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The Butchery

Goods Station Road

Tel. 01576 203329

Quality family butchers

Helens Fruit &Veg87 High Street

Tel. 01576 205726

M.Y. TAXIS07850 234 052

01576 202491

0800 666 666

A.C. TaxisCall Aly or Tracy

07597 199 357

Tower Fish

Bar Bridge Street

01576 204262

SEIMO SEITOPizzas, Burgers, Kebabs & more

01576 204430

Annandale HeraldNewspaper Deliveries

Dry Cleaning, Cards

Refreshments, provisions

Tel. 01576 202408

MARGARETS NEWSAGENTSNewspapers & Magazines delivered

Stationery and Confectionary

108 High Street

Tel. 01576 203189

Gents BarbersNo Appointment Required

84 High Street

Lockerbie

elainzHair & Beauty Care

86 High Street

Tel. 01576 204655

Mob. 0781 5568 929

www.elainz.co.uk

The Little Salonunisex salon

proprietor, Angie Murray42-44 High Street

Tel. 01576 204457

The Best in Town

openMonday-Friday

9am-5pm

Sat. 9am-5pm

Sun. 10am-4pm

Cafe 9191-93 High St

Tel.

01576

202379

D&W IronmongeryDougie Byers40 Mains Street

Tel. 01576 204445

Fax. 01576 204462

16, 24, 33, 49 ,& 51 Seater Coaches AvailableAirport Transfers; Golf Trips; Day Trips

Tours; Shopping Trips; Weddings & More

Tel. 01576 203874 Mob. 07713 094583

www.houstonscoaches.co.uk

HOUSTONs COACHES

This issue of L.to L. is sponsored by V. & M. Thomson

Funeral Directors, Chapel of Rest, Bridge Street

Issue no. 2

June 2012

1.00

The Crown HotelLockerbie

Delicious 2-Course Lunch only 6.50Families Welcome!

Tel. 01576 203382www.crownhotel-lockerbie.co.uk

HIGH STREETTasty Meals Available 7 days a week

12.00pm-2.30pm and 6.00pm- 8.30pm

Tel/Fax 01576 202410www.kingsarmshotel.co.uk

Queens HotelAnnan Road

Dining, Weddings, Health Suite

Tel. 01576 202415 Fax. 01576 204601

www.queenshotellockerbie.co.uk

The Blue Bell Hotel

Function room, Dining RoomMeals Served Daily 12 noon-5pm

01576 203118 Mob 0743 607 1029

TOWNHEAD HOTELMon-Fri-Baking & coffees served 09.30 -12.30

Lunch served 12noon-2.30pmEvening Meals served 6pm-9.30pm

Food served all day Sat-Sun 12noon-9pm

To book please Call 01576 204627

THE BLACK BULL

Station Road

The Bar For All

THE ROYAL BAR

Station Road

The Bar Thats In Tune With

Its Customers

Tel. 01576 202374

Claire IrvingHolistic & Beauty Therapist

Nails, Facials, Waxing, Reflexology, MassageWedding Packages (Hair & Make-up)

Tel. 01576 202999

Mob. 07776 190818

Top Ten Vocations

(1)MotherhoodNatures greatest ever success, achievement and triumph.

(2) FatherhoodNatures best supporting act

(3)BoyfriendTrust conferred on him is the greatest by any man on another.

(4)Housewife Homemaker, lover, mother(substitute) mistress, businesswoman and realist.

(5)Barmaid Confidante, pin-up, agony-aunt, matron and kindergarten

teacher.

(6)Carer If the time ever comes, a persons most rewarding calling.

(7)ApprenticesArtisan Mentor, proxy- father and role model with all of

the qualities of Mother Theresa and Genghis Khan required in equal

measures.

(8)Committee Members Clubs, groups, organisations and even communitieswouldnt exist and young peoples dreams, opportunities and aspirations would

never materialise or be attained without these selfless, dedicated and

passionate people.

(9)Volunteers Generous and talented people who realise the value of not

putting a price on a persons greatest asset, their own time. Lifes real

philanthropists.

(10)Vets and Animal Welfare Organisations - The only people whoreally ever understood the subliminal message in The Planet of The Apes

films.

By W. Beattie

Children1stLockerbie loop

Annual Sponsored Cycle Event

24th June 2012

Children 1

st

Lockerbie Action Group will be holding their Annual Lockerbie LoopSponsored Cycle Event on Sunday 24th

June starting from the Somerton Hotel.

This year the event will be in tribute To Darren Connor who so tragically died at

our 10th

Anniversary last year. Our Action Group had considered that we should

cancel the event this year, but Darrens partner, Claire Hunter and family were

insistent that it should continue as before.

Claire will not be riding her bicycle this year, but will be a marshal instead, and

Darrens nephew, 7 year old Rory Hunter will officially start the event from The

Somerton Hotel at 9.30am. There will be several of Darren s former work

colleagues and associates from Carlisle and Dumfries taking part and so all

cyclists taking part this year are urged to register for the event in advance by

calling Anne MacDonald on 01576 203375 or Annette Young on 01576 203060

to save a long delay on the day.

We look forward to seeing you all there for a 9.30am p rompt start.

In the May issue ofL to L, the Heres Tae Us,....Whae,s Like Us letter by Peter B.Carruthers offered a bottle of whisky to the first person who spotted correctly the

deliberate mistake made amongst the footballing facts. Unfortunately, the

deliberate mistake itself was mistakenly omitted from the letter. So sincere apologies

to those readers who for the past month have been scrutinising the text in the forlorn

hope of winning a bottle of whisky.

On realising the crime which had been perpetrated against journalism, the Editor-in-

Chief ofLetters to Lockerbie acted immediately and decisively and ordered that the

person responsible for this literary felony, namely The Junior/Deputy/Assistant

Proof-Reader, clear his desk forthwith and never darkens his doorstep again. He was

dismissed summarily and its a good riddance to him. He was a trouble-maker right

from the moment he stepped through our door.

By Ms Brooks

Apology

So, summer is upon us (I know,but just humour me) and so are thedifferent ways in which itannounces its arrival to all of us,

The Roads The roaring bikesand hip convertibles are, alongwith the rest of us, stuck behindthe caravan fronted tailbacks.

Sports Golfers, bowlers, tennisplayers, cricketers and trouserless posties are out in force.

GardensThe lawns are trim and

green,

annual borders

areexploding into colour and theneighbours cat is digging-up thecarrots and supplying the manure.

Eating-out The barbecues arestoked and fired- up, he

bangers are burnt and its wet.

Fashion The swinging shiftdresses are in sugary shades ofpeppermint, coral, and hazy paleblue and thats just the brickies

Music The annual festivals arehere with their sounds of rock ,nroll, youth, love and wellies inthe tents.

Civic Events The bunting ishung, the floats are dressed, thehorses are galloping themarches and The Turn-up waslast week.

and in Lockerbie -

THE TOWER OF SCAFFOLDINGIS BACK EVERYBODY! (Its justas well were not a touristdestination) (it is impressive to lookat though) By R. James

Deja vu

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flowing lines

SPORT&TROPHY

CENTRETROPHY & ENGRAVING SPECIALIST

Gordon Dinwoodie

52 High Street, LockerbieTel./Fax. 01576 202400

Eleganceelegant gifts for all occasions

69-73 High Street

Tel. 01576 202529

THE FLOWER POTGIFT SHOP

HIGH STREET, Lockerbie

Tel./Fax. 01576 202636

Anne MariesBoutiqueextensive range of ladys wear

66 High Street, Lockerbie

Tel. 01576 202318

Marie Hill MillineryWhere every hat is hand

crafted to suit your

personal requirements

66 High Street. tel. 0771 043 2716

COBWEBSSecond Hand and New furniture

Antiques30 Townhead Street

Tel. 01576 202554

BudsPotting Shed

Flowers for all occasions

12 High Street

Tel. 01576 204555

2

Paws & ClawsPet Care Centre

62 High Street

Tel. 01576 203945

Wee Stars ChildminderQuality Childcare Hazel Caldwell

SCMA Registered, Trained Nursery NurseCare Commission inspected

25+years childcare experience

Mob. 0781 221 0760

Clean QueensA professional, discreet,domestic cleaning serviceCall Claire Irvingfor a quote on;

Mob.07776 190818 Tel.01576 202999One off deep cleans or regular appointments

CB BLINDSBlinds by Chris Burke

Fast Local Service

Free Survey & Fitting-5 Year Guarantee

Tel: 01576 204 549Mob: 07941 255 326www.cbblindsuk.co.uk

Please, if not for your own sake, then at least for your childrens and every childs prospects and future, you must stick with this piece and try to understand it. I

can guarantee that you will not have seen this before.

In 2011-12, 906 billion was the total gross annual income of the UK,s 30 million employees and workers.

and the statistic above breaks-down like this;

* 21 million employees and workers (earning 29,999 p.a. and under) earned a total gross annual income of 363 billion.* 9 million employees and workers (earning 30,000p.a. and above) earned a total gross annual income of 543 billion.

Using the above facts and figures, this is how the The Re-distribution of Wealth in The UK could work and at the same time create full employment, abolish

income tax for every employee and worker earning less than 30,000 p.a., replace the Welfare State and negate The Coalition Governments 2011-12 annual

borrowing requirement of 126 billion. Whether you earn 7,000 per annum or 70,000, this will fascinate you, honest.

The Re-distribution of Wealth in the UK(and in every other country in the world)

(1) All employees and workers earning less than 30k p.a. would have their wages and salaries calculated by a new method and would be exempt from income tax.(2) A new scheme called Homes and Occupants Income (H.O.I.) would calculate the incomes for the above employees and workers. It would also remuneratepensioners, students, apprentices, volunteers, carers, part-time workers and community workers (i.e. those people who are not presently in regular employment

and labelled as out-of-work, a liability, spongers, lazy, and a drain on national resources) and in the process, replace The Welfare State.

(3) For those employees and workers earning 30k p.a. and above, then p.a.y.e. would remain in place. They would also receive some payments from The Homesand Occupants Income scheme. (The Adult Award and where applicable, The Home and The Children Awards, see the table below.)

(4) All tax thresholds would be abolished and an income tax flat-rate of 50% would be a pplied to those employees who earn 30k p.a. and above.

(5) An Employee National Insurance flat-rate of 5% would apply to all earnings. This would be the only direct tax on H.0.I. earnings.Homes and Occupants Income (H.O.I.)

Yearly Amount Numbers Total CostEvery Home Awarded (tenanted, mortgaged, owned) - 5,000 26 million 130 Billion

Every Adult Awarded (over 16) - 4,000 50 million 200 Billion

Unskilled Employee and Worker Awarded - 7,000

Skilled Employee and Worker Awarded - 11,000 21 million 186 Billion

Professional Employee Awarded - 14,000

Apprentices and Students,

Part-time and Community Workers,- All Awarded - 5,000 10 million 50 Billion

Carers and Volunteers

Children, 5 and under Awarded - 5,000 4 million 20 BillionChildren, 6-16 years Awarded - 2,000 7 million 14 Billion

72 Billion of the above awards would go to people earning 30k and above. Net Total - 528 Billion

In simple maths, the above scheme takes 200 Billion(net) from the very richest earners and gives 165

billion of it to people in work who are not quite so well-off and 35 billion to others who in, relative

terms, just exist. How would the above scheme affect you and your family? Are you better or worse off?

906 Billion Reasons WhyAusterity Economics are a Sham.

Single and family households should be able to calculate their own annual incomes from the adjacent

table. Listed below are a few examples.

Single Pensioner Household Pensioner Couple Single Mum & Toddler

Home - 5,000 5,000 5,000

Adult(s) - (1) 4,000 (2) 8,000 (1) 4,000

Total -9,000 Total - 13,000 Toddler - 5,000

Total -14,000

Single Household Couple Couple

(1)Volunteer (1)Skilled (1)Carer (1)Community W.(1)F/T Student

Home - 5,000 5,000 5,000

Adult(s) (1) 4,000 (2) 8,000 (2) 8,000

Volunteer - 5,000 Skilled - 11,000 Student - 5,000

Total -14,000 Carer - 5,000 Community W. - 5,000

Total - 29,000 Total - 23,000

Couple Couple

(1)Part-time (1)Unskilled (1) Professional (70k p.a.)(1)Housewi fe

Two children, 3 & 7 years Three children, 4 & 15 years & 17 year(apprentice )

Home - 5,000 5,000

Adult(s) - (2) 8,000 (3) - 12,000

Part-time - 5,000 Professional@50% income tax - 35,000

Unskilled - 7,000 Apprentice - 5,000

under 5 child - 5,000 under 5 child - 5,000

7 year old child - 2,000 15 year old - 2,000

Total - 32,000 Total - 64,000

5% Employee National Insurance would be deducted from all of the above totals.

So the Coalition go vernment claimed that because public expenditure was so out of control it was forced to borrow 126 billion last year to balance the amount of money it spends

and the amount it raises in taxes. But the truth is, they made a very conscious and cynical decision and chose not to raise enough in taxes, especially in income tax and from the very

richest people in the UK, and the previous government made the very same choice. Instead, they are deliberately choosing to load-up on an already vast debt which your children

and their children will have to deal with. There is another way, and the above scheme proves it.

Four million children presently live in two million homes where there isn t a working adult present. Over one million 16-24 year olds are not in education, employment or training,

almost 25% of that social group. I dont care who you are, where you live, what you do or how much money you have, your life will, in some way, be impacted detrimentally by these

statistics. We are witnessing a Greek Tragedy unfold before our eyes and THE AUSTERITY ECONOMICS SHAM has compounded an already desperate situation there and that is the

very same kind of legacy the UK,s children can look forward to inheriting, and you are the benefactors. By Professor I. AmriteProfessor Amrite is the resident lecturer ofeconomics and counting sheep at U.C. Haas.

GOVERNMENT TAX RECEIPTS 2011-12H.O.I. Tax Receipts ( option 1)

or alternativelyH.O.I. Tax Receipts (option 2)

INCOME TAX - 158 BILLION

INCOME TAX - 271 BILLION*

INCOME TAX - 271 BILLION *

NATIONAL INSURANCE - 101 BILLION

NATIONAL INSURANCE - 95 BILLION*

NATIONAL INSURANCE - 70 BILLION*

EXCISE DUTIES - 46 BILLION

EXCISE DUTIES - 46 BILLION

EXCISE DUTIES - 46 BILLION

CORPORATION TAX - 42 BILLION

CORPORATION TAX - 42 BILLION

CORPORATION TAX - 62 BILLION*

V.A.T.- 20%- 101 BILLION

V.A.T.- 20%- 101 BILLION

V.A.T. -10%- 50 BILLION*

BUSINESS RATES - 25 BILLION

BUSINESS RATES - 25 BILLION

BUSINESS RATES - ABOLISHED*

COUNCIL TAX - 26 BILLION

COUNCIL TAX - 26 BILLION

COUNCIL TAX - ABOLISHED*

OTHER TAXES - 85 BILLION

OTHER TAXES - 85 BILLION

OTHER TAXES - 85 BILLION

ANNUAL BORROWING - 126 BILLION

ANNUAL BORROWING - 19 BILLIONANNUAL BORROWING - 126 BILLION

TOTAL - 710 BILLION

TOTAL - 710 BILLION

TOTAL - 710 BILLION

H.O.I.(option 1) would only borrow 19 Billion and create fullemployment. H.O.I.(option 2) would borrow 126 Billion, thesame as the Gov., but create full employment, halve VAT &Employers N.I. & abolish Business Rates and Council Tax.

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3

The last great battle between border families took place at Dryfe Sands, just outside Lockerbie in December 1593. This followed a long andcomplicated feud between the very powerful Maxwells of Nithsdale and the rather less powerful Johnstones of Annandale.The Maxwells were led by Lord Maxwell, Warden of The West Marches, whose main home was Caerlaverock Castle and the Johnstones were led bySir James Johnstone based at Lochwood Tower.The immediate causes of the battle were two raids by the Johnstone Lads O, Wamphray on the Crichtons of Upper Nithsdale. William Johhnstone ofWamphray was hanged by the Crichtons during the first raid and at least fifteen Crichtons were killed during the second one.

Lord Maxwell was forced by King James VI to take action and he gathered at Dumfries an army of perhaps 2,000 men. As well as many Maxwells, itincluded contingents led by Crichton of Sanquar, Douglas of Drumlangrig, Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, Grierson of Lag and Chateries of Amisfield.Meanwhile, Sir James Johnstone, forewarned by a follower, gathered a remarkable army, perhaps half the size of Maxwell s. As well as manyJohnstones, it included Scotts from Teviotdale, Elliots, Irvings, Moffats, Jardines, Bells, Murrays, Grahams and Armstrongs, as well as members of theCarruthers family and Divers Englishmen. Robert Johnstone of Raecleuch took part in the battle at the age of 11 years.After an advance party of Maxwells army had been defeated at Lochmaben, the main battle took place at Dryfe Sands near Dryfesdalegate. Sir JamesJohnstone placed part of his army on a ridge and then provoked part of the Nithsdale army into an ambush. Johnstone,s army then threw the forwardsection of Maxwells army into confusion and this spread quickly to the main part of the Nithsdale army in their rather confined position.Lord Maxwell was killed by either Sir James Johnstone or by William Johnstone of Kirkhill, Wamphray. Or if a tradition is to believed, by the wife ofJohnstone of Kirkton Tower. She is said to have struck Lord Maxwell repeatedly on the head with the massive key of the tower. Some of the escapingNithsdale men Suffered Lockerbie licks caused by being slashed by pursuing horsemen.Such was the weakness of the King s position that Sir James Johnstone, far from being punished for Dryfe Sands, was actually made Warden of theWest Marches in 1596. The new Lord Maxwell murdered Sir James Johnstone at an arranged meeting in 1608. Lord Maxwell escaped abroad but hewas sentenced in his absence, for times had changed. He returned to Scotland in 1612, was betrayed by a relative and was executed in 1613. Soonafterwards, the feud came to an end.A tragic victim of the feud was William Johnstone, minister of Dryfesdale and one of the first graduates of the new University of Edinburgh, who wasmurdered in the streets of Lockerbie a few years after Dryfe Sands.

LETTERS TO LOCKERBIEL. to L. Interviews Dougie Byers ofD & W Ironmongery

L to L; Hi Dougie, I think Im right in saying that this is the third different location for your shop in the town since youstarted-out. Have you found the right place here in Mains Street for your business?

Dougie; Hello and nice to see you. Yes you re correct, this is our third different location for our business in the townand I can announce, without fear of contradiction that we will not be moving again, was that ok Yvonne. Our first shop

was on the High Street which is presently Marchbank,s. Even then we very nearly lost the opportunity to open there

because initially our offer for the tenancy was bettered by people who wanted to open a Chinese take-away but after

they had stripped the shop back to its bare walls, they did a moonlight flit and scampered. Only then did we get the

opportunity to open our first ironmongery store.

So after we got the shop back into a respectable state and with our stock mainly sitting all around us on the floor, outside

on the pavement and occupying the alleyway next to the shop, we opened on the first of May 2002, which was a bank

holiday and we had one customer all day.

After two years in our first shop, we eventually moved further up the High Street to where Buds The Florists presently

are. We desperately needed more space, both inside and out, and although this shop was a good size and in a decent

location, it still didnt offer us everything that we required and so again after another two years we jumped at the chance

to buy the premises and house which had been The Mace grocers store and which had closed its doors for good. And

here we are, six years on and with the shop and house which gives us the perfect location for everything we require, with

good shop frontage and enough space for our new store at the back of the shop.

L to L; So youve had the ironmonger and hardware store for ten years now, what did you do before that?

Dougie; Well as you know, as a young guy, I tried my hand at being a joiner but I realised very early on that thebuilding trade wasnt for me and I dont think Jock Beattie disagreed with me. So I started in retail parts sales with

Birdsalls Garage and for the next 27 years I worked in the same trade area in retail, wholesale and commercial vehicle

parts and with companies such as Edmund Walkers, Peacocks and locally with R.C.Dalgliesh just down the road

from us.

L to L; I suppose with your sons Neil and Alan both forging careers for themselves in other parts of the country, you renow out-numbered in the shop by the ladies in your family.

Dougie; Yes , Im now out-numbered in that sense but as the old saying goes, behind every great man, theres agreater woman and Im lucky enough to have two of them but it s nice and enjoyable for Yvonne and my mum-in-law

Irene and convenient and fun for all of us that it continues to be a family concern. We obviously miss the boys being

around all of the time and they were both very good when it came to lending a hand and working in the shop. Neil is a

chef and has already worked in many hotels and restaurants both locally and further afield and is presently working in a

Michelin starred hotel close to Gleneagles. Alan, who is a radiographer within the NHS, is working in a hospital near

Newcastle and has worked very hard to get where he is, as they both have and we re very proud of them.

L to L; In a shop such as yours where the different lines of stock is impressive, how do you decide what to fill yourshelves with and tell us about your customers and who they are?

Dougie; We do carry a lot of different lines of stock and products and the shop is full in that sense and we do haveshelves around the store which carry the same kind of products on them all of the year round but basically its the time of

year and seasons which dictate what we will be selling predominately at any given time and in that respect we are not

too different from many other businesses.

So at this time of year for instance and leading up to it, hopefully everyone is outside in their gardens and outside spaces

and enjoying the newly painted fences, weed-free lawns and paths, well-maintained garden sheds and gardens and

sitting by their barbecues and patio heaters enjoying the fruits of their labour and we are able to supply all the products

which allow our customers to do all of these things. It s the same scenario for the whole year and so our products are

always changing with the seasons.

As far as whom our customers are, well just about everybody from ordinary members of the public doing some DIY and

household maintenance, hotels and guest-houses freshening-up their business properties and all of the trade guys and

girls from the building trades, forestry, garage and farming. In fact we have 270 credit accounts presently.

L to L; I suppose when youre dealing with the public all of the time, there are highs and lows throughout your averageworking week, is it a trial some times?

Dougie; There is the odd occasion when a customer is obviously looking for a certain product but leaves withoutasking for assistance or giving us time to help them but 99% of the time everyone knows what they re after or knows to

ask for whatever it is theyve come in for. In general though, the public is very thoughtful and very generous when it

comes to showing their appreciation for our services and I ve received cans of lager, mince pies, field cabbages, turnips

and even duck eggs in the past, all of which makes it worthwhile. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank

everyone for their show of kindness and concern while I was recovering from a recent illness and to the other businesses

in the town, a big thank you for their special and encouraging words.

L to L; I know one of the treats you and Yvonne look forward to every year is a two week break in the sun to rechargeyour batteries and it is just around the corner for you this year. Have a nice time and thank you for your interview.

Dougie;Thank you for that and thank you for this opportunity.

D&WIronmongery40 Mains Street,

Lockerbie, DG11 2DQ

Opening hoursMon Fri: 8.00am--12.00 and 12.30--5.00pm

Saturday: 8.00am to 4.00pm

Tel. 01576 204445

Fax. 01576 204462

Hire Carpet Cleaner ; Hire Wall Paper Steamer

Shed Felt ; Cement ; Sand ; Screws ; Bolts

Decorating Materials ; Cleaning Products ; Fabric Dye

Multi-Fuel Stoves and Bottled Gases

Garden Products ; Tiled Fire Places & Fire Spares

and a Customer Delivery Service for bulkier items.

Historic Lockerbie The Battle of Dryfe Sands in 1593

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LETTE S TO LO KE BIE 4

L TO L; Scott, Peter, I hope you dont mind being called veterans but like a few other guys, past and present, you

have both been involved with The Mid-Annandale Football Club for many years, can you tell everyone about your

careers and time with the club?

Scott; Hello, nice to see you. Yes youre correct, there have been a few people who have given exceptional

commitment to the club throughout its 54 year history and I personally have been involved as a player, manager,committee member and for five years as chairman.

Peter; How are you? Yes, similar to Scott, Ive been connected with The Mids as a player, youth team coach for nine

years, two years as chairman and almost thirteen years and still counting as treasurer. In fact, Scott and I have a

combined total of 77 years with the The Mids. Maybe veterans isnt the right word to describe us, grandees is

probably a more apt description.

L to L; Maybe youre right Peter, but there again, some people may prefer to use the term has-beens. Anyway, how

many teams are looked after by the club and what age groups are involved and is there any interest for ladies football?

Scott; As well as the senior team which plays in the Southern Counties League and which in turn is run and

administered by the Scottish Professional League, we have teams playing at under 17, under 15 and under 13 levels.

We also provide Development Football for youngsters aged 5 to 11 years. At the opposite end of the age scale to the

primary aged kids, we have The over 40,s who still manage to play, just, every week and most of them still play in the

2-3-5 formation. Overall, the club looks after almost 200 players on a weekly basis.

Although we dont have any girls teams as such, we have had young ladies in the past who have played for some of our

junior teams. I think everybody realises the interest that there is for ladies football and the enthusiasm which exists

from many, many girls for football in general. In fact, there are some terrific statistics which tell us that 25% of all

professional football attendances are made-up of women and 40% of all TV football viewers are also women. So, if

there is anyone locally who would be interested in possibly helping to develop this area, then we as a club would be

only too pleased to hear from them.

L to L; Considering the commitment The Mids give to all of these teams and footballers, I suppose the next question

has to be, how much does it cost to finance the club every year and how do you raise the necessary funding?

Peter; 20,000 is the approximate amount we spend and have to raise on an annual basis. As you can imagine, we

have a few large bills to settle every year and these include the general upkeep, energy and insurance costs for

maintaining our pavilion and then there are the travel costs, league fees, park hire, training hire facilities and the

general costs of running the teams to be funded throughout the season.

To raise the kind of money we are talking about, The Mids Supporters Club whose annual subscriptions help to fund

the club and also a monthly draw for its members, is very important to us. Other funding comes from youth players

subscriptions, our annual coffee morning and Footballathon Day, grants from the council s Area Committee and The

Lockerbie Trust. We also have great sponsorship from D.S. Smith, match-day board-displays from various town

businesses, private donations and great support from The Queens Hotel and The Brig Inn. All of the above and more are

only possible through the goodwill of the people of Lockerbie and the surrounding area and we really do appreciate

and thank everyone for their on-going and tremendous support.L to L; Now I know the senior team is having to go down to Annan to play its home games next season. Can you Tell

us why that is happening?

Peter; Its quite simple really. Our football pitch at King Edwards is in desperate need of a new drainage system and

the installation work will require a season or two to be carried-out and for the park to recover and repair itself. Our

youth teams though will still be able to play in Lockerbie as they will play on the school pitches which has been arranged

by the council who we are presently in discussion with over the whole issue. We hope our supporters will still be able to

follow the senior team down to Annan and we know that they will be made more than welcome down there.

L to L; Tell everyone about a special moment or highlight you have experienced in your time with The Mids.

Scott; As a player I was lucky enough to have won a league title when we were in the amateur 2nd

division. We also

won six cup competitions, most of them against 1st

division teams, were named league team of the year and all in the

same season in 1998. My favourite moment though was when the club officially opened its new pavilion in 1996 and we

invited the then Scotland manager, Craig Brown, to do the honours and what a gentleman he was. What made the

occasion more memorable was the fact that the Euro Finals draw had just been announced with Scotland being drawn

in the same qualifying group as England and the media interest was intense. TV cameras were present on the day of our

pavilion ceremony and after it and with a specially prepared set of questions, I was asked to do a TV interview with the

Scotland manager.

Peter; Like Scott, I also played in a title winning team but ours was at under 18 level and under the management duo

of Bill Kerr and Bob Wilson. As a youth team coach I only ever won one honour which was an under 18 youth cup wherewe cobbled together a team from Lockerbie, Lochmaben and Ecclefechan and we beat Galloway Rovers in a penalty

shoot-out down at Glaxo. A special occasion for The Mids happened in 1995 on our 40th

anniversary. As a club we

decided to do something different to celebrate it and Scott along with Gideon Pringle, Wullie Murray and George Trudt

visited every one of the 40 professional football grounds in Scotland and all in the space of 24 hours. Sponsorship raised

from this venture was divided between The Doctors Surgery and our club.

L to L; Youve played with, coached and seen many players, tell us about your favourite ones?

Scott; From my own playing days there were players such as Darren Halliday, Niffer, Nutty and The Mids player

who holds the record for most goals scored in a season, Gary Murray. I also played alongside John McDowall and

Geordie Smith who were both exceptional. More recent players like Aly SLoan and Hizzi were different class as well.

Peter; I can go a bit further back than Scott and as a defender I appreciated Mids stalwarts such as Colin Tait, Dennis

Garret and Davy Horseburgh. John McDowall was also terrific and as a coach, one of the best young players I saw was

Stuart Thorburn, unfortunately, he came from Lochmaben. Two players who were outstanding in their day were Alan

Inglis, whose left foot was a wand, and the late and great Billy Jardine. For me though, two brothers were up there

with the best Ive seen in a Mids strip and they were Jinx and Mark Carruthers. What am I talking about, even my

brother was a better player than those two and he wasnt up to much.(laughter)

L to L interviews two Mids veterans, Peter Carruthers and Scott McMillan

L to L; Is there anything else you would like to tell everyone

about The Mid-Annandale Football Club?

Scott; I think everyone will appreciate that to make a club

such as The Mids function, then a lot of dedication and passion

are required and at any given moment it s usually all made to

happen by a relatively small band of people. So without our

youth and senior team coaches and managers and all of our

hard working and serving committee members, then it

couldnt be done.

We are always looking for new blood and new people to come

along and lend whatever support and enthusiasm they are able

to offer. They can always be assured that they will be made

very welcome and supported by the club.

Peter; I would just like to echo what Scott has said. I would

also like to take this opportunity to tell you about Two Real

Mids Grandees who epitomise what our club means to somany people and the kind of commitment it inspires.

Dick Boyes, as a founder member, player, manager and as club

secretary for an unbelievable 40 years, received a life member-

ship from the Scottish Amateur Football Association for his

services to amateur football and his great friend Peter Hills,

now well into his eighties, served The Mids for 54 years with

26 of those as chairman and he was awarded an Honourary

Life Presidency by the club and they both did it all for their love

of football and The Mids.

L to L; Peter and Scott, thank you both for your time.

Scott; Thank you and I wish L to L all the best for the future.

Peter; Thank you, I enjoyed it and I also enjoyed your first

issue of L to L.

Peter and Scott also regaled us with some facts from theirplaying days. Heres how they answered our questions;Who did you model your playing style on?

Peter; Jack Charlton, because he was an international

centre-half and a World Cup Winner.

Scott; Jacques Cousteau, because he was an

international diver and a world class crawler.

What tactics did you adopt as a player?

Scott; A lot of one-touch football and one-twos, make

yourself available, keep the ball moving, look for the

space, plenty of movement and play with intensity.

Peter; Dont give me the bloody thing! Just hoof it!

Tell us about your career disciplinary record?

Scott; 15 yellows cards and 3 red ones.

Peter; Lifted 5 times and jailed twice.

The average distance you ran during a game.

Peter; 4 miles.Scott; 350 yards putting-out the corner flags.

350 yards collecting-in the corner flags.

The number of successful passes you made on a

Saturday.

Scott; An average of 34.

Peter; Before I met the wife, about 10, not so many

after that.

The technique you were renowned for.

Peter; The best dead-ball kicker in the team and official

shy-taker.

Scott; The kicker in the team and official Mickey- taker

A definite No- No on match day.

Peter; Never more than three pints before kick-off.

Scott; Never stand beside Ken in the showers.

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5

LockerbieThe Article

By Daniel VeitchLockerbie is a town in the countryside,

there is a forest walk to the west of

Lockerbie, and it contains, ducks, frogs

and red squirrels. There are lots of trees

and its an enjoyable walk.

Lockerbie is a small town with an

estimated 4,500 people living there.

There are lots of streets; the biggest is

Rosebank Crescent. There is a Tesco

and two pharmacies, also there are

restaurants and hotels. Lockerbie has

an ice rink and it is good for curling.

David Murdoch the famous curler isfrom Lockerbie. Lockerbie is a peaceful

place to live.

In Lockerbie there are 8 hotels and a

number of pubs as well. There are two

restaurants and two banks. There is a

library and a brand new school, the

primary and academy joined together

to replace the old ones. There are a

number of local shops in the High Street

and every month there is a farmers

market in the town hall.

Apart from curling there are other

sports available in the town through the

golf club, cricket club and The Mids.

There are 3 active churches in the town.

Lockerbie

I enjoy living in Lockerbie. I like

going to the ice rink with my

friends. I also enjoy going to the

park. I think it would be even

better if we got a swimming pool.

It would be great to havesomething like that. We could

start a swimming club for the little

ones, I think it would be good

because its more convenient for

the parents. We need a swimming

pool because Annan and Dumfries

have one and I think swimming is

a great sport and it would be great

to have one in Lockerbie. Having a

swimming pool in Lockerbie is the

best idea!

By Emily M.

Our Ex-School137 years after opening its doors to 600 pupils, the curtain has finally come down on oneof Lockerbies finest buildings and the towns first academy school. Not because of thisfine structures integrity has it been de-commissioned and boarded-up, but because of alack of imagination on the part of our servants. Also, nobody likes old buildings or

infrastructures in the modern era. Frankly, there s more dosh and millionaires to bemade if private corporations have taxpayers cash thrown at them to build from new.Thats why, for example, private water companies don t like fixing leaks, theyd muchrather be allowed to build new reservoirs or desalination plants. Our MSP,s set adisgraceful example as well when they splashed-out 500 million on The ScottishParliament rather than make-do initially with a refurbished existing building and proveand show themselves as capable to their paymasters before demonstrating such aninherent talent for profligacy.There is an irony in that while the former Dryfesdale Public School is still standing, andtall, two far more recent and modern schools have already been razed to the ground. Illhave a tenner on with anyone that this ex-school, if looked after, will also see-offour brand-spanking-new and state-of-the-art learning centres and well probably still bepaying-off the mortgage on these when that happens.I havent heard or read whats in store or planned for my old primary school but standeasy and relax everyone, it can t be sold on the open market by anyone, because itwas gifted to the townspeople long before any single one of us was born. There again,that didnt stop or hinder the councillors in Dumfries from betraying The Crichton Royals

benefactors and beneficiaries. By Jimmy Carruthers

The Bridge andThe CampaignIn the first issue of L to L an article, entitled The Bridge, brought to the attention of 1990households in Lockerbie the inadequate and unsatisfactory attempt by Network Rail toraise to a safe height the railway bridge parapet at Broomhouse Farm on the Dryfe Road,directly across from the new primary school. The article also highlighted essentialimprovements required to 25 metres of adjacent fencing.This is now the official L to L campaign to force Network Rail to radically upgrade thisessential work and to do it tomorrow. This is a campaign of action because thisrequired infrastructure upgrade is purely and simply a 100%, genuine, five starsand bona fidehealth and safety issue.So how could this campaign proceed and who should initiate it. It could be compared toa relay race with a metaphoric baton being carried and passed-on by four differentgroups. As adults and parents, we have an obligation to ensure that all young people inthe town are safe and secure at all times and especially when a danger has been brought

to our attention. A petition could get everything off the ground and up and running andone or two parents from every street could collect supporting names from theirneighbours and another petition could be placed in the library.These petitions would then be handed over to our MP, MSP, EMP and Local Councillorsto hand over to Network Rail. Network Rail would then select a contractor to carry-outthe necessary work and oversee it to a s atisfactory conclusion. Job done.Wherever you live in the town and whether you pass the aforementioned location daily at20mph or on foot, or you have never been north of the towns two schools before in yourlife, this is something we should all be shouting about.One of the most powerful pieces of safety information placed in the public domaininvolves your car breaking down on the hard-shoulder of the motorway. Within six hours,another vehicle will have run into the back of yours. Even more simply, if there is a holein a fence, eventually someone will crawl through it. Basically, if it is waiting to happen,then sooner or later it will. Network Rail have obviously risk-assessed all of the above,but their efforts are not fit for purpose. Lets hold them to account.

Jimmy Carruthers

7/28/2019 LtoL, issue 2 complete.pdf

6/6

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........and the 2012 Olympic Games are awarded to........Paris!The legendary manager of Liverpool Football Club, Bill Shankly, once proffered,some

people think football is a matter of life and death, I assure you, its much more serious

than that and the literary genius, George Orwell, said about international sport in

general ,......it is war minus the shooting.

Although both Shankly and Orwell were and still are widely celebrated, they were, so to

speak, from different worlds and so were their sporting quotes, for they bore absolutely

no relationship to one another. But because Shankly was of the people and

understood the masses and Orwell was for the people and spoke for the masses, I

believe they would have shared a common loathing and condemnation for much of

professional sport today and for one simple reason, the kind of people who are

representative of the top echelons of much of popular world sport. There is also

something deeply worrying about the interplay between some world governments and

the most powerful sporting organisations on the planet.

In the wake of the 2010 South African World Cup, only time will tell if more than a feel

good factor and an improved national confidence are the legacy for ordinary South

Africans and in the meantime, lets wait and see how and where F.I.F.A. spends its $3

billion profit from the tournament. A profit which was partially achieved by a ticket

pricing scheme which, because of its prohibitive cost, excluded 80% of ordinary South

Africans, who survive on an average of $1.00 per day, compared to the $2.00 per-day-

per-cow which European farmers spend on average on their cattle.

One other thing about the tournament, there was never a match which was played in

front of a capacity crowd because the lowered tiered seats in front of the main stands

were kept partially clear, lest celebrated people in the top tiers were gazed-up-at

from below by lesser and ordinary mortals.

Celebrated people such as Mick Jagger were spared this embarrassment. if Jagger, and

for the sake of arguement, John Lennon had each been compared to a literary man of

comparable stature, Lennon could have been compared to George Orwell. Both were

geniuses with a social conscience, decency and a bravery to match. Orwell fought

against Franco, Hitler and Mussolini in the Spanish Civil War and Lennons lie-in with

Yoko Ono and the give peace a chance protest against the slaughter in the Vietnam

War was his greatest statement. Jagger would have been compared to Jeffrey Archer.

After the completion of the most successful Olympic games in the modern era, it would

take another five years for Sydney 2,000 to eventually find a use and new owners,

tenants and patrons for much of these games sporting infrastructure. The 2004 Athens

Olympic Games cost Greece 10 billion, double the original estimate, and was one of a

litany of reasons for this countrys degeneration into an economicbasket case.

Yet, The International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) still awarded The 2012 Games to

London, even though the initial 2.4 billion projected and presented costs for The

Games were financially fraudulent, written on the back of a cigarette packet and was

pie in the sky. The bookmakers, William Hills, were at one stage offering odds of

11/10 that the final bill to the taxpayers would be over 20 billion.

Quite simply, The 2012 Olympic Games should have been awarded to Paris. In 2005

when The Games were awarded to London, Paris had much of the transport and

sporting infrastructure in place, including the main stadium. In the same year, France

even had more olympic sized swimming pools in its capital city than the UK had in its

entire country and you can bet your bottom dollar that even after seven years of

building and close to 20 billion of spending power (well never know or be told the

true cost), 62 million UK citizens will still only have one more, or two at most, 50 metre

swimming pools in which to practice their aquatic skills than they had prior to 2005.

The technology in modern sport today is simply fantastic and includes not only the

technological advancements in equipment but also the scientific improvements to aid

officials. It enables rugby referees (both codes), tennis lines people, cricket umpires,

grand prix officials and horse racing stewards simply to make the correct decisions. The

technology also outs the cheats.

Of course, the one sport at the highest level which could really benefit from it is

football, but for some incomprehensible reason, its hierarchy refuses to embrace and

deploy this new technology. Why?! Well, most ordinary football fans now know some

F.I.F.A. officials to be proven corrupt but if they are also to be found as institutionally

stupid, then that is quite a combination.

Cocooned within their very own tax-free bubbles, the god-like statused delegates

and officials of F.I.F.A. and The I.O.C. are only matched in their false and elevated

status by the Romanesque Emperor billionaire and millionaire owners of British

football who are flown-in every match day to pronounce their thumbs-up and

thumbs-down on their soccer coliseums. These ( all of the above) former body

snatchers, loan sharks and wheel clampers represent the absolute worst in

popular, international and world sport today.

So are there any virtuous international sporting organisations out there. Well yes, The

Royal and Ancient of golf and the 12 personCommittee of Management responsible

for The Wimbledon Tennis Championships are two of the very best. Not only are they

responsible for organising two of the greatest and best loved sporting tournaments in

the world, they also produce a huge financial return at grass roots level for their

respective sports which last year was a combined total of 37 million.

Unfortunately for UK tennis fans and players, it is The L.T.A. which is responsible for

tennis development and even with an annual budget of 60 million it couldnt buy a

Wimbledon champion. The L.T.A. is not even responsible for the relatively successful

careers of messers Henman and Rudseski and the outstanding one of Andy Murray. All

were coached outwith of The L.T.A. system.

Wouldnt it be something though, if the top golfers and tennis players in the world

reverted to amateur status for all Grand Slam tournaments and played and

competed only to be part of the tradition, sporting history and prestige associated with

these great championships. A 5,000 subsistence payment for all participants could be

thrown-in as a gesture of good will. This new amateur statused UK Grand Slams

would produce an extra 17 million for golf and tennis grass roots.

So what would Shankly and Orwell have said about it all today. Shankly might not have

said anything. A borrowed hand gesture from the English archers on the fields of

Agincourt would have given his verdict on the Emperor owners of his beloved

football. Orwell might just have repeated his quote in full,Serious sport has nothing to

do with fair play, it is bound-up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of the

rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence, in other words, it is war minus the

shooting.

And me, I would cancel The London Olympic Games, revert some sports back to

amateur status and allow only u nder 16,s to play others.

by J. Roberts