Men of Violence

''So where are you visiting from? Asked the large man in 'Near Buy' the only 'retail outlet' a general purpose store in the Tourist neglected Harbour area. He had beaten me to the counter with his Belfast Telegraph, Sun, Mourne Observer and Down Recorder. He looked at the Guardian with disbelief : 'You read that on Holiday?'

I told him about the Borders. He said he had once nearly been to Hay on Wye. No, the Scottish Borders I explained. 'Not much going on then?' He suggested after I had told him about the pleasures of Duns.' At least we were spared the Troubles'


'You people across the water get it all wrong about the Troubles. Thems were the days.'

He exited, buried in papers.

I asked the young woman behind the counter if he was a local man.

Indeed he is

Seemed to enjoy the Bad Old Days?

'They all did'

'They?'

'The Men of Violence'

I thought of the beer belly, the wispy hair, the stoop and the pebble glasses'

'He? A Man of Violence'

'Yes'

In his Dreams'

Labels: Men of Violence, Norn Iron, Scottish Borders

  ¶ 9:12 AM (0) comments

  Tar Tar For Now


There must be some cash still swilling around in the Scottish Borders Roads' budget for FY 2007/8 as there is a sudden rush of pothole filling going on in these here parts. Quite often the budget for repairs is exhausted by July -or so we used to be told when we wanted a quick repair job done. But now road gangs (not usually chained together) are out and about. To my eye the technique seems Third World-or perhaps not quite as advanced. Take one small lorry. Add a couple of blokes. Issue them with small buckets full of steaming tar. Ask them to fill in all available potholes, crumbled edges and other impurities within, say, fifty yards (having thoughtfully partially blocked the carriageway with an arrangement of barrels and old planks. Traffic lights optional.

Once holes filled, add loose sand and chippings- watch for a bit-its more interesting than paint drying, go off for dinner. This is not always hazard free. I noticed yesterday having just driven past a TOA (Tarring Operation Area) the lorry reversing away from the barrel/plank protection barrier straight into two large tar filled potholes scooping out the contents. Back to the pails but after dinner wll do.

Third World methodology, First World weather. Hand filled pot holes in tropical Zambia dry and sort of seal in a couple of hours. In the damp cold Merse they are as liquid at 5pm as they were at 11am. Lads off for tea and end of the working day. Up with the planks and the barrels. The open road is open again.

First tractor along b******S up the lot.

Mind you if you rolled them?

Labels: Roads, Scottish Borders

  ¶ 10:55 AM (0) comments

  Thankyou davydubbit for this image of the Scottish Border-the custom post and passport control to the left is I think a caff serving decent English scoff before facing the privations of Haggis, Neaps and a Full Scottish Breakfast All Day. I blog this only because of a little item in today's Berwickshire News reporting the theft of English flags from the 'Border Crossing' on the A1 at Lamberton, three miles north of Ber Wick. The Head of Regeneration (ugh) in the BBC (Berwick Borough Council) has said that thieves have 'yet again ruined the experience for visitors by stealing these flags' All those bus loads of people fleeing the barren wilds of Alba are bitterly disappointed by not having their hearts lifted by a glimpse of the Cross of St George before filling in their forms claiming political asylum and lower social security benefits.

One suspects the work of the BLF (Berwick Liberation Front) making a statement about the correct positioning of the border.

Or perhaps they are just yobs.

Labels: Ber, English Border, Scottish Borders

  ¶ 11:15 AM (2) comments

 
Lies,Damn Lies, Statistics and Opinion Polls

The Berwickshire has a series of running polls on every conceivable subject from Ber Wick 'returning' to Scotland to the merits of wind farms in the Lammermuirs.

One is of some historical interest with regard to the closing of Eccles Primary School as part of a round of schools closures in the Borders which sunk Hutton. The question was


Is Scottish Borders Council right to keep Eccles school open?

75% said yes and 25 % said no

Now that may have not been the right answer for the Highheidyins in St Boswells so the question was cunningly rephrased (by some stickler for Borders Grammer, as she/it/they is/are writ?)



Are Scottish Borders right to keep Eccles school open?

Vote Results Yes 0% No 0%

Great result for the Educational Gurus who could go around saying, quite truthfully, on the basis of this poll that no one wants to keep the school open.

As it happened the school was not closed-a triumph for the 75% who voted in the wrong poll. But no one asked a question about Hutton.

Its like the old chestnut. What is more correct?:

Yokes of Eggs are white

or

Yokes of Eggs is white.

If you don't know, ask your local councillor.

If it is Big Jim Fullarton.

Ask someone else.


Incredibly, Flickr has no image of Hutton School-nor is there one in my 137strong collection of pictures of the village. So this photo of a Toad, seen crossing the main road, not far from the school will just have to do. Apologies

Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, Eccles, Hutton School, Scottish Borders

  ¶ 10:37 AM (0) comments

 
Bye Bye Berwick?

Today's Independent has a double spread feature on Berwick upon Tweed picking up the poll on whether the town should transfer its allegiance from England to Scotland : THE ENGLISH TOWN THAT WANT TO BE SCOTTISH is the headline on Page 16.

Nothing much new except I did not know that a severed arm of William Wallace (not Mel Gibson) was once displayed here after his terminal hanging drawing and quartering as recently as 1305. It has since been removed on Public Health grounds.
It also again nails the myth that Berwick is still at war with Russia following the end of the Crimean war But I had not heard before that so prevalent was that belief that a formal (albeit Tongue in Cheek) treaty 1966 of peace was signed by the mayor of Berwick with a Soviet official in 1966. 'Now the Russian People can sleep peacefully in their beds' said the mayor thereafter.

Apparently the SNP (a bit of nationalist mischief says the Indy) bid to take Berwick back into Berwickshire has the support of the leader of the Scottish Borders Council. Think of all that extra council tax and think also of the agony of Duns if it is dumped as the county capital in favour of Ber Wick. Bad news for Dingers if good for Berwikers.

Of course its all a bit of harmless posturing and hardly does much for the SNP's pretensions to be the natural government of Scotland. Perhaps it should put its own house in order before trying to grab bits of others.

Edward 1 burnt down Berwick for daring to contemplate an alliance with France This latest bit of union bashing might lead to a similar over reaction from our friends in the South. And bits of Mr Salmond might end up on display-in Scotsgate, appropriately enough.

Or more likely the English highheidyins would not give the proverbial.

Labels: Berwick upon Tweed, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, SNP

  ¶ 1:42 PM (1) comments

  BANKS AND EVERYTHING. DUNS HAS IT A'


What an endorsement for Duns! Thankyou GDStinx from Flickr. It is interesting that it should be the banks which are seemingly the most important element of this wee town. But 'and everything' What a sensible move we seem to be making. So now the good people of Duns have a choice of town mottoes:

The rather aggressive 'Duns Dings A'

or: ' Banks and everything'

What would you choose

(Certainly more apt than rather pompous Peebles' effort:

Paris for Business. Peebles for Pleasure

Labels: Duns, Peebles, Scottish Borders, Small House in Duns

  ¶ 10:32 AM (1) comments

 
A bloggee has asked about the poisoning of a female Golden Eagle in the Scottish Borders. This happened 18 months ago and it is as follows


Breeding female Golden eagle in Scottish Borders poisoned

.
A joint investigation by Lothian and Borders Police, RSPB Scotland, the Scottish SPCA and the Scottish Executive discovered poisoned bait on a grouse moor in the Borders. Ironically, it was found on the 'glorious twelfth', marking the start of the grouse shooting season.
The death is especially sickening given that the pair raised a chick this year, and although the chick has fledged and is now semi-independent, it was still being fed by both parents and so there is now a significant concern for its safety.

Bob Elliot, head of investigations at RSPB Scotland said: 'Despite being excellent golden eagle country, the Borders have been a real black hole in terms of golden eagle breeding in Scotland. Sadly, illegal persecution of birds of prey continues to be a shameful fact of life in parts of Scotland in the 21st Century, and the evidence shows that there is a correlation between the location of grouse moors and the incidence of raptor poisoning.

'Now, after 9 or 10 years together, one of the only breeding pair of golden eagles in the Borders is dead, and we hope that by offering a reward, a member of the public will help the police to catch the perpetrator and bring them to justice.'

PC Mark Rafferty, wildlife crime officer with Lothian and Borders police said: 'This incident goes to show that people are still willing to take a risk, and the result is that one of Scotland's finest birds has now been destroyed. This is criminal behaviour, and I'd ask for the public and particularly the gamekeeping community to come forward with information on this or any illegal wildlife crime'

RSPB Scotland is now offering a reward of £1000 for information with regards to the case, and people should call PC Mark Rafferty on 07785 248 455.



Given the apparent corrolation between the location of Grouse Moors and the incidence of poisoning of birds of prey the fact that this incident was on the Glorious 12th should not come as surprise. If you have paid several hundred quid for the pleasure of slaughtering many more birds than you and your city friends can possibly eat you really need to ensure that there is no competition from natural predators. The unnatural ones:Fat Cats come in many guises-the tweeded green wellied variety are even more deadly than their furry feline name sakes.

It seems

Labels: Grouse Moors, Poisoning Birds, Scottish Borders

  ¶ 5:32 PM (0) comments

 
New initiative to stamp out dog fouling

"We Bag it, tie it and bin it" is the 'Curb your Cur' slogan of the month launched by the Scottish Borders Council in yet another 'initiative' -how many has Huttonian witnessed in the last ten plus years? . Hawick and Peebles are apparently the Borders (Dog) Crap towns. The full story in the Berwickshire is as follows:


SCOTTISH Borders Council's new campaign to stamp out dog fouling was unveiled earlier this week.
The council is targeting dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs in public places and they are being told to 'Bag it, Tie it, Bin it'.
New patrols will be enforcing the law across the Scottish Borders, focusing initially on Peebles and Hawick.
"It is important that dog owners are aware of their responsibilities and clean up their dog's dirt so that no-one's health is put at risk," said Councillor Len Wyse, executive member for environmental services.
"They can dispose of it in their bin at home or in any public litter bin. Stamping out dog fouling also means everyone will be able to enjoy our public places without worrying about what mess is lurking in their way."
The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 means that fixed penalties of £40 can be issued on the spot to people who do not clean up after their dogs.
Dr Andrew Riley, director of public health at NHS Borders, said: "We welcome and support this initiative. Apart from dog fouling being unpleasant to see and on occasion to stand in, it can also be a health hazard. Some of the illnesses it causes can be serious, so prevention is very important.
"Picking up your dog's dirt should be an everyday habit. But remember that when you have handled any animals, including dogs, it is important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water."
Lothian and Borders Police confirmed that, if there is sufficient evidence, owners of dogs that foul in public places who do not clean it up will face a fixed penalty notice. Alternatively, offenders will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
To encourage people to clean up after their dogs, the council is giving away a limited number of free dog waste bags.
They can be picked up at council contact centres and area offices.
People who have a dog fouling problem in their area can call free on 0800 376 1030 or email dogfouling@scotborders.gov.uk to report it.
More details about the campaign can be found at www.scotborders.gov.uk/dogfouling, plus a new leaflet 'Dog fouling: you and the law' has been published by the council and will be distributed widely.


The image with the article is captioned

BAG IT AND BIN IT: Izar the Border terrier with owner Andrea Shearer and friends at the launch of Scottish Borders Council’s new campaign

So now we have a canine Poo Izar to encourage his colleagues not to defecate indiscriminately and only to do so near a fully paid up bag carrying humanoid.

I am told that the headline originally read : New initiative to stamp on Dog Fouling but a sharp eyed sub got there before the press run.

A pity.

Labels: Dog Poo, Scottish Borders, Scottish Borders Council

  ¶ 3:51 PM (2) comments

 
WEATHER WARNING

We are as obsessed with the (wonderful) weather in the Merse as the next man-our occasional garden help, a gnarled (youngish) countryman cannot introduce any new topic without a discourse on the weather, nor abandon an old one for that matter. But our devotion to meteorology and the other black arts is ignored by the pundits at the BBC Blether Centre who neither know where the Borders are nor care. We get lumped in with 'Scotland' or 'Northern England' and by the southhron- centric the presenters on the Today Programme as that huge area of Anglia Deserta which they vaguely believe exists beyond Hampstead. 'Here be Bumpkins'

So the advent of the on-line weather map is a great boon and we can find ourselves on the larger scale ones. An example is above from Met Check and once you have got over the vivid, lurid, at times frightening, colours you are reassured to know, that weatherly speaking, we are part of the greater scheme of things-and have our own delicious, albeit, rarely delicate, shading and are regarded by that great crayon in the sky as equal value as say, the Home Counties where Mr Humphries friends garage their Chelsea Tractors and moan about congestion charges impeding their access to St James Clubland.

Is Met Check Accurate? Is the Pope an Agnostic?* You can put in your post code and get your own forecast covering the whole region from the Old Manse to the former Primary School. According to the prognostication for today (given in three hourly chunks) it is about to snow on higher ground (Village Hall roof?) and we now have 37mph winds. Nearly right. There is a warm drizzle and a dead calm. Daringly I inserted another post code-our cottage in Norn Iron; precisely (wrong word) the same forecast. Although, to be fair, the wind had allegedly eased a notch. I called a friend there and asked about the snow-he said that once the blue sky had cleared there might be a chance of it. I tried Llandudno. Same difference.

I suppose they may be right somewhere

Horrors I may have to go back to the BBC

*A meaningless aside, presumably. Blog-ed

Labels: BBC Blether Centre, Merse, Met Check, Scottish Borders

  ¶ 11:27 AM (2) comments