THE first talk of our 2015/2016 syllabus is this Sunday, September 27, when Richard Torrance will give an illustrated talk about the history and heritage of the village of Moffat using some of the many photos in his collection. Our poster for the event shows a particularly nice view of Moffat station. The talk takes place at the Corn Exchange and Ormiston Institute, Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PN. I think you'll find this a very interesting talk whether you're interested in family history, local history, Moffat or old photos. I warmly invite you to attend the talk whether you are a member or not. Doors open at 2pm; the talk begins at 2.30pm.

We’ve experienced a lot more visitors to our archive in Galashiels due to the interest in the Borders Heritage Festival and as this talk is one of the Festival events, I suggest you come early to get a good seat. We'll have a range of family history publications available to buy, and there’ll be light refreshments (donation expected) available after the talk. If you have a problem with your family history, please discuss it (no charge) with one of our volunteers.

Our Peel Hospital exhibition has been very popular, attracting almost 600 visitors so far, many of whom did not previously know about us. It’s due

to close on Friday afternoon so you have until then to see the full exhibition.

Linda Bankier’s two guided walks for Berwick’s Heritage Open Days on September 12 and 13, one around the Greenses, the other down Ravensdowne to the Quay Walls attracted unexpectedly large audiences and the Ravensdowne walk was repeated later in the day to accommodate the demand.

Last weekend, FindMyPast offered free weekend access. Of course, you can come in to our archive at 52 Overhaugh St, Galashiels to use FindMyPast

but if you’re employed that might not be convenient. If you want to know about future free access offers, whether from FindMyPast, Ancestry or other companies, subscribe to our blog using your email address at http://blog.bordersfhs.org.uk .

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the British Army's officer training centre near the town of Sandhurst, Berkshire, has a history through predecessor institutions dating back to the early 18th century. The Sandhurst Collection illustrates the history of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. You can search Staff and Cadet Registers free online at http://archive.sandhurstcollection.co.uk/search/ . The Woolwich Cadet Registers cover the years 1790 to 1793, 1799 to 1805 and 1820 to 1939, those for Sandhurst cover the period 1800 to 1946. Both sets of records show the basic details of name, age, entry date, leaving date, date commissioned and corps or regiment joined; these details are free. Some records show other useful information such as birth date,

religion, nationality, school, personnel number, father's occupation. To see these, you need to look at the image, which has been deliberately blurred on the screen. There's a fee of £2.99 to download an unblurred PDF image. If you need help to do this, come in and see us.

Peter Munro