Gala Life March 2020

Gala Life

A local magazine with directory of trades and businesses - 12,000 copies delivered FREE to every home and business in Galashiels, Tweedbank, Melrose, Clovenfords, Darnick, Dingleton, Newstead and Gattonside.

March 2020

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Message Contents from the Team

Features WIN

5 Sepsis 36

Welcome to the March edition of Gala Life. The last few weeks have been a bit blustery to say the least thanks to Storm Ciara but Spring is just around the corner and the clocks will change. Can’t wait! Can’t wait either for some great LIVE MUSIC this month with The Acoustic Beatles and Eagles. It will be a great night out and you can even pair it with food and wine at Provender in Melrose.

Don't forget Mother's Day on Sunday 22nd!

Talking of eating Alan Clinch in the fitness column looks at ways not to overindulge, Sheila Drummond in the garden column gets ready for Spring. Gala Rugby are readying for their new look 7’s season, and I’m not mentioning the Six Nations . Willie writes about keeping your kids safe on-line, and with the new Coronavirus the main topic on the news recently we took a look at what is a very serious and under reported killer disease - Sepsis.

We have a fantastic array of club reports, updates and news items locally. Thank you to all who sent in contributions and to our great team of advertisers who fund all this community information. We work great as a team – glad you are part of it !!

Regulars Garden 18 Computer 22 Recipe 42 Border Vets 46 Gala Rugby 56 Horoscopes 58 Fitness 60 Community Diary 4 Get Out 6 Politics 24 Churches 38 Useful Numbers 62 Index

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Advertising Debbie - 07545299491 Art & Eds Willie - 07906375953 www.facebook.com/mygalalife

Deadline for April Edition - 13th March Gala Life is delivered to every home and business in the Galashiels, Tweedbank, Darnick, Dingleton, Melrose, Newstead and Gattonside areas. Copies are also left at various ‘pick-up’ points around the area allowing visitors the opportunity to join us.

Please Re-Cycle ... Eventually!

Gala Life Ltd 57 Glen Crescent Peebles EH45 9BS Office - 01721 720129 Sales - Debbie: 07545 299491 Artwork - Willie: 07906375953 info@galalife.co.uk

www.galalife.co.uk

Community Events & What's On in Galashiels See the Get Out section for details 1st March

11.00am

Borders Organic Gardeners 25th Anniversary Potato Day

1st March

7.30pm

Melrose Music Society - Melrose Parish Church Hall

2nd March

7.30pm

The Filling Station - Corn Exchange, Melrose

2nd-7th March

7.30pm

Gala Opera Presents 'Anything Goes' - Volunteer Hall

3rd March

7.30pm

Melrose Literary Society - Ormiston Institute

4th March

11.00am

Cookery Demonstration Workshops - Galashiels Library

5th March

7.00pm

Galashiels Studio Club - Crafty Workshops, Jedburgh

6th March

10.00am

Councillor Euan Jardine Advice Surgery - Born in the Borders CafĂŠ

6th March

10.30am

Adults Beginners Art Classes - Natural Crafts, Melrose

6th March

1.00pm

Kids Art Classes - Melrose Primary School

7th March

11.00am

Scottish Borders Versus Arthritis - Selkirk Community Shed

7th March

12noon

Community Cafe - Galashiels Baptist Church Hall

9th March

11.00am

Councillor Andy Anderson Advice Surgery - Cloudhouse Cafe, Stow

11th March

7.30pm

Old Gala Club - Volunteer Hall

12th March

7.30pm

Galashiels Studio Club AGM - Old Gala House

12th March

7.30pm

Scottish Wildlife Trust - Langlee Centre

13th - 15th March

10.00am

Borders Art Fair - Borders Events Centre, Kelso

14th March

7.30pm

Gala Clef Club - Lucy Sanderson Hall

17th March

7.00pm

Inner Wheel Club - Focus Centre, Galashiels

17th March

7.30pm

Melrose Literary Society - Ormiston Institute

19th March

TBC

Thirlestane Castle Volunteer Open Morning

19th March

7.00pm

Greener Borders Winter Talks - Marmions Place, The Wynd

20th March

11.00am

Councillor Andy Anderson Advice Surgery - Tesco

20th March

7.00pm

Lindean Bowling Club Party Night - Lindean Village Hall

21st March

12noon

Galashiels Cottage Hospital Staff Reunion - Kingsknowes Hotel

21st March

12.30pm

Soup 'n' Pud Lunch - St Peter's Episcopal Church

21st March

7.00pm

Inner Wheel Club - Charity Beetle Drive and Raffle - Focus Centre

22nd March

All Day!

Mothers Day

25th March

7.30pm

Old Gala Club - Volunteer Hall

27th March

7.00pm

Acoustic Beatles & Acoustic Eagles - Corn Exchange, Melrose

27th March

7.30pm

Melrose Music Society - Melrose Parish Church Hall

4th April

10.00am

Scottish Borders Versus Arthritis - Annual Coffee Morning

Entries in our Get Out section and Diary are free to non profit, non commercial, groups and clubs.

Just tell us by sending your entry to info@galalife.co.uk, or 01721 720129 by 12th of the preceding month and we will tell everyone else.

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Sunday 1st March - Borders Organic Gardeners 25th Anniversary Potato Day & Green Fair Borders Event Centre, Springwood Park, Kelso - 11.00am to 3.00pm. 100 varieties of potato seed including old favourites, heritage and blight resistant varieties, plus a selection of Scottish grown organic tubers. Seed tubers 20p each. Shallots and Red and White onion sets. Green Fair stalls for bread, local meats, dairy products, juice; crafts, gardening advice, garden plants, other 'green' groups; children's activities, Caroline's cafe. Entry fee £1.50 for adults . Free parking. www.bordersorganicgardeners.org Sunday 1st March - Melrose Music Society - Melrose Parish Church Hall - 7.30pm. Jonathan Radford (Saxophone) and Eleanor Kornas (Piano) will play music from across the Pyrenees: French and Spanish music for Saxophone. Tickets, £15, will be on sale at the door. School age children are admitted free if accompanied by an adult.

Monday 2nd March - The Filling Station - Corn Exchange, Melrose - 7.30pm. Our Speaker is Roy Searle. See page 54 for more details. All welcome.

Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th March - Gala Opera Presents 'Anything Goes' - Volunteer Hall, Galashiels - 7.30pm. See page 30 for more info and tickets.

Tuesday 3rd March - Melrose Literary Society - Ormiston Institute - 7.30pm. Robert Leach speaks on 'Gossip, scandal and high ambitions - unravelling the story of British theatre'. Admission £4 at door, all welcome. Information: Peter Hoad peterhoad@aol.com; 01896 823852.

Wednesday 4th March - Cookery Demonstration Workshops - Galashiels Library - 11am-12noon.

Join the You Can Cook team and learn how to cook easy and tasty recipes from fresh ingredients that look good and taste good. Free tasting at every session! Also on 11th, 18th and 25th March.

To book a place call Galashiels Library on 01896 664170 or email libgalashiels@liveborders1.org.uk Thursday 5th March - Galashiels Studio Club - Crafty Workshops, Jedburgh - 7.00pm. For a glass engraving evening. £7 for all, members and visitors.

Friday 6th March - Councillor Euan Jardine Advice Surgery - Born in the Borders Café, Galashiels Transport Interchange - 10.00am to 12noon. Everyone welcome.

Friday 6th March - Adults Beginners Art Classes - Natural Crafts, Melrose - 10.30am to 12noon..

Also 13th, 20th and 27th March. See page 15 for details and booking.

Friday 6th March - Kids Art Classes - Melrose Primary School - 1.00pm to 2.00pm. Also 13th, 20th and 27th March. See page 15 for details and booking.

Saturday 7th March - Scottish Borders Versus Arthritis - Selkirk Community Shed, Goslawdales, (Next to the High School) - 11.00am to 12.30pm. Dr John Reid, Chairman of Trimontium Trust speaking on "The Romans in the Borders" (did they have arthritis?). £3.00 each. Refreshments provided. For more information contact the Secretary on info@scottishbordersversusarthritis.org or the Secretary will respond to messages left on 01896 754041 (Tuesday to Thursday).

Saturday 7th March - Community Cafe - Galashiels Baptist Church Hall - 12.00 to 2.00pm. Serving delicious home made soup and pudding. No charge, voluntary donations only; all welcome.

Monday 9th March - Councillor Andy Anderson Advice Surgery - Cloudhouse Cafe, Stow 11.00am to 12noon. Everyone welcome.

Wednesday 11th March - Old Gala Club - Volunteer Hall - 7.30pm. St Peter’s School and Charles Lapworth by Dr Malcolm Lindsay. A talk on Charles Lapworth one time headmaster of St Pete’s School. Members free or £4 to visitors or take out a membership for £12.

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Thursday 12th March - Galashiels Studio Club AGM - Old Gala House - 7.30pm.

Thursday 12th March - Scottish Wildlife Trust - Langlee Centre - 7.30pm. Roger manning will give an illustrated talk entitled 'Farming and Wildlife'. Non-members are invited to make a donation.

Friday 13th until Sunday 15th March - Borders Art Fair - Borders Events Centre, Kelso - 10.00am.

See page 13 for more info or www.bordersartfair.com Saturday 14th March - Gala Clef Club - Lucy Sanderson Hall, Tweed Terrace, Galashiels - 7.30pm.

For more information contact Dorothea on 01896 850562, visit our website at www.onlineborders.org.uk/community/galaclefclub or Like Gala Clef Club on Facebook.

Tuesday 17th March - Inner Wheel Club - Focus Centre, Galashiels - 7.00pm. We will have the District Chairman visit and a Sales Table after the Business meeting. Anyone interested in joining the Inner Wheel is welcome to come along any 3rd Tuesday of the month to the meetings.

Tuesday 17th March - Melrose Literary Society - Ormiston Institute - 7.30pm. Jane Goldman (University of Glasgow) speaks on 'Virginia Woolf and her visit to the Borders'. Admission £4 at door, all welcome. Information: Peter Hoad peterhoad@aol.com; 01896 823852.

Thursday 19th March - Thirlestane Castle Volunteer Open Morning. See page 31 or call 01578 722430 for further information.

Thursday 19th March - Greener Borders Winter Talks - Marmions Place, The Wynd, Melrose 7.00pm. Foraging and Frugal Living- 18th Century Style. All welcome. Refreshments.

Friday 20th March - Councillor Andy Anderson Advice Surgery - Tesco, Galashiels - 11.00am to 12noon. Everyone welcome.

Friday 20th March - Lindean Bowling Club Party Night - Lindean Village Hall - 7.00pm. All are welcome to this annual event at which The Virginians come out of retirement to play their special brand of music one last time. This year they will be supported by well known local artist, John Nichol. Entrance £5, bar available, feel free to bring your own food. For advance tickets phone Neil on 01896755316, or e-mail galamiller18@gmail.com Saturday 21st March - Galashiels Cottage Hospital Staff Reunion - Kingsknowes Hotel, Galashiels - 12noon for 12.30pm. Cost £16.50 to be paid with confirmation. If interested contact Jeannie on 01896759757 or May on 07814319482.

Saturday 21st March - Soup 'n' Pud Lunch - St Peter's Episcopal Church, Galashiels - 12.30pm to 2.00pm. All welcome, bring a friend.

Saturday 21st March - Inner Wheel Club - Charity Beetle Drive and Raffle - Focus Centre, Galashiels - 7.00pm. All welcome.

Sunday 22nd March - Mothers Day. That means flowers, chocolates, a card and lunch!

Wednesday 25th March - Old Gala Club - Volunteer Hall - 7.30pm. The Polish Community in Scotland by Craig Stratham. We welcome Craig back to talk to us on the Polish community in Scotland. Members free or £4 to visitors or take out a membership for £12.

Friday 27th March - Acoustic Beatles & Acoustic Eagles - Corn Exchange, Melrose - 7.00pm. See page 13 for details and tickets.

Friday 27th March - Melrose Music Society - Melrose Parish Church Hall - 7.30pm. Clare Hammond (piano) will play music by Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Schumann, Sally Beamish and Earl Wild/Gershwin. Tickets, £15, will be on sale at the door. School age children are admitted free if accompanied by an adult.

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Saturday 4th April - Scottish Borders Versus Arthritis - Annual Coffee Morning - Corn Exchange, Melrose - 10.00am to 11.30am. Usual stalls plus raffle. Tickets £2.50 on the door or from committee member.

Circle Dancing - Third Friday of the month, 2.00pm to 4.00pm, Old Parish and St Paul’s Church Hall, Galashiels. A lovely mix of traditional and new dances and music from around the world. Each dance is shown and taught by dance leader so no experience necessary. The dances are mostly done in a circle so no partner is required. Some of the dances are gentle and reflective, some a little more lively. Come and join us for fun, movement, conversation, meeting new friends. Further information contact:- Kate 07523 466657.

Langlee Community Choir - Mondays at 7.00pm in Langlee Community Centre, Galashiels. The choir always welcomes new singers of any age or ability. If you are a shy singer, the choir will bring out your confidence. No pressure, no auditions, just good fun. Keep watching out in Gala Life or listen to local radio for upcoming performances. To book the choir or for any other information, please visit www.langleecommunitychoir.org.uk/contactus.html One Acchord Ladies A Cappella Chorus - invites you to join us most Wednesdays 7.30pm - 9.30pm, plus one Saturday 12.30pm - 4.30pm in the Community Hall, Newtown St Boswells TD6 0QX. For more information contact oneacchordchoir@gmail.com or 07710699619.

Gala Water Singers – Tuesdays 6.15pm for Junior Choir, then 7 for 7.15 start-9 pm for Community Choir. Fountainhall School TD1 2SY. The Community Choir of the Gala Water Valley where everyone, from anywhere, who wants to sing is welcome. You don’t need to be able to read music or to have sung before and there are no auditions. Come along and join others who sing weekly, purely for enjoyment. No charge for your first 2 weeks so you can have a commitment-free try-out.

Just turn up or for more information ring John 01578 730289.

The Eildon Singers - Meet every Wednesday, starting 29th August, in the Ormiston Institute, The Square, Melrose, from 7.15pm till 9.30pm. Mixed voice choir. New members very welcome.

Contact Margery Inglis, Secretary, 01750 21085.

Just Singing - We meet on the fourth Sunday of the month at 3 – 5pm in the Trinity Centre, High Cross Avenue, Melrose, to sing songs of peace and justice. We welcome new singers and those who think they can’t sing. There is no need to read music as all songs are taught by ear. Contact kath2@kathmcdonald.plus.com The Inner Wheel - Third Tuesday of the month, 7.00pm in the Focus Centre, Livingstone Place.

Anyone interested in joining us your very welcome to come along.

Gala Clef Club - Saturdays, monthly September to April, 7.30pm - 9.30pm in the Lucy Sanderson Hall, Galashiels. A performance space for anyone who enjoys Classical music and performing short pieces to a friendly audience of fellow musicians. If you play an instrument or sing, or have a violin tucked away in the attic, we want to meet you! Come along and meet people, form ensembles and start making music. All ages, standards and genres of music welcome. Piano and keyboard provided. For more information contact Dorothea on 01896 850562, visit our website at www.onlineborders.org.uk/community/galaclefclub or Like Gala Clef Club on Facebook.

Pipe Band: The Galashiels Ex-Service Pipe Band, Wednesday nights, 7pm at The Royal British Legion Club, Park Street, Galashiels. Experienced players and beginners most welcome to join.

Please contact the secretary, Scott Mitchell on galafirefox@gmail.com

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The Galashiels Town Band - Mondays - Gala Beginners Band 4.30pm, Gala Junior Band 5.00pm 6.00pm, Tuesdays, 6.30pm Gala Youth Band and 7.45pm Gala Town Band. Band Hall, 6A Roxburgh Street, Gala. Open to experienced and inexperienced players of all ages. Instruments can be supplied, so go give it a try. For more info please contact info@galatownband.org.uk Scottish Country Dancing - Tuesdays, 7.00pm - 9.00pm in Old and St Paul's Church Hall. All welcome. Further info 01896822354 or 01578730591.

Study Exercises in Dance and Movement - Friday afternoons 2.00pm to 3.00pm in Langlee Community Centre. A Course of talks on Dance History: the roots and progressions, validated by the International Dance Council (UNESCO). ÂŁ1.50 per week. Urszula Borowskah (member of UNESCO Paris) 07432416223 uborowskah111@uymail.com or contact the Community Centre.

Gala Gazelles Netball - Gala Academy, Thursdays during term time, 8.00pm - 9.00pm. Further information from 07813937646.

Gala Windbags - We are a charitable group affiliated to chest heart and stroke Scotland with meetings every Thursday 1.30 to 3.30pm in Lucy Sanderson Hall Galashiels. Contact details are Wilma Turnbull phone 01896 753493.

G.Ex.(Gentle Exercise) Langlee - for all ages and abilities, Wednesdays at 10.30am. Fun class set to great music. ÂŁ3 plus free refreshment. Information about the class can be obtained by phoning Denise on 07713357450.

Heartfulness Meditation Classes - every Tuesday at 8pm in the Yoga Mill, Galashiels. A beautifully simple, heart-centred meditation practice suitable for those aged over 18. Free. Please ring Sarah for more details, and to register, on 07784740179.

Al-Anon Family Groups - Every Wednesday at 8.00pm, St Peter's Church, Parsonage Road, Galashiels. Many people are affected by the excessive drinking of someone close to them.

Find understanding, help and support in Al-Anon Family Groups. For further information call 07709948205 or visit www.al-anonuk.org.uk for meetings in Selkirk and Hawick.

Borders Philatelic Society - (Gala Stamp Club) welcomes new members who have an interest in Postal History, Stamps or Postcards at any level. We are a small friendly club meeting fortnightly on Monday nights, 7.30 until 9pm in the Church Hall, Old Parish & St. Pauls in Scott Crescent Galashiels. Please contact John Brown on 01721 723759 or Email him at tweedavenue@gmail.com for further information, or just turn up! This seasons 2019 dates are: November 4 & 18. The 2020 dates are:- March 2, 16 & 30.

Galashiels Camera Club - Wednesdays, 7.30pm. Interested in photography? Beginner or expert, why not pop along to Gala Camera Club, you will be made very welcome. We meet almost every Wednesday from September to April in the red room at Langlee community Centre. Check our website for details www.galacameraclub.co.uk Galashiels Studio Club is for people who enjoy all forms of art. We meet from October to March every year, in Old Gala House, at 7.30 pm until approx. 9.30 pm. Members can attend workshops, talks, and visits. Find out more by visiting our Facebook page! Tel 01896 820023 or email: marionneilson11@gmail.com Gala Chess Club - meeting every Tuesday evening at the Focus Centre, Galashiels between 7.00pm and 9.00pm. All levels welcome. Facebook - gala chess club.

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Galashiels & District Probus Club - Probus Clubs provide an opportunity for retired or semiretired professional and business men and women to attend regular meetings and enjoy the company of like-minded people who appreciate the camaraderie of being part of the Club. We meet fortnightly from September to May on Thursday mornings at the Waverley Castle Hotel, Melrose. After a chat and tea or coffee we have a wide variety of interesting talks by guest speakers. We are always open to welcome new members. If you are interested please ask any member or phone Ian Purves on 01896 822892 for more information.

‘Heart for Art’ - Trinity Church Hall, High St, Galashiels every Wednesday afternoon, 1.30pm to 3.30pm. This is a Church of Scotland project which seeks to bring creativity and connection to those living with dementia in Scotland. Come along to our free art classes (with a carer if you wish) where staff of experienced professional artists and volunteers have enhanced dementia training. For more information look on facebook @CrossReachHeartForArt or email: heartfor. art@crossreach.org.uk Kids Art Classes - Friday 6, 13, 20, 27 March, venue - Melrose Primary School; time: 1-2pm. First class free, £8.50 thereafter (billed termly). For more info and to book visit www.facebook.com/ easysketchingclub or email easysketchingclub@gmail.com Layout 1 Beginners 23/6/11 07:27 Page Adults Art Classes - Friday 6, 13, 20, 271 March, venue - Natural Crafts Melrose; time: 10.30am-12pm. £50 block, or £15 drop-in. For more info and to book visit www.facebook.com/ easysketchingclub or email easysketchingclub@gmail.com Scottish Borders Prostate Cancer Support Group. The group meets on the first Wednesday of the month, at the `Tryst`, Chaplaincy Centre, B.G.H. At 7.00pm when all men with this disease will be made most welcome.

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GALA LIFE •

Gala Life - The Border’s favourite magazine has been running 10 years. A lot of our advertisers stay with us - because it works and continuously generates lots of business.

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Price - Gala Life is the most cost effective way to reach all the residents and businesses in the Galashiels, Melrose and surrounding areas.

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It is truly local - all advertisers operate in, or close to the area.

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Gala Life is published monthly - around the last weekend of the month.

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It is delivered to over 11,500 homes and businesses every month, with up to an additional 500 made readily available for visitors and tourists to pick up.

Advertising Rates - In Full Colour Hi-Definition (+VAT) Advert Size (h x w)

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Please call to discuss the options available.

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To advertise in Gala Life, to discuss your requirements, or for more information - please contact Debbie on

07545299491

or

info@galalife.co.uk

This year, bring Mum for a proper Sunday Lunch on Mothering Sunday 22nd March kids under the age of 12 get a free Sunday roast lunch with a paying adult - T&C's Apply

: Melrose Book Now 01896 820319 /eat@provendermelrose.com /www.provendermelrose.com

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The Gala Garden March Anticipation is out of fashion now but it’s available everywhere right now if you know where to look.

Spring may be just around the corner but it is a very tricky right hand bend so don’t be in a rush to sow seeds yet. Instead enjoy the turn of the season and prepare for the summer ahead.

If it is a good dry day in the first half of the month go through your beds and borders taking back the top growth of perennials, removing any weeds, sprinkling some fertiliser like pelleted chicken manure or fish, blood and bone or Gro-more on.

If you top up the mulch of composted bark as you go along this will keep new weed seed from germinating as easily once it warms up.

In the middle of the month if it’s still dry you can give the grass a good rake with a spring tine rake or a scarifier for a big lawn. Wear gloves though and don’t try to get it all done in one day.

You will remove all the dead grass, thatch and moss so that might leave some bare spots. Mix a box of grass seed and a box of spring lawn feed into a two gallon bucket of fresh compost (enough for an average lawn) and sprinkle that on at the rate of about one handful per square metre.

before the buds break.

Prune roses like hybrid teas and floribundas back to just above an outward facing bud. Remove any dead brown wood while you are doing that and apply a handful of fertiliser.

Finish planting any bare root deciduous trees or roses that still need to go in. Leave planting conifers or broadleaf evergreens until late April or early May. Sooner or later it will rain which is the best time to go into the shed or greenhouse and get that sorted out. Sweep it all down and clean the windows. Use Jeyes fluid in solution to wash down the floor and benches.

Get all the little pots and trays washed and stacked ready for use next month. Buy some fresh seed compost and use any open bags of multi-purpose compost to re-pot houseplants or mulch up the borders.

The bulbs are opening, birds are making nests, leaves are bursting out of their fat buds and bumble bees are knocking inside sunny windows that are open to the breeze.

It’s too early to say what summer will be like but it might be lovely. Meanwhile, take every chance to be outside in the sun and enjoy spring!

The trick is to go over the whole lawn after you apply the mix with a stiff bristled broom and brush Sheila Drummond it in right down to the roots of the grass. You will see great improvement before the end of the Portland Garden Design month.

07905 397185 There is still time to finish renovation pruning of drummond.sheila@gmail.com older shrubs or winter pruning of apples and pears 18 Gala Life

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Willie’s Wonky Computer Factory Not so Wonky this month, put the kettle on and let’s talk about keeping children safe online. With kids owning their own phone, laptop or tablet from as young as 5, they probably know far more about it, and the internet than you do. With the majority of use out-with your presence it is important that you know what they are doing, how it affects them and how to keep them safe.

To begin with, you need to understand the risks your children may need to deal with when online: What they might see or do: • Seeing or sharing of violent, sexual and pornographic content • Inaccurate or false information and extreme views • Promotion of harmful behaviours including self harm, anorexia and suicide • Over-sharing of personal information • Actively or unintentionally getting involved in bullying or hurtful behaviour Who they might meet: • People who might bully, intimidate or frighten • People posing behind fake profiles for: • Mischief-making • Sexual grooming and stalking • Blackmail and extortion • Identity theft and hacking How this could affect them: • Fear of missing out leading to excessive use or exaggeration • Getting upset by things they have seen and being uncertain about what to do • Engaging, or being pressured into engaging in more risky behaviour either by accident or design • Developing unrealistic, and perhaps depressing ideals of body image and gender • Becoming subject to peer pressure or interactions that are intense or too difficult to handle • Creating an online reputation that may create problems for them in the future Most apps and websites have safety advice and well-designed safety features which can make a real difference to how safe your child will be when using them. Work through safety and privacy features on the apps that your child is using, or might use. Make sure they understand the point of these and how to use them. Don’t be put off by believing your child knows more than you: the tools are actually quite easy to manage.

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• Ask them to show you which social media apps they use and what they like about them. Talk about how they use them and what makes them so engaging • Explain how you can use privacy settings to make sure only approved friends can see posts & images • Check if any of their apps have ‘geo-location’ enabled, sharing their location unintentionally • Show them how to report offensive comments or block people who upset them • Check ‘tagging’ settings so that when others are posting or sharing photos online, your child’s identity is not revealed. Also, get people‘s consent before sharing photos It’s important that you have regular conversations with you kids about how they use their devices.

Encourage them to come and talk to you if they see anything that upsets them and remind them to always think carefully about the way they, and others behave online, and how they might deal with difficult situations: • People may not always be who they say they are online: how can this create problems?

• Why is it unwise to meet anyone in the real world that you’ve only ever met online?

• Even if you think your messages are private, remember that words and images can always be captured and broadcast.

• People present themselves differently online - do they really look like that? Are they always having that good a time?

• Be aware that screens, and especially being anonymous, can lead people to say things they wouldn’t say to someone’s face.

• What does being a good friend and a likeable person online look like?

• There can be pressure to be part of a particular group online or to be seen to be following a certain set of ideas • How can you take a step back and make your own decisions?

Social Media Encourage your kids to use the privacy tools available on the social networking site to protect their personal information. Usually, there are also tools to block other users completely from seeing their content or making any contact with them.

It is important that they understand to only add

and accept people they know in the offline world to their contact lists on all social networking sites.

Make them think carefully before they post on social media. Discuss what is and isn’t OK to say in a post or comment and remind them that messages online can be easily misunderstood. What starts out as a joke can escalate quickly and can’t be taken back.

They should also know to make sure they ask permission from friends before posting photos of them online. Remind them of the impact that photos can have online, and who can see them.

Show them how to report abusive comments or potentially illegal activity online. Popular sites allow you to report a comment or user who is potentially breaking the rules, by clicking on a ‘report’ button.

If children have concerns about cyberbullying then they should speak to a trusted adult. If concerns about online grooming, they can contact the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) www.ceop.police.uk and also tell a trusted adult. iPhones Here is how to set content and privacy restrictions.

Go to Settings and tap ‘Screen Time’. Tap Continue, then choose “This is My [Device]” or “This is My Child’s [Device].” If it is your device and you want to prevent another family member from changing your settings, tap ‘Use Screen Time Passcode’ to create a passcode. Then re-enter the passcode to confirm.

If you’re setting up Screen Time on your child’s device, follow the prompts until you get to ‘Parent Passcode’ and enter a passcode. Re-enter the passcode to confirm. Tap ‘Content & Privacy Restrictions’. If asked, enter your passcode, then turn on ‘Content & Privacy’.

It is important to choose a passcode different from the one you use to unlock your own device. In here you can restrict access to just about everything.

To change or turn off the passcode on your child’s device, tap Settings > Screen Time > [child’s name].

Then tap Change Screen Time Passcode or Turn Off Screen Time Passcode, and authenticate the change with Face/Touchj ID, or your device passcode.

Android You need a Family Link account, which you create by installing the Family Link app on your phone.

Family Link accounts are different from normal Google accounts. You create them from an app on your phone, and then the Family Link app walks you through setting it up on the phone or tablet you want your child to use. As you log in, Family Link lets you choose which apps your child has

access to, and lets you set up a service that tells you what apps your child uses most. If you choose to allow it, Family Link has access to all of the basic Google apps and services. You can set up Gmail, messenger, Chrome, Google Drive, and more.

YouTube YouTube can be a kid’s worst nightmare, there are things on there that would upset absolutely anyone.

However, there are simple steps you can take to ensure safe browsing.

YouTube has created its own kid-friendly app, YouTube Kids. You can download it for free on Android or iOS and it’s a great way to ensure certain content never reaches your children.

Google chrome You can manage exactly what content is shown under ’Content Settings’. Go to ‘Settings’ and then ‘Advanced Settings’. Here you can control whether any images are shown at all, which cookies are saved and also disable certain plugins to make certain sites unusable. Also, you can control exactly what your child searches for on Google to stop them searching for anything inappropriate, you can lock ‘Google’s Safe Search’ or select ‘safe Search Kids’ which provides additional filters to block more potentially harmful material. This is a very useful tool which you can set as a default browser for your kids.

Gaming consoles These feature parental controls. They allow parents to limit what children can do on devices such as Playstation4 and Xbox. Screen time settings allow you to decide specific times a child is allowed to play their console and how long for. You can also set spending limits to stop or restrict how much they can buy in the game stores.

Smart speakers Smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Google Home include protections against the ability to buy products. Inappropriate content, such as music with expletives can also be blocked without too much trouble. These safety controls can be found within the accompanying app used to set up the device, in Settings, or from the device maker’s web.

You can find out more along with advice and tips about how to talk to your children at: www.childnet.com/sns www.internetmatters.org www.nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety www.parentzone.org.uk www.askaboutgames.com

Willie

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John Lamont MP February saw flooding, high winds and snow causing havoc in Galashiels, and across the Borders. It really makes it difficult to travel anywhere and can be dangerous just to go outside for those who are not very stable on their feet. We must do all we can to help those who are a bit more vulnerable than ourselves, even if this just means checking in on a neighbour or nipping down to Tesco for someone during the bad weather. Let’s hope we make it to the spring without some of the extreme weather we have sometimes suffered in previous years.

Passenger figures have recently been released for all British train stations. It has been another record year with 360,416 entries and exits from Galashiels – a rise of 1.2%. This is compared to 443,766 in Tweedbank and 71,222 in Stow which were both increases too. More people using the railway means less congestion on our roads and is good news for the environment. Unfortunately, there have been some concerns about overcrowding recently. However, late last year Scotrail announced that they were adding 1,500 extra seats per day to services to and from the Borders in order to alleviate overcrowding concerns. As passenger numbers continue to grow, I will make sure that Scotrail continue to increase capacity on the railway to alleviate overcrowding where possible.

Similarly, I continue to make representations at all levels of government for the reopening of the Borders Railway all the way to Carlisle. Having direct rail links to economic and transportation hubs such as Carlisle and the west coast mainline could really transform Galashiels and the Borders for the better.

I had a very busy February surgery in the Focus Centre. Plenty of people always turn up and I am glad to offer my help. Keep an eye on my website and Facebook page for updates of when my next surgeries are. In the meantime, you can always email me at john.lamont.mp@parliament.uk or phone me on 01450 375948.

Euan Jardine Councillor - Galashiels & District Conservative If you recall I stated a while ago in this column, that I was a fan of American Football.

Specifically, I was a fan of Kansas City Chiefs. So the past few weeks, I have been on cloud nine as finally the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. They made a great comeback, in a thrilling game which showed adversity and patience from the team.

It was a great life lesson for anyone watching the game. To keep working hard if you believe in something and never give up even when the world says you can’t do it!

Another sporting team which is working hard and believing in itself is Gala Rugby Club. They have decided to change the way in which they deliver their sevens. Their idea is one I fully support, as I attended a border league evening last year, to give a presentation to clubs on how it is important that they look at different ways on how they deliver their sevens. I was met with some reservations but I do hope it sparked ideas in some minds. As much as I love the sevens and its traditions. The world is changing and how people consume sport is changing even more. So for Gala Rugby Club to go out rebrand and relaunch their sevens is very encouraging and some could say brave.

However, just like the Kansas City Chiefs they know what is possible with a little hard work and belief. The sevens have been rebranded Marooned@Gala and will involve over 1,200 players playing rugby on the same day. All age groups playing sevens on the same day will be a great spectacle.

There will also be a 5K run, live bands and other activities throughout the town. Also a sportsman’s dinner the night before in conjunction with Gala Fairydean. It really is amazing to see the town unite to make it a day to remember. The big day will be 18th April and you should know that entry to the event will be free of charge! So if you’re curious head down to Netherdale on 18th April for

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24 Gala Life

Entertainment for March 7th March

China Blue

14th March

Gillion

21st March

Sharon Hope

28th March

Hi-Jack

Music 9.30pm - 12.30am

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the Marooned@Gala event.

I will be hosting an advice surgery on Friday 6th March 2020 at the Born in the Borders Café, Transport Interchange 10-12 noon.

Email - euan.jardine@scotborders.gov.uk Phone - 0330 100 0220 Twitter - @votejardine Facebook - @VoteEuanJardine

Tom Miers Councillor - Leaderdale & Melrose, Conservative Council Tax is now set by the Scottish Government and has lost its purpose Council Tax no longer has any relationship to what the Council decide to spend. And as a result it has lost its key function as a way of making local councils accountable to local people for the money they spend on voters’ behalf. Instead it has become just another way to pass the blame for unpopular decisions.

This is a tragedy because good policy making depends on good governance. If the public don’t know who is responsible for what, they don't have the information they need to cast their votes accurately. Petty deceits like this increasingly characterise modern democracy and they slowly undermine trust in political institutions.

The Scottish Government has become a master of peddling fake news. In the case of council tax Its usual trick is to give councils more obligations than money, so they’re forced to increase council tax to pay for them. Council Tax is effectively set by central government, therefore, but ministers try to pass the blame to local councillors who notionally set the rate.

The basic problem, then, is that councils act in large part as agencies of central government. Only a minority of their functions are ‘discretionary’ in the sense that councils decide what to spend money on and how much of it to spend. Meanwhile most of a council's revenue comes from a grant from the Scottish Government that can be changed capriciously to manipulate tax and spend at the local level.

Imagine that a council's budget is £100m, of which £50m is spent on central government projects.

Meanwhile £80m of revenue comes from a central grant and £20m is raised by council tax. The following year the government increases the grant by £5m but orders the council to spend an additional £10m on certain projects. The effect is that the council will have £5m less to spend on its core functions - a 10% cut. The only way to avoid it in this example is to raise council tax to cover the gap - by 25%.

This sort of jiggery pokery happens every year (it was responsible in the Borders for this year’s council tax increase) and it's a mess.

There are two solutions to this. Either the grant to local councils should be fixed formulaically (rather like the block grant made by the UK government to Holyrood is). Or the functions that local government performs on behalf of central government should be split off and funded directly. One or both of these in combination would restore the accountability between local councils and local voters. We would know that, if council tax is raised, that’s because the council is going to increase spending on the things that are controlled locally. We could vote according to whether we think this is a good idea and councils would have to justify their actions properly.

At present, this link is hopelessly broken. So the only way we can judge the financial rectitude of local councils is to look at their ‘discretionary spend’. The spending that they actually control is the real measure of the burden of tax they place on voters, rather than council tax.

Tom.miers@scotborders.gov.uk 0300 100 0220 26 Gala Life

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Andy Anderson Councillor - Galashiels & District SNP Well, this year has been very dog-poo related so far … complaints about dog poo, in particular regarding owners who let their dogs foul playing fields and play parks, have been numerous. This issue has also been discussed at Gala Community Council over the time that I have been a councillor and presumably long before. This was also issue when I was involved in children’s and youth rugby on the Netherdale back pitches and other parks some years ago: judging by comments I have received the situation appears not to have improved. Along with the other coaches and club members – all volunteers – one of the first tasks then was to check pitches and clear them every time training sessions or games were on. This still happening and not something that the hard-working volunteers who make children’s sports possible should be having to do.

Not only is it unpleasant, it is a risk to health. I apologize in advance for the biology lesson, but it has been estimated that a single gram of dog poo can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, including Campylobacter, E. coli, Salmonella and Yersinia, which are known to cause cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, intestinal illness, kidney disorders, and worse, in humans. Then there is the risk of parasitic infection from Cyclospora, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Roundworm, Tapeworms and Toxoplasmosis (it is not just cats!). Unfortunately, even the most responsible owners cannot remove all traces of dog faeces when attempting to clean up after their dogs and even a trace amount is potentially a biological time bomb: the remedy is therefore not to let dogs foul these areas where children play.

The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 makes it an offence for a person in charge of a dog in a public open space, including communal areas, not to clear up after it has defecated. Therefore, although signs can be put up ‘banning’ dogs from playing fields, they are only advisory (though from the risks listed above perhaps more people will take note!). In view of this, at the last SBC meeting, a motion was passed (an unfortunate expression in this case!) unanimously (proposed by Cllr Weatherston and seconded by me) requesting SBC to ask the Scottish Government for an addition to the Dog Fouling Act to create a new offence to protect playing fields and playparks. This route may take some time and even if it becomes law there is still the question of enforcement; however, it is a step in the right direction.

Tel: 0300 100 0220; Mobile: 07811 976952.

E-mail: Andy.Anderson@scotborders.gov.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/GalaDistrict Twitter: @AndyA4Gala

What Matters’ Drop in Community Hub Every Thursday between 1-4pm at Hope Central, 1 Overhaugh Street Galashiels.

Do you need to talk to a social worker? Do you need to speak to an occupational therapist? Do you need to speak someone who can provide you with information about what is happening in your local area and volunteering opportunities?

The community Hub is a place where you can meet people from community groups, voluntary organisations, people from the council such as social workers and occupational therapists from across the Scottish Borders all in one place.

They can help you get information and quickly give you advice to help you remain in your own home and get involved in the community – They can help you find the support you need to stay independent such as equipment, transport or help at home – They provide advice for carers, if appropriate. in your own home – They can provide information about what is happening in your 28 Gala Life

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local area and where you could meet new people – and provide information about Volunteering opportunities.

So why not drop into the ‘What Matter’s hub on a Thursday afternoon in Hope Central, Galashiels and see how they can help you – it doesn’t matter what age you are they are there to help you – it may surprise you what help is available and along with a friendly chat you can also enjoy a cuppa while you do!

So why not check out the what Matters Hub every Thursday at Hope Central, just behind Dalgetty the bakers from 1pm to 4pm.

The Gala Policies Group The Gala Policies Group is a new community initiative helping to look after the Policies in Gala.

Our aim is to help manage the Policies as a community resource and to encourage all who use the woodland to clear litter and to discourage damage to trees and other wildlife habitats. Our plan is to encourage the use of the woodland for both recreational and educational purposes so please visit our Facebook page (The Gala Policies Group) for details of monthly meetings, litter picks and future events.

Citizens Advice Bureau Over the winter months we, at Citizens Advice, have been trying to raise awareness on ways to cut energy costs and improve energy efficiency. Although the nights and mornings are getting lighter and spring feels as if it’s on the way – it’s still worthwhile to plan ahead.

In the Scottish Borders 31% of residents from all types of housing, are deemed to be in fuel poverty i.e. fuel bills exceeding 10% of the household income. There are several ways we can save on our energy costs - switching suppliers to find a cheaper tariff being the most common one. However there are little things we could all be doing around the house which could make a difference and save money.

For bigger home improvements there may be schemes available eg. to help improve insulation, replacement boiler/heating etc.

Please contact us if this is something you would like to discuss further. If you attend a group and think the members would be interested to hear more about ways to cut energy costs please do get in touch. www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/ E-mail: enquiries@centralborderscab.casonline.org.uk Phone: 01896 753889.

Central Borders Citizens Advice Bureau, 111 High Street Galashiels TD1 1RZ

Gala Opera It’s Showtime! And Jeff and Marie, our production team, have been working very hard to bring everything together. Costumes, lights, sound are all in place. The lines are learned and the songs and dances given the final touches. Stage crew, front of house, props, makeup are all ready to go.

The orchestra was sounding fantastic at last week’s band call and is all set to get your feet tapping.

So all we need now is YOU to come along and support us! Tickets are on sale now from the Volunteer Hall box office or from our booking hotline on 07754588688 so make sure you get yours.

Anything Goes has been great fun to rehearse - it is a funny, lively colourful show with some of the 30 Gala Life

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Is This Sepsis?

You need to know, or at very least be aware that it could be

This is scary. Every 4 hours someone in Scotland dies of Sepsis, and every hour 5 people in the UK die from it. That’s over 52,000 people in the UK alone and as many as 25,000 children in the UK develop Sepsis every year.

What’s more scary is that you’ve probably never even heard of it, or know very little about it, but Sepsis is one of the top 10 causes of disease related deaths in this country, it kills more people than breast cancer, bowel cancer and prostate cancer combined. The condition can arise suddenly and progress quickly, and it’s often hard to recognise. So what is it, how do you recognise the symptoms and what should you do if you suspect it?

Sepsis was once commonly known as “blood poisoning” and was almost always deadly.

Originally it was thought to arise from an overgrowth of bacteria or other germs in the bloodstream. We now know that sepsis actually springs from 2 factors: first an infection, and then a powerful and harmful response by your body’s own immune system. Normally our immune system fights infection – but sometimes, for reasons we don’t yet understand, the immune system goes into overdrive and starts to attack our organs and other tissues. It can happen as a response to any injury or infection, anywhere in the body.

Most common causes result from •

A chest infection causing pneumonia

•

A urine infection in the bladder

•

A problem in the abdomen, such as a burst ulcer or a hole in the bowel

•

An infected cut or bite

•

A wound from trauma or surgery

•

A leg ulcer or cellulitis

However, most cases are caused by common bacteria, which normally don’t even make us ill.

Sepsis is most common and most dangerous in: •

Older adults

•

Pregnant women

•

Children younger than 1

•

People who have chronic conditions, such as diabetes, kidney or lung disease, or cancer

•

People who have weakened immune systems

Most often, Sepsis occurs in people who are hospitalized or who have recently been hospitalized. People in the intensive care unit are especially vulnerable to developing infections, which can then lead to Sepsis.

If not treated immediately, Sepsis can result in organ failure and death. Yet with early diagnosis, it can be treated with antibiotics.

Symptoms In adults, it may feel like you have flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection at first.

The early symptoms include fever, chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and quick breathing.

As it develops, symptoms can include feeling dizzy or faint, confusion or disorientation, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea and cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin.

Any child who is breathing very fast, has a ‘fit’ or convulsion, or looks mottled, bluish, or pale, or has a rash that does not fade when you press it, may have Sepsis. Any baby or child under 5 years old who is not feeding, vomiting repeatedly or hasn’t had a wee or wet nappy for 12 hours, might have Sepsis.

Sepsis ranges from less to more severe. As it worsens, blood flow to vital organs, such as your Sepsis can be caused by a huge variety of different brain, heart and kidneys, becomes impaired. germs, like streptococcus, e-coli, MRSA or C diff.

Sepsis can also cause blood clots to form in your 36 Gala Life

organs and in your arms, legs, fingers and toes - leading to varying degrees of organ failure and tissue death. In some cases, Sepsis can develop into Septic Shock, when certain changes in the circulatory system, the body's cells and how the body uses energy become more abnormal. One indication of Septic Shock is very low blood pressure. Septic Shock is more likely to cause death than Sepsis is.

Sepsis is a medical emergency.

If you or someone you care about has a rapid progression of these symptoms phone 999. Time is critical when it comes to treating Sepsis and every hour counts.

While deaths caused by Sepsis have fallen by 21% since 2012, thanks in part to the work of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, it is still vital that everyone is aware of this potentially fatal condition. The key in treating Sepsis is catching it quickly, so that is why it’s important to know the signs. If someone has two or more of the symptoms and they are getting rapidly worse, it is important to seek urgent medical advice.

Caught early, outcomes can be excellent. If left unchecked, the patients condition is likely to deteriorate rapidly leading to multiple organ failure and death. Don't risk it, seek medical help and ask "IS THIS SEPSIS?"

If you develop signs and symptoms of Sepsis seek medical care immediately. You can seek urgent medical advice from your GP if you've recently had an infection or injury and you have possible signs of Sepsis, and ask 'is this sepsis?'

If your GP practice is closed, phone the 111 service.

If sepsis is suspected, you’ll usually be referred to hospital for further diagnosis and treatment.

Sepsis Research (originally called FEAT – The Fiona Elizabeth Agnew Trust) is Scotland’s Sepsis charity, dedicated to Sepsis research. It is fighting to Stop Sepsis Now. To find out more visit www.sepsisresearch.org.uk and for more on Sepsis check the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/conditions/sepsis/ Debbie Gala Life 37

best known numbers in musical theatre so you are guaranteed a great night of entertainment.

With a talented young cast, great music, fabulous choreography and many laughs along the way, what more could you ask for.

We will set sail from the Volunteer Hall every night at 7.30pm from 2nd to 7th March, tickets £15 adults/ £12 concessions - make sure you are aboard when we wish everyone Bon Voyage!

Caddonfoot Parish Church As the clock winds down on the Rev Elspeth Harley’s time at Caddonfoot Parish Church – the minister retires in April - it has again been a busy period as we look back on 2020 so far and look ahead to Easter.

Rev Harley will also retire from Trinity, our Link church in Galashiels, with her last services on April 19th as the congregations prepare for one church in the town. So it will be all change this year.

Melrose and Peebles Presbytery has agreed a Link with Stow and Heriot as the Church of Scotland tackles a shortage of ministers and the state of the buildings. The Link will be severed with Trinity, which will become part of a Galashiels church. Services will continue to be held in Caddonfoot as at present and also at Stow and Heriot under the Rev Victoria Linford.

In January, the Rev Neil Combe, Locum at the Old Parish and St Paul’s and St John’s, preached at one of our services while members played their part in all of the services with Readings and Prayers.

A special service on January 25th marked the Blessing of Finn Campbell, and we were joined by family relatives and friends. On the following Sunday, the Sacrament of Holy Communion was celebrated and on February 9th, Session Clerk Mrs Anne Grieve conducted worship and the service was also attended by members of Melrose and Peebles Presbytery.

On the same day, we celebrated member Phil Hartland’s 90th birthday with a special cake baked

by Mrs Fay Brydon and a wee glass of sherry for those who wanted it.

February also saw a meeting of the Kirk Session, where many items were discussed.

As we approach Easter, we will be holding our usual Good Friday Communion service at 7pm, preceded the previous night with the Maundy Day supper and agapae in Trinity – a lot to look forward to later in the year.

We are now in the process of publishing our Easter newsletter, which includes articles from our retiring minister and the Rev Linford; local councillors; a Property report; Dr Fiona Burnett, Moderator of Peebles and Melrose Presbytery; the latest on the groups set up by the Presbytery Planning Group to take the changes forward; super photographs; and local news from Clovenfords and district, including the Community Council – and much more.

Just a reminder, too, to keep your disused stamps for Atholl Innes, who hands them over to raise funds for the Eden Valley Hospice at Brampton. Thanks to everyone from the church, Trinity in Galashiels, and others who have donated stamps so far – keep them coming.

Church services are held each Sunday at 9.45 a.m. and conducted by the Rev Harley.

Old Parish & St Paul’s Church Scott Crescent, Galashiels TD1 3JU

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We are two linked churches who want to be God glorifying and Christ exalting in our worship. The Word of God is faithfully preached and therefore we would like to invite everyone to come and listen to God speaking to us through His Word.

Sunday Services in March: United service - 1st March at 11am in St John’s 9.45am St John’s on all Sundays except 1st 11.30am Old & St Paul’s on all Sundays except 1st 6.30pm St John’s on all Sundays Prayer Meetings in March: Tuesday 3rd, 10th, 17th, 31st at 7.30pm in St John’s Tuesday 24th at 7.30pm in Old & St Paul’s Sunday 1st at 5pm in St John’s Other groups and activities St John’s Bible Studies - House groups on Wednesday evenings and Thursday afternoon.

Galashiels Food Bank – Team involved in distribution.

Girls Brigade - Mondays Explorers (P1–P3) 6pm – 7.15pm Juniors (P4–P7) 7pm – 8.30pm Brigaders (S1–S6) 6pm – 8.30pm Last Monday of the month 6pm – 7.30pm for all sections

Old & St Paul’s Bible Studies - House group on Tuesday mornings.

Boys Brigade – Friday evenings Anchor Boys 6pm – 7pm Juniors 7pm – 8.30pm Company Section 7.15pm – 10pm Guild – Wednesday 4th and 18th at 2.15pm Lunch Club - Thursdays 12.30pm. Phone 01578 730591 for information on cost etc.

Music Makers - Alternate Thursdays 7.30pm.

Badminton - Wednesdays 10am.

United Lenten Studies - Wednesday 4th, 11th, 18th, 24th in Old & St Paul’s at 7.30pm World Day of Prayer service on Friday 6th March in Gala Baptist Church at 7pm For further information Interim Moderator: Rev Dr David Donaldson. e-mail: davidandjeandonaldson@gmail.com phone: 0781 7479 866.

Locum: Rev Neil Combe. E-mail: neil.combe@btinternet.com phone: 01896 755869. websites: www.oldparishandstpauls.org.uk

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Peach Melba Pie Pastry? OK, you can cheat and buy ready made shortcrust pastry. You can even cheat more and use drained canned peaches. Whatever way, it's a taste of summer on a dreary day :o)

Ingredients

• 175g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting • 175g plain flour • 160g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed • 4 ripe peaches • ½ lemon, juiced • 1 tbsp cornflour • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

• 3 tbsp light muscovado sugar • 1 tbsp runny blossom honey • 200g raspberries • 10g chilled butter • 1 egg beaten • 2 tbsp demerara sugar • vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, to serve

1. Combine both flours, the butter and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Add cold water 1 tbsp at a time (4-5 tbsp), pulsing until the mix starts to cling together. Tip out and knead with your hands (add more water if required) to make a pliable pastry dough. Split in half and flatten each portion. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.

2. Remove a disc of pastry from the fridge, unwrap and, on a generously floured surface, roll it out to a large, circle, wider than the pie dish. Transfer to a floured baking sheet and chill for about 10 mins.

Repeat with the remaining disc.

3. Heat the oven to 180C. Stone and quarter the peaches. Cut each in two, and toss in a bowl with the lemon juice, cornflour, vanilla extract, sugar, honey and raspberries. Add the butter in small pieces.

4. Using a floured rolling pin, drape one of the pastry sheets across a 24cm pie dish. Let it sink in and, holding the edges, lift and tuck into the corners. Prick the pastry all over and fill with the peach mixture.

5. Drape the second pastry sheet over the filling. Press together the top and bottom crusts, crimping with your fingers to seal, and trim off any excess. Cut three 8cm slits across the top crust, brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle over the demerara sugar. Bake for 55 mins to 1 hr until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling out. Cool for about 10 mins before serving with cream or vanilla ice cream.

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St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Galashiels We are a friendly welcoming people and you are warmly invited to join us for any of our services.

Church Diary March 2020 Sun 1st 9.45am Family breakfast

10.30am Family Service, Rev Simon Cake Wed 4th 7.30pm Study Group Thurs 5th 10.00am Communion

8.15pm GFoC prayer walk from Market Square Fri 6th 7.00pm World Day of Prayer service @ Baptist Church Sun 8th 10.30am Communion service

6.00pm Healing service Thurs 12th 10.00am Communion Sun 15th 9.30am Sunday Squad

10.30am Communion service Thurs 19th 10.00am Communion Sat 21st 12.30 – 2.00pm Soup ‘n’ Pud lunch Sun 22nd

10.30am Communion service, Mothering Sunday Thurs 26th 10.00am Communion Sun 29th 10.30am Communion Service Thurs 2nd April 10.00am Communion Sun 5th Palm Sunday joint service @ St John’s, Selkirk,

Rev John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh Priest Rev Simon Cake 01896 668898 or 07710 523856 Hall Bookings Elizabeth Watret 01750 23207 or 07780 009355 elizabeth.watret@gmail.com Caretaker Phil Todd 07787 729639. St Peter’s Sunday Squad website www.stpetersgala.co.uk

Galashiels Baptist Church We are a friendly welcoming church situated in Victoria Street Galashiels.

Sundays we meet at 10.30am for morning worship, we enjoy both contemporary and traditional songs/hymns. Crèche facilities are available and Sunday Club for primary age Children. Tea and coffee are served after the service with a fellowship lunch on the 2nd Sunday of every month, apart from July and August. In the evening, 6.00-8.00pm there is a Youth Club for P7 upwards when they enjoy a variety of games - snooker, table tennis and board games. (not during school holidays) First Monday of each month. 2-3.00pm Prayer and Pud for Ladies.

First Saturday of each month (7th March), 12 - 2pm, Community Café in the church hall, serving delicious home made soup and pudding. No charge, voluntary donations only; all welcome.

Tuesdays at 12.30pm there is a Lunch Club for the elderly. Enjoy a 3 course lunch followed by tea/ coffee. Cost is £5. There are occasional outings throughout the year.

First Tuesday of each month at 11.45 am a service in the church for LAPWinG Lunch Club folk, but all welcome. Tea/coffee from 11.30am.

Tuesdays and Thursdays a Parent and Toddler group meets from 10 – 11.15am. This is a great opportunity to meet new people and for children to enjoy play with others.

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Dental Month Now that the stresses of Christmas, and the January blues are well behind us, and we are all looking forward to lighter evenings and, hopefully, better weather, it’s the ideal time to make sure our four-legged friends are in tip top condition.

One of the most important, and often most overlooked, areas of our pets annual ‘MOT’ is dental health. According to a recent veterinary study, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats, over the age of 3 years old, will manifest some form of dental disease. Often people simply aren’t aware of how important it is for cats and dogs to have clean teeth, and don’t know the problems neglected teeth can cause; everything from mouth sores to bacterial infections reaching the heart. It’s much more than an issue of cosmetics or stinky dog breath.

Regular tooth brushing, correct feeding and dental treats are a great way of preventing a build-up of plaque. If you are in any doubt, we can book your pet in for a dental check-up with one of our registered Veterinary Nurses, who will examine your pets’ teeth and can quickly tell whether your pet has a problem.

If brushing and management is all that is needed, our nurses will explain how to brush your pets’ teeth, how often to do this and will assess the type of food you feed your pet. The size, shape, density and moisture content of your pet’s food can contribute to a build-up of plaque.

If the nurse feels that there is a more serious

dental problem, we would advise for your pet to have a check-up with a vet and most likely a dental procedure. This can range from a simple ‘scale and polish’ to prevent further problems developing, to full mouth x-rays and surgical tooth extractions if required At Border Vets, we are committed to providing the highest level of preventative health care for all our patients. So, during March we will be holding a ‘Dental Month’, with free nurse dental checks and 10 % off all dental procedures.

Call us now and book an appointment to see one of our qualified veterinary nurses for your pet’s free dental health assessment, and lets make sure all of our furry friends get back their ‘hint of minty freshness’.

Jim Ross Clinical Director Border Vets

www.bordervets.co.uk Galashiels Veterinary Surgery Gala Terrace, Galashiels TD1 3JT 01896 752156 46 Gala Life

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Gala Life 47

Tuesday Prayer meeting 7.00 - 8.15pm.

Wednesdays at 2pm a craft group meets in the small lounge. The group meets all through the year, and accompanied children and grandchildren are very welcome. Painting and crafting materials available. Enjoy a cup of tea and a chat whilst you do your knitting, sewing, crocheting, or painting.

Hope Church Hope Church will now meet at two different venues on a Sunday; 10.30am at Tweedbank Community Centre 4.00pm at Hope Central, Galashiels Please note the first Sunday of each month there will not be a church gathering at either venue as we will be meeting in our smaller community groups throughout the Borders.

The aim of our services are always to glorify God and to tell others of the Hope that Jesus came to the world to give.

We know it can be a bit daunting coming into a church for the first time, but be assured we have a great team that will welcome you, and if you like, someone will sit with you throughout the service.

Here’s some of what to expect; We love to worship God through song and we have a great band with a contemporary sound, you can join in if you like or simply just listen.

We love to look at God’s Word, the bible, and someone speaks for about 30 minutes. We relate God’s Word so it’s relevant to your week, and not something we just listen to and forget about!

We offer prayer to anyone who feels they need some support, life can be hard and it’s encouraging to have someone support you through those times.

During church we provide Hope Babies, Hope Kids and Hope Youth - you can confidently leave your children in an adjoining room with our great children’s team. Everyone is PVG checked and have undertaken Child Protection Training.

To finish you can stay and enjoy good coffee and doughnuts and get to know others a little better.

You are invited! We’d love to meet you so please join with us any Sunday.

Hope Central This is our community drop in where our team will give you a warm welcome and a good cup of coffee! We are hear to listen, care and help.

Tuesday: Drop In 12-2.30pm including lunch time service from 1pm - 1.30pm Everyone Welcome!

Wednesday: Thrive: Parent and toddler group from 10.30am - 12.15pm Thursday, Friday: Drop In 12-4pm Hope Central 1-3 Overhaugh Street, Galashiels TD1 1DL e: enquiries@hopechurchborders.org.uk t: 07377 717705 w: www.hopechurchborders.org.uk

Trinity Church Galashiels Minister: Reverend Elspeth Harley Tel. 01896 758485 Session Clerk, Ed Martin - 752252 or edwrd984@aol.com Mercy Daniels - Office - 752967 or email trinity.cfoot@gmail.com Office hours: Friday 09.30am - 3.00pm.

Continued on page 50 48 Gala Life

This Month’s Easy Sudoko 9 7

6

8

How to play............

8 5

1

6

8 7 5

2

8

9

6 9

4

3

5 4

1

8 3

4

3 5

5

Fill the grid so that every row, column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

That’s all there is to it! Use reasoning and logic to solve the puzzle - there’s no maths or adding up.

Look carefully for what numbers can go where and with a little practice it will get easier!

7

Gala Life 49

Website: www.caddonfootgalatrinity.org.uk In January a joint meeting was held in Trinity and there was a presentation to a large number of people from all churches about our future. The object of this meeting was to discuss buildings and to think about what we would want in any future building whether it is a new building or an old existing building which may need refurbishment. Bob McKendrick gave a very informative power point presentation. Some very important ideas were put forward and everyone seemed to be thinking along similar lines. The working committees from each church will meet in the future and when decisions are made, the congregations will be asked to vote on the outcome.

At the beginning of February we celebrated the Sacrament of Holy Communion jointly with Old and St. Paul’s Parish Church and St. John’s here at Trinity. The minister, Rev. Elspeth Harley conducted the service and David Donaldson, the interim moderator for St. Paul’s and St. John’s conducted the communion service.

Trinity’s minister, Elspeth, retires in April and the linkage between Trinity and Caddonfoot Church will come to an end as they will be forming a linkage with Stow and Heriot Churches.

Joint services with the other Churches of Scotland in Galashiels will continue on the first Sunday of each month until decisions are made.

Dates for March: Sunday 1st

Joint service at St. John’s 11am

Heart For Art Continues on Wednesday afternoons between 1.30 and 3.30pm in church hall 1 5 evenings of Lent Studies in the run up to Easter began on Wednesday 25th February at. 7.30pm in St. Paul’s small hall and will continue on Wednesday evenings throughout March.

Guild: Tuesday 3rd Friday 6th Saturday 7th Tuesday 17th Tuesday 31st

Rachel Hammerton—the art of making kilts World Day of Prayer Coffee Morning 10am -12 noon in hall 1 Malawi Fruits—project AGM and Marion Dodd on Choir trip to Jerusalem

Our Lady and St Andrews Catholic Church Stirling Street, Galashiels, TD1 1BY www.galacatholic.org Linked with St Cuthbert's, Melrose, High Cross Avenue, TD6 9SQ and Our Lady & St Joseph's, Selkirk, High Street, TD7 4JX A warm welcome awaits you at our three churches spread across three beautiful Border towns. Join us for Sunday Mass at 6pm in Selkirk (Saturday evening), 9.15am in Melrose and 11am in Galashiels.

The churches in Galashiels and Melrose are open during the day for quite prayer and reflection and Mass is celebrated on Mondays at 10am in Selkirk and Wednesday to Saturday at 10am in Galashiels.

Confessions are heard in Galashiels on Saturday mornings from 10.30am to 11am, in Selkirk on Saturday evenings from 5.15pm to 5.45pm, and in Melrose at 9am on Sundays.

Each Saturday in Galashiels there is the opportunity to pray before the Exposed Blessed Sacrament from 10.30m to 11am, concluding with Benediction - a beautiful way to spend Saturday morning before getting your messages or jumping on the train!

We look forward to seeing you at one of our churches soon.

Continued on page 52

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Advice Surgeries Advice surgeries held regularly across the Borders.

John has held over 330 surgeries since becoming your MP. See johnlamont.org for more details.

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Bethel Rock Gateway Church Focus Centre, Livingstone Place, Gala. TD1 1DQ. "Jesus said - I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." John 14:6 NLT This is the most important statement that Jesus made. It means there is no other way to having a relationship with God leading to eternal life in Heaven. We have to believe in what Jesus achieved on the cross and in rising from the grave. It renders us sin free and God will accept us. Christians call it the Good News. Anyone can come that way no matter what you have done in the past or what you are doing now. That is why it is called the Good News. God loves you and has a plan for your life. Will you take up His offer?

Come to church and realise your potential.

Every Sunday 11am. Focus Centre. Kathy & Douglas Renton, Pastors Mobile: 07815 682 027

https://m.douglasrenton.org

Bowden & Melrose Church of Scotland We have two places of worship with services in both each Sunday – 9.30am at Bowden Kirk and 11.00am at Melrose Parish Church. At 10.00 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month we hold a Family Service in Melrose Parish Church Hall. It lasts half an hour and is a less formal style of worship. Everyone is welcome to attend these services.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, High Cross Avenue, Melrose Services at Holy Trinity take a number of formats, some less formal than others, so there is truly something for everyone, from the peaceful oasis of a Taizé Service to the more formal atmosphere of a traditional Communion or Sung Eucharist Service. Whether you're a first time visitor, or a regular member of the congregation, all are welcome.

Fr Philip can often be heard on Radio 4 and BBC Scotland's 'Thought for the Day'. He makes services interesting, enlightening, and often humorous as he draws on his own life experience, family life, and relationship with Jesus to illustrate the topic of the day.

As well as worship, the church is fulfilling its aim to build a strong culture of musical excellence under the direction of Chris Achenbach, resident organist and Musical Director of The Borders BigBand and Langlee Community Choir. The church organ is an engineering marvel in that it is a virtual organ, and congregations often sit at the end of services to hear every last note. The church is host to many musical concerts throughout the year, and a music festival in May. All Sundays: 8.30 a.m.

Holy Communion Worship Service 11.00 a.m.

First Sunday Service, or Sung Eucharist Worship Service First Sunday: 6.30 p.m. Choral Evensong Third Sunday: 6.30 p.m. Parish Evensong First Tuesday: 2.30 p.m. Holy Communion afternoon service.

Wednesdays: 10.30 a.m. Mid-week Worship Service - Trinity Centre Last Wednesday of each month - 7.00 p.m. Taizé Service. A brief interlude of gentle readings, silence, and Christian chants in the peaceful atmosphere of the church.

Fridays: 8.30 a.m. Morning Prayer in the Side Chapel.

Continued on page 54 52 Gala Life

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The Filling Station The Filling Station normally meets for regular Monday evening ‘celebration’ meetings held in the Corn Exchange Melrose, every month on the first Monday starting at 7.30pm and we have seen Christian’s from communities across the Scottish Borders grow in depth, numbers and fellowship.

The Filling Station offers high quality speakers and teachers, contemporary sung worship and powerful, accessible prayer ministry.

Our meetings are designed to be overtly spiritual but presented in a manner that those outside the church would feel comfortable.

Our meetings aim to be short, sharp and focused in character. We find many people meet God through these meetings and faith is built up. We welcome Christians from all backgrounds, denominations and non, Christian leaders, those seeking to understand what the Christian faith is all about, and those just inquisitive.

The next Filling Station will be on Monday March 2nd at 7.30pm in the Corn Exchange Melrose with the speaker being Roy Searle from North Yorkshire.

The Filling Station meets on March 2nd following a very inspiring night in February with Josh Gilbert. This month we welcome for the first time Roy Searle to the Filling Station. Roy was born and grew up on Tyneside and North Yorkshire and is passionate about the North East. He came to faith when he was training as an Outward-Bound instructor in Scotland before going on to prepare for ministry at Lebanon Missionary Bible College, Berwick-upon-Tweed and University College, Cardiff. A creative, missional pioneer he began his church ministry at Portrack Baptist Church on Teesside, before becoming Senior Pastor at Enon Baptist Church in Sunderland. He is one of the founders of the Northumbria Community, where he has been one of its leaders since 1992. Roy travels extensively throughout Britain and the rest of Europe, encouraging people to love God and live generously.

The meeting will also include our regular worship time along with time for prayer, ministry and fellowship so please come and join us for an exciting night. Please continue to pray for how we can encourage more of our smaller churches in the borders, so do join us for an exciting night of ministry and fellowship – March 2nd in the Corn Exchange Melrose.

Heart and Soul The weekly Heart and Soul class for patients who had been through the heart rehabilitation programme meets each Thursday from 5pm to 6pm in the Chaplaincy Centre at the Borders General Hospital.

These are classes of light exercise and relaxation with general chat a real therapy and tonic for the members from Galashiels, Lauder and Hawick etc – and nothing at all strenuous. Cost is a mere £1.

In recent weeks, we have introduced some new and different, but very relaxing exercises to vary our programme.

The meetings are enjoyable occasions and good for your health.

We have now handed over our donation of £300 to the Chaplaincy Centre.

Entries in our Community Pages and Get Out section are free to non profit groups Send your entry for our Community/Get Out pages to info@galalife.co.uk Or call Willie on 01721720129 by 12th of the month.

Any included event will also appear in our Diary.

Editors decision is final.

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Gala Rugby Club Mid Table The Maroons remain mid table in National League 1, and as the season is heading towards the end it certainly looks as though that is where we will finish up.

Gala hosted Heriots Blues twice at the end of January, once in the League, and the other in the Quarter final of the Scottish Cup. Both games were closely contested, however both did not go in Gala’s favour. Gala started with a league win 29-21 after tries from Robbie Irvine, Fergus Johnston and Ruairi Howarth (2), 3 of which were converted by Ross Cooke.

Unfortunately this was not to be replicated the following week. Andrew Mitchell and Josh Irvine both scored tries which were converted by Ross Cooke. Cooke also added 2 penalties, and Dean Keddie added a penalty. A penalty try near the end of the game gave Gala a score of 30 but this was just short of Heriots who had scored 32, and had secured themselves a place in the Semi finals.

Gala then faced Stirling Wolves in a rearranged fixture after it was postponed due to frost in November.

Ben Gill touched down for 2 tries, and Fergus Johnston scored one.

Unfortunately neither were converted, but we did add a penalty to our score sheet. In another closely contested game it was Gala who fell short again 20-22.

Our Ladies Committee have organised a ‘Grand Day Out’ on Saturday 14th March which coincides with Super Saturday. Come along and enjoy an Afternoon Tea with Prosecco, and watch the 3 Six Nations games on the big screen. This kicks off at 1pm for 1.30 start, and is priced at £25 per person. £10 per person deposit is required when booking. To book your place contact Claire in the office, or any member of the ladies committee – Diane, Yvonne, Claire, Alana, Lesley, Jill or Jackie.

Plans are coming together for our multi-generational sevens tournament ‘Maroon’d@Gala’ on Saturday 18th April. This event will bring together the Mini’s, Vixens, Triangle, Wanderers and Seniors, and will also combine Football and Athletics. There will be live music throughout, and also various types of street food. To make sure this event is as inclusive and accessible as possible entry will be free, although we hope that spectators will be happy to make a donation on the day. You can now book your place at Hospitality by contacting Claire on claire@galarfc.com or on 01896 755145. So that we are able to utilise our current bars, Hospitality will be in Borders College. There will be a reserved area in the stand for hospitality guests which can be accessed via the gate at the Hayward Pavilion end of Netherdale. Your support at this exciting new event will be greatly appreciated.

Come on the Maroons!

56 Gala Life

This Month’s Tricky Sudoko 9

How to play............

4

1

4 7

5

8

2 6

8

3

4

9

3

2

7 8

5

9

8

7

6

5

5

2

6 2

Fill the grid so that every row, column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

That’s all there is to it! Use reasoning and logic to solve the puzzle - there’s no maths or adding up.

Look carefully for what numbers can go where and with a little practice it will get easier!

3 Gala Life 57

YOUR HOROSCOPE For March 2020

By Astrologer Christine Chalklin March suggests a completely new cosmic energy as stern Saturn arrives in the innovative sign of Aquarius on the 22nd. Prepare for a challenge, Saturn has not been in this sign since 1994 and it will remain in Aquarius until March 2023. We will all feel the volatile impact of Uranus ruled Aquarius as we question the boundaries we have created in our life and begin the process of restructuring them. Rather than holding on to old habits, we should become more interested in experimenting and breaking free from whatever the status quo has been. Saturn will retrograde back into Capricorn in July, but for now it’s all about preparing for transformational change. Venus moves into Taurus on the 5th, perfect timing just as nature beckons and the first signs of spring are on their way. The full moon is on the 9th in imaginative Pisces and the dynamic new moon in Aries falls on the 24th, just a few days after the spring equinox on the 20th.

ARIES MARCH 21 – APRIL Dynamic Mars, your ruler, dominates the most pivotal part of your char, joining Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter this strong planetary activity is aimed at making personal freedom and self-assertion more important than ever before. The powerful new moon in your sign on the 24th may bring some tough choices.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 21 Demanding Saturn arrives at the highest point of your chart, over the next few years you will be challenged like never before. Optimistic Jupiter highlights your soul journey and the many things that still have to be accomplished. Love planet Venus enters your sign on the 5th, enabling you to get those new plans underway.

GEMINI MAY 22 - JUNE 21 Mercury, your ruling planet, returns to direct motion on the 10th, you can breathe a sigh of relief as your life returns to normal! Finances and resources are in the spotlight this month. Keep yourself focussed as you have the power to be very persuasive in any negotiations; this should turn out to be a profitable and productive month.

CANCER JUNE 22 - JULY 22 March suggests that relationships are very important this month, as a heavy planetary emphasis in this area of your chart restores your sense of optimism and courage, particularly with a certain someone. Your renewed confidence enables you to push ideas forward. The Aries new moon on the 24th is a marvellous energy boost, possibilities are endless!

LEO JULY 23 - AUGUST 23 This month sees the arrival of demanding Saturn in your opposite sign. This new cycle may sharpen your intuition and judgement, making you more receptive to new ideas. Remember that is best to rely on facts rather than feelings. You should be able to turn personal or professional situations to your advantage.

VIRGO AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 22.

The full moon in your sign on the 9th helps you to apply your energies to constructive pursuits.

The Sun, Mercury and Neptune are all prominent around this time and highlight inspirational and intuitive experiences. New and exciting ideas to push you forwards occur at the spring equinox on the 20th 58 Gala Life

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 23 The month’s events hinge around Venus, your ruling planet, arriving in the most resourceful area of your chart on the 5th. Be sure to talk to partners and colleagues about the bigger issues and dig deep to unearth new truths. The Equinox on the 20th shows that freedom and individuality are more important than ever.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22 This month’s planetary activity turns your attention to communicating trust and intuition, by doing this you’ll benefit most from a harmonious atmosphere. Saturn enters your domestic area on the 22nd, you can use your organisational skills to perform everyday jobs and plan your schedule in a more efficient way.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 21 March is dominated by a restructure of your personal finances and earning capacity. As strict Saturn arrives in Aquarius on the 22nd you’ll find that if you stick to your plans you have a really good chance of succeeding. The Aries new moon on the 24th suggests that a long term creative project can finally get underway.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 20 Saturn, your ruler, arrives at the financial area of your chart on the 22nd. Challenges and change are on offer and you’ll need to make some important decisions; guard against making too many sacrifices in the name of duty. The Equinox on the 20th will reveal more about changes of the inevitable kind. Romance comes into focus after the 5th.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 18 March is a very important month as Saturn arrives in your sign on the 22nd. It’s not a bad thing at all since Saturn is one of your ruling planets. For wacky and rebellious Aquarius your ancient ruler can bring you some much needed stability and serenity. Inspirational energy can peak and structuring and assessing your life goals becomes a major theme.

PISCES FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20 The powerful full moon in your opposite sign of Virgo on the 9th brings much needed clarity and focus into many areas of your life. This is a time for illuminating new beginnings, particularly where love and romance are concerned. Venus and Mars are both in practical earth signs, it’s time to be decisive!

NAVIGATE YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS during 2020 - take a look at your year ahead and plan with in-depth knowledge and cosmic awareness. Tune into your highest potential and be alerted when positive and productive planetary cycles are working in your favour. Consultations are available on Skype or telephone, please contact me for more information.

Christine Chalklin Inspirational Astrologer and Life Coach, Email: christine_chalklin@hotmail.com New website: www.yourguidinglight.org Mobile: 07813 483549 Find me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/restyleyourlife Gala Life 59

FITNESS with Alan Clinch

More about eating…..

So we’re well into the new year – how’s the fitness, diet, and general wellness looking?

This month I’ve got a few suggestions to help tip the balance in favour of not overeating. Eating too much food is easy to do, especially if you’re confronted with a particularly tasty meal. There are a host of tactics to help stop this becoming a problem, generally better than radical diet plans!

Look Ahead It’s easy to eat on multiple occasions during the day, whether or not you are hungry. If this is an issue, try considering what you’ll feel like if you don’t eat the food on offer, or how you’ll feel after you eat unnecessary calories.

Ask ‘Do I need to finish this?’

You’re really enjoying the meal, you look down at the plate (feeling pretty full), but you finish it anyway…. I think most of us have been in that situation, so try going back to the ‘look ahead’ situation described above.

Eat Slower The body is pretty efficient, but it still takes a little while for the digestive system to let the brain know it’s full. These signals can take anywhere between five and twenty minutes to be generated and sent. That’s why if we eat too fast, by the time the signals reach the brain we’ve already eaten too much.

Eat Consciously It’s difficult to walk (or drive) anywhere without seeing people with some kind of foodstuff in their hand - in such situations our focus isn’t on the food though, it’s on the other activity. That means that we miss the cues and messages from the body. Consider eating a sandwich or some fast food whilst walking – how much of the eating process do you actually recall? Try to eat at least one meal a day without doing anything else and see how you feel – you might be surprised!

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Pay Attention to All Your Hunger Cues If you’re waiting until you feel hungry before starting to eat consider there might be other ways that your body communicates the need for food. We all experience hunger cues differently: sometimes we feel a little irritable, or start to get a headache or feel tired/fatigued. Try to recognise the signs that your body gives you and take action fast!

Eat Before You’re Hungry Quite often it’s difficult to eat at set times – travelling, ensuring the children are in the right place at the right time, finishing a job etc. If you get a chance try to eat a little early: this might give you an opportunity to take time making and eating food. Leaving eating later means that by the time it comes to eat we’re starving and don’t consider what or how much we’re putting in….and all of a sudden we’ve overdone it. It’s a good idea not to miss breakfast if this happens on a regular basis.

Consider your stress levels Stress is commonplace in our lives – sometimes with good reason, other times not so much. I’ve written about stressors before, so without going over old ground it’s safe to say that stress causes physical symptoms which can potentially lead to overeating as we try to make ourselves feel better. One of the effects of cortisol released by stress is to increase appetite, so if you’re stressed and feeling like a snack try carrying small pieces of fruit – eating fruit takes effort to peel and dispose of the skin – maybe you’ll decide the effort just isn’t worth it, but if you do at least it’s much better than sugary fat filled food.

If you feel that you have a problem with food consumption or weight control, the first person to speak to for constructive advice might just be your Doctor, or a qualified dietician – taking random ideas from magazines or the internet seldom gives us all of the required information alan@galalife.co.uk

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Gala Life 61

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Abbey Bridge Stoves

41

Dryburgh Abbey Hotel

11

Mackenzie Plumbing

39

Apollo Blinds

39

DW Noble

49

Maxwell Roofing

53

Arbormaster

15

Eco-Collect

19

New Town Maintenance

21

Beatles & Eagles

13

Fencing & Hedges

19

NS24 Bookkeeping

32

Border Buses

61

Filling Station

54

Oven Wizards

21

Border Canopy Company

55

Finlaysons

47

Pet Crematorium

63

Border Laundry Service

21

Fitness

60

Plumbstore

2

Border Vets

46

Food Train Volunteers

31

Provender

17

Borders Art Fair

13

Gala Garden

18

Ratecard

16

British Legion

25

Gala Opera

30

Recipe

42

Buglass Gas Services

53

Gala Rugby Club

56

School Bell Tuition

39

Caravan Fix

43

Gala Squash Club

25

Sepsis

36

Castle Warehouse

7

Greenspaces

21

Shire Chimney

17

Chris Sinton Painter

47

Harrisons Ford

64

Sitooterie

25

Churches

38

History Hive

25

Sudoko

Citizens Advice Bureau

30

Horoscopes

58

Tarot Reading

31

Concept Eye Clinic

34

Iain Smith & Partners WS

27

Thermaheat

55

Councillor Andy Anderson

28

James Graham Roofing

53

Thirlestane Volunteers

31

Councillor Euan Jardine

24

Jedburgh Family Dental

31

Will Evans Plastering

20

Councillor Harry Scott

29

John Lamont MP

Willie's Wonky Computer

22

Councillor Tom Miers

26

Jonnie Jones Plumber

53

Win

5

Crème De La Crème

20

K 2 Roofing

47

Woody Pest Control

20

Cullen Kilshaw

1,8

Keith Penny Décor

20

Dawyck Snow Drops

45

Kenkleen

19

24,51

Helpful Numbers to Hand Gala Police Station Scottish Power Gas Emergency BGH Social Work Emergency

01896 752222 08452727999 0800 111999 01896 826000 01896 752111

Scot Borders Council Citizens Advice Bureau BorderLine NHS 24 Victim Support

0300 100 1800 01896 753889 0800 0274466 111 01896 751212

Whilst every care is taken in preparing this magazine to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot be held responsible for loss, damage or omission caused by an error in an advert. Artwork is accepted on the condition that it is legal and copyright free and that the advert is fair and accurate. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers or the views expressed by contributors, nor do the publishers necessarily share such views. We reserve the right to refuse articles and advertisements. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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