Berwickshire News September 21st

SBC are facing a £20000 fine for failing to meet recycling targets this year. Green Party MSP is unimpressed at the state of affairs which comes a week after SBC were trumpeting a welcome threefold increase in recycling figures. It's also mentioned that community recycling centres are being built in Peebles, Eyemouth and Duns - I suppose most people would recognise these as rubbish tips (or their heirs and successors), the nearest of which to the Paper Shop is currently in Wooler or Berwick (neither SBC-provided - nearest SBC facility is in Langlee, Galashiels - a 6-day bus ride away). HRH Princess Anne, the Princess Royal has been in Berwickshire at the International Sheepdog Trials amongst other engagements. Possibly indicative of a lack of news but the fact that a Grantshouse resident has been without a phoneline for 10 weeks makes it to the front page too - she's more concerned by the treatment meted out by BT's "contact" centre staff than the fact it took them 10 weeks to fix her line. She has achieved £20 compensation in excess of the standard though, which these days is hard work. SBC are also mentioned having changed their plans for home care services - originally intended to farm all out to the private sector in October, they've decided to have mainstream and specialist care divisions - mainstream will be farmed out as intended, specialist retained in house for the time being.

A glowing report for Borders College - hopefully not indicative of a radioactive leak or a fire - in fact reading beyond the headline it seems that they have achieved the best ever HMIE report by a Scottish Further Education College. Migrants are to benefit from a new NHS Borders health project costing £138000 - aimed at the travelling community of whom there are estimated to be 120 in the Borders. The wind turbines for the project between Duns & Longformacus have arrived in the UK at the Port of Blyth (Northumberland's Premier Port - their words not mine) and are due to be transported to site via the A1 & A6105 and because some of the loads will be long, disruption can be expected (although in GNER fashion it's regretted).

The Borders Party is to be launched in October - a kind of UKIP on a smaller scale - the proponents of the party are fed up of the Borders being an easy target for developers, supermarkets (ed: No easy target for a supermarket within 20 miles of here, a decently stocked one is no nearer than Dalkeith currently - 44 miles each way) and outsiders - all are welcome at a launch meeting in Galashiels on October 16th. Cloth cap, pipe and slippers optional.

A Greenlaw farmer up before a substitute Sir Kevin, after a second visitation by the Spanish InquisitionTrading Standards following complaints about his animal husbandry standards. The results within the report were positive and a report by a vet also positive. Sentence deferred for a further 12 months, with a request for Trading Standards to report once more. A Dodge CityEyemouth youth fired an air rifle at a bus shelter knowing his friends were inside. Found guilty and sentence deferred pending social enquiry reports. A driver from St. Boswells disqualified for a provisional licence holder who drove alone, with no insurance or L-plates. Unbelievably he was caught by a static police roadside check (I didn't think in these days of cameras that such things still existed) after making a U-turn to avoid the checkpoint. Given 9 points, already had 6 - so disqualified for six months (I thought you got 12 months for 12 points - so seemingly a 50% discount applied for getting 25% more points than required by the law)

Picture of Duns Sheriff Court courtesy of the Scottish Courts website