Shots Competition - progress

Team Nicoll Junior inflicted a huge 14 - 1 win against a very under strength Mike Wood team to take a strangle hold on the shots trophy.  With one game to go Sandy now has a 13 shot advantage over his father.  The final games will see Morgan pitted against Mike (who is still sidelined) and Sandy against John Good's team.
Meanwhile in the Peter Allen Shield race, the table is topped by both Nicoll teams tied on 6 wins.  Team Nicoll senior leads the race with the advantage of having won four more ends than 'junior'.  Sandy needs a big win over John win take the shield and even then has to hope that his father will falter against Team Wood.

Thirds Competition

Congratulations to Team Maguire Consisting of Rosie, Daniel and John Good who scored the necessary number of ends to lift the Thirds Trophy.  The team managed to restrict their one defeat, against Dale , to a narrow loss and to inflict two double digit wins to secure the title.  Graeme expressed thanks to his team because, as he admitted, he wasn't playing well.
And now on to the Shots Competition and a resumption between the father/son Nicoll battle for the Peter Allen Shield.

EL Bonspiel 2018

A slightly smaller field of 10 teams were mustered at Murrayfield for the annual bonspiel which was held in the usual good spirits.  Despite a 'blue light' injury to Pam Clark, Vice-President of Aberlady during the first game (She was released from hospital that night and hopes to be back on the ice with her new scalp staples next week!) the first round was keenly contested.  The defending champions, Haddington 1, started off with a peel against the remnants of the Aberlady team but it was Haddington 2 that went into pole position with a score of +5.

l-r  Richard Taylor, Ali Harvey, Willie Kerr, Dave Munro (skip)

After a break for soup and sandwiches, they took to the ice with the top billed match being the two leaders, Haddington 2 and Athelstaneford 1 (on a score of +4).  Haddington got off to a great start and looked 'nailed in' for the overall win until in the final end the wheels came off the bus and Athelstaneford bounced back with a 4. This was still not enough to derail Haddington 2.
We therefore issue our congratulations to Haddington 2 and, over post match drinks, watched President Dave Munro present himself and his team the ELCO Cup and associated silverware.
Congratulations are also due to Yester 1 who came in 3 shots behind for second place and an extremely creditable third place went to the 3 man Aberlady team, of Morgan & Sandy Nicoll, John Good and Pam Clark, who were a further 1 shot behind.

Strathcona Cup 2018 - An Invitation

Strathcona Cup Canadian Tour to Scotland 2018

The Canadians are HERE!

In January the Canadian Strathcona Cup Team arrive in Scotland to play for the Strathcona Cup, the oldest trophy in International Curling.

It is the grandest and likely the most valuable trophy in curling. It rarely leaves the vaults. It was specially commissioned by Lord Strathcona for the first Canadian tour to Scotland in 1909. (for more info and photos go to :- strathconacup100.ca ).

As a young man of 18, Donald Smith, (later to become Lord Strathcona) set out from Forres to work for the Hudson Bay Company eventually rising to the top. He made his fortune in trading, banking and investment and was a major investor in the Canadian Pacific Railway. He is famous for hammering in the last golden spike on completion of the transcontinental railway in 1855 at Craigellachie, B.C. He became an MP in the Canadian Government and was instrumental in forming the ‘Mounties’. Latterly he was appointed as the High Commissioner for Canada to Great Britain and entered the House of Lords as Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal.

His handsome trophy is all about bringing together the Scots who developed the game and the Canadians who have made curling one of their National sports.

It is unique in that it is a tour played Nationwide over a number of weeks where curlers of both countries have the opportunity to represent their country in the spirit and camaraderie that is the essence of the game.

It all started in 1902 when the RCCC decided to accept a long standing invitation to send a team of Scottish Curlers to Canada to further the special relationship of the international curling fraternity. A team of 22 worthy Scottish Curlers were duly chosen from the four Curling Areas of Scotland. Taking their own stones with them, they set out to play in January 1903 on a 2 month tour, including ocean and rail travel, from Halifax to Winnipeg, ending in a mini tour to the USA from Minneapolis to New York.

Such was the effusive praise from the Canadians of the success of this Tour, the RCCC invited the Canadians to send a team to Scotland and that such a Tour should coincide with the year that Lord Strathcona, with his unique honourable status in both countries, was the RCCC President in 1909. The Canadians sent curlers from every Province in the country, even one from Dawson City in the Yukon who started his journey to Scotland on a sled!

The enthusiasm for this event has carried on over the years and is now played for every 5 years alternating between Scotland and Canada. Every point in every game counts and is recorded, so competition is fierce right to the last stone played by every rink. Pride is very much at stake. Scotland won on the last Tour to Canada in 2013 by 2876 shots to 2621, to even it up at 11 matches all since 1903!

The Canadians arrive at Murrayfield on 30^th January to play their final games over 4 days against teams selected to represent their Provinces so these matches may be crucial to the overall result.

Even If you are not one of the 80 Edinburgh Area curlers selected to challenge for the Cup this time, please come along to welcome the Canadians and give your support on any of the days from 30^th January to 2^nd February.

Surprise Boxing Day Gifts

A surprise package was delivered to my doorstep on Boxing Day.  (In time honoured fashion, 'A big Boy/Girl done it and run away')







What on earth could it contain ?

Now where can I put it for the next 5 years ?

Xmas Message

Have a great Xmas Break and a Fab New Year

Christmas Bonspiel 2017

Back l-r:- Pam, David, Richard, Mike, Cathy, Pauline, Dale, Stanley, Sheena.  Front:- Graeme, Justyna

 

Once again the club dispensed with their usual tasteful purple outfits in favour
garments conforming to the theme of Europe for this years bonspiel.  Some interesting and unusual explanations for costumes were exchanged before everyone got down to trying to work out Graeme's Rules for this years extravaganza.
Two tight games were played out with Graeme's team of Sheena and Justyna powering through the first four ends before Team Dale (David and Pam) got their heads together and took the next three ends leaving them the Bonspiel Winners by 2 shots.  Meanwhile John and Mike battled hard to come away with a peel.
All the players were confused when asked to play to the 'half length' houses in ends four and five (The second time from opposite ends of the rink) and then resorting back to the 'normal' houses.  Seldom have I witnessed so many hogged stones !
An excellent turkey dinner was then provided by Paul and his caterers and a toast drunk to 'Absent Friends' as last years Bonspiel was the last time that George was with us.