Huttonian should perhaps read the correspondence columns of the
Berwickshire more closely as he was surprised to see this week that someone had taken exception to a letter about speeding in Birgham and had launched an attack on 'incomers'. I had missed both epistles and can only assume it all took place when I was in the Six Counties of Norn Iron. This week under the headline 'Incomers Can be Hardworkers' a 'Name and address supplied' stands up for this breed pointing out that 'a great many hard working servants of the community in Coldstream and district are in fact incomers'. Why Coldstream? Apparently the writer of the polemical letter NAAWBR is known to be a 'streamer'-can't really get away with anonymous letters around these thinly populated parts-and indeed Name and Address supplied claims to know who he(or her it is carefully added) is.
This subject fairly regularly rears its head in the Borders either as anti 'incomer' or, thinly disguised' anti-English; to many people this being the same difference. Hutton Think Tank in one of its rare poetry competitions organised by its Prose, Poem and Polemics sub committee unearthed the following ditty:
The post is from Berwick
Ditto the milkman
whose three am intrusion
disturbs no one
apart from the insomniac geek
sweating on his website.
And the turned out cat
scratching forlornly
on the twice locked door
as the mice within run rampant
Resentment is not for them,
the cross Borders service providers.
No it for those others,
living amongst us with no Thistle
On their passports. Rather
The arrogant Red Rose.
'England' as on the Border sign.
No 'Welcome to ' just take it
Or leave it. Up to you
matey.4 more verses in the same vein -good enough for second prize in a small entry-but you get the flavour' going on to make the point (rather rudely) that if you are an incomer and take part in community activities you risk beng accused of interfering in local issues and throwing your (English) weight about. If you don't and treat the area as a dormitory for Newcastle or elsewhere taking no interest in local affairs you are stand offish. A lose lose situation, as The
Berwickshire Sports Reporter once described the state of Scottish Rugby.
The 'debate' will rumble on. Given the glimpses of the uncontroversial bleeding obvious in Name and Address supplied's letter I wonder why he preferred to remain anonymous.
And what does NAAWBR stand for? Replies on a post card (correct postage please bearing in mind that the price of 2nd Class stamps have gone up recently) First Prize : a week in Birgham; Second: Two weeks in Coldstream. Beer money not included
