This week's Berwickshire is not such a good read as usual. Even the doings of the Dun's Sheriff Court are mundane for once-theft, drugs, drunkeness, abuse of the fuzz and spitting at a police woman (not the same defendant in each case) -not really a typical week for peaceful Berwickshire. But Sheriff Kevin tempers justice with mercy. One sentence for supplying cannabis on a 16 year old was deferred so as not to have an impact on his university application (a conviction would need to be declared on the application form) I wonder if the Sheriff was wise in this instance. I can think of a university or two where a young man with such proven skills might be made very welcome given the drug culture at some of our institutions of learning. "Yes, Vice Chancellor, three As and a cannabis conviction-unconditional offer don't you think?'"After all Cannabis to the modern student is rather what Lager and Lime (or babycham to the distaff side) was to Huttonian's student generation.
Flodden rears its head again. The paper features a photograph of a group of mostly English worthies including the Sheriff of Berwick being led by a Scottish Piper (why?) around a newly created battlefield walk which, apparently, 'soaks up the battlefield's atmosphere' There is also, at last, an interpretation centre. The article recalls that 10,000 Scots and English soldiers lost their lives in three hours-the vast majority from Scotland including their King. The battle is described as 'misunderstood' A typical example, I suspect of Scottish revisionism. Nothing much to misunderstand. Scots invaded England to take the pressure off the French engaged in their usual activity of being outfought by the Anglos. Scots clobbered.End of sad but simple story.
Much more about Flodden all too soon. Coldstream Civic Week will feature the usual ride to the battle site and the cutting of a sod to bring back across the border. If that goes on for too long there will be more of the battle field in Scotland than in England and the revisionists will be able to claim that it was an English act of aggression after all.
