Berwickshire News November 30th

Clearly it's a slow week for news in Berwickshire this week - even slower than normal that is - English MP wants border road toll screams the 100 point type headline on the leading article. It seems that some MP from Essex is tabling a private members bill in reprisal for a trial of road tolling in his constituency that includes provision for a toll to be levied on the A1 southbound over the Border. All the local politicians seem to have jumped on the bandwagon of declaring it a silly idea. Local MP Michael Moore (Lib Dem Crew) astutely surmises that it has no chance of beciming law anyway.

A Duns man who holds that the Act of Union (1707) is an unlawful act, and has been to the Court of Session to fight the case and subsequently unilaterally declared himself Regent and Chancellor of the Kingdom of Scotland has declared St. Andrew's Day a public holiday. He refers to the Holyrood Parliament as "Vichy Scotland" and he must be short of things to do to be doing such things.

Euan Robson MSP (Lib Dem Crew) welcomed the allocation of £1.3m in funds for education-related matters by Holyrood - why his welcoming of this is worthy of reporting isn't clear.

Not much more to report from this week's News - Sheriff Kevin's court continues to process the drunks, disqualfied drivers and other petty wrongdoers dishing out low grade punishments to all and sundry.

London, Paris, Milan, New York, Galashiels???!!

The erstwhile leader of SBC has welcomed the opening of Asda in Galashiels and the impending opening of the new improved Tesco, claiming it confirms that Gala is the retail capital of the Borders.

It doesn't mean it's any easier to get to from the eastern Borders and it certainly doesn't compare with other comparable towns for choice. The highlight in Gala for the Paper Boy is the independent baker that's not Greggs on Channel Street.

Recycling - Pay per bag if you're a school

Seemingly hell bent on being the most laughable local authority in the country, SBC are levying a charge of 60p per bag of recycling collected from it's own schools. You couldn't make this stuff up.

Apologies for absence

The PaperBoy apologises for his absence, due to various things - not least trips across Europe for meetings totally unrelated to the Berwickshire News. Can you imagine that it's not possible to obtain a copy of the BN in Frankfurt, Neuss or Brussels?

St. Kevin @ the BBC

A report citing St Kevin of Duns appears on the BBCNews website airs his complaint at Selkirk Sheriff Court about drunken youths and the amount of court time it takes to deal with them.