Talking Hawick Paper

Talking Hawick Paper began in 2009. Encouraged by Tom Ingoldsby of Galashiels Rotary, a group of Hawick Rotarians and their friends took on the weekly rôle of reading an edited version of The Hawick News, and later The Hawick Paper, for those in the area who had sight problems. Meeting in Teviot Church (later Hawick South Church) lounge on Friday mornings their extracts of that day's paper were recorded and sent to Duns where Borders Talking Newspapers sent them out on memory sticks to clients across the Borders. Currently around 45 individuals with sight problems take advantage of the service. The memory sticks also include readings of other Borders newspapers.

Originally administered for Hawick by Robin Mason, the project was taken on by Ron Laidlaw when Robin left the town. Ron recently decided to call time on his involvement after 17 years. To mark his retirement, and to thank him for organising the team, and for being the 'go-to-person' when hiccups occurred, the current reading and recording team presented Ron with a gift and with a framed certificate of appreciation, signed by Alasdair Hutton, convenor of Borders Talking Newspapers, at his last recording session on Friday 10th July.

Ron spoke of his enjoyment over the years in being involved with Talking Hawick Paper, before conversation moved on to the disappointment that The Hawick Paper was coincidentally to close down. The group are very conscious that a service has been provided to those in the local area, and indeed far beyond, who want to stay informed on happenings in the town and that this valuable service may now be lost.