Should anyone want to use the Hall for a Hogmanay event, it is still available so please drop the Booking Secretary a line here.

At present, the Hall management committee have no plans to organise a Ceilidh – but they would wholeheartedly support any village residents who did volunteer to put on an event. Last year’s evening of dinner and dancing was much enjoyed, and it would be a great shame were there not similar celebrations this year.

A message from East Lothian Triathlon Club:

Would you be interested in helping out at the 22nd Haddington triathlon as a marshal this year – or know anyone else that would be?

The event takes place on Sunday 30th August and we will need about 50 marshals to undertake a number of tasks – e.g. count the number of lengths that competitors have swum in the pool, or direct runners and cyclists on the route. No prior experience required. We would need marshals to be available from 8am (at the Aubigny sports centre in Haddington) to about 12.30pm on Sunday 30th August – though pool marshals will be away a bit earlier.
Marshals will receive a packed lunch and a gift and be entered into a £50 prize draw (just for the marshals). It would be great if you could help out. Most people find it a really enjoyable experience and every year we get so many compliments from competitors as to how wonderful and friendly the Haddington tri marshals are!

We also offer a £100 donation to your chosen charity/club if you are able to provide 6 adult marshals.  Any younger volunteers would also be welcome but will be paired up so they’re not alone. A great fundraiser for local clubs and charities, as well as Duke Of Edinburgh or Senior School trips!

As usual, we would be delighted to get any offers of help for what is usually a fun event!

If you can help, we would be very grateful if you could let us know via the contact form. Thanks.

Horses and ponies have their own personalities. That is why it is so important to slow down and give them a wide berth when they are being ridden on the roads.

No rider is ever in complete control at all times. Anything can make a horse spook – a bird, a plastic bag or even an overactive imagination – and they are just as inclined to jump towards a vehicle as away from it.

The situation is made worse by rain, when the roads are wet and there is lying water. No horse likes to be soaked by splash, and they don’t like the sound of it much either.

And it is not just motorised vehicles. Cyclists should also proceed with caution, especially when free wheeling downhill at twice the speed as normal. Never creep up behind a horse, and never underestimate the swooshing sound and effect created as you pass by.

Please forward this message on, post it on Facebook or even re-Tweet. It would be good to remind as many people as possible.

We are supposedly an animal loving nation, so it would be nice to see a bit more love for horses and ponies as they are hacked around the country lanes.