Remembering the constant Liet Motif of police car sirens in dodgy N13 it is a pleasure to return to what often seems a crime free Berwickshire. This impression is currently reinforced by the absence of the judicial activities of Sherif Kevin of Duns from this week's
Berwickshire News: no doubt on a well earned break in Aspen, Colorado from where our local builder/roofer/handyman has just returned. If life gets too stressful in the Merse, there is always Aspen, Colarado they remind each other in the Cross Inn.
However a veritable crime wave (they must know that Sherif K is away) has broken out as recorded in 'News in Brief', Page 1. Offside wings and door of a Vauxhall (is nothing sacred?) scratched in Greenlaw; a nearside wing mirror 'knocked off' (no pun surely intended in the sober BN) a Peugeot (Thats better)in Ayton and most horrific of all, a toilet roll set on fire in 'female public toilets' in Duns causing 'minor damage' . The ,I won't pay 20 p for a p' activists fighting back?
We had a similar happening in the UK Mission to the United Nations when I was in New York in the early 1970s. Our Ambassador announcing a small fire in the Ladies in our daily Morning meeting whose discussions were normally limited to more frivolous topics such as sanctions against South Africa, Portuguese colonial atrocities or the possibilty of nuclear holocaust, said that he was reminded of an English town. It was only the visiting Secretary State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the late revered 14th Earl of Home could come up with the right answer:
Burnham-on-Crouch
