A FAMILY business which made its mark more than any other in Galashiels will be discussed tonight at the Old Gala Club.

George Paterson Sutherland and his sons became the foremost sculptors and monumental masons in the region.

The great-granddaughter of George P Sutherland, Alison Martin, will give an illustrated talk this evening in the Volunteer Hall.

The presentation illuminates the family history across two world wars and their contribution to Galashiels and the wider Borders.

Having served as an apprentice sculptor in Edinburgh, London and New York, George Paterson Sutherland founded his family business in Galashiels in 1881.

Amongst the many landmarks created in the Sutherland yard on Albert Place are the Sour Plums Coat of Arms, the Scott Park Gates, the ornate carvings on the front of the former Post Office, and the bases for both the Burns and Scott busts on Lawyers’ Brae and Bank Street, respectively.

Many other buildings around the Borders, including Drygrange House near Earlston, feature the fine stone carvings of George P Sutherland.

The company were also responsible for all of the war memorials erected in the region as well as thousands of headstones.

The family business ran for three generations from the Albert Place yard, until it ended with the retiral of Alison’s uncle, George Stewart Sutherland in 1999 at the age of 80.

Alison, who produced an illustrated booklet on the family firm last year, told the Border Telegraph: “Their carving craftsmanship can be seen all over Galashiels and on headstones and war memorials across the whole of the Borders."

This evening's talk on George Sutherland and Sons, which is part of the Old Gala Club’s Winter Programme, starts at 7.30pm.