Berwickshire News August 17th

Front page of the Berwickshire is dominated by the story that a large rodent was spotted on the A1 near Eyemouth - far more of this story over at Huttonian's blog. Ludovic (or Ludicrous) Kennedy is also supporting the cause of Greenlaw Town Hall on the BBC Restoration Village. His late wife, ballerina Moira Shearer (the Berwickshire says "Moria") was the patron of the campaign to restore it up until her death in January. Councillor Jock Law of Coldstream is fuming at the position of NHS Borders who are apparently trying to block the building of a care home in Coldstream on the basis that it will put pressure on local NHS services - this is the same NHS Borders that recently shut Coldstream Hospital - and that 'care tourists' will flock from England to take advantage of the difference between Scotland and England.

Re-opening Reston Station is common sense according to campaigners - the Paper Boy agrees that a station within the Borders would be good, but perhaps a new station at Grantshouse might be better given that there already multiple tracks there so express trains could pass anything stopping at the new intermediate station and there's a large area that could be used for parking.

By all accounts East Lothian home owners should be happy because many of the populace are piling out of Edinburgh and buying up East Lothian. The Paper Boy will not stoop to the depths plumbed by the Berwickshire in expanding upon the story of a missing cat returning to it's owners - if they'd kept the damned animal under control in the first place it wouldn't have gone missing.

Tourists are missing out because there are no top-quality attractions. It's a very sparsely populated place so it's no surprise that attractions are few and far between.

Over at Duns Sheriff Court, Sheriff Drummond heard a case of aggressive phone calls made to the Emergency Operator and threats made against Ambulance and Police personnel. On a single evening he called 999 and said he'd taken an overdose, this was referred to NHS24 and he declined an ambulance. He later called 999 once more and an ambulance was dispatched. He refused to let the ambulance personnel in and police were summoned. He then threatened them with a baseball bat. He was formally cautioned and told the cautioning officer "prove it". Not the brightest bulb in the box. Sentence deferred to allow for social enquiry reports. Back again on September 6th.

Breach of the peace proceedings against an Eyemouth man dischuffed at the way his ill wife was spoken to after a car was parked blocking her egress from a parking space. Sheriff K deferred sentence until February 2nd after a guilty plea, telling the guilty party "you'll have to behave yourself, this isn't the way to act in front of your wife, children and neighbours."

A Hawick man appeared from the cells and pleaded guilty to breach of the peace (is it Breach of the Peace week at Duns SC ??) and obstructing a police officer. During the morning of the offence, the accused consumed a bottle of Martini, asked a friend to babysit whilst he and his girlfriend attended at medical appointment. They returned at tea time and began to argue and get aggressive. She tried to call the police, he stopped her so she called from her mobile. Police arrived, he became aggressive once more and was subdued and arrested. Sheriff Drummond told the man "This is a poor example to set to your daughter. You're going to have to grow up, misbehave again and you can bring your toothbrush with you". Sentence deferred for 12 months to allow good behaviour.

A break from BoP - a drunk driver from Reston, spotted at 1.30am driving erratically on the Burnmouth to Coldingham road (the moors road, not the A1) by police, they activated the blue lights to no effect, added the sirens and the defendant stopped. He was unable to provide a breath sample citing a chest complaint, but a blood test 2½ hours later showed him at 188mg alcohol per 100ml (legal limit is 80mg). Fined £300 and given an 18 month ban. Deemed suitable for Driver Rehab to shorten the ban though.

On the letters page - a revisitation of the Postcode situation in Hutton & district - 3 letters one from the prospective SNP parliamentary candidate for Roxburgh & Berwickshire mentioning the targeting of Northumberland-related material to the TD15 postcode at someones expense. Another alternative to giving the Scottish part of TD15 it's own postcode is offered - bring Berwick back to Scotland! Another correspondent complains that a "prominent" estate agent persists in marketing houses in Foulden (Scotland) as being in Berwick (not in Scotland - yet) and yet another in Coldingham who has a TD14 postcode fuming at his postal address being given as "Coldingham, Berwickshire, England" - which it has never been - when the area now known as Berwickshire was part of the ancient kingdom of Northumbria, there was no England to be part of.

Over in Eyemouth, not content with the smell of pea effluent, a moan is made about the smell of seaweed on the beach and the flies it attracts - Paper Boy's advice: If you don't like the smell of seaweed, it's probably best not to live near the seaside.

Picture of Duns Sheriff Court courtesy of the Scottish Courts website