Christmas Bonspiel

It was  a Bonspiel with a difference on Tuesday and it seems to have gone down well with all the players.

We welcomed back Charlie, Carly and Ben from our reserves pool.

We had nine curlers on the ice, split into three teams, initially playing two ends per match, with yours truly keeping score. The aim was to get as many ends as possible in before time ran out. 

The teams were

Bill - Sue - Charlie

Jim L - Katie - Ben

David - Jim P - Carly

Matches 1 and 2 were peeled so everything was close as the teams went into the second hour. Jim’s team took control of Match 3 decisively at which point we reduced the games to one end, to ensure each Team played six ends. Everybody won games and peeled games so there was very little in the final, outcome but it was Jim - Katie - Ben who triumphed………..the photo does not do justice to their beaming smiles at the post meal prize giving.

We convened to the restaurant where Lorrie and his team laid on a lovely dinner, a showman as always, heaven flamed the Christmas pudding at the table. Afterwards President Bill welcomed our new reserves, thanked everyone for taking part and making the Bonspiel a success. The wining the day in choosing their Secret Santa and with everyone drifted off into the freezing night air, no doubt thinking about next years festive o petition and ow could it possibly top this night!

A Full Rink

 For the first time this season both teams had their regular players on the ice which was good to see.

It was the fourth match of the league and as with the others,  it got off to a close start. The ice was not being kind to either side, stones slowing up suddenly and very little draw away from the centre line. It might be a case of who can adapt best in these circumstances.

Jim’s team took a single in the first end and Bill responded with a brace. Both ends were tight and could have gone either way. Similarly in the third it looked like Bill might sneak it again but Jim squeezed in for another single. In the fourth Bill built up a well guarded head. Jim looked to exploit the left hand side which was running more favourably but couldn’t quite dislodge the scoring stones to prevent Bill securing his second brace. 

So it was 4-2 at the halfway way point and really nothing in it. Both teams were producing accurate shots and equally getting caught out by the ice. It was fair to say no one had really gotten to grips with the way it changed from end to end…….and side to side! 

In the fifth there was plenty of movement around the front of the house and Bill’s team made the gains with three stones scoring when Jim took to the hack. His first stone did some damage and cut the deficit but Bill responded in kind. It was down to Jim to try and limit the score but his last stone came up short. An important three to Bill at this stage in the match.

Jim fought back in the sixth. He was lying two and Bill’s team were not able to get inside his stones. There was an opportunity to draw down the left again, slip into the four foot and steal a much needed three. The line was good, the weight was too good. Slipping past the tricky guards the stone crept into the house but would not draw. It clipped the outside scoring stone and both slid out of the house. An almost certain three became a heartbreaking single.

The seventh end was the closest yet. Both sides in the house, almost a measure to see who was scoring and by how many but it still required accurate shots from the Skips to resolve this one. With his first, Bill was heavy, shifted a couple of stones but no harm done. Still lying two. Jim drew in from the left, perfect weight and removed an outlier. Bill had to be spot on to get his last stone in through the gap on the right. It was light, drifted to the left and closed the gap slightly but still only lying one.

Jim had another draw from the left. He could take a two here, if he can shift the scoring stone. It was close,  the sweepers worked hard to keep it straight but the stone wandered too far left, clipped a yellow and with that the single went to Bill.

The bell intervened which gave Team A a lead of three matches to one with one to play. But as has been said through the autumn league, this year it’s about having fun and enjoying being on the ice. I think this week showed that is very much the case 😊

Points Competition

 The Points Competition was held on Tuesday evening with seven of us taking on eight disciplines.

As ever it took a few ends before we all got into the rhythm of who was throwing which stones and what discipline we were on but we did get there and everyone was chipping in (no pun) with scoring, placing stones and keeping each other on track as to how many stones they’d thrown, or not as the case may be. 

Looking at the two score sheets it was, for some, indeed a tale of two sheets. In fact for almost all of us the second sheet proved more fruitful in terms of points. David scored six times as many points going towards the Clubroom as opposed to the car park end, yet for Richard it was the other way around with double his points coming from his first attempts. Margaret was the most consistent with same number scored on each sheet.

However to save everyone’s blushes and focus on the positives, combined we are very good at Chipping the Winner and pretty hot when it comes to Drawing and Striking!

So at the end of eight tests we had

In 3rd place with 17 Points - Margaret 🥉

In 2nd place with 18 Points - Jim P 🥈

The Winner with 19 Points was Richard! 

CONRGATULATIONS 🥌🏆🥇

Thanks to everyone who took part. It was as always a fun evening, a good bit of practice ……..and to the strongest participants, propping up the rest……there is always next year! 

Meanwhile on Sheet 6 Bill and Ronnie were putting four potentially new members through their paces. Some had never been on the ice and others were returning after long absences. Initially intending to have a warm up and join the Points later on, things were going so well the newbies spent the whole time getting used to playing against each other. 

Thanks to Ronnie for giving up his Points Competition to help out and to Bill for doing likewise and encouraging some new players to come and try. Hopefully we will see some if not all again, soon. 

Ones Twos and Threes!

It was a bit of mix n match last night as the teams took to the ice.

With only Dave available on Team B and Jim not playing for Team A we were very grateful to Alison, Margaret and Richard for stepping in and filling the gaps. Unfortunately we could not secure an eighth player and so Dave's side started the match as a threesome.

Ones..................

The teams got off to "an anything you can do we can do" first end, each side putting stones where they were wanted and not much being given away. Similarly in the second end, the ice was still a bit sticky and the gaps had to be exploited, which Dave did more successfully and took two singles.

Not to be out done a patient Bill kept working away, taking chances when they came and benefitting from the merest hint of luck. He clawed back a couple of singles and so after four ends it was 2-2. Almost a professional looking score!

Twos................

It has to be said that Margaret and Richard had their eye in and were putting stones wherever Dave had asked. The A Team weren't backing off and still gave a good account of themselves and there were a couple of occasions where less than an inch of turn would have made the difference. Maybe that earlier hint of luck was all they were to get. Try as they might, no matter the shots, it was Dave's time to shine and the team rattled off twos in the next three ends.

Threes.................  

Going into the eighth end it was always going to be a tall order for Bill to steal a six. This game had been close in each end. Some great take outs, some lucky wicks and some near misses. So when a guddle started to build early on, even scoring at all was becoming harder. a last stone draw was possible but just came up short and the single went to Team B. 

Dave's Trio Triumphed..........sometimes threes are better than fours :-)

With that score line it is an absolutely symmetrical League Table.

League matches are taking a back seat for a few weeks as next up its the Points Competition.

When a Friendly isn't Really a Friendly

 Last night was billed as a Friendly versus the Disnae Club.

Only two Disnae members could make it so with a little juggling (thanks to the office) we took to a single sheet and had a really fun friendly game.

We were joined by Carly and Ben from Disnae. A friendly couple who moved to the area in 2019, so not just new to curling but to Ayr as well. they seemed to enjoy their time on the ice.

The game was quite tight for six ends but the scoring really wasn't the point of the evening under the circumstances. It was a really good opportunity to show how we like to play and the ethos of the club ...... to have fun whilst we are playing and to not get too serious about things.

To that end I think we made a good impression.....lets hope it turns into new members. They have all our match dates for the rest of the year so fingers crossed.

Post-match we enjoyed a wee purvy from Lorrie who also showed great patience when I was continually revising the numbers down the way :-/

Thanks to all those who took part, who would have stepped in to take part if we had had a full opposition and those who wanted to take part but had to withdraw.

Welcome Back!

Well dear Reader its 2022, its October so it must be time to start blogging!

Our numbers might be fewer but our enthusiasm is still as strong.  Lets hope we get full rinks, fun matches and maybe snag the odd new member along the way ;-)

The first match of the season was a great curtain raiser, some fine play, some sticky ice and occasionally more porridge required but both teams worked hard and its fair to say the result doesn't reflect on how close was each end.

Everyone was finding their rhythm on the first end and the ice was slow at the beginning, some short, some long, some in the house and giving the Skips pause for thought. Team A prevailed with a duce.

Back down the other end, with little swing in the ice it was another head where anything could happen. With the last stone Team B took a single.

Team A got a bit of momentum through ends three to five and whilst only picking up singles or twos they started to pull ahead. Things were still close, in each end. The A Team guarded a single in the third, the B Team came up just short to steal the fourth and there was almost a measure in the fifth. 

However Jim P came back in the sixth and taking a two reduced the deficit to three with two ends left. It wasn't over yet. Taking a two in the next end kind of put the A Team beyond reach and with everyone looking for the Skips to shake hands...........which they didn't.............then listening for the bell........which was late.............it was End Eight.

The A Team took another two to seal the match but this season lets not focus too much on the scores........

We have two teams playing and with the predicted need for subs, everyone in the club will get to play on one or both sides. So lets just enjoy the games, enjoy the craic and see if we can get three teams in the Spring League.

Happy Curling Everyone :-)

AGM & Prizegiving

The AGM and Prizegiving was held at Richard & Margaret's on 7th April.

Full details of the decisions made will no doubt be published in due course.

Prizes were presented by President Jim to those winners who were able to attend.

Doubles Winner - Anne (Bert McKay not present)

Spring League Winners - Jennifer and Bill (Sue and Joe not present)

Points Winner - Ronnie

Winter League Winners - Richard, Margaret and Alan (missing Sue)