The Peeblean: Friday 11 April 2025
New operator for Peebles cafe, round-up from Peebles Community Council, Live Borders jobs warning, free tables for community groups at retail festival, car boot sale, Easter events.
TOWN CHAT
You’ll probably have seen their lovely cakes and bakes at Peebles or West Linton markets, but now Shannon Devenney and the team at Linton Bakes are taking over the Cozy Kitchen cafe (formerly Ramblers) at Castle Warehouse in Peebles. With an existing cafe in Penicuik, they are expanding to Peebles from this Monday 14 April. Follow their progress at the Linton Bakes at the Cozy Kitchen FB page.
Independent retailers Clare and Simon at Peebles Comics and Games have experienced a flood in their basement with a large amount of stock lost. If you are a board games player or comic reader, please support them with some custom this week.
The Morrison’s store in the Old Town will close on Wednesday 16 April.
Rona Dodds, the owner of Quercus Garden Plants features in a Peeblesshire News article this week on her participation in the National Gardening Show at Ingliston on 26/27 July. Alex Chisholm, Peeblesshire News
Specialising in ‘tough plants for Scottish gardens’, Rona and the Quercus team will mark 10 years at Whitmuir on Sunday 25 May.
DID YOU KNOW? Rona’s other half, David, is an author who has just released his second book, Touchpaper, an urban fantasy set in the dark closes and alleyways of Edinburgh.
COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
Peebles Business and Retailers Association are offering tables to community groups and local charities at their community festival on Saturday 31 May. The exciting event, featured in our update last week, is sure to draw a large crowd from the local area as well as visitors. Message the Festival FB page or speak to Kerrie Guiney (Perfect Style/Perfect Fit) or Clare Mott (Peebles Comics and Games) for more info.
EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Sunday 13 April
Lothian and Borders Classic and Vintage Motorcycle Club are hosting their motorcycle show and autojumble at the Drill Hall community centre in Peebles on Sunday 13 April. There’s a cafe running, Forsyth’s pies have been ordered and the doors open at 10:00.
Tweed Valley Blogger Neidpath Castle tour for an hour 13:00 - 14:00.
André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra on the big screen at the Eastgate, 13:00 on Sunday 13 April.
THIS WEEK
This week at the Eastgate Theatre include Adventures in Science (Monday, 13:00), Youth Holiday Programme (Tues-Fri) and the Dog Man movie (Weds at 13:00 and 18:00)
On Wednesday 16 April, there’s a get-together for model railway enthusiasts in West Linton to chat about starting up a regular group. The meet-up is 18:30 - 19:30 in St Andrew’s New Church Hall.
A Cardrona Craft Day with Red Button Arts is running on Thursday 17 April at Cardrona Village Hall. On the same day, a free junior art workshop (for ages 8-12) is also running at Peebles Library, Museum and Gallery from 14:30 - 16:00.
Family storytime with puppets at Peebles Library this Thursday 17 from 11 to 11:30.
Friday night is Beltane Principals Introduction Night at the Burgh Hall.
WEEKEND 19/20 APRIL
St Andrew’s Leckie Church have a weekend of events over Easter weekend including a coffee morning and family activity sessions on Saturday morning and an outdoor service at the Sware on Easter Sunday morning.
There is a service for remembering loved ones at the Old Parish on Saturday 19 April from 10:00 - 10:30. A drop-in ‘community cuppa’ is also running from 10:00 - 12:00 on the same day in the MacFarlane Hall.
Saturday lunchtime, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers is screening at the Eastgate and on Sunday, there are two screening of Snow White.
The Easter Fair at Traquair runs from 11:00 - 17:00 on Sunday 20 April with an Easter egg hunt (including a separate one for under-5s), Easter bonnet making, face painting and scavenger hunts.
Other Easter events are listed on our April digital poster board.
BOOKING NOW / SAVE THE DATE
If you are looking to clear out some clutter, Girlguiding Innerleithen are organising a car boot sale on Sunday 27 April at the Co-op car park. There are 25 bookable spaces - see our April poster page for booking details (scroll to end, items are in date order).
Peebles Horti Society are holding a coffee morning on Saturday 10 May at Peebles Rugby Club, including a plant sale. Schedules for the flower show will also be available.
Creative approaches to health and wellbeing will be explored during Inspiring Life Week which runs from 10 -18 May. Inspiring Life Day at the Eastgate on Saturday 18 May includes an art therapy workshop, dance and drumming sessions.
AROUND AND ABOUT
Ember, the electric bus company, are running a new Edinburgh to Fort William service from Wednesday 16 April. Four return services each day with stops at Grangemouth, Dunblane, Lochearnhead, Tyndrum and Glencoe Mountain.
BENCH OF THE WEEK
In Cardrona Forest, Forestry and Land Scotland have reinstated the path for Fergus and Pikes Knowe walks and have added a bench - perfect for sunrise views. Thanks to Ailsa McMillan for this week’s nomination.
NEWS ROUND-UP
At Peebles Community Council on Thursday evening there was continued discussion of the scrapping of SBC’s Area Partnerships, covered in our bulletin last week. The chair of Peebles CC expressed frustration that no new forum had yet been proposed. Local councillors were more measured in their response, Drummond Begg said he didn’t mind what the new name or the format was if the new approach attracted more people along and encouraged their participation - noting that young people / young women’s voices were especially missing in decision-making. Robin Tatler backed this, saying that a report would come to the council in June and, if proposals were agreed, the new forum could be in place fairly quickly.
Discussion of Horsburgh Ford building site and also the future of the Baptist Church structure/plot
Peebles CC are continuing to push SBC on their environmental duties under planning law and the the Aarhus Convention.
Discussions on environmental benefits from wind farms continue with Innerleithen and Eddleston CCs
New solar lighting now installed at Victoria Park and also mobile CCTV covering the playpark and towards the Greener Peebles garden
Bill Douglas has been appointed chair of Live Borders. Reporting this week suggests that the ongoing review will result in “operational, service delivery and property changes” as well as a “staffing impact”. Alex Chisholm, Border Telegraph.
Scottish Borders Council review announcement on Live Borders
Peebles CC this week praised the continued efforts of the Eastgate Theatre in seeking assurances about its core Live Borders grant continuing in 25/26
An unexpected decision by SBC to consult on the mothballing of several village nurseries has caused angry reaction in Walkerburn. The local CC has highlighted the near impossible situation that would face a family without a car trying to get a child to the local primary in Walkerburn and to an early learning class in Innerleithen at the same time. They have also queried if the additional transport costs have been factored into the proposal. An amendment to the proposal is expected at Tuesday’s SBC executive committee meeting. Lucette Wood, Peeblesshire News.
Project managers have been appointed to develop a business case for extending the Borders Railway to Hawick and Carlisle.
Asda’s Community Foundation are opening a Local Community Spaces Fund on Wednesday 7 May.
Have a great weekend!
The Peeblean