James Thomson only started writing poems recently, mostly about The Scottish Borders. His Great uncle Jimmy Fleming was a loyal West Linton poet so perhaps it's something in his genes.  James is 70 now and was a firefighter for 32 years until retirement. He now owns a Mobile Disco Reflex Disco, successful for the last 15 years doing Weddings,  Parties Birthdays etc. He is married to Gillian who he met in 1978 whilst visiting Hawick, representing his home village as the 1977 West Linton Whipman [think horses and flags ]. Some of James' poems are humorous and some serious . He tries to speak in Lowland Scots as people before did, to keep the language alive. He has written a quartet of poems depicting the four seasons each one following on from the other.

Oh Border Lass

Oh Border Lass ma heart just lept
And hoped that you'd be mine
A tapestry of memories kept 
Should baith our lives entwine

Oh Border Lass si fair o face
Young laddies by the score
Eah yin wud gladly tak ma place
If I should be no more

Oh Border Lass come walk awhile
And tell me what ye see
Just thinking back, we laugh and smile
When walking here wi me

Oh Border Lass as we grow old
The thief that we ca time
Fond memories our minds unfold
When baith were in our prime

Oh Border Lass through thick and thin
We've trod life's fickle path
And baith o us content within
The Highs and lows tae laugh

Oh Border Lass ye've gie'd tae me 
A life o riches grand
And wi nae other I'd rather be 
Just walking hand and hand

Oh Border Lass how long ye've lain
A darkness stole y'er light
A promise kept tae aye remain
True till we unite

A couple just like us might pass
And gaze upon y'er stane
It reads here lies ma Border Lass
Together once again