It's March and the road's department have some money to spend before the end of the financial year. The Old Town in Peebles is benefitting from this with major pavement re-alignment works going ahead at the junction of Old Town, Elcho Street Brae, Biggiesknowe and Greenside. Of course we are right in the middle of all this and currently the shop is surrounded by an attractive stockade of red and white crash barriers and cones. We expect this to go on for some time (nobody seems to be able to tell us exactly how long) but would like to re-assure customers that we will be open throughout and will be doing everything we can to ensure that the contractors maintain safe and adequate access to our premises. When it's finished, it will be a major improvement, with wider pavements and safer road-crossings for pedestrians to look forward to.
In November 1992 we were working hard to get our shop in Peebles opened. We were living in a draughty old shepherd's cottage in the Moorfoot Hills at the time and one day, our landlady remarked that there was a famous mountaineer coming to give a fundraising talk in aid of the village hall. It seemed unlikely but yes, Chris Bonington was coming to Carrington. It proved to be a memorable evening that people still occasionally mention to us today. Standing room only with an eclectic audience of school children, Women's Institute stalwarts, elders of the kirk and a smattering of outdoor enthusiasts. It probably wasn't the kind of gathering Bonington was used to speaking to but his professionalism and communication skills ensured that his stories came alive for everyone in the room. At the end of the presentation we joined the scrum of autograph hunters and got his signature on a poster which we hung in our new shop on the day it opened. It stayed on the wall for quite a few...