£ 0.70 The Upper Tweed Community News Issue 77 June 2017 Tractor Tours to Primary Schools of the Borders The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) arranged for a tractor to visit every primary school in the Scottish Borders on the 9th of March. The tour was organised by RHET’s Scottish Borders Countryside Initiative (SBCI). RHET SBCI had the use of 10 tractors kindly donated by tractor dealerships in the Borders. These tractors visited each primary school on the day, and were seen by over 4000 children. Rose of Lamancha provided a Case tractor for all the pupils in Peeblesshire to see, kindly driven by RHET volunteer Kate Rowell from Hundleshope Farm. The morning started at West Linton school, with the P1, 2 and 3 pupils joined by the nursery children, to send the tractor on its way. It then headed to Newlands and Broughton, where the children and teachers had dressed up as farmers and animals to welcome the tractor. Both schools also made generous donations to RHET SBCI. The tractor then went on to 6 further primary schools in Peeblesshire before all 10 touring tractors gathered in Newtown St Boswells’ auction mart. Pupils asked some great questions throughout the day, including “How tall is the tractor?”, “How big is the engine?” and “How fast does it go?” There were also some very challenging questions from a few of the children from farming backgrounds. Following on from the tractor tour, RHET SBCI are producing a fundraising recipe book showcasing the great food produced in the Borders. Many schools have provided RHET SBCI with fantastic recipes, and Ally McGrath from Osso Restaurant in Peebles has kindly supplied some of his tasty recipes too. The recipe book will be published in the near future. If you would like to see some of the other work RHET does see www.rhet.org.uk Lesley Mason, RHET Borders Project Coordinator C ontents Peebles Show p2 WWI: In Memoriam p3 Denis Read Remembered p4 Wool you believe it? p5 Broughton Heights Hill Race p5 Tweedsmuir Talk p6 Favourite walk: Gameshope Burn p7 Broughton Primary School News p8 David Reed Remembered p9 Upper Tweed Arts for All p9 Noticeboard p10 Bananas News p11 Sheep Farming in Upper Tweeddale: Summer: p12 The Rev. Bob and Sheila Milne at the joint service in Broughton Kirk on March 26th. People from all four Upper Tweeddale parishes gathered to mark their appreciation of his 8 years service in Upper Tweed. This Issue is sponsored byPeebles Agricultural Society (p2) Upper Tweed Community News 1 Lance Corporal James Graham Kings Own Scottish Borderers James Graham was a ploughman at Coomlees when he joined up in June 1915 aged just sixteen. After training in Edinburgh, he was sent to the Dardanelles in September 1916 on his seventeenth birthday. He had a severe attack of dysentery and was taken to Cairo for treatment thereby missing the Gallipolli campaign where so many thousands were killed. After recovering, he was sent to the Western Front in France. He was shot in the hand while charging enemy trenches and took refuge in a shell hole in No Mans Land before waiting for dark and making his way back to the British lines. He went back to hospital in the South of England and then rejoined his regiment at the end of the year. He was then transferred to the Seaforth Highlanders and for a time was on guard duty at Sandringham. He left home for the last time on 2nd January 1918 bound once more for the Western Front. Life was quiet until early March when there was a major battle which he survived without injury but later he confronted the Germans when they made a mass frontal assault on the British lines. He was reported missing but after several weeks he wrote home to say that he had been taken prisoner and was in a German Field Hospital. He died of his wounds on 22 September 1918 aged just twenty. Photo opposite page 164 Photo opposite page 145 PEEBLES AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY GRAND OPEN SHOW Nether Horsburgh, by Cardrona Saturday 12th August 2017 CLAN Mountain bike display Birds of prey Dog show Craft tent Food hall Equestrian events Licensed bars Carriage driving Grand parade Vintage tractors and much more! Rabbit tent Peeblesshire bee keepers ! it’s hard work creating a new sand pit! Sheep Cattle Poultry www.peebles-show.co.uk Upper Tweed Community News 2 WWi: in memoriam In June 2014, the Upper Tweed Community News started to list some of the men from our communities who died in the disastrous, tragic World War. Private Archibald Douglas Scott MM Lance Corporal James Graham Scottish Rifes Kings Own Scottish Borderers SwanS MiniCoaCh hire 3 Springwell Brae Broughton 01899 830251 16-seater mini coaches for hire Archibald Douglas Scott was the son of James Graham was a ploughman at William and Agnes Scott of Kirkgate and Coomlees when he joined up in June was working as a shepherd at Menzion 1915 aged just sixteen. After training in with his grandfather Archibald Douglas. Edinburgh, he was sent to the Dardanelles in September 1916 on his seventeenth He joined the army in 1915 and did HANDYMAN birthday. excellent service in France winning the Military Medal (MM) and receiving high He had a severe attack of dysentery and FenCing was taken to Cairo for treatment thereby praise from his commanding offcer for gardening his conspicuous gallantry as a despatch missing the Gallipoli campaign where rider. so many thousands were killed. After small building repairs recovering, he was sent to the Western and renovations He was taken prisoner during a battle in Front in France. He was shot in the hand March 1918. He did manage to get news of while charging enemy trenches and took his situation to his family but he later died refuge in a shell hole in No Mans’ Land DOUGLAS A ROPER at Stendal in Germany from pneumonia before waiting for dark and making his th THE LOGAN, TWEEDSMUIR on 20 June 1918. It appears that from way back to the British lines. evidence given by a fellow prisoner, who TEL: 01899 880284 was repatriated, that Archibald had been He went back to hospital in the South of made to work by the Germans. He was England and then rejoined his regiment seen to be in a very poor condition only a at the end of the year. He was then week before he died. transferred to the Seaforth Highlanders and for a time was on guard duty at Archibald had been a member of the Sandringham. Local Volunteer Company before he He left home for the last time on 2nd joined up and, after his death, the January 1918 bound once more for the Volunteers paraded at a memorial service Western Front. Electrical Contractor in Tweedsmuir conducted by the Rev W (Prop: N Curatolo) S Crockett, where mention was made of Life was quiet until early March when Private Scott’s many admirable qualities, there was a major battle which he • Domestic, Commercial & Industrial his devotion as a shepherd and his courage survived without injury but later he Installations confronted the Germans when they made as a soldier. • Security Lighting & Alarms a mass frontal assault on the British lines. Archibald’s name is on the Tweedsmuir • Electric Showers He was reported missing but after several War Memorial. • House Re-wires weeks he wrote home to say that he had been taken prisoner and was in a German • Portable Appliance Testing Field Hospital. He died of his wounds • SBSA Registered Self-Certifer on 22 September 1918 aged just twenty. All work guaranteed Our attention was drawn to an excellent book. by Dr Gunn, Book of Remembrance Unit 2, Lindsaylands Road, for Tweeddale Burgh and Parish, published in Peebles in 1925. It provides short Biggar ML12 6EQ biographies together with photographs of those who died. Tel 01899 220160 07860 750982 Fax 01899 220160 For anyone wishing to do their own research on their families it is available in an E-mail: [email protected] impressive digitised version from The National Library of Scotland at http://www.nacelectrics.com/ https://archive.org/stream/bookofremembranc1925gunn#page/n9/mode/2up. Upper Tweed Community News 3 Denis Read– A Life 1924-2017 at the time. Hunting for a leading lady In 1993 Denis and Dessie came to see he was put in touch with a WAAF called Fiona in Broughton as she had previously Mickey who was soon to become his worked with Bobbie. He loved the area, wife. The acclaimed show travelled met a lot of people and after visiting around and went to Egypt with the Whitslade 32 times he bought 3 Dreva scenery going by Dakota courtesy of the Road (Reedsholm). He entered into powers that be. village activities, joining the Men’s Luncheon Club, the Guild and collecting Denis and Mickey had their honeymoon the stamps from the Upper Tweed whilst the show was running, living Churches for charity. Most of all he in an Egyptian hotel. Denis also did enjoyed the Buchan Museum, welcoming numerous sketches, a favourite being and taking an interest in the visitors. He ‘Gin Guzzling’ and he also delighted had a lot of interests, being instrumental in in adopting his Lancashire accent and setting up the frst RAF Police Museum. mimicking Al Read and George Formby. He was a leading light in the Provost Denis and Mickey fnally returned to Parade (RAFP Magazine), a life member the UK. Denis worked with the RAF of the American Security Institute and Denis Read was born in Preston in 1924 security team.