Proud jeweller payshomage to his '˜hame'

Hawick has many stunning places to be proud of, from The Mair, the Vertish Hill to the Moat and the Sandbed.

But nothing quite evokes an image of the town as the Ken the Horse monument, unveiled in 1914 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the battle of Hornshole.

Proud Hamish D. Smith has traded as a jeweller and watchmaker in the town since 1970, following in the footsteps of his father.

Hamish, who operates from a premises in Bourtree Place, took it upon himself to design silver pendants to recognise the famous memorial and has now decided to make his latest effort available to anyone who wants one.

It represents not only the town’s heritage, but is also a keepsake that will remind those who live “oot the toon” that they will always be welcomed back as one of her “honest men or bright eyed daughters”. There are two designs to choose from, round or diamond shaped, with each individual pendant crafted to order by Hamish himself from silver and suspended from an 18 inch silver necklace. As the pendant is formed from silver sheet it will not be hallmarked.

Hamish said: “I am self-taught and a bit of a perfectionist. Over the years my designs have become more intricate. This particular design is a Celtic surround in a heart shape. Not to be self-deprecating, but over the years I sometimes feel that a fairy has landed on my shoulder, I often don’t feel capable of the designs I come up with. I work with an eye glass and in recent years casting has become more technological. You can take the master and replicate it really accurately. It’s wonderful.”