traditional hospitality business for locals and tourism in a stylish, listed building that has the best of low-energy featues to assist its sustainability. It will provide a social and cultural centre, lacking since the Crook Inn was closed 2006, and employment and training. The vision is also to include features that recognise the Upper Tweed heritage, courses in arts and crafts, accomodation for groups if required. It could be the most important, exciting development in Upper Tweed since the Inn’s renovation in the 1930s.However, the development requires contributions of time, skills and money from many sources in Upper Tweed and beyond.Volunteers for these challenges are welcome.

Tweedsmuir will suffer “the effects of logging traffic for years to come” after Scottish Borders Councillors rejected a plan produced by villagers.The SBC’s executive committee voted on February 18th to erect a temporary vehicular access near to Carlowse Bridge when the 228-year-old, B-listed crossing is closed for repairs for 16 weeks this summer. It rejected a Tweedsmuir Bridge Advisory Group (TBAG) proposal that would have taken all timber traffic off Carlowse Bridge in the future.The decision sparked concern over its impact on one of the most beautiful spots along the River Tweed, particularly as councillors voted against delaying the decision in order to undertake a site visit.Under the TBAG option, a new, permanent bridge, north of Tweedsmuir, would have enabled access to the village during the repairs, then forestry owners could use it to transport timber from Polmood, Cockiland Hill, and Hearthstanes plantations, bypassing the village and Carlowse Bridge. Furthermore, an offer from a villager meant that lorries from the Menzion plantation could also have bypassed the repaired bridge. The proposal was also for a much safer junction on the A701. The council costed its plan at £240,000 but TBAG’s plan was priced at the curiously high figure of £535,000, including £150,000 of contingencies, while contingencies on the council’s plan were negligible. TBAG, with the help of an SBC-approved contractor, priced their proposal at £360,000.Mr Rod Sibbald, a TBAG member, said: “Although TBAG recognises the timber industry as an important part of the local economy, it also feels that it it was not

in the interest of the public purse nor the preservation of this beautiful old bridge to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on repairing the bridge, providing alternative access and then continue letting 40t vehicles start the deterioration all over again.”Mr Paul Greaves, secretary of the Upper Tweed Community Council and also a member of TBAG, added: “I am extremely disappointed that they have taken a very short-sighted view. What the council has done, in effect, condemns the bridge, and village, to the effects of timber traffic for years to come, and the taxpayer will continue to pick up the tab for road repairs and any future maintenance on Carlowse. “They have wasted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the village. They seem to have been swayed by short-term cost, and failed to understand that the community plan, which we admit is dearer, would have been cheaper in the long run”. “What really disappointed me, though, was the fact that the council refused TBAG permission to speak at the E&I committee meetings. Councillors then voted against a site visit. Their attitude appalled me, frankly.”“ There were two notable exceptions, though, and I must thank local Councillors Catriona Bhatia and Keith Cockburn for helping us in the way that they did. Their support and guidance was very much appreciated.”The executive committee rejected calls to delay the decision in order to visit Tweedsmuir, with the executive decision made on the casting vote of the chairman, council leader David Parker. A leading landscape architect, Mr James Welch, who lives in the village, fears that the council’s approved plan will seriously damage the area. He said: “Their approach to a sensitive site within one of the Borders’ protected landscapes is very disappointing and indeed of concern. It seems that even a development in a Special Landscape Area doesn’t even merit a site view before a potentially harmful development is allowed to proceed. That is complacent by any standards”.

COMMUNITY CRITICal OF CaRlOWSE bRIDGE DECISION


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Bananas children sang and glittered their way during all the Christmas Hype and put on a fantastic performance for the parents, grandparents and friends on 13th December. We had a Christmas outing to Newlands Centre to see Poppy Browne perform her puppet show ‘Muckle Mouthed Meg’. She had the children captivated and the children thought the best bit was when the cow pumped in the man’s face! We welcomed new children after the Christmas break and are now full until the summer holidays. Places for the next school term will be allocated late April following enrolment week in February. We are currently reviewing the opening hours of Bananas to accommodate the increase to 600 hours for early learning and childcare provided in partnership with Scottish Borders Council. Our current theme is Science involving experimenting with very pink ‘moon sand’, sinking, floating, magnets, weights and how things work. The main focus has turned to the weather. While making a weather dial we noticed it was snowing. All the children (and staff) gave a yell of excitement but it soon turned back to rain. During Scots week we tried out different Scottish foods: shortbread; haggis, neeps and tatties; oatcakes; cheese and, best of all, the porridge oat flapjack! We are now looking at other people’s celebrations and have been busy making lanterns and a horse for to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Horse.

Christine Parker & Corienna DouglasBananas Playgroup Tel 01899 830589 email: [email protected]

b a N a N a S N E W S

Study in concentration -How do these things work?

The group explores the pink ‘moon sand’

Science and experiment at Bananas


STUART-MENTETHOSTEOPATHIC PRACTICE

Mrs. Rosalind Stuart-Menteth, D.O.

Osteopath

Gentle osteopathic treatment, sometimes with ‘cranial’, is given for

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All ages are seen: babies to senior citizens. 31 Elcho Street, Peebles EH45 8LQ 01721 722301

to their two day visit later in the year. Meanwhile they are enjoying their WW2 project. They welcomed back their team of knitters to help them with their evacuee’s teddies which they hope to ship to ‘Help Tibet’ with the aid of Isobelle White from the charity.The Primary 7 class was delighted that their entry for the RHET Farmhouse Breakfast Competition had been selected to go through to the finals, on Feb 28th. Meanwhile the P7 students are pleased to accept £50.00 in prize money, a farmhouse breakfast served in the school canteen and an all expenses paid farm visit. Fingers crossed for the finals! The P7s were also delighted to that their entries for the Beijing Beijing Chinese New Year Poster Competition also brought success. The winner, Isobel Devine, and runner up, Ruairidh McGarry Watson, are both P7 pupils. Congratulations to both of them.The whole school will hold a school Readathon to celebrate World Book Day. They will also welcome the SPCA to work with each class, visit Abbotsford House and participate in the BBC 500 Words Writing Competition, the Borders Book Festival writing competition, the National Galleries and Edinburgh Festival Fringe Art Competitions. The after-school computer programming club- CODE CLUB - is enjoying it’s second year. Our thanks go to Andrew Mason for his continued support.The Running Club takes place most Wednesdays despite the wet weather! Thanks to Ruth Kirby for continuing to help out. As soon as the weather improves the lunchtime and after school netball practises will commence in preparation for the local competitions.(Photos page 12) P7 pupils

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The children and staff returned to Broughton Primary School after the Christmas holidays full of enthusiasm for the New Year of learning. There were some alterations to the school grounds and buildings. New doors, toilet cubicles, ramps and lighting are among some of the improvements to ensure that our school complies with the latest legislation and is accessible to all.In a bid to achieve customer satisfaction, the Enterprise Committee followed up their Christmas shopping day with a feedback letter on the event and the gifts on sale. The feedback was excellent. They plan a similar event this Christmas. Meanwhile they are busy organising a table-top sale in conjunction with the Eco Committee and a Great Broughton Bake Off to raise funds for sports relief. The Eco Committee will continue to run the very popular Fairtrade Tuck shop, the Rag Bag collections, litter picking and dripping taps programmes to maintain our all important Green Flag status.The whole school enjoyed the Burns Day Lunch. Bedecked in their best tartan they were treated to a presentation on the Bard himself by the P7s who also recited the Selkirk Grace and The Address to the Haggis. Mr Doug Roper delighted everyone when he played his bagpipes. The Dinner Ladies, Carolyne and Tracey, provided a delicious lunch of Haggis Neeps and Tatties followed by Cranachan.Later in January the children were given the opportunity to learn and recite Scottish Poetry for the Annual Scots Poetry competition.Mrs Elder and the Rev Milne had the difficult job of selecting the overall winners.

bROUGHTON PRIMaRY SCHOOl NEWS

The weekly Assembly took on a very Scottish flavour as the children sang Scottish Songs and the winners of the competition recited their poems. The winners were Dart Campbell, Emma Logan, Carrick Armour, Fergus Mason, Kelvin Roberts, Katie Foss, Kirsty Hughes. Well done to everyone who took part and to the winners for their tremendous achievements.The P2 and P3/4 classes have been continuing to investigate the Scottish culture in their current topics and the P5/6 class is studying the Scottish Wars of Independence.The P1 class have started to build Fairyland in their classroom. A recent communication from a friendly dragon told the P1 class that his home was disappearing because children have stopped reading fairytales. They are all very busy reading all the fairytales they can to help him out.Paul Murray, the Active Schools Coordinator, delivered Commonwealth passports to the school, similar to the very successful Olympic Passports of last year. These were received enthusiastically and the children are now getting involved in organised sports events throughout the area in order to gain bronze, silver and gold awards in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games.We were delighted that the Borders Cross Country Championships was won by Eilidh Mooney from Broughton’s P6.

The P7 class had their first visit to Peebles High School in January, thoroughly enjoyed the experience, are much less apprehensive about moving to the High School in August and are looking forward


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Broughton Church Parking

The Old Free Church which was previously the John Buchan Museum has been sold and is now a private house (Hill House). The new owners would be grateful if anyone who is coming to church avoids parking in front of their house. There has been at least one incident when they have been trapped and unable to leave for an appointment until the church service was over and

bROUGHTON HORTICUlTURal

SHOW 2014Here are some classes that you could get going NOW for the Broughton Horticultural Show on 30th August.Check the schedule in May for full list of classes.

Teenagers’ ClassesHand-made birthday cardPainting or drawing in any mediumModel in any materialSnapshot: Trees – not exceeding 7 x 5 inchesColeus plant grown in potItem made in woodChildren’s classesGarden in a biscuit tin lidFarm scene in a shoe box lidPainted/decorated stoneDecorated carrier bag, paper or clothArticle made from modelling materialSnapshot : a Pet – not exceeding 7 x 5 inchesPicture made from Hama beadsDrawing of named wild flowersPlastic model not to exceed 10”Friendship bracelet

SaVE THE DaTE! Scotland’s favourite novelist, Alexander McCall Smith, will give a talk in aid of the John Buchan Museum (www.johnbuchanstory.co.uk) at the Eastgate Theatre, Peebles, on Friday May 2nd at 7.30 p.m. Tickets available from the Eastgate Theatre 017217257777 (www.eastgatearts.com).

CANCER CHARITIES BENEFIT FROM

FARMERS’ ANNUAL FUND RAISING

The Broughton Farmers Cancer Charity Dance committee held another successful Fund Raising night in Broughton Hall.

Monies raised amounted to the sum of £14,000 being donated to various Cancer Charities, which was distributed as follows; £2,500 to Marie Curie - Edinburgh and McMillan Cancer Relief, £1,500 to Magaret Kerr Appeal, St Columbus Hospice Chas ( Balloch) Marie Curie - Peebles St Andrews Hospice - Lanarkshire Sick Kids - Edinburgh

We very much appreciate everyone’s help. Without their generous donations and hard work it would not be as successful as it is. Well done to everyone.

N O T I C E B O A R D

Alexander McCall Smith


the Laurel Bank in Broughton tea room ♦ bistro ♦ bar

home baking ♦ lunches ♦ bistro meals & bar every evening

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N O T I C E B O A R DIn 2014 make sure you visit ‘The John Buchan Story’ the new

Museum in Peebles‘The John Buchan Story’ explores Buchan’s life and writing, showing the variety and scale of his personal experience and literary output. It also portrays his family’s broader associations with Peebles and illustrates some of their achievements. His parents had grown up in Tweeddale and family holidays were spent with relatives, so Buchan developed a passion for the Borders countryside and its people. This is reflected in his writing, with many of his stories set in the Upper Tweed area.The Museum also illustrates Buchan’s sense of adventure, including time spent in South Africa. Exploration and travel were a source of rejuvenation for Buchan, who often found expression through his writing. As Governor General of Canada he helped develop a sense of Canadian unity, travelling extensively through the provinces. Visitors to the ‘John Buchan Story’ can follow the path through the many stages of his life, using his novels and other works as a backdrop to the exploration of this intriguing man – one of Scotland’s distinguished sons.

Chambers Institution, High Street, Peebles EH45 8AGOpening times:

Monday – Saturday: 10am – 4.30pmOpens from Easter weekend 2014 until the end of October

Admission: Adults £2; Children free.Open at other times and for large groups by arrangement.

Visit www.johnbuchanstory.co.uk for more details

GaRDENING aND HISTORY - a TalkJohn Buchan’s granddaughter, the well known garden writer, Ursula Buchan, will give a talk on her latest book A Green and Pleasant Land which illuminates life in WWll ‘as seen through the prism of gardening’.

Learn the true story behind the famous ‘Dig for Victory’ poster.

Thursday 24th April 2.30 p.m Peebles Library and Atkinson Pryce Bookshop, Biggar at 7.30 p.m.

Tickets from the venues or contact Deborah Stewartby on 01899 830362

Infinis Glenkerie Community Fund

Open for applicationClosing date for applications: 31st

March 2014Application deadlines for further rounds are

30th June and 30th September

Grants available for Community activities benefitting people in Upper Tweed andsurrounding areas.

Community groups and local organisations can apply for:

• Small grants, between £250 and £2,000• Medium grants, between £2,000 and

£10,000• Large grants, over £10,000 and

£50,000. Groups wishing to apply for morethan£10,000mustfirstsubmitaninitial proposal form.

• I

Decisions will be made by the InfinisGlenkerie Community Fund Panel, a group

of community reprersentatives.

Application forms & guidelines available from www.foundationscotland.org.uk/glenkerie or contact Rosalind Becroft on [email protected] or 0131 524 0300


This red squirrel, photographed in Tweedsmuir recently, is a welcome sight. Red squirrels have spread from adjacent areas in Upper Tweed, despite the presence of the more common, larger, aggresive, non-native grey squirrels that often harbour a virus that is usually fatal to the red squirrels. ©RodSibbald

Carlowse Bridge, the scenic site of the proposed temporary bridge(see page 7)

SELF CATERING APARTMENTISLE OF WHITHORN, DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY

2014 bookings are now being taken for this modern apartment in a converted fishing warehouse on the harbour in the beautiful Isle of Whithorn. The apartment is tastefully furnished and has one bedroom. Perfect for a peaceful weekend for two. Stunning views over the harbour and the Isle itself.

‘ A friendly welcome from the owners. A beautiful location with an excellent pub nearby.. A wonderful place to stay for walking, birdwatching, fishing and cycling.’ Mr Roberts., Bernard Castle2013

Find us on www.sykescottages.co.uk Property reference 18255 or for more information phone 01899 810246 Johnny and Linda Edgar

Indoor games at Bananas

Some of the Broughton Primary School P7 pupils who won a Farmhouse Breakfast Competition

Isobel Devine of Broughton Primary School who won the Beijing Beijing Chinese New Year Poster Competition

Bananas. A mother helps with craft activities

PHOTO PaGE

£ 0.70 the upper tweed community news upper tweed community news this issue is sponsored by t r e e...

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