Bowden

QUIZ: There will be a quiz night in the village hall next Saturday, January 30, at 7.30pm. Teams of four (£10). Team entries or individual names to be made into a team to 01835 823591 or 01835 823872.

Caddonfoot

CHURCH: The rearranged kirk session meeting will be held today at 7.30pm, with the congregational board gathering on Wednesday, also at 7.30pm. The next service is on Sunday at 9.45am when there will be a retiring collection for the RNLI.

Earlston

PARISH CHURCH: All-age and traditional services will be held at 9.45am and 11am respectively on Sunday. Both will be conducted by the Reverend John Shields.

Edgerston

Church: There will be a service on Sunday at 9.30am with the Reverend Graham Astles.
BURNS Supper: A Burns supper is being held in the hall on January 30. Contact Christine (01835 840246) or Linda (01835 862914) for tickets.

Fala

HISTORY MEETING: Fala, Soutra and District History and Heritage Society will meet in Fala village hall next Thursday at 7.30pm. Speaker Paddy Scott, director of Scotland's Gardens Scheme, will give an introduction to the organisation.

Galashiels

Camera Club: The club welcomed back George Neilson from the Edinburgh Photographic Society who drew on his extensive experience of sport and photojournalism to give an insight into action photography. His varied images, ranging from athletics to powerboat racing and golf, should give members inspiration for the forthcoming competition on the theme of Action, for which George is returning as judge. The next club competition is Abstracts.
ROTARY: Galashiels Rotarians are responding to the Haiti earthquake disaster by aiming to buy at least one Shelterbox, costing £490, including materials, packing and transportation. The town's Rotary club purchased a box after a collection at Tesco in December, but hopes to add to this following the disaster. The club will soon be arranging a collection, but anyone wishing to help immediately can do so by sending a donation to Rae Hastings (club secretary), 1 Eildon Street, Galashiels TD1 1LU. Rotary clubs throughout the UK have already sent around 2,000 ShelterBoxes, which include a 10-person tent, thermal blankets, insulated groundsheets, plus water purification and tool kits. After the planned quiz against Duns Rotary Club was cancelled on January 5 due to the weather, the next week's meeting was extra-busy, with a speaker and the quiz, followed by the monthly club council gathering. David Scott-Aiton, local representative of BCCF Environmental, explained his role, with voluntary help, in promoting composting among amateur gardeners. More information is available from david@BCCFEnvironmental.org.uk or 01573 410274. In the quiz, the second round of the district plate competition, Duns beat Gala by 24 points to 15.
PROBUS: District nurse Janice Whiteford spoke about the Vine Trust charity, established in Scotland 25 years ago in response to famine in Sudan and Ethiopia. She also gave a talk, entitled Hospital Ship in South America and illustrated with slides, involving the Amazon Hope on the River Tigre, a tributary of the Amazon in Peru. The next meeting will be the Burns lunch.

Glendouglas

DANCING: The old-time dancing class meets at 8pm tonight and will continue to gather on the first and third Thursday of the month. Beginners welcome.
SUPPER: A Burns supper will be held on February 13 at 7.30pm. Tickets can be bought from committee members or by phoning the community hotline on 01835 863604.

Hawick

Camera Club: At the meeting last Thursday, member Sel Messer presented an illustrated talk about his adventures while climbing 20,320ft-high Mount McKinley in Alaska during the summer of 1998 as part of a nine-strong group. The slide show began with aerial views of the terrain on the approach to the base camp at 7,000ft. Even though this was in June, temperatures were in the region of minus 40C and the party were snowed-up in their tents for five or six days. Due to the need for acclimatising to the thin air at altitude, the group's allotted time on the mountain soon ran out and they had to return to the registration centre at base camp, having reached some 17,000ft of the climb. The team raised more than £3,000 towards Cancer Research for their efforts. Next Thursday's meeting will feature the fourth monthly competition, Water, and will be judged by Evelyn Law.

Innerleithen

CHURCH: Morning worship at Innerleithen Church starts at 11.30am on Sunday. The Countdown Club meets in the committee room at 10.30am on Wednesday, while the weekly tea and chat takes place in the hall from 10-11.30am the following day. The congregational board meets at 7.30pm next Friday, January 29, when the accounts for 2009 are due for approval.
MOBILITY ACCESS: Community councillors are following up concerns about rights of way/access within the town for the disabled and want to hear from mobility scooter users in particular. They should contact community councillor Graham Riddell, who is preparing a report for the council on this issue, at 1 Tweed View, Innerleithen EH44 6QQ; email, gjriddell1@btinternet.com
GAMES COMMITTEE: The next meeting of St Ronan's Border Games committee will take place on February 17 in the council chambers, Memorial Hall, at 7pm. The annual public meeting is on March 3 (same venue and time). April 10 sees the annual coffee morning in the Vale Club; introduction night – May 7, Memorial Hall; Games Week – July 8-17.

Jedburgh

COFFEE MORNING: The WRVS is holding a coffee morning in Jedburgh British Legion on Saturday from 10am-noon. Donations to 5 High Street.
YOGA: Class in Howdenburn School on Wednesday evenings (6.30-8pm). For more details phone Anne Macnaughton on 01835 822557.
Bridge Club: January 11 – N/S – 1, J.Tait and I. Weir; 2, R. Oates and S. West; 3, O. Whillans and P. Simpson. E/W – 1, B. and I. Middleton; 2, A. and R. Stewart; 3, I. Whillans and B. Miller.

Kelso

U3A: The Singing for Fun group will meet on February 1, from 2-3pm, in Abbey Row Centre.
MARKET: Kelso farmers' market will be held on Saturday in The Square from 9.30am-1.30pm.
THURSDAY GROUP: Members meet today to hear Ashley Baird talk about the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Fund at 2pm in Abbey Row Centre. For more information, phone 01573 224753.
RANGERS FANS: The bus for the Hearts game leaves The Square at 11am. Contact Jim (01573 226240) for tickets.
YOGA: Classes in Abbey Row Centre are on Tuesday evenings. For details phone Anne Macnaughton on 01835 822557.

Langholm

Rotary: The club held its Burns supper in the Crown Hotel last Thursday evening. Piper Gilbert Gillanders led in haggis bearer Robbie Trussler and Alex Pool gave the address to the haggis. Later in the evening he delivered a recitation of Tam O'Shanter and also sang Ae Fond Kiss. Iain Scott from Hawick, well known as a member of the group Scocha, proposed the Immortal Memory. Former Rotary club president Frank Steele proposed the toast to The Lassies, Dawn Jardine replying. Billy Young gave his usual recitation of Holy Willie's Prayer and David Pool sang Star o' Robbie Burns. A vote of thanks to the speakers and entertainers was given by Kenneth Pool.
Accordion club: The club held its first meeting of the year in the Royal British Legion club rooms last Wednesday evening. There was no guest band, but among those introduced by compere Adam Grant to play accordion were David Bell, Billy Bell, Les Hurst and Newbie Park, all from Carlisle. Stuart Adamson (Newcastleton) entertained on both accordion and keyboard, and Ian Wilson (Crawford) was also on keyboard, with local Kieran Johnstone playing drums. Iain Bell (Canonbie) gave a bagpipe selection.
Sponsored walk: Pupils from mainly fifth year at the Academy, and some slightly younger, raised cash to help older residents of the town last Sunday. Teenager Jade Graham organised the fundraiser, with the pupils sponsored for the wheels appeal for the local day centre, where considerable money is needed to provide a new minibus to ferry the senior citizens to and from the centre, and to take on trips. The teenagers walked from Canonbie to the town, but kept off the main road and went by way of Claygate and Tarras. The centre is raising money with various events and has just launched a raffle with the top prize being a week's self-catering in Spain. The draw will be made on April 10.

Melrose

ROTARY: Melrose Rotarians held a street collection on Saturday morning for the Haiti earthquake appeal, raising £650.01.
AGM: At Melrose in Bloom's annual meeting, the following were elected – chairman, Owen Rowlands; vice-chairman, John Miller; treasurer, Vivien Chisholm; secretary, Pam Rowlands; fundraiser, Val Miller. The group meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm in the Lower Ormiston Room. Members of the public are welcome to attend. For more information, call 01896 822024.
CHURCH: Activities – The Christingle/watchnight offerings of £1,851.92 will go to Tabeetha School, Jaffa, and the Al-Shurooq Blind School, Bethlehem; today, guild meeting, Priorwood Court, 2.30pm; Sunday's services, 9.30am (Bowden) and 11am (Melrose); Wednesday, midweek service and lunch; February 5, BGH Friends' Burns supper/country dancing.
TRIMONTIUM: Historic Scotland has embarked on a comprehensive survey of temporary Roman camps in Scotland, the first major survey of its kind for 30 years. There are something like 10 temporary camps in the area to the south-east of Trimontium fort, one cut by the A68.

Morebattle

Church: It is hoped the Souper Sunday service held in the institute will raise £10,000 towards tackling HIV/Aids.
Coffee Morning: The annual charity coffee morning will be held in the institute next Saturday, January 30, at 10.30am.
Snow: The WRI and camera club gatherings were cancelled last week due to the bad weather.

Newtown

Songs of Praise: Newtown Church will stage a songs of praise service at 5pm on Sunday. There is no morning service. Anyone requiring transport should contact their elder or call 01835 823457.
YOGA: The class is in the Community Wing on Monday evenings (6.30-8pm). For details, phone Anne Macnaughton on 01835 822557.

Oxnam

YOUTH CLUB: The youth club meets next Thursday in the village hall at 6.30pm, featuring an introduction to carpet bowling. The club is open to anyone in Primary 2 and above and costs £1 per session. More information from Gillian on 01573 440538.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: The next meeting will be on February 4 at 7.30pm in the village hall. The council is looking for a new secretary to take over in May. Anybody interested should contact Gillian on 01573 440538 or come along to the February meeting for more information.

Selkirk

MONDAY CLUB: Walter Bateman will address members next week at 2pm in St Joseph's Church Hall.

Traquair

CHURCH: Sunday's morning worship at Traquair Kirk starts at 10am.

Walkerburn

COFFEE: Drop-in coffee at the rugby club takes place between 9-11am on Monday. For more information call Julia Stoddart on 01896 830410.

Yetholm

LUNCH: There will be a village lunch today (noon-2pm) in the Wauchope Hall, proceeds going to hall funds.
BLUES: The Plough hosted a blues night last Friday and the local musicians involved hope to have regular monthly sessions.
BORDER WORTHIES: Tickets are going fast for the Border Worthies Burns supper in the Border Hotel next Saturday, January 30. Anyone interested in attending should contact Judi Elliot or Alastair Turnbull.
CROSS-BORDER CLUB: The first meeting of 2010 will take place next Thursday at 12.15pm in the Wauchope Hall. After a light lunch there will be a talk, entitled A Woman of the French Resistance, by Barbara Mellor.
PENSIONERS: Every year the Plough collects money at the bar for village pensioners and on this occasion it has been decided to provide a free lunch and complementary drink on February 23. Anyone wishing to attend should leave his or her name at the Plough. Transport will be provided if required.