TLC should be Hawick-owned
Now that we are in the midst of another attack on the facilities of the town, perhaps we should exercise some lateral thinking in how to resolve the problem? I am not convinced that pressurising a council of political thinkers is a permanent means of dealing with the future of Teviotdale Leisure Centre. The centre is forever vulnerable to political cuts and manoeuvring and always will be as long as politicians control it. The key issue is that the centre becomes a facility used and controlled by the people of Hawick and their guests. There is no need for it to be managed through political or public ownership.
I suggest that it should be transferred to a trust, owned/controlled by the town of Hawick through its community council or through a local society for a nominal sum of £1. It should have been amortised to nil value now by the council!
The trust should then find a commercial partner who will invest and run the business through a board, not a political committee.
The partner should be allowed to build a small hotel and extend the leisure and entertainment facilities with a restaurant, dance venue/hall/theatre; other games/sport facilities etc. They could even extend their facilities to sell, book and even facilitate leisure activities such as fishing, shooting, equestrian leisure, rambling/hill climbing and golf etc This would be incentive enough for a specialist leisure company with the skills and experience to build TLC into a viable and profitable business. It would also secure the wishes of the town’s residents by ensuring that there is an excellent leisure centre in the town.
There are private firms around who will invest in such schemes and obtain grants from the lottery etc. Once and for all, such a plan would make the centre what it was intended to be, a first-class facility for the general area as well as Hawick.
I would be more than happy to be involved in developing such a proposal and feel that it would be unreasonable of the council to disallow a reprieve of the centre until such a feasibility study and attempt to save it in such a way is completed.
GEORGE THORBURN
MY PARTNER and I recently took our cocker spaniel for a walk around Acreknowe Reservoir and, on our return, both of us invigorated and cheered by what had been a tranquil half-hour, we settled down back home with a cuppa. Suddenly though I realilsed my gold bracelet was missing, and I suspected it had came off when I removed my gloves before getting into the car. We returned to the spot where we had parked the car but my bracelet was nowhere to be seen.
Ever hopeful of someone finding it, my partner called in to the police station the next night. Imagine then my delight to get the bracelet back after it had been handed in. Overjoyed to have my jewellery back, I was eager to reward the honesty of the honest lady or gentleman only to be told that no name had been given to police.
Please, through your columns, may I express my sincere gratitude to the person responsible for the return of my bracelet. You know who you are!
HAZEL S. POW
I would like to thank the people of Hawick for their generosity during our recent annual appeal. Through its network of local churches and larger social service centres, the Salvation Army provides a variety of services to a wide range of people: young and old, homeless, prisoners, families in difficulties.
Our annual appeal helps to fund some of our larger centres, especially services not covered by government funding. Half our total of £2,355.47 came from street collections: £305.25 in Galashiels, £266.41 in Jedburgh, £257.01 in Hawick and £285.91 in Kelso. The rest was collected door-to-door. Once again, Teries have shown themselves generous at heart. Thank you very much.
CAPTAIN STEVEN TURNER
Salvation Army, Hawick Corps
In 2014, under the auspices of Hawick Archaeological Society, a new history of Hawick and the Great War will be published. To this end can I once again take this opportunity to ask your readers for original documentation from the time which may still exist. I am looking for letters, diaries, postcards and photographs relating to those from Hawick and district who fought in the First World War. I already have access to the old book ‘Hawick & The War’, so don’t require this but any other items would be well received.
All contributions will be fully acknowledged in the new book and safely returned.
DEREK ROBERTSON
3 Station Cottages Newcastleton TD9 0QX
stobsmilitary@aol.com
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Weather for Hawick
Saturday 18 May 2013
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