Peebles businesses put up displays for cycling championships

The Peebles event week starts on Sunday with the cross-country marathon elite finals and finishes on Saturday, August 12.

There was encouragement from Scottish Borders Council too, with the best dressed window, on show from August 3 to Sunday, August 13, in line for a £500 prize of a month of radio advertising.

The windows must be kept dressed till the last date to allow in-person judging.

Steve Grewer and Sharon Litster at Head to Toe (Image: Mark Davey)

Carol Long & UCI card designs and shop window (Image: Mark Davey)

Castle Warehouse's UCI window (Image: Mark Davey)

Fatface window (Image: Mark Davey)

Gift Box UCI window (Image: Mark Davey)

Gustav the elephant leads a UCI race (Image: Mark Davey)

Judith Cunningham at Perfect Style (Image: Mark Davey)

Ronnie Cameron at British Red Cross (Image: Mark Davey)

Volunteer Judith Denwood and Save the Children manager Elizabeth O'Raw (Image: Mark Davey)

The window at Wilkies (Image: Mark Davey)

At Gustaf’s Studio and Gallery, proprietor Carol Long and silversmith Patrick Hoye, who rents the basement, re-purposed a traditional Peebles leitmotif of the town’s three fishes symbol.

The design was taken from a linocut, originally designed by Carol’s artist son, Jack Conkie, who works at Smail’s in Innerleithen.

Ms Long said: “We came up with the idea of using Jack’s three fishes riding bikes for the UCI World Championship front window and Patrick created the artwork.

“We also continued the rainbow theme in a river at the bottom of the window where our mascot, Gustaf the elephant, is pictured on a bicycle leading a line of fishes all saddled up.

“Patrick has given each salmon a different expression which adds to the fun.”

At The Perfect Style, designer Judith Cunningham was helped by her son Will Oliver Kruger and his girlfriend, artist Robyn Troup.

Ms Cunningham said: “We do all our own styling and often use repurposed items.

“The finish in the shop is gold so it was natural to continue that on in the window with gold sprayed items of bikes including wheels, gears, chains and saddles.

“Also, to tie into the event, we have a hand-painted background of Glentress.

“We hope the products on display, which have a cycling theme, will attract visitors who are in the town.”

British Red Cross shop manager Ronnie Cameron said: “I designed the window round an old bike a neighbour had lying in the garden.

“I cleaned it up and sprayed it yellow.”

Head to Toe’s Sharon Litster designed the window round two donated bikes with assistance from her colleague Steve Grewer.

Ms Litster said: “The bike wheel in one window normally hangs in a tree in our garden.”

At the Peebles branch of Save the Children, manager Elizabeth O’Raw said: “My husband Scott painted the large goat on the window and children, from Kingsmeadows Nursery and of family and friends are giving drawings for the shop.”

Many shops, cafés and restaurants around the town will be open for two late nights till 9pm on Wednesday, August 9, with the addition of music and an outdoor barbecue at the Tonitine on Friday, August 11, in an event created by Peebles Business and Retailers Association.