Tweed Shepherds in new exhibition

The exhibition Shepherding the Tweed from May 17 to August 16 will tell the story of the cloth, from the sheep and shepherds through to the factories in the region.

And the council’s Peebles museum staff is launching the show with a hands-on day of demonstrations including lambs and bottle feeding, stick dressing, spinning and knitting and whisky ladle carving in and around the museum in Chambers Terrace.

And for the event - Fleeced!, from 11am to 4pm on May 17 - they are working in collaboration with Peebles Show organisers, Peebles Agricultural Society, the Treefest Partnership and Peeblesshire Archaeological Society.

The museum’s Chris Sawers said: “People will be encouraged to drop in although some elements of the day will be timetabled.

“The exhibition charts the history of the woollen produce of the area and the personal stories of shepherds both historically and currently.

“This is the first time the museum has run an event aimed at, and with, the very strong local farming community. We also aim to attract people who have moved to the area and who may have only a visual relationship with the landscape.

“Launches of exhibitions are traditionally evening events in the gallery, and we hope this indoors and outdoors event will attract different audiences and challenge the preconceptions of a small local authority museum.”