However, coming to the Borders on a one-off trip to visit the Scottish Tapestry is not good tourism.

The millions of pounds would have been better spent on tidying up Borders, examples are tidying up empty High Street Shops, tidying up derelict buildings and houses and empty wooden mills which are an eyesore.

Repairing pothole-ridden roads, uneven pavements, hedgerows which are badly overgrown and tidying up Boleside which has served both locals and tourists as a recreation site, also make sure that enough dustbins are made available to blocks of flats as the rubbish is not strewn all over our pavements.

When we had Town Councils the Border towns were well kept and something to be proud to show off. I’m afraid the same cannot be said about Border towns nowadays.

I can see that, why can’t the powers that be at Scottish Borders council who are planning to waste millions of pounds on the Scottish Tapestry see that.

I am, etc.

Mr A Cruickshank Galashiels