Season 2010-11 - Indoor Grand Match - 23/10/10

The most recent "Grand Match" between the northern and southern clubs of took place on the Lake of Menteith in 1979. Global warming has seen the frequency of outdoor Grand Matches decline to zero in recent years, although it came very close to running a Grand Match in February this year, but Health & Safety issues prevented it. The Royal Caledonian Curling Club (RCCC) now organise the "Indoor" Grand Match every five years, when teams for the north and south of Scotland compete against each other in ice rinks spread throughout the country. This season's Indoor Grand Match saw one Bridge of Weir team play in Aberdeen, and one Bridge of Weir team play in Braehead, . Sheila (2nd) and I left Kilbarchan at 7.30am (writes roving reporter Sandy D [Skip].) We picked up Alan W (Lead) in Bridge of Weir and travelled up to Aberdeen. We stopped for coffee and some butteries just short of Aberdeen. Why no mention of remaining team member Ken G (3rd)? Well, it's quite a long story. Ken was away on business in the USA that week. He left Boston on Friday night, flew to London and then on to Aberdeen. I received a call on my mobile just as we were entering Aberdeen from Ken to say he had landed, and we reached the ice rink within ten minutes of each other. (What a team member! Thanks Ken.)

We had a very friendly game against Bill Linton, Wendy Smith, Ian Shaw, and Margo Nicol of the Bank of Scotland Curling Club (Fife division.) We met in the dining room before the match, where we exchanged club badges, and we were also presented Grand Indoor Match - Aberdeen 2010-11 [L to R] - with little books on Fife - a really nice touch. My book Kenneth G (3rd), Sheila D (2nd), Sandy D (skip), Alan W (Lead), was "The Wee Book of Fife" and Sheila's was "Forty HBOS (Fife) team Coast and Country Walks in Fife." (Click on the photo to view an enlarged version.)

0n to the game. We gained a shot at the first two ends then lost two shots at each of the 3rd & 4th ends so we were 4 - 2 down when we stacked brooms to have a wee dram. When we stacked the brooms Bill used his tartan scarf to hold all the brushes together in the shape of a wigwam and stood them in the centre of the head at which point the Curl Aberdeen staff took a photo. Then the game restarted. We managed a two at the 5th end to make it all square then lost 3 at the 6th and 2 at the 7th to be five down playing the last end. The curling gods must been with us as we managed to get a five at the last end to peel the match 9 - 9. (Got out of jail, what!!!) Afterwards we had a really nice buffet lunch and pleasant chat with the opposition. A great day was had by all. (P.S. Ken and Alan slept most of the way home - well deserved in Ken's case, but less excusable for Alan!) Later in the day, skip Paul R's team of Ron A (3rd), Bob B (2nd), and Neil A (Lead) had much easier journeys for their match against Fochabers. Leisurely drives along the M8 from Glasgow, Paisley, and Bridge of Weir saw team members arrive in plenty of time for their 3:30 p.m.start. Meanwhile, the Fochabers team had faced a similar journey from Morayshire to Sandy's D team earlier in the day, but this time in the reverse direction south.

After being piped onto the ice by a suitably bekilted piper, the teams exchanged club badges. An enjoyable game ensued against the Fochabers team. Paul's team got off to a good start, scoring 2 shots in the first end. Fochabers countered with a single in the 2nd end, and a further single in the third end, to tie the score at 2 - 2. Paul's team pulled ahead in the fourth end with 3 further shots, to leave the score at

Grand Indoor Match - Braehead 2010-11 [Back Row, L to R] - the half-way point in the match at 5 - 2 in the Bridge Ron A (3rd), Paul R (Skip), Bob B (2nd), Neil A (Lead). of Weir team's favour. Brooms were stacked in the [Font Row] the Fochabers team head, and a warming glass of Glayva was served to (Click on the photo to view an enlarged version.) all the participating teams.

The second half of the match saw Paul's team pull ahead with 2 shots in the 5th end, then steal a single shot in the 6th end, and a further single shot in the 7th end, to bring the score to 9 - 2 in the Bridge of Weir team's favour. Perhaps thinking that the game was effectively won lead to carelessness in the 8th and final end, as the Fochabers team picked up a consolation 4 shots to leave the final score at 9 - 6 to Bridge of Weir.

An excellent steak-pie dinner in the ice rink restaurant, and a lot of chat and laughter about the day, brought a highly enjoyable day to a close.