No 4: January 201 2

New sponsor Eve’s girls are for Scottish Championships

Euro champions This year’s Scottish Championships will be sponsored by The Co-operative Funeralcare as part of a new three-year partnership. The championships, which will now be known as ‘The Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish Curling Championships’, will take place from 13 to 19 February at the Dewars Centre, Perth. George Tinning, Managing Director for The Co-operative Funeralcare, said: “Scotland produces world-class curling athletes and we are proud to be involved with such a prestigious Picture courtesy of Leslie Ingram-Brown competition, which will propel them to the inter-national stage. Winners of Scotland’s women are European Champions! After a week of varying previous championships have often results in the round-robin at Le Gruyere European Curling Champion- proved themselves to be a formidable ships in Moscow last month, and her team of Anna force on the world stage and I hope Sloan, Vicki Adams, and alternate that, with our support, they can continue their success.” positioned themselves in the final. The Co-operative Funeralcare is the One game against Sweden was the last UK’s largest funeral director, with over hurdle to secure that precious Gold 880 funeral homes nationwide, Medal and the Scotland team certainly including a new funeral home at York didn’t mess around. A miss from Place in Perth. Firmly established, Sweden’s Maria Prytz with the last stone their experienced and professional of the first end gave Scotland a steal of 1, teams have helped their thousands of and Scotland continued to dominate the families through difficult and testing game by putting pressure on Sweden. times, with compassion, understanding By the fifth end break, Scotland were and expertise. 7-0 ahead and Eve kept the tactics simple “We have strong links with many The Holiday Inn Express Perth thereafter. At a score of 8-2, Sweden offers 81 guestrooms complete with local communities, and this satellite TV, tea & coffee facilities, conceded the game after the eighth end, sponsorship is one way in which we FREE Express Breakfast Buffet, and Scotland were crowned Champions. can give something back to FREE WiFi and FREE on-site Car Parking. Scotland’s men, skipped by David communities all over Scotland,” added Prices from only £49 per room, per night Murdoch with Glen Muirhead, Ross Mr Tinning. Subject to availability Paterson, Richard Woods and alternate The qualifying heats for The Co- For more information about the , finished in a respectable operative Funeralcare Scottish Curling Hotel please visit: fifth place. Norway’s colourful side Championships take place on January www.hiexpressperth.co.uk skipped by Thomas Ulsrud were 14 and 15 and from January 20 to 22, Or call 01738 636666 victorious against Sweden in the final. when 29 men’s teams will compete. Royal Club Notes

Board nominations Duncan as non-playing captain, who will The annual call for volunteers to nominate spend approximately one week in the West, themselves for election to the Board of Centre and East of Canada with the Royal Directors of The Royal Caledonian Curling Club teams. Club is now open, and will close on 14 Click to curl February. For further information and an Four Nations The RCCC has developed its social media application form, visit: Wales is hosting the Four Nations at presence online by launching a YouTube www.royalcaledoniancurlingclub.org Greenacres Curling Rink from 21-22 January. channel and Flickr group. This year there was an open entry for Royal These outlets now provide even more Strathcona Cup Club members to represent Scotland which opportunity to engage with the Royal 93 applications were received from attracted 39 applications. A number of Club, its members and the wider curling members to represent the Royal Club in the prestigious trophies are being competed for community, adding to its existing 2013 Strathcona Cup. 60 playing members over the weekend, and your support will be Facebook and Twitter pages. have been selected and will be joined by Bill welcomed! Our YouTube channel can be found at www.youtube.com/rccccurling and will showcase videos from our archive, along with highlights from future competitions and events, press interviews and YOUR Coach! promotional clips. New videos will be Simple Strategy and Tactics added soon, so check our page regularly for additions. relating to Ice Conditions Our new Flickr group will allow us to Certain ice conditions favour certain share a huge variety of photos with you, shots. When ice has a good draw, it is and for you to share your pics and preferable to play come arounds rather opinions with us and other community than promotions. members. Join the Flickr group here… www.flickr.com/groups/royalcaledonian However, come around and draw curlingclub shots are difficult on straight ice and Remember, you can still post on our promotions are a better call. Facebook wall whenever you like, and we’d love to hear from you! So tell us and A simplified tactical summary is illus- trated: others about your events as they happen, n upload your images or share our posts A team with last stone should play to the side. with your friends online at… n www.facebook.com/royalcaledonian Team without last stone should play to the central control zone. curlingclub n As with all social sites you need to Team up in score should play in the house. register with respective providers to n participate so get online, get involved and Team down in score should play to we’ll see you there! the front.

The next issue of YOUR Curler is due out at the end of February (content submissions by 10 February). In the meantime, keep up to date with curling news and information at www.royalcaledoniancurlingclub.org YOUR Curler is published by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club on a monthly basis during the winter season. General enquiries to Cairnie House, Ingliston, Newbridge, Midlothian, EH28 8NB. T: 0131 333 3003. E: [email protected] YOUR Curler enquiries to: E: [email protected] Vision needs, curling delivers Scotland’s first curling club for vision-impaired curlers celebrates 10 years of curling this season. Following the GB Women’s Gold Medal success at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002, a group of pioneers from the Fife Society for the Blind asked to try curling at the Kinross Ice Rink at the Green Hotel. Two intrepid Kinross coaches agreed to meet their request and the Vision-Impaired Curlers Kinross (VICKs) began. The VICKs club meets weekly on Mondays at Kinross Ice Rink from 12.15pm to 2pm. Although the number of curlers may be small, their enthusiasm and enjoyment of the game is huge. The weekly sessions vary in content, but alternate between club competitions, coaching sessions and challenge matches against sighted curlers and the Kinross Wheelchair Club. The VICKS club at Kinross Ice Rink. The club benefits from an excellent group of coaches and on-ice assistants, The Hammer Photo courtesy of Steve Lindridge. who attend on a regular basis. Members of the VICKs participated in a demon- stration of the discipline during the What to do if you want to take part Scottish Championships in 2008, where To enable the Royal Club better to engage For further information on VICKs, those who watched were extremely with and represent its membership, we ask please e-mail Maureen Aitken… impressed by the standard of play. that members with a vision impairment [email protected] or Dottie Burt… Though many may assume that it check the box on the Membership Database. [email protected]. would be near impossible to curl with This will assist us to develop resources and vision impairment, it has proved to be a programmes for curlers with sight loss. For If you would like information on sport that can be mastered by effort, further information on vision-impairment introducing Vision-Impaired Curling in coupled with clear communication and classification please go to… your area or on the Coaching Module teamwork. http://royalcaledoniancurlingclub.org/ please contact Sheila Swan… Vision-Impaired Curling is a fast- development/disability-programmes/ [email protected] growing discipline throughout the visually-impaired-curling/ for further information. world’s curling nations. It has been established in Canada for over 30 years, and there are many clubs throughout the country. The Canadian Vision-Impaired Curling Championships is held annually, and in 2011 seven teams participated, representing 6 different provinces. In October 2010, we were privileged to host the first International Conference on Vision-Impaired Curling. We were delighted that three delegates made the long trip from Canada to attend the Conference and share their knowledge with us. Have you stopped curling because of deteriorating sight, but would like to participate again? Do you have a vision impairment and are you interested in trying a new activity? Are you interested in introducing Vision-Impaired Curling to your area, or undertaking the Vision- Impaired Curling coaching module? If so, we would like to hear from you! USA tour to Scotland 2012 There is a famous WW1 song - A full programme of activities – on and written by George Cohan in 1917 off the ice - has been arranged for our and immortalised by, amongst guests, and it is hoped that as many of our club curlers around the country others, Caruso - popularised as will take the opportunity to welcome Over There, Over There. It is the tourists at their local ice rink, perceived as symbolic of the cheer on the good shots played by Americans gathering their either side, and join in the festive forces for a forthcoming atmosphere of bonhomie and conflict. curling friendship. Well, ‘Over there’ are coming No bets have been laid yet, but the ‘Over Here’ to Scotland in late Americans had promised to send January. Yes, the 20-strong American over a strong team to regain the men’s team, representing the cream of trophy, and their pedigree is most USCA club curlers, are going to touch impressive – the Scots curlers will have down in Glasgow on 27 January for a to be on top form to give a good account three week long curling tour, in a bid to of themselves. Still, as we all know, we wrest back the coveted Herries Maxwell (wee!) Scots love a challenge..! Trophy won by the Scots club curlers on Dumfries, Lockerbie, Stranraer, Kilmar- The social side will be of equal their now ‘epic’ tour to the States in 2007. nock, Ayr, Greenacres (against Harvies importance of course, and time off the In 2007 it had been 30 years since the and Waterfront), Braehead (against two of rink will be both entertaining and varied. Scots had last gained possession of the old the Area 4 Provinces), Greenacres again to Some of the ‘off piste’ programme will Trafalgar vase, the US having face the might of Renfrewshire 12th, involve a Burns Supper, ceilidh, predominated over the previous five Waterfront against Argyll Province, singalongs, home hosting, a McGonigall encounters. Our American friends will no Stirling, Perth, Kirkcaldy, Kinross, Forfar, Dinner, civic receptions, local historical doubt be determined to regain possession Dundee, Aberdeen, Elgin, Inverness, tours, visits to places of interest around of the beautiful silver trophy presented in Kelso - and finally to Murrayfield to meet the country, and possibly a distillery visit 1952 by Lt Commander Desmond Herries the stalwarts of Area 5. or two! And there are one or two Maxwell, Royal Club President in 1950/51, The destination of the trophy will be surprises still in store that are sub-judice for competition between the two nations. decided on an overall ‘shots up’ basis for publication! This tour will cover all of the Scottish over the 35 matches planned against the So, we eagerly await the 27 January at Areas and Provinces, stopping off at most Scottish Province curlers over a three- 7.15 am when our American curling of the curling facilities in Scotland, and week period. Some 147 games of curling cousins touch down at Glasgow to begin allowing them to sample not only in total will count towards the final score. what we hope will be a trip of a lifetime, ‘Scottish’ curling, but the spirit of the and a curling experience par excellence. We game in our country, and the hospitality A final friendship 5-rink game against a hope that you, the club curlers of and lifestyle that we take all for granted. Royal Caledonian Curling Club side will Scotland, will support the tour when it The tour will be a ‘whistle-stop’ affair, then be held the last day at Murrayfield starting in the west with a welcome and on Sunday 19 February, followed by a comes to your locale, enjoy the ‘match’, warm-up game against the victorious Farewell Banquet at the Braid Hills Hotel, cheer on both teams impartially, and give 2007 USA Scots tourists at Braehead on when the destination of the Herries a true Scots welcome to our American Saturday 28 January. From there, their Maxwell Trophy for the next five years friends. journey will take them to Hamilton, will be announced. Article by Alan Sloan, Tour Convener . Super Leagues. We have our own intiii internal league to encourage 100 years - and counting members to play in different Craigie Hill CC in the Perth and District posi positions as well as our ever- Province, playing out of Dewar’s Rinks in popular Points competition Perth, are celebrating their centenary this played at the end of the season. Similar to many clubs, we year. The club played their first game on 8 stru struggled with low membership January 1912 on the curling pond which is for at times, but we are in reasonably now the practice area of Craigie Hill Golf good shape at the moment with Club. The RCCC records Craigie Hill as an active membership, instituted in 1911, admitted in 1924. due to a pro-active According to the minutes of the 1936 approach to AGM, the club had originally been a limited whisky. The hope encouraging new company, but went into liquidation, which was that this would members from the was probably tied into the opening of turn into an annual beginners ranks. We the original ice rink in Perth in event, scheduled owe it to our founding 1935. Thereafter the club carried on playing for 25 March in 2012. members and to future their curling indoors as opposed to on the A Curling Weekend curlers to continue to outdoor pond. was held at the be vigilant and keep In 1936 there were 24 regular members and North West Castle the club active. 13 occasional members, and annual in Stranraer. This If you want a balance subscriptions were five shillings. The club was a wonderful weekend, balancing great between a social event and friendly but food and drink, good friends and social had two rinks playing in the Grand Match at challenging competition, both social and curling. Carsebreck pond. The Patron of the club at competitive, Craigie Hill CC is the club for that time was Lord Forteviot. Centenary photograph (above) with current membership on 8 January 2012 at the site of you. We are a mixed club and enjoy various In celebration of this centenary event, social outings during the season, a few drinks several activities were planned:- the original picture taken on the opening oay in 1912, followed by lunch. and a curry are usually on the agenda at some A centenary bonspiel was held with other point. We have a history of encouraging new clubs who are also celebrating their Centenary Bonspiel with club members on centenary, these being Monifieth CC, Wengen Friday 13 January, followed by our traditional members, who become core members of the CC, Bearsden CC and Craigie Hill CC. Wengen curry in the Manzil Indian Restaurant. club. If you've ever thought about giving CC came up with the proposal and organised Craigie Hill CC play in the Forteviot, curling a go, or are simply looking to re-join a the event in Perth in March 2011. They Club and Carse Leagues and various club, then contact Charlie Scrim, secretary of presented an engraved centenary quaich Knockout competitions, as well as having 2 Craigie Hill CC at [email protected] 01738 and specially labelled bottles of malt teams in Division 2 and 1 in Division 3 of the 626712 http://craigiehillcurling.wordpress.com/ Year ends in success Mixed Doubles The Scottish Mixed Doubles was a well-contested event held at Murray- field in December. The good swinging ice allowed for some great games. Lee McCleary (Kinross) and Judith McFarlane (Stirling) defeated Adrian White and Jill Donald (Forfar) in the final. Adrian and Jill were four shots up after five ends. The sixth end saw a big comeback with Lee and Judith taking a five. Another steal of one set up an exciting last end - and Adrian had an angle raise for an extra, but just missed it. Lee and Judith will now represent Scotland in the World Mixed Doubles Championships in Turkey from 23 – 29 April. Under 17 Slam Thirty-two teams competed in the Under 17 Slam this season. Over the last few years, a rise in the number of entries has been witnessed and the excellent standard of play is a credit to the junior clubs and coaches around the country. The final stage of the Slam was Forfar. Going into the competition, James Carswell’s Greenacres team was in a favoured position, having already won two Slam events. However, Gregor Cannon’s Stranraer rink provided a threat which only came to an end when narrowly losing to in the semi-final. In the Girls’ Slam, Rachel Hannen kept herself in contention by reaching the final at Forfar - and was indeed up in the game at the midway stage against James Carswell. The boys fought back hard to win the final, thereby winning three out of three Slam events - a fantastic achievement. The Girls’ 2011 Slam Champions are Katie Murray, , Find us on Gayle Allan and Kirsty Morton, who now have the opportunity to go to Facebook the WCF Junior Camp in Fussen in July, along with Slam Winners James www.facebook.com/royalcaledoniancurlingclub Carwsell, George McConnell, Ben Bremner and Peter Dagan. Border Curling (continued on page 8) Good news for Border Junior Curlers: Around the Clubs Amy Bryce skipped the under-13s to win A fine game was enjoyed by all, on at Lockerbie and will now represent the Outdoor curling excellent ice prepared by experienced Ice South at the National Finals. The team Master Mackenzie - as was the superb was Amy Bryce (), Angus Thomson, hospitality of the Muir of Ord club, with Kirsty Fairbairn, Jack Fleming and Greg piping hot mince pies and hot mulled Cessford as alternate leads. This was a wine… a most enjoyable evening for all great result for them and the Border concerned. coaching staff. The under-15 team also played well and Report by Roy R Sinclair - Past-President, Highland Curling Club were runners-up in their competit-ion. Team: Neil Sutherland (Skip), Callum Potts, Leslie Kerr and Stewart Shaw. Waterfront’s grant Amy also played for Katie Murray’s In response to their recent application, Lockerbie U21 and reached the finals. Waterfront Junior Curling Club has been She was asked to play for her again at The Highland Curling Club held a great awarded a grant of £500.00 from the the final slam in Forfar. Unfortunately outdoor curling match on 18 December Inverclyde Council’s Grants to Voluntary they didn’t qualify through their group, at the Muir of Ord outdoor rinks - on Organisations Funding programme. but at the end of the competition they keen, keen ice under a starlit sky. Jim Stables, Vice-Chair of the club, had still done enough to win the overall A composite rink skipped by Finlay said: “This grant has come at exactly the U17 Girls slam title. Amy played really Mackenzie (Muir of Ord Curling Club), right time for the club. Having been well in Forfar, playing the stones she was with Roy Sinclair (Highland Curling established in 2003, our juniors are still asked, and obviously impressed as she Club) and Brian Spence (Dalcross using some of the original basic curling has been asked to play for the team next Curling Club), just won an extremely equipment purchased then, all of eight season at U17 level. Well done Amy and exciting and close game of ten ends, years ago. we are all proud of you. Let’s hope we against another composite rink skipped “This funding will allow us to buy can build up a local team around you. by Jim Robb (Highland Curling Club), much-needed brushes, sliders and with Ian Thomson (Dalcross Curling grippers to enable our burgeoning and Club), Ormond Smith (Inverness Curling ambitious club to keep pace with other Club) and Richard MacWilliam (Muir of clubs in the area, and provide the necessary tools to develop the skill levels Ord Curling Club). The last-named of our young curlers. We are grateful to played lead stones for both rinks. Inverclyde Council for its support of our At brooms up after six ends, the match current activities and future plans.” was level at four shots all and, after One innovation planned for next year exchanging singles at the next two ends, is to pilot an After Schools session, to act the Mackenzie rink claimed a fine two- as a feeder group for the main WJCC shot lead. The final end saw the club - yet another clear indication that advantage changing throughout the end, junior curling is going from strength to Sutherland Province with the Mackenzie rink managing to strength. steal a clever single to win the match by For more information on the WJCC, visit: On the first weekend in December a small three shots. www.waterfrontjuniorcurlers.co.uk groups of Sutherland Province Curlers travelled to Greenacres for the annual Dalry v Sutherland 'fun' competition, each ADVERTISING GIFTS time playing six games of four ends. This was the 11th year, although last year's game was postponed due to PERSONALISED MERCHANDISE weather conditions. The competition was originally started by Golders Landscape CORPORATE PROMOTIONS and was always played in Brora Ice Rink. After its closure in 2005, the annual event PRESENTATIONS & AWARDS switched to Pitlochry and, in previous years, Greenacres. Dalry committee PROMOTIONAL CLOTHING members organised the weekend with For all your the help of match secretary Richard promotional needs Mackenzie. The ice rink put on a PRINTING & PERSONAL STATIONERY wonderful spread in the evening and the Dalry members entertained everyone with many poems and phrases. Heather 5th Floor, STERLING HOUSE, 20 RENFIELD ST, GLASGOW G2 5AP McRae from Sutherland provided music from her accordion, all making for an enjoyable night. The winning team was TEL: 0141 221 1491 FAX: 0141 248 4411 skipped by Richard MacKenzie and runners-up skipped by Ian MacKay. The Email: [email protected] booby prize winners returned home with large black puddings! Round the Clubs (continued from p7) Curl Aberdeen’s divided lanes There have been a number of com- ments about the new lane dividers at Aberdeen’s curling rink. Many dedicated curling facilities around the world use lane dividers in their facilities to catch stones. Having carried out a risk assessment for the Ice Hall on several occasions last season, we have concluded that the biggest risk to participants and instructors is stationary and/or moving stones. East Kilbride I have played in many rinks which have dividers and noted how they Each year at East Kilbride Ice Rink, the volunteer coaches arrange for around 30 significantly reduced the risk of local schools to participate in the Curling's Cool programme. Over 500 primary 5/6 somebody being struck by a moving children are introduced to curling and encouraged to follow up the experience by stone or the chance of falling over a stone joining the local After School club. which has appeared from another lane. I Such was the interest aroused in parents by watching from the Shopping Centre suggested to the management committee viewing galleries and food courts that the centre management volunteered to at the start of the summer that I thought provide a trophy if a competition could be arranged amongst the participating schools. Always up for a challenge, an extra session was added to the Curling's Cool programme which allowed the coaches time to pick out promising newcomers and form them into a school team - all with the enthusiastic help of the schools involved. The result, after an elimination process, on 21 December saw 40 kids take to the ice in their first proper game, watched over by 10 rather anxious coaches. Castlefield Primary, the eventual winners, are shown in our picture above with the other semi- finalists, and the event is now part of the EK Rinks schools programme.

The Edinburgh International ran smoothly, with and team winning the main event. Sandy Reid was runner-up Mike Dick and team won the it would be a good idea to trial these on Seniors competition. the middle two lanes. As they were not The Christmas Bonspiel was held on 18 for improving ice quality, they did not December, with 14 rinks, all in wonder- require to go the full length of the rink. The Ladies Senior competition at ful fancy dress, taking to the ice. After Many rinks in Europe and Canada are Murrayfield Curling Club was three 4-end games, with festive treats in only to the hog line. completed on 2 December. There were between, the winners were James Baird, I consider these have been a good two very close semi-finals and an extra David Baird, Rebecca Baird and Debbie addition and have improved the safety end had to be played in the final. The Kerr. Jean Hamilton presented the of users. I know that our coaches winners, from Pentland Ladies, were Hamilton Bowl. Runners-up were Robin consider they improve safety, Norma Taylor (skip), Ros Murray (3��), Copland, , Angus particularly when teaching children. Sandra Renton (2��) and Elizabeth Hepburn and Rory Hepburn. We also have many individuals who Mackay (lead). The runners-up from After a lovely Christmas dinner, Santa practice at Curl Aberdeen and the Edinburgh Ladies were Marion made an appearance, to the delight of the dividers allow them to practice any shots Mulholland (skip), Isobel Brydie (3��), not only the young children but also the without the fear of a stray stone going Christine Smillie (2��) and Kate Abbot “big yins”. A most enjoyable day was onto another lane. (lead). The competition is sponsored by had by all.” Tom Brewster, Manager Linda McKay of Edinburgh Ladies. The Army Careers school competition went ahead on 3 December, after being a What odds on the winner? victim of the weather last year. This was won by Craigmount High School, who Would you have given 40-1 on Drystanes CC winning Glasgow Province's Glenalmond Trophy consisted of David Baird (skip), Fraser this year, given that they have been attempting to do so since its inception in 1971? Or would Ewan, Calum McLean and Gordon you have gone down the route of only 15-1 reflecting the number of Clubs who entered? Even Cowan. The runners-up were Currie & more worrying was being 4-1 down to Carmunnock & Rutherglen, 16 times previous winners, Balerno High Schools, skipped by Gavin after four ends had been completed. But, in a very close finish, Drew Fulton and his rink won all Barr alongside Rowena Steven, Laura the remaining ends to run out 5-4 winners and will, for the first time, have their club’s name Barr, Jane Barr and Ewan Barr. engraved on the handsome trophy. is pleased to support the Scottish Curling Championships.

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