I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year when it comes.
I want to send my warmest thanks to everyone who will sacrifice their own time with family over the holiday season for the benefit of others, especially Armed Forces personnel, NHS staff and emergency workers.
Thank you for your dedication and commitment. We all owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your service.
My annual Christmas card competition is always one of the highlights of my year.
It's a real joy to see all the amazing designs and drawings from local schoolchildren.
This year's winner was Jolyon, a primary six pupil from Ednam Primary School.
The runners up were Philip from Broomlands Primary School; Lily from Duns Primary School; and Kainat from Philiphaugh Community School.
Thank you to everyone who took part.
Every year I hold business awards to recognise some of the best enterprises across the Borders.
We're lucky to have so many brilliant small businesses on our doorstep offering outstanding service all year round.
