Berwickshire News July 6th

The management of the River Tweed is causing a cross-border row according to the leading article on the front page of this weeks Berwickshire News - in making the management of the Tweed the responsibility of the Scottish Executive, the Westminster Parliament has removed the power of scrutiny at Westminster (those that know of such things will realise that this is the exact reverse of the situation for the Border Esk in Dumfries & Galloway - where the Border Esk is the only river in Scotland where anglers are subject to the Environment Agency's rod licence). Coldstream Hospital is to become a dental facility - although the scheme is not a fait accompli just yet, the indications that it will become so are very strong. For the PaperBoy this is a welcome attempt by NHS Borders to regain some credibility within the community, and on a purely personal note helpful if it means that a 90-mile round trip to Morpeth can be avoided for dentistry. Also getting a mention on the front page is the news from British Energy that the life of Torness Power Station may not be able to be extended as it (like other AGR power stations are suffering from cracks in their fabric - although other sources contain some reassurance that the power stations will not fall apart in the next few hours, the Berwickshire News doesn't bother to repeat those assurances).

SBC are revealed to have spent just over £5.5 million on redundancy & retirement payments over the last 4 years - not as much as Glasgow City Council (£16m) but substantially more than Angus (£145k). Another story trumpeted as a "cross border attack" which turns out to be the story that the Anglo-Scottish Fishermen's Association are attacking the Common Fisheries Policy (in common with just about every other current and ex-fisherperson) - the PaperBoy wonders if it wouldn't be better to allow them all to fish to their hearts content (as happened off Newfoundland in Canada) but not to offer any compensation when the fishery collapses (as it did on the Grand Banks off NF).

A new book about the railways of the Borders is publicised - harking back to the days before the East Coast Main Line was completed, the book is called "Rails across the Border", published by Tempus with a price tag of £17.99.

Healthy snacks are on the menu at BHS - "great!" I hear you say, "but I don't shop there." Well in this case BHS is Berwickshire High School, where SBC's Healthy Vending Policy is set to be trialled - gone are chocolate and biscuits, in are healthy snacks instead, although what they actually are isn't mentioned.

An advertorial reminds us all that it's JCMR weekend - Mainland Britain's only closed-road rally. 300 cars will be racing around the lanes of Berwickshire this weekend and making lots of noise. The PaperBoy may even make it there this year - camera in hand.

Over at the Basilica of St Kevin, an unnamed lawperson is dispensing justice and the reports are somewhat curt - A suspect appearing on petition on a charge of robbery and attempted extortion in Galashiels involving the theft of £13. A man appeared in private charged with five offences of indecency involving young girls - no plea or declaration, released on bail with the case still under investigation. An Eyemouth man fined £200 for breach of probation. An Eyemouth man banned from driving for 6 months for driving without insurance, L-plates and unaccompanied - also relieved of £200. A fine levied on a Chirnside man for assault - £333. Sentence deferred on a Duns woman for assault - under review in 6 months depending on good behaviour.

On the letters page there is no mention of crottes de chien at all - however there are two letters regarding rail provision - one directly condemning the fact that the Waverley Line will cost all SBC council tax payers dear with the benefits being felt mainly in the central Borders as usual, the other noting that in Australia almost 1000 miles of track has been laid between Darwin and Alice Springs in the lifetime of the Scottish Parliament, for less money than the Parliament Building cost. Another correspondent makes the case for a Forth Tunnel to augment or replace the existing bridge (which may have to be closed by 2014) and manages to get some concise criticism of FETA in who the correspondent notes "couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery" and a moan that the only major fixed toll crossings left in Scotland are the Forth & Tay Bridges - all in about 4 paragraphs.

Picture of Duns Sheriff Court courtesy of the Scottish Courts website