'In Search of the Border Reivers' (ISBR) is an umbrella organisation, comprising both commercial and non profit-making bodies, that draws on Reiver history to raise the tourism profile and potential of the border lands of England and Scotland.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REIVERS PROJECT
In April 1996, 60 people attended a seminar at Tullie House to see how the theme of Border Reivers and their colourful history could be used to promote tourism and encourage more visitors to the Border Lands of England and Scotland.
The meeting was convened because it was realised that many people in the region one way or another were drawing on the turbulent past of the Borders in creating TV programmes, video footage, CDs, CD ROMs, novels, children's materials and even large scale education visit promotion and it would be expedient to pool local and regional opinion.
REIVER INITIATIVE PEOPLE
Representatives attended from the Tourist Boards of Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Borders, Northumberland, Cumbria and Carlisle. Also in attendance were people working in the tourist industry in the private sector, media journalists, marketing experts and design consultants. Some people were already deriving income from Reiver-related commercial activities such as authors who have written about Reiving themes, accommodation providers, TV and film producers.
MORE REIVER INITIATIVE PEOPLE
Official representation was by councillors and officers from various local authorities, as well as representatives of national bodies such as the Ordnance Survey and English Heritage. Regional museum directors, curators and personnel attended as did officials and teachers from the education sector, historians and research archaeologists, artists and musicians. Border Family Society committee members attended as did owners and administrators of Border stately homes and castles, secretaries of heritage associations, wardens of visitor centres in the region and members of the Church.
REIVERS STEERING COMMITTEE
It was clear from the outset that a broad spectrum of interest was already in place and many were pleased to be invited to the seminar which acted as a forum for identifying common ground amongst delegates and finding a way to move forward with this cultural and marketing initiative. A steering group was appointed with a mandate to act on the ideas that had arisen from the seminar discussion and this committee has been meeting on a more or less monthly basis ever since. In addition working groups, to which outside expertise is called upon from time to time, have been set up to deal with the specific issues of funding, group status, Reiver sites and car trails, marketing and publicity.
REIVERS BUDGET
A budget has been established to which substantial public sector funding has been attracted from both sides of the Border as well as from European sources and this is managed by Mr Riddell Graham, Chief Executive of the Scottish Borders Tourist Board on behalf of the 'In search of the Border Reivers' initiative.
"In Search of the Border Reivers" steering committee welcomes contributions from all interested people and organisations. We are interested in fact and fiction! Help others to discover the past with your contribution. There may be remains of buildings in your area or stories of border raids. You may have anecdotes or interpretations that may amuse your fellow explorer.
What Reiver stories do you know and what do you think that their lives were about?
What do you know about where they lived?
Any interesting information that you give us may be posted on the Internet at our world wide web site http://www.reivers.com
We hope to make a second multimedia CD and your contribution may be included.
There will be prizes awarded by the "In Search of the Border Reiver" steering group in April of each year for the best submissions. Have a go and be in print on paper, on a CD and in cyberspace!
Please write or type your contribution and include photos or maps if possible. We will return pictures and maps. There will be no payment to you and by contributing you will be giving us permission to use your material in the manner described above. We may edit the item but would contact you if the tone or content is changed significantly.
If you type on a word processor, include a floppy disk of the file. Contact Peter Nicholson UK 01900 828 336 for advice about submitting on a floppy disk. If your contribution is text only with no pictures and you have access to the Internet then you can send the text to admin@reivers.com.
Submit your contribution to Stuart Hepburn, ISBR submissions, 70 Etterby
Street, Stanwix, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 9JD
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE REIVERS CD CLICK HERE.