Month: January 2017

David is playing third in Gary Rutherford’s team Jura. He has the very important job of being Treasurer for our tour.  David’s appearance changed a number of times over the summer as we built towards the tour.  Sometimes with short hair, sometimes longer.  Sometimes clean shaven, others bearded.  I reckon he was growing the stuff so he could tear it all out with the ups and downs of the exchange rate due to Brexit, Brexit x 5, etc etc.  Always colourfully and smartly attired though.
“My home is in Glasgow, but we will relocate to Balnaguard, Perthshire within the year.
I am 64, a retired businessman and chartered accountant.
My wife Libby and I have two daughters, one of whom is married and living in Chicago and a son.
My three clubs are Glasgow XX, Reform and Giffnock. I do most of my curling at Greenacres Curling, Renfrewshire.
I am currently Vice President of Glasgow XX, and a past President of Giffnock.
I am proud to have competed twice in World Seniors for England.
What I look for on tour is lots of curling and meeting lots of American curlers for the first time.
I like to keep fit. I enjoy gardening and trout fishing.”

John plays second in Clive Thomson’s team Mull. Working with David McIntyre, he has been joint co-ordinator of the tour gifts and was heavily involved in arrangements for ice kit. As a last minute thing he found he had to fix 20 brush heads onto 20 handles.  Easy peasy for a man of his talents.
“I am a transport Engineer, based in Glasgow but my home town is Greenock, on the Firth of Clyde. I was born and bred in Greenock, the eldest of four children. Now 55, I am proud uncle of Holly and Lara.
I first started curling in 1998 and play with Ardgowan CC, founded in 1841, as well as the British Civil Service Curling Association. I do most of my curling at Waterfront Leisure Centre, Greenock and play in weekend curling competitions when time allows.
I am currently President of the Ardgowan club and Secretary of the British Civil Service Curling Association.
In 2008 I was part of a Scottish Police/Civil Service tour to Canada. I have represented the RCCC in the Four Nations international competition.  Other highlights in curling include being in the 2012 team that won the Alan Johnston trophy in Highland Week at Inverness. In 2016, the 50th anniversary of Highland Week, I played in the runners-up team for the Glenfarclas Quaich.
What I’m most looking forward to on tour, is meeting old friends and new fellow-curlers in the true spirit of curling as we make our way around all the States we’re to visit. And, of course, to bringing home the Herries Maxwell Trophy. I am a licensed amateur radio operator. My other interests include travel and motorsport, skiing, golf and, in good weather, cycling.

Kenny is playing lead in Callum Harvey’s team Iona. He had joint responsibility for the design and arrangements for our tour logo and badge.  He tells me – “I am from Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire where I am a farmer and agricultural contractor.  I am 64.
My wife Helen and I have a son Alan, and daughters Linsey and Alice.
My curling club is Corrie and we play at Lockerbie.
My daughter Alice won the Junior World Curling Championship in 2012.
Outside farming, my interests are horses and motor sport.”

Alan is playing lead in Gary Rutherford’s team Jura. Originally  I/C2 Morning Class, Alan saw an opening to a more influential role and was duly inducted into the dark ways of the court.  As clerk, he is supporting the Judge and has already started lightening our wallets. As an aside, he introduced ‘wee Sandy’ into the team as an example of pedigree Highland stock.
“I am a 61-year-old farmer at Hatton Mill Farm, Friockheim, Angus. Joyce and I have been married for 30 years. Our grown-up family are James, Drew and Craig.
My club is Evenie Water. We curl at Forfar Indoor Sports.
I am a former President of Evenie Water Curling Club, and am a member of the Committee.
My main achievement so far in curling was winning the National Province Championship in 1993.
On tour I’ll enjoy travelling with my tour friends and seeing a lot of USA.”

Jim is playing third in Ian Young’s team Islay.  He is our Tour Secretary and has ensured we all managed to get everything in order for the trip.  Good appointment that, since organisation seems to be his forte (or at least one of his forte’s).
“My home is at Penicuik, eleven miles south of Edinburgh. I am 63 years old and a convenience store operator.
Pamela, my wife and I have three grown-up sons and two grandchildren.
My clubs are Penicuik, which was instituted in 1815 and the home of the first Grand Match, and DAFS. Murrayfield Curling Rink, Edinburgh is my home rink.
I am President of Edinburgh Curling Club Ltd (ECCL), and was President of Penicuik. ECCL has a major stake in Murrayfield Curling Rink. It acts in the role of an umbrella for the eighty or more local clubs that play at Murrayfield, providing a wider variety of competitions than any local club could.
I introduced and have organised the annual Edinburgh International Curlers’ Gathering. My own ‘best competition results’ are still to come – I hope!
As to the tour, my ambition is to get my hands on the Herries Maxwell Trophy and bring it back to Scotland.
Between work and curling I fit in a regular slot on community radio and a bit of golf.”

Clarke is playing second in Callum Harvey’s team Iona.  He plays his cards close to his chest, does Clarke but in conversation with him, we learn that he is definitely the outdoorsy type, enjoying windswept seas, windswept mountains and windswept golf courses.  Not sure how that explains the love of indoor curling but, Hey Ho!

“I am from Glasgow and have a son, Dale.
At 58 years old, I am a quantity Surveyor and Company Director.
My clubs are Drystanes and Giffnock and I’m a past President of the Giffnock club.
I curl at both Braehead and at Greenacres ice rinks.
On tour, what I’m most looking forward to is meeting the third Mrs Perry.
For recreation and leisure I sail, ski and play golf.”

Weather: very wet. A big change from the previous three days. We breakfasted again at Chicago Curling Club. Quite how they manage to do such good catering is a mystery to us.

We had four teams out against Chicago CC at 9.15 am More on Results above. After an early lunch we moved by coach a few miles to Exmoor Country Club where a four sheeter pad is surrounded by a major golf course and sports complex. Ian Young’s team sat out this match, and maybe the felt they were the lucky ones as the opposition was mighty strong. For the Scots the ice needed the most delicate touch for a good finish. That combined with very determined opposition on home ice produced a big lead for team USA. All credit to Gary Rutherford’s team who worked their socks and just about everything else off to finish only one shot behind. Bill Byers thanks Exmoor members for hosting us at their Club.

After that it was a  relief and delight to be taken to the homes of our US hosts for a moment or two before we all returned to Exmoor CC for the Opening Banquet. We had been told by the 2012 Scots tourists that this would be a major event, and it was. There are no too many membership owned venues in Scotland that offer what Exmoor does. Speakers included Rich Lepping, Chairman of the board of USA Curling, Gus Noble, Illinois Saint Andrew Society,and Mark Swanbdby, 2017 Tour Convener and Captain of the 2012 Tour. Our own Clive Thomson replied on behalf of the Scots.

To close this memorable evening, the Scots sang songs from our Song and everyone around the room sang, proving that Scottish heritage is still very much alive in Chicago.

 

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Member No. 22 of the squad has gone missing, presumed abducted.  Wee Sandy was introduced to the team as we gathered for departure.  Regrettably he was only able to make it through to Sunday before ‘The Keeper of the Coo’ reported he was missing.  Hopefully we will be reunited soon.

Alex is skip of team Tiree, our Vice Captain and one half of our Quartermaster duo with Alan Roe.  Together they have thought long and hard about what it would take to make us presentable and, hey! Could we get any better?  Alex filled us in on his story.
“My home is in Dumfries, South-West Scotland and I’m 58 years old.
A former police officer, I retired in 2010. I now work as a Project Manager for Dumfries and Galloway Befriending Project, a charity that supports vulnerable young people age 8 to 18 years.
Linda and I have been married for 34 years. Our daughters are Kirsten, Lauren and Alexandra.
I have been a member of Crocketford Curling Club for 36 years. I’ve been its President for the past twelve years – not that I am holding on to it, but the status quo keeps being the only proposal at our AGM!
I curl out of Dumfries Ice Bowl, and enjoy playing at other rinks when the opportunity arises.
I curl at a reasonable level and, as a member of Team Hardie, have got to the last eight of the Scottish Seniors for the last three years.
On Tour, I’m most looking forward to making new friends and perhaps meeting up with ‘kent faces’ from the last USA tour to Scotland – and of course to the socialising and fun plus a few wins for Scotland!
My interests and hobbies are varied. I try to make time to play five-a side football (soccer) once a week, I mentor young people going through a sticky patch in their lives, I’m an active Rotarian, and Session Clerk at our local church. Any spare time I have I work in my large garden.”

Weather here at Chicago has been fine and dry – till late Sunday.

On Sunday we played against members of the last two US teams who visited Scotland. To all the Scots who met them then, they send a BIG HI!

The Chicago CC rink houses the American Museum of curling which has a big number of badges, many of them of Scottish Clubs and competition tours.

We were taken on a tour of the city, along with several of the 2001 and 2012 US tourists. Our guide Sylvia, a lady curler herself, was a fount of information on just about everything about Chicago – its administration, geography, major international companies including those in the grain trade, universities and colleges. We lunched on double cheeseburger – well it seemed to be the time and place to do that – in Billy Goat Tavern which was a ‘real Chicago’ experience. Along the shore of lake Michigan we saw the Queen’s Landing where HM Queen  Elizabeth arrived on HMS Brittania on her visit to the Great Lakes. We had a team photograph taken on the shores on the same spot as the last tour.

After a very short snooze and re-boot we played again, and began to find our ice feet. The Club has four sheets, and much of the social side, including the catering is done by volunteers – including the full steak dinner when all plates were well cleared by us Scots and the hosts alike. Purely in the interest of research, beers to suit most palates are readily available and very popular. They had the Herries Maxwell Trophy on  display which was something of a challenge to us! After dinner Callum Harvey did a Vote of Thanks to our hosts which we responded to enthusiastically.

Tomorrow the Tour starts in earnest with a game against Chicago then on to Exmoor, just a short car ride away. More of on that next time.