The Peeblean: Friday 4 April 2025
Community Festival takes shape, Bowling Club extension, Caldwell's closure, Greener Peebles community appeal, Community Council meeting, lots of Eastgate Theatre events, new bus stop build out.
What a lovely week of weather in the Shire - a glimpse of what’s hopefully to come this year as we look forward to a busy tourist season. At this time of year I’m always reminded of how lucky we are to live in an area where other people choose to spend their time off and holidays.
Were you caught out by any local April Fools pranks?
This week we’d love to know what other things you would like us to cover. We’re hoping to do some longer form interviews and profiles in the coming months and if you have ideas for other coverage please suggest things in the comments below.
TOWN CHAT
Talented local artist Cherith Harrison produced our cover picture this week, a commission for Peebles Business and Retailers Association who are running their annual spring community festival on Saturday 31 May. It was lovely to sit in the sunshine this week and chat to Kerrie at Perfect Fit / Perfect Style about what’s planned for this year’s event. Musical groups will include the Kingsland school choir, the Taylor brothers, In Chorus and local buskers. Bookings are being taken for a pop-up makers market at the top of School Brae and face painting and hair braiding will ensure this is a colourful and fun family event.
If you’ve watched the work progress at Peebles Bowling Club on Walker’s Haugh, then Saturday at 14:00 is the official opening of the extension.
Sadly this week we had another independent retailer announce they are closing: Caldwell’s Homemade Ice Cream will shut later this year after a final summer season on Peebles High Street. Their Innerleithen shop is staying open though.
Greener Peebles have experienced another spate of vandalism to their lovely garden. If you remember our picnic bench pictures from last week, this is the green oasis that sits behind Victoria Park Centre. The garden is open to the public and Greener Peebles are keen for more people to wander through in the evenings or at weekends to increase the resilience of the space by making it feel more regularly used. There are benches you can sit at and it’s a lovely place to spend time. There’s no expectation that anyone other than the police challenges any behaviour causing damage but please call the police if you see or hear something that causes concern. You can also support Greener Peebles through the Tesco blue tokens scheme this month.
The latest minutes from Peebles CC note that SBC are working on plans for a bus stop build-out on the north side of the High Street.
The consultation on the School Brae public toilets and the proposed transfer of ownership to Peebles Community Trust closes on Sunday 6 April.
COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
JogPeebles are running their friendly and supportive women’s couch to 5k course starting on Tuesday 22 April at 18:15 in Kingsmeadows car park. Come along free the first week and then pay just £15 for the remaining nine sessions.
The John Buchan Story museum in the Chambers Instittution has opened again for the season. New items on show include a headdress presented to Buchan in Canada.
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.
Two chair yoga sessions start up this month - with Kathleen Mansfield (Kind Harmony) at St Joseph’s on Thursdays at 12:15 and with Jo at Breathe Yoga and Wellness Studio on Tuesdays at 11:30.
Peebles Concert Band rehearsals started up again this week on Wednesdays 7-9 and they are always looking for brass, woodwind or percussion players ‘any age, any stage’.
EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Saturday 5 April
Brian’s Retirement Sale at the Eastgate Today is selling fleeces, polo shirts and other items to raise money for Food Hugs in Walkerburn.
At the Eastgate Theatre today, Angela Sprocket’s Pockets is a wonderful kids show by Folksy Theatre. Adult + child tickets are £15.
Young footballers from Peebles Football Club junior squads are acting as helpers at today’s Peebles Rovers match v Burntisland Shipyard FC at Whitestone Park. The youngsters will also play some games on the main pitch at half time.
West Linton Market runs on Saturday from 09:30 - 12:30 and they have face painters along this month and the Allotment greengrocer from Inners. Scotland’s Gardens Scheme will also be there to share information on all the local garden openings over the next few months.
Sunday 6 April
The new Tweed Valley pétanque season starts on Sunday.
As it’s the first Sunday of the month, it’s Whitmuir Makers Market this Sunday from 10:00 - 16:00.
Turandot is the latest Royal Opera on Screen showing at the Eastgate at 14:00.
THIS WEEK
Nature, Weaving, Stories and Fun is a family event at the Eastgate on Tuesday from 14:00. Suitable for age 7+.
Tweeddale U3A meets at St Joseph’s on Tuesday 8 April at 14:00
Later on Tuesday the Eastgate are screening SIX The Musical Live. This is a 12A performance.
Mickey 17 is this week’s cinema screening showing on Wednesday lunchtime and evening.
The MacDonald Brothers bring their Pride of Scotland show to the Eastgate on Thursday evening.
A fundraiser for Cancer Research UK on Friday night at Drumelzier Village Hall where Taylor Winyard from Stobo Castle will give a talk on her Ocean Rowing adventures. 18:30, tickets are £15 and include a two course supper.
COFFEE MORNINGS: SATURDAY 12 APRIL
Tweed Theatre fundraiser at Peebles Rugby Club, 10:00 - 12:00
In West Linton there’s a Marie Curie fundraiser hosted by Linton Hotspur FC at their clubhouse
Stobo’s regular community event is at the village hall 10:30 - 12:00.
Innerleithen Church Guild at Innerleithen Church on Leithen Road, 10:00 - 11:30
St Ronan’s Border Games spring event at the Union Club, Peebles Road from 10:00 - 12:00
WEEKEND 12/13 APRIL
The Singing Kettle are back! On Saturday 12 April at the Eastgate Artie Fisher and the team are back in Peebles for an hour-long show at 13:00. All together now… “Three Craws sat upon a Wa’…”
Stewart Wilson, the Tweed Valley Blogger, is running a storytelling walk on the River Tweed Trail around Peebles on Saturday 12 April at 11:00. On Sunday 13 April Stewart is also running a Neidpath Castle tour for an hour 13:00 - 14:00.
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.
Make a Spring Wreath workshop running at Whitmuir on Sunday 13 April.
BOOKING NOW
Scottish Borders Council Cycle Skools courses for 2025 are open for booking. These are for primary 3-4 and primary 5-7 with the option of general cycle skills or MTB skills. The Peebles sessions run after school on Wednesday afternoons at the Gytes for four weeks from Wednesday 23 April.
We are loving the names of the new classes running at Nomad Beat - Rusty Voices (for anyone who would love to get back into a bit of singing) and Rusty Instruments (if you’ve always fancied playing or once did and haven’t for a while). Check out their new Wednesday daytime classes and get making music this summer!
Galashiels Walking Festival is running between the 24 and 27 April.
AROUND AND ABOUT
Are you a local jam or marmalade maker? Susan at the Laurel Bank tearoom in Broughton is looking for a supplier for the tea room shop.
Up at the Glencorse Centre in Auchendinny, there’s a Farms and Folk market running on Saturday 12 April selling fresh produce from local growers and makers. Stallholder spots can also be booked.
BENCH OF THE WEEK
Along with most of Broughton and many others from across the area, we were down at a packed Broughton Village Hall on Thursday evening to hear Patrick Grant spill the tea about Sewing Bee auditions and his journey from engineering through Saville Row tailoring to his current Community Clothing business. As well as the evening fundraiser for Broughton PS, Patrick ran a clothing 'transformation challenge’ with the primary school children during the day on Thursday, with some of their fantastic creations joining him on stage. It was a brilliant event and if you missed it, there’s a second chance to catch him today at the Edinburgh Science Festival.
In the car park beside Broughton Village Hall, this bench doesn’t have a memorial plaque but it did have a bunch of flowers placed on it, suggesting that it’s meaningful to someone. The village hall car park is also the starting point for the 13 mile John Buchan Way which can be split into two shorter walks by finishing at Stobo where there is also a walkers car park.
Make sure you stop off at the excellent community-owned Broughton Village Store - where every penny you spend is reinvested locally - and the Laurel Bank Tea Room (Tue-Sun, 10:00 - 16:00) if you are visiting.
JOB VACANCIES
These are now being updated on our monthly jobs post
NEWS ROUND-UP
Peebles Community Council meets next Thursday (10 April) at 19:00 in the Burgh Hall. The agenda includes a discussion on ownership of the Old Schoolhouse on Tweed Green, plans for the Chambers Institution and community benefit from wind farms along with the perennial issues of planning, police and town-related issues.
The consultation on the Scottish Borders Sport and Physical Activity Strategy is open until Sunday 13 April. We’ve downloaded the document here for an easier read.
The SBC meetings calendar is quiet for the Easter holidays returning with a Planning Committee meeting on Monday 21 April
Thanks for reading! Happy holidays for those taking a break this month. Lots coming up in April and May for when you get back.
The Peeblean
I came across this as I was searching for John Buchan material on substack. If I ever visit Scotland I want to hike the John Buchan Way! Cheers!