Peter Maudsley (Chairman). I retired to Peebles in 2015 and have family and grandchildren here. I have been a community councillor since 2019, firstly in the position of Planning Convener and then since November 2022 as Chairman. I never wanted to be a community councillor and hadn’t even heard of one, let alone knew what one did. However, after some persuasion I joined. In some ways it satisfied a gap that had been there since retirement, and it does keep my brain active! My philosophy in business and now, has always been the greatest good for the greatest number and as such I always try to put my community councillors, and the community and its needs first.

I went to sea at the age of 17 as a deck cadet and spent six years trading the world including the Amazon. I have been shipwrecked! Following that I went into the oil industry in supply ships and anchor handling vessels. I was Captain for 4 years. In management, over nearly 30 years: In shipping companies I went from Operations Manager to Deputy Managing Director. I have been a Health and Safety Manager, QA Manager, HR Manager. I was a Marine Manager in a logistics company and as department head, I was responsible for more than 40 ships. I was 10 years in education management, and I am a qualified trainer and SQA assessor and have taught HND and HNC students. Finally, for two years before retirement, I audited ships and companies including manufacturing for a major oil company from Norway to the Congo.

Anne Snoddy (Secretary). I moved to Peebles with my husband and 8 year old son in 1991, expecting to move on in about 5 years time. However I am still here, 30+ years later, and am glad it’s worked out like that!

From the beginning I got involved in local groups and organisations. I find volunteering very rewarding, and it’s a great way to meet people and make friends.

I joined Peebles Community Council in 2013, quickly taking on the role of Secretary. I stepped down in 2018 before rejoining in 2021 – I missed it! As well as being Secretary of PCC I have been Secretary of Peebles Christmas Lights Association for about 15 years.

Fiona Richardson (Minute Secretary) joined PCC in Spring 2022.

Both Fiona and her husband work for a locally owned business and have a daughter at Peebles High School. Peebles feels at the very heart of their lives.

Originally from the Highlands, Fiona returned to her native Scotland in 2016 after two decades working for the legal industry in the City of London, and has never regretted relocating to Peebles to bring up family.

Fiona enjoys learning from her fellow councillors about the history of Peebles, its stories and infrastructure – and its visions for the future. She is also passionate that residents know they can make a positive difference to their community and help form the plans for the future.

When not working, or being a wife and mother, Fiona can be found volunteering with projects such as Peebles in Bloom or litter picking. She loves nature and animals and also sings with a local community choir.

Malcolm Bruce was born in Peebles and grew up on School Brae. In common with many of his generation, he left the town in the mid 1970’s to pursue a career as an Officer of Customs and Excise. Based in Scotland initially he spent a few years inspecting the accounts of businesses large and small for Value Added Tax purposes before joining the uniformed branch of his Department at Edinburgh Airport where he spent many happy years on the front line dealing with commercial drug smuggling attempts as well as alcohol and tobacco cases. He later moved into the National Criminal Investigation Service of H M C&E, later HM Revenue and Customs working all across the UK investigating serious fraud and smuggling.

In his latter years he became a Financial Investigator specialising in tracking down and seizing the Proceeds of Crime from those convicted of tax evasion and smuggling offences till he retired in 2014, Malcolm and his wife Christine, who hails from West Linton, then decided to move back to Peebles. He has since become immersed in town life as a volunteer driver and trainer for Tweed Wheels, a volunteer usher at The Eastgate Theatre, as Secretary of Peebles and District Men’s Shed and as a volunteer and committee member for the Peebles Christmas Lights Association. He is also a proud Callant and a member of the Guildry Corporation of Peebles.

Most recently Malcolm was co-opted as a Community Councillor, and it is in this latter role that he has now joined the Board of Peebles Community Trust. Malcolm enjoys cycling, walking his local hills and golf when he gets a minute.

Sam Coe

On leaving school with an AMusTCL diploma, distinction in Grade 8 singing and in cello, Sam seemed set for a career in music, but disappointed his music teachers by choosing architecture instead. After studying and qualifying in Edinburgh, he moved to Kelso in 1979 where his new wife Dorothy had been appointed teacher at the High School. Sam found gainful employment as architect with Duncan Cameron in Galashiels, and next year the Coes moved to Peebles where Sam was to man the firm’s Peebles office, being in charge there until 1991, when the business was consolidated in Galashiels and Edinburgh. Becoming a partner in 1993, and managing director in 2003, Sam retired in 2019 after 40 years with the same firm.

He always kept up the music, and still plays regularly with various groups from string quartets to Borders shows to large orchestras, and has been principal cellist with Edinburgh-based Scottish Sinfonia since the mid-80’s. He also taught cello for a while at the Cademuir International School in Peebles until it closed and became new housing. He is a long-standing committee member of Peebles Civic Society, which he currently represents on the Peebles Placemaking Team. He was co-opted onto the Community Council in 2022 and sits on the Chambers Institution Trust as observer and Community Council representative. He was an active Peebles Round Tabler until he was too old, and has been a judge for the Beltane decorated houses and shops competition for longer than he can remember.

Gill MacDonald. I grew up next to Grangemouth oil refineries often observing the smog lying over the Forth Valley and the stench of sulphur, so I don't take for granted the clean air and the beautiful countryside of the Tweed Valley.

I've lived in the Scottish Borders for over 30 years and feel fortunate to call Peebles my home. It's not just a vibrant town but it's the caring community which makes it special. The people who care enough to pick up litter, say hello and check neighbours and friends are well. Then there's the remarkable volunteers who make such a huge difference, such as the drivers taking pensioners to the RVS day centre; helping at the Eastgate theatre or engaging with teenagers at Oor Space Youthy; the pleasure of the floral displays....

It wasn't until I joined the Community Council did I fully appreciate the efforts of most of the elected SBC councillors and the many unpaid hours of the Community Council Chairman and Secretary, working together. It takes action and effort to make Peebles the town it is. I find being a member of the community council insightful as well as interesting.

Michael Marshall (Planning Convenor)

I grew up in Sydney, met my wife in Brighton and moved to her home town of Peebles in 2016. I love living in such a pretty and friendly town, right on the Tweed, surrounded by nature so that I can see snow covered hills from the High Street.

I'm passionate about learning and just completed my PhD in particle physics theory at the Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics at Edinburgh University. You can read it here and I'd be happy to tell you about it.

I'm also passionate about our climate, biodiversity and population crises, the inequality driving them and doing what I can to improve quality of life in the UK by dismantling structural inequalities.

Peebles has a vibrant community of volunteers running all sorts of amazing projects. I'm very pleased to be doing my part, putting what I've learned about planning to best use.

Jacqueline Wilson

I was born and brought up in Hawick. I attended teacher training at Moray House College of Education in Edinburgh. I returned home to Hawick for my first teaching post. After getting married moved to Peebleshire in 1983 and started teaching at Priorsford Primary school. Over the next 40 years I yoyoed between Kingsland and Priorsford schools in a range of different roles. I retired as the Headteacher of Kingsland in 2021.

I brought up my two children in Peebles and through them became involved in several clubs and societies. As headteacher I always believed it was important for the school community to be part of the local community and always sought to be involved.

Now retired, I enjoy a very different role of being a gran to 4 grandchildren which is great fun. I joined the Community Council in 2022. I enjoy working with others and having the privilege to represent the community.

Graham Mackie (Treasurer) moved to Peebles in 1992 as it seemed the ideal place to bring up a family; retired in 2013 after 40 years in the world of taxation/accounting/banking and now has more time to enjoy Peebles, when not entertaining grandchildren; particularly interested in sport and is a member of the local golf club and the petanque club as well as Tweed Theatre and the Peebles Ukulele Orchestra.

George Ramsay has lived in Peebles for nearly 60 years where he has had a successful heating and plumbing business since 1999. Previous to this George was the engineer in Robert Noble's March Street Mill. George also sits on the Beltane Committee and is a member of the Peebles Guildry Corporation. He is happily married with two daughters.