Lockerbie problems

The curling rink at Lockerbie won't open on schedule. Problems with the under-ice pipes, and difficulties in obtaining the necessary parts for repair, have delayed the ice installation. When I looked in yesterday, work on laying the ice had yet to begin.

The consequence has been the postponement of the first Royal Club event of the season, the Under-17 Slam scheduled for September 22-23. Competitions Manager Colin Hamilton has flagged up on the RCCC website that the competition will now be played January 12-13.

In August, Lockerbie launched a fund-raising initiative to modernise the rink with a target of £265,000, the bulk of that (£170,000) to replace the ice-making plant which has been in action since the rink opened in 1967.