Coldstream is slowed by the silent weather. Snow has quietly but consistently fallen for nearly three weeks and has diminished the supply chain into the town.

Luckily Coldstream still has local Bakers, a Butcher and a Hardware store. Supplies of bread, milk and meat are still strong in these essential local shops, the milkmen keep delivering to the doorstep, whilst the larger concerns run out.  (Not that I’m crowing about that as a Co-op member!)

More emphasis is starting to gain momentum for supporting the dwindling local shops as they fall to the larger supermarkets. And with extremes of weather comes an even greater need to support and sustain what is finally seen as  important services to a local town,the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker.  Luckily he hasn’t been needed yet as the electricity has held out. 

Also useful as our dispersed electronically dependent business model has continued to function through days when the main roads were shut, it went down to -11 centigrade, the buses and trains were cancelled and the world became silent beautiful and potentially deadly.  We’ve all been able to communicate with each other, clients and the media; written parliamentary briefings and lead articles for the papers; arranged broadcast interviews; and researched and promoted policy papers.  Rural based doesn’t mean we’re other than resilient, reliable and ready!

All around local people pull together to keep us all open for business and supplied.  Special thanks to Henry Wallace and the Scottish Borders Council team and to Colin Macgregor (and Richard who dug us out, especially!) at Coldstream Mains for their tireless efforts.