£ 0.70 The Upper Tweed Community News Issue 74 September 2016 UPPER TWEEDDALE HOSPITAL DRIVERS The Hospital Drivers Scheme was set up in late 1999. Between Feb 2001 and 2015 there were 440 drives, averaging about 40 miles, with contributions from passengers/patients of £3,869.88 and from the Upper Tweed Community News of £3,714.88. The scheme is an fne excmple of a very useful project developed developed and supported in the community. The scheme has been administered by Fiona Hamilton since the start, assisted by Brian Bushell, Treasurer of the Upper Tweed Community News. If you would like to help as a hospital driver, please telephone Fiona: tel No 01721 729424. Also, if you are ever in the situation of needing to attend a hospital appointment but have no transport of your own and nobody able to drive you, contact Fiona. The scheme also covers visits to the Biggar Health Centre and the Dental Clinic. SPEcIAL DAY - cELEbRATIng cOmmUnITY DRIVERS The Upper Tweeddale Community Drivers Group, which received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2011, was invited to send representatives to the Queen’s 90th birthday street party in The Mall on June 12th. Rosalind Birchall, Ann Welsh, and Richard Carr were selected by ballot from the group of volunteer drivers. They had a memorable day along with 10,000 volunteers from over 600 charities which have the Queen as Patron. All were seated at tables lining the route and were provided with a unique picnic hamper for the day. Heavy rain in the morning did not dampen spirits and fortunately the sun came out later for the Queen’s attendance and the carnival parade down The Mall, which represented the decades of the Queen’s reign. The parade included 400 musicians and 300 dancers, animals on tricycles and the Royal Yacht Britannia making it a spectacular and very special day. Ann Welsh, Rosalind Birchall and Richard Carr in rain and sunshine at the celebrations at The Mall AmAzIng SUPPORT fROm THE EnDURAncE RIDERS cLUb The 2016 Riders Club event was on a dry, a little chilly day, making for perfect riding conditions. Broughton hills were looking their best (see p 12). This year also saw the thankfully rare event of a rider falling on White Hill, serious enough to merit a couple of ambulances, a six-wheel recovery vehicle, the local Mountain Rescue – and we were told there would have been a helicopter had the cloud base been higher. We certainly can’t fault the response of the emergency services! Luckily the rider sustained only a broken rib and was discharged after one night in Wishaw hospital. The underlying theme to the Broughton weekend in recent years has been the fundraising efforts for the Upper Tweed Community Drivers Scheme. Masterminded by Glasgow Branch member, Cheryl Wallace, the amount raised has grown from around £250 fve years ago to an astonishing £3008 this year, thanks to an online auction, raffe, quiz, photo competition – and an innovation, the Charity Dog Show. Many riders bring their dog to endurance events, so there was a healthy entry for the eight classes in the Show. We even persuaded a local retired dog show judge, Grace Hogg, to come along and cast her eye over the motley canine assembly. Almost everyone won a prize, and the presence of a professional photographer was the icing on the cake. Alison Wilson. C ontents Biggar Choral Society p2 WW1 Remembered p3 Broughton Primary School p4 Bananas News p5 Noticeboard p6 Broadband in Upper Tweed p7 Walking in Upper Tweed p8 Cycling in Upper Tweed p9 Large cheque donated to the Hospital Driers Scheme in Broughton Village Hall Porteous Family. Tweed Talk p10 The cheque for the collection was handed over by Cheryl Wallace to the Scheme’s representative, Helen Lodge, at the Ride Supper in Broughton Village Hall. Plans Highlad Show Successes, p11 are for the fundraising to be extended even further in 2017, with Tweed Valley Tough Mudder, Drumelzier p12 Mountain Rescue and the First Responders to become benefciaries. Gardens This issue is sponsored by The Broughton Choral Society Upper Tweed Community News 1 Broughton Choral Society Broughton Choral Society was formed in February 1998 and welcomes members from Broughton and the neighbouring towns and villages. We are a mixed voice choir with a minimum age of 12 years, but no maximum. There are no auditions; applicants are required only to be able to sing in tune and commit to regular attendance Rehearsals take place in Broughton Village Hall on a Tuesday evening at 7.30pm during Borders Schools term-time. The Autumn 2016 session starts on 30 August and we will be Working on Schubert’s Mass in G, and a variety of other Christmas music for our concert in early December. If you are interested in joining us contact one of the following :- Alan Cameron, Secretary [email protected] tel. 01968 661104 Christopher Lambton [email protected] Jane Buchanan-Dunlop, Treasurer [email protected] Upper Tweed Community News 2 WW 1: In memoriam In June 2014, theUpper Tweed Community News listed the men from our communities who died in the disastrous, tragic World War 1. Some families still live in our community. We will continue to feature some of these men over the next 2 years. company Sergeant major Thomas Private george Ireland Hinshilwood Labour battalion SwanS 10th battalion black Watch MiniCoaCh hire 3 Springwell Brae Broughton 01899 830251 16-seater mini coaches for hire Thomas Hinshilwood was the 4th son of George Ireland was gardener to Mr Welsh the late George Hinshilwood of Skirling of Mossfennan and he joined the army in and Mrs Hinshilwood of Mossfennan May 1915. HANDYMAN Cottage. He was educated at Skirling He was sent to France in July 1917 and School and later at Biggar High School. was attached to a Labour Battalion. FENCING He started his apprenticeship as a gardener These battalions were formed in 1915 and GARDENING at Castlecraig, which was then owned by disbanded in 1921. They often contained Lord Carmichael. He also worked as a men who had been medically rated below SMALL BUILDING REPAIRS gardener at Bonnington House, Dalkeith the A1 level required for front line service AND RENOVATIONS Palace and Dysart House. and they carried out work, often within range of enemy guns, such as digging He joined the 10th Battalion Black Watch trenches, building railways and bridges in September 1914, just a month after the DOUGLAS A ROPER and making roads. Work that is now start of the war and during his training THE LOGAN, TWEEDSMUIR carried out by the Royal Logistics Corps. he was promoted to Sergeant. He went TEL: 01899 880284 to France in November 1915 and after The third phase of the Battle of Ypres some action in the Somme valley, his began with a Franco-British attack on battalion was sent to Salonica where an Hourthnest Forest and an advance on expeditionary force was being assembled Paschendale Ridge. There was a great to confront the pro German Bulgaria. He artillery barrage and George was killed was promoted to Company Sgt Major instantly by a stray shell. He was buried and also offered a commission which with several colleagues in the British he declined. He was obviously a most Soldiers Cemetery in Ypres. Electrical Contractor outstanding soldier. (Prop: N Curatolo) A friend wrote to his widowed mother Thomas Hinshilwood was reported about George to say he was a fne man • Domestic, Commercial & Industrial missing in May 1917 during the Battle and a good friend and that he had seen him Installations of Doiran. There was considerable delivering mail to the local Field Hospital • Security Lighting & Alarms loss of life when the Bulgarians made a only two days before he was killed. surprise attack coming out of a mist He • Electric Showers His wife was the daughter of Mrs was last seen lying wounded beside his • House Re-wires Hinshilwood of Mossfennan Cottage commander, Lieutenant Philips who was • Portable Appliance Testing who only a few months earlier had lost her dead. • SBSA Registered Self-Certifer own son, Thomas, at a battle in Salonica. Sympathy was offered to his mother who George’s name is on the Broughton War All work guaranteed only 4 months later was to lose her son- Memorial along with that of his brother- Unit 2, Lindsaylands Road, in-law, George Ireland who also lived on in-law, Thomas Hinshilwood. Biggar ML12 6EQ the Mossfennan estate. Tel 01899 220160 07860 750982 Thomas Hinshilwood’s name is on the Fax 01899 220160 Broughton War Memorial. E-mail: [email protected] http://www.nacelectrics.com/ Upper Tweed Community News 3 A new Head Teacher for broughton and newlands Primary Schools. The Parent council As Chair of Broughton Primary School blinds installed. Extensive work has been Parent Council and on behalf of all parents, carried out to the reception/entrance I would like to take this opportunity to area to provide a safer and more inviting offcially welcome our new Head Teacher, entrance to the School. Catriona McKinnon. Catriona joins us This work also re-confgured the general from East Lothian Council where she purpose room, the Head Teacher’s offce taught for many years both as a teacher and a cupboard, resulting in better use of and a head teacher. Catriona brings with space and an additional meeting room. her a wealth of knowledge and experience and we greatly look forward to working From the organisation of the Summer with her as we continue the ongoing Fair, the Hallowe’en party and the development of Broughton Primary creation of Christmas Hampers to helping School.