Weekend wrap

I must admit that I enjoyed the Euro Qualifying Competition at Perth this weekend. There was some great curling, and, as so often, I came away with the realisation of how little can separate the winners and the losers.

It was interesting to see that the Olympic coaches, Derek Brown, David Hay and Nancy Murdoch, were present, watching carefully how their squad members were performing. All of the winning Murdoch team are in the Olympic squad, plus Warwick Smith and Craig Wilson who were also competing at Perth. Three of Kelly's team are in the women's squad (all but lead Lindsay Wood). The others not playing this weekend were Eve Muirhead, Karen Addison and Lynn Cameron. Karen was fifth player for the Wood team at the last Europeans, but Eve has got the call to go to O'vik as fifth player. Allan Hannah will be their coach.

David Hay will be the men's coach for the Europeans, and I think it is a great decision that they have chosen Graeme Connal to be their fifth player. He was in the team that won last year in Fussen, and did a sterling job substituting for Ewan MacDonald as he recovered from his knee surgery.

Now, if I have my facts right (and someone will be quick to tell me if I'm wrong) there will be no European qualifying competition next season. The final Olympic team selections will be made at the end of this season and these two teams will be our representatives at the 2009 European Championships in Aberdeen.

An important postscript to the qualifying competition. Edith Loudon and her team would have been very disappointed at getting so close. Especially as it was Edith last competitive event, after so many years. But a new, different, and just as challenging opportunity has opened up for her. The Royal Club have announced that she will be its new WCF Representative. She will attend her first World and European Meetings in December at the European Championships in Sweden.

The press release (here) quotes Edith as saying, “I am delighted that this role will give me the chance to continue my involvement with curling at the top level, I am looking forward to the challenges it will bring and hope I can bring the expertise that comes with my international playing experience gained over many years.”

Elsewhere in the curling world, the first WCT-e Junior Event was held in Oslo this weekend. Scotland's team which will try to get us back into the Worlds in the qualifying event in Taarnby in January had their first major competition of the season. Glen Muirhead's team lost three and won two. Kerr Drummond's side had the narrowest of losses in the quarterfinals to Mario Freiberger of Switzerland. But it was Graeme Black's team that did the best, finishing fourth, edged by Norway's Kristian Rolvsjord in the 3rd/4th playoff. Well done to them.

Our two junior women's teams both reached the semifinals but ended up contesting the 3rd/4th decider, Claire Hamilton defeating Hannah Fleming in an extra end. A good showing by our girls. The other results are here.

Just a PS about the first International Wheelchair event last week in Kinross, the final of which was contested by two Canadian sides and won on a draw shot decider by an inch by Jim Armstrong's Canadian team. The competition was deemed to have been a success and is to be a fixture in the calendar again next year!

European qualifiers 7

After four games it was two wins apiece for the Wood and Loudon sides, so the scene was set for a deciding match at Perth this afternoon.

For me the tone of the match was set in the first end. With last stone Edith had a chance of a two, but had to settle for a single. Perhaps things might have turned out differently if she had made this last stone as well as she had played her first. But curling is not about 'ifs'!

The teams were tied 2-2 after three ends. Then the roof fell in on the Loudon side. Going after two wingers, Edith caught a front guard. Kelly though was on target and counted three to go ahead 5-2.

Confidence high, Kelly Wood, Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers and Lindsay Wood were not going to be caught. They stole a single at the seventh to be 7-3 ahead and anything after this was really academic. Edith grabbed two back at the eighth, but when she was too long with her last draw at the ninth. Kelly was quickly into the four foot with her final stone for a two, and it was all over. You can find the linescore here.

Congratulations to Edith, Mairi Milne, Claire Milne and Katie Loudon for making it a super competition this weekend and taking it to the fifth game, and to Kelly and her team for pulling together and fighting hard for their success. The Wood team now get another chance on the European stage where they were the runners-up last year.

Top: Lindsay Wood, Kelly Wood (skip), Jackie Lockhart and Lorna Vevers. Pic by Bob.

European qualifiers 6

In most games there is a key end - that's the one where the Editor is usually getting the coffee, or in the loo, or indeed watching another match. Not so this morning. In the Warwick Smith v David Murdoch game, third end, Ewan MacDonald's takeout went awry to remove two of his own counters and suddenly the Murdoch team were looking at four opposition stones when David went to play his first. The Lockerbie skip came up with two BIG shots, both draws and ended up stealing a single to go 2-0 ahead.

In the sixth, David conjured a pair of shots out of nothing, two fine draws again showing the Scottish Champion at his best.

It was into the seventh then, Murdoch 4-2 in front. Warwick had to draw against three with his last stone of the end. It looked good to be outcounting two at least, but the stone definitely picked, and the Smith team gave up three! The teams played another end but that was the game, and David Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith and Euan Byers were on their way to Sweden.

In the fourth of the five games in the women's event, Edith Loudon and her team looked at times in the early ends to be stronger than Kelly Wood's side but were unable to convert to shots on the board. It was 2-2 after six and in the seventh it was Wood who took the advantage with a two. Loudon was up against it in the next end, but drew safely to the four foot with three lying against her. It was 4-3 playing the ninth, Wood with the hammer. Successful blank, and when Loudon failed to get cover in the tenth, Kelly had a straightforward hit for the game.

Two wins apiece and the decider will be this afternoon at 3pm.

Find the linescores here.

Top: Euan Byers, Peter Smith, Ewan MacDonald and David Murdoch. Pic by Bob.

European qualifiers 5

Saturday night. One game in a large ice rink, with everything to play for.

Tom Brewster, Duncan Fernie, Ron Brewster, Colin Campbell v Warwick Smith, Craig Wilson, David Smith, Ross Hepburn.

You can find the linescore here. It was 3-3 after six ends, and the game was on. Or it should have been. It all seemed to this observer to be cautious, nervous even. Warwick blanked seven, then when Fernie missed a key takeout, he scored his two.

Two ends to go and Brewster trailed 5-3. End nine saw another Fernie miss - a hit and run when he needed to stay - and Brewster's chance of a two evaporated.

And so it was into the tenth, with Warwick 5-3 up, and Brewster with the hammer. There were stones in play but accurate hitting from the Smith team made it a difficult job for Brewster to get the pair he needed to tie the game. Smith split the house with his last draw, and Tom had a near impossible cross the house double to salvage the game. But it was not a night for the impossible.

Brewster 2 wins, 2 losses
Murdoch 2 wins, 1 loss
Smith 1 win, 2 losses

If Murdoch wins tomorrow morning against Smith, it's all over. If Smith beats Murdoch, we will be back where we started with all teams on the same record!

Saturday's gallery from Perth

This being a family blog I'm hesitant to suggest what Tom Brewster seems to be about to do to David Murdoch! But captions are welcome.

Peter Smith passes a healing hand over a difficult situation.

I had to quash an overwhelming urge to turn the jukebox on during the lone game on the ice tonight!

Tom Brewster was just a photographer's dream today! Here he is chewing the back of Duncan Fernie's jacket on their way to beating David Murdoch earlier.

Katie and Claire work on Mairi's stone, as Edith calls line.

Yes, I hope you are impressed by the Ed's artistic composition of this shot of Kelly Wood.

Most fans have been admiring Team Murdoch's bright new uniforms. You need the body to carry them off though, and one wag did wonder if they had been sprayed on! Much better than black! They definitely get full marks from the Editor of Colourful Curling Today.

Today's caption competition is this pic of coach Brian Binnie with the Edith Loudon team at a timeout immediately before Edith last stone of the game.

Pics by Bob.

European qualifiers 4

Right. If Murdoch had beaten Brewster this afternoon, then it would have been all over, and it would have been Team Murdoch that would have been going to Sweden for the Europeans. Tom Brewster, Duncan Fernie, Ron Brewster and Colin Campbell were set to make that scenario as difficult as possible for Murdoch.

Tied 2-2 after four, the fifth end was a feast of freezes behind front cover. A Murdoch attempt to clear things up left a Brewster shot in place and Tom converted that to a pair with his last stone draw, to go 4-2 in front. Tom forced David to take a single in the sixth, and now had the advantage.

Nose in front, difficult to catch, as it turned out. Murdoch had a tap back for a two in the eighth, missed it, and gave up a single against the head to go down 7-3 and it really was all over, although they played through to the tenth.

Brewster's team play Warwick Smith tonight.

Edith Loudon's team jumped out in front of Kelly Wood's side early in their third game. It looked to me that Kelly's last stone draw in the third was overswept by the team as she attempted to draw the four foot with three lying against her. As the stone slipped too far, that was three given up against the head and Loudon was leading 5-0.

Kelly was forced to play a hit and flop in the sixth with four Loudon stones against her, and she made it to count a single. But the Wood side still trailed 6-2. There was no way back for them and the teams shook hands after seven, Loudon 10-2 ahead.

The women play again tomorrow morning.

Find all the linescores here.

European qualifiers 3

It was David Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith and Euan Byers against Warwick Smith, Craig Wilson, David Smith and Ross Hepburn this morning. A good first three ends. Warwick jumped ahead with a two in the second, some great play in the third saw David square the score.

But every skip knows that sometimes there is a shot that just has to be made. This was in the fourth. With shots lying against him, Warwick came up just too heavy with his last stone stone draw and his team gave up three against the head. Team Murdoch were never going to give up a 5-2 lead. Although the teams played out the ten ends, Team Murdoch always looked to be comfortable and in charge.

In the women's event, Kelly Wood, Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers and Lindsay Wood, the favourites, set out to avenge last night's defeat by Edith Loudon, Mairi Milne, Claire Milne and Katie Loudon. This turned in to a real nailbiter. The score was tied up going into the last end. Twice during the end, Loudon got the chance to have one well hidden, but Mairi didn't find the line for her guard. Then, with her last stone Edith needed to be round into the four foot. She played it well but rubbed the front stone as it passed, although still finishing in shot position. Kelly was right on target with her takeout.

That's one game apiece.

Find the linescores here.

All go at the Dewars Centre

It is all happening at the Dewars Centre today. A Royal Club Level 1 Umpiring Course is on in the Board Room, with Level 2 and Level 3 courses set for this afternoon and tomorrow. The photo above shows Alan Stanfield, Dor Borthwick and Glenda Barrowman getting set up for the courses.

In the Hay Room, Judith McFarlane and Anne Malcolm (below) are running another National Development Forum. Three speakers are on the programme. Andrew McLean (Dumfries and Galloway Council) and Jim Hogg (Dumfries Ice Bowl Curling Association) are talking on Curling Development in Dumfries, Lynne Robertson will give an Update of the RCCC Coaching Structure and there will be ‘A view from another sport’ by Torquil McInroy (ClubGolf Development Manager).

And on the ice there is the small (!) matter of the competition to decide who will be Scotland's representatives at the European Championships in Örnsköldsvik. More after the games.

Friday's gallery from Perth

I remember the days that teams tossed a coin to see who went first. Team Wood doing the modern thing!

And doing it very well!

Jackie Lockhart - for her mum. I like the windswept look!

Warwick Smith

Question of the day. What does Chief Umpire Pat Edington keep under his hat?

This has to be Friday's caption competition!

Good to see Ewan MacDonald back on the ice and throwing well.

Duncan Fernie

Team Brewster in conference

All pics by Bob. More tomorrow.

European qualifiers 2

Two games to watch tonight and they were both crackers! The men first. Tom Brewster took a pair at the second against Warwick Smith, Craig Wilson, David Smith and Ross Hepburn and it took three more ends for Smith to get back on level terms. After seven ends, it was 3-3. Brewster, Duncan Fernie, Ron Brewster and Colin Campbell blanked eight, and with a double on Tom's last stone of the ninth counted a three. They ran their opposition out of stones in the tenth, and had their first point on the board.

Kelly Wood, Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers and Lindsay Wood matched up against Edith Loudon, Mairi Milne, Claire Milne and Katie Loudon in the first of their best of five matches. There was little between the teams. Wood had drawn better to get last stone advantage at the first, and was 5-4 up at the fifth end break. She stole a single, then promptly gave up a three.

When last season's Euro rep went to play her final stone in the eighth she was facing three more Loudon stones. Her raise was good, but just shy of shot position, and she gave up a single against the head. Two down, with two ends to play.

Edith who seemed to have the better command of draw weight than her opposite number, raised her own to lie shot partially hidden in the ninth. In going for the shot Kelly caught the guard and rolled another Loudon shot into the house. Down 10-6, the handshakes were offered.

Find all the linescores and standings here.

European qualifiers 1

It was first blood to Murdoch as the European Qualifying Competition got underway this afternoon at the Dewars Rinks in Perth. The only game on the ice was the David Murdoch v Tom Brewster match, and it was an intriguing encounter.

The teams swapped threes in the first two ends! Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith and Euan Byers took another three in the third. They looked confident and were playing well.

Brewster with his new third for this season in Duncan Fernie, and his long standing front end Ron Brewster and Colin Campbell, were up against it again in the fourth. Tom went to play his last with four Murdoch stones lying against him. He could only outcount three of these, and gave up a single to go 7-3 down.

Most felt it might be all over then, and so it turned out. The sides swapped twos, but when Tom was too heavy with Murdoch stones in the house against him in the seventh, the teams shook hands, the score at 11-5.

Find the linescores and standings on the Royal Club website here.

Above: Tom Brewster and David Murdoch. Pic by Bob. More photos after this evening's games.

One eye on Oslo

The world, it seems, loves an underdog. It is human nature perhaps that many of those watching what happens on the ice at Perth this weekend will be rooting for the teams which are not starting as 'favourites'!

David Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith and Euan Byers hold the mantle as favourites in the men's event, a double round robin against Tom Brewster, Duncan Fernie, Ron Brewster and Colin Campbell, and Warwick Smith, Craig Wilson, David Smith and Ross Hepburn. Can Warwick or Tom's teams cause an upset? I'm not into predictions on the blog here as to who is going to win, except to say that there will be some very special displays of curling this weekend. Unmissable, and Curling Today will certainly be there!

Murdoch faces Brewster in the first game at 3pm tomorrow afternoon. The scores will be on the Royal Club website here, and you can find Mike Haggerty's preview here.

In the women's event to find Scotland's representatives at the European Championships in Sweden in December, Edith Loudon, Mairi Milne, Claire Milne and Katie Loudon face up against Kelly Wood, Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers and Lindsay Wood in a best of five series of games, the first of which is at 8.30pm Friday.

I'll also be wondering how our junior teams will be getting on in Oslo, the first of a series of three events for elite junior teams, promoted by the World Curling Tour-Europe. Glen Muirhead and Kerr Drummond field their National Academy teams in the junior men's event, in which Graeme Black's side is also competing, that team funding their own participation. The Claire Hamilton and Hannah Fleming National Academy teams are in the junior women's event.

Twelve teams compete in each event, playing round robins in two sections. I don't know if the results will be on line. Certainly, setting up the events has been a bold step for the organisers, and not without problems I understand! However, it all gets underway this weekend. (Added later. You can find what I think is an up to date draw here, to download. There are only eight teams in the girls' competition, playing in two sections.) (Added even later. You can now find results here.)

The WCT-e Junior Tour moves to Inverness, November 14-16, and then to Hamburg, January 16-18. I look forward to finding out more about this weekend's inaugural event in due course.

A new Royal Club voice

Now you may not recognise the face in this photo on the left, but it is someone who has worked tirelessly for twenty years and more to make sure that curling gets space in the major newspapers in this country. This is Mike Haggerty.

Mike is not a curler, although he has been known to throw the odd stone or two! Mike’s own sport is rowing. Mike, a PR professional, has worked over a long number of years to build an association with the major newspapers in order to be granted space for reports on rowing and for his adopted sport of curling. He is also well known by the editorial staff on these papers. He may not command the same space as football, rugby or golf writers but he does get coverage. Over the years he has worked on site at European and World Championships as well as Winter Olympics. And he is the President of the World Curling Media Association!

Why does he get a mention on Curling Today? Well, the Royal Club has commissioned Mike to cover the major National and International events for the rest of this season. I am pleased. We will all be able to go on to the RCCC website, not just to find out results, but to read reports on the competitions, professionally written. It will certainly be for the benefit of our sport.

See Mike's first post - a preview of this weekend's European Qualifying Competition - here. The draw may be found here.

Mike hard at work on the media bench at the European Championships in Fussen last year. Pic by Bob.

To see ourselves as others see us

You may not yet be a regular reader of curlingscoops.com, but do check it out! Brad Norman has a thread on the site profiling the Road to Vancouver 2010. I mention this today because he has just put up an article about David Murdoch. I expect that many hacks will be writing about the Lockerbie skip as the Vancouver Olympics draw closer. Let's call this the first of many to come. The article is here. I think you will find it interesting.

Just for the record, I prefer mint chocolate chip on a sugar cone, but I can always be persuaded to try anything once!

On other things, I note that the Royal Club is looking for someone to become a representative at the WCF meetings. All the detail is here. Currently the three other reps are Jeanette Johnston, Hew Chalmers and President Matt Murdoch.

Did you notice too that the draw for the European Qualifying Competition at the Dewars Rinks in Perth, October 24-26, is on the Royal Club website (here). David Murdoch's team is listed as Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith and Euan Byers. Warwick Smith, Craig Wilson, David Smith and Ross Hepburn and Tom Brewster, Duncan Fernie, Ron Brewster and Colin Campbell will be trying to upset Murdoch's hope of defending his European title in O'vik in December. The Qualifying Competition is a double round robin of these three teams, the winning side going to Sweden.

Kelly Wood and Edith Loudon face off in the women's qualifying, best of five games.

And finally I'm pleased to say that the October Scottish Curler magazine was safely delivered to the publishers Clyde and Forth Press in Dunfermline today. It will take a couple of weeks before it starts to drop through subscribers' letterboxes. There's lots in it (dare I say as usual), and the first issue of the new season has the promised article by new Board Chairman Bob Tait. One down, seven to go. This season the team want to hear more of what is going on in YOUR curling club and curling rink. The magazine is for everyone. More on this later.

European qualifying and new regulations

The qualifying competition to find Scotland's teams to play at the European Curling Championships in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, December 6-13, 2008, will be held at the Dewar's Rinks in Perth, October 24-26. The draw was announced yesterday and is on the Royal Club website here.

The top three men's teams from last season, skipped by David Murdoch, Warwick Smith and Tom Brewster will contest a double round robin. To be eligible to compete, the teams must have three of last season's players. In the published draw, Ewan MacDonald (above) returns to David's lineup after the injury which has sidelined him for a season, replacing Graeme Connal, and Duncan Fernie comes into Tom's team in place of Hammy McMillan. Warwick's team is unchanged.

Scottish Champion Gail Munro's team is absent from the women's playoff, not being able to fulfill the requirement of having three of her team from last year. Kelly Wood's team will play off, best of five games, against Edith Loudon's team, with Mairi Milne no doubt continuing in the skip's role (Added later. Oops. Should have said Mairi continuing to throw last stones). Kelly's team is unchanged.

New rules for the main Scottish competitions (Men's, Women's and Junior Championships) can also be seen on the RCCC website here. One small - but none the less very significant change - is that all competitors will have to sign the Players International Participation Agreement before the final stages of the competitions, rather than just those on the winning team when the competition is over. A consequence of Vernon perhaps? An outcome of an independent investigation which has yet to take place? Or because of some other reason we are not privvy to?

This condition was already in place for the competitors in the Euro qualifying competition last season.

Incidentally, the Vernon story has reached the stage that conduct panels have been convened. We await developments!

Top: Ewan MacDonald's photo is by Hugh Stewart from the 2007 World Championship.
Above: Duncan Fernie's pic is by Bob from the 2008 Bruadar Scottish Championship.

Team Murdoch for Fussen

Now here's the story. End one - Warwick Smith loses a four to Gordon Muirhead. The only positive to that is, if you are going to lose a four, then the first end is the best end to lose it in. But it was going to be an uphill battle and it only went seven ends when Warwick conceded, down 10-4.

On the adjacent sheet Tom Brewster and his team of Hammy McMillan, Ron Brewster and Colin Campbell were playing their best game of the weekend. David Murdoch and his team were on top form too - it was a pity that it didn't really matter. With Warwick getting beaten, Murdoch was going to Germany anyway. Still it was enthralling to watch. It was just everything a great game of curling should be. David drew the button to save losing a two at the sixth, Tom did likewise at the seventh. The sides were in the eighth when Warwick conceded on the next sheet, so with the score at peels at 5-5, they shoot hands!

David Murdoch, Graeme Connal, Pete Smith and Euan Byers will be Scotland's representatives at the European Championships.

Top: L-R Euan, David, Pete, Graeme
Above: David Murdoch delivery; Hammy shouts as David and Graeme watch; Tom Brewster
Photos by Bob Cowan

PS Final verdict on the ice. Good! You could play curling on it, and that's how it should be in every rink in Scotland! Pity it's not. Yes, I am getting old and crabbity. Well done to the Scottish Institute of Sport for arranging to bring Hans Wuthrich across. The staff at Perth certainly took the opportunity to learn from him.

Murdoch or Smith for Europeans

Five games gone and it's down to two teams, one of which will be Scotland's representatives at the European Championships in Fussen in December. This morning's session was marred by frosty ice, lots of pickups and questions on whether the Perth rinks dehumidifiers had been working satisfactory overnight, with the warm humid conditions outside.

Team Murdoch was 3-0 up after three ends against Gordon Muirhead's team, and a big three at the seventh finished that game. With one round still to play, Murdoch has four wins, and the event can only be his to lose now.

Brewster's side went head to head with Warwick Smith this morning. Tom was too heavy with a draw attempt at the seventh, gave up two against the head and, 5-1 down, was in a hole. Still, the team fought on with a single at the eighth and a steal at the ninth, and made Warwick play his last stone in the tenth. The Scottish Champion was accurate with his hit to win his third point, and now the Smith rink are the only team able to stop Murdoch. The linescores are here.

Murdoch plays Brewster and Smith is against Muirhead in the last round of games. If Murdoch wins, his team goes to Germany. If he loses and Smith wins, then there will be an extra game tonight.

Above: Warwick Smith considers his options. Photo by Bob Cowan.

Kelly Wood wins three in a row

Kelly Wood with Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers and Lindsay Wood will represent Scotland at the European Championships in Fussen in December. Team Wood beat Edith Loudon, Mairi Milne, Katie Loudon and Judith Marshall 8-5 in their third game this afternoon. It made it a clean sweep over three games in their playdown at Perth.

In the men's qualifying competition David Murdoch hit to stay to beat Warwick Smith in an extra end of the fourth round of games. Murdoch has three wins, Smith and Brewster have two, Muirhead one. Two more rounds to go (tomorow, Sunday).

Top: L-R Lindsay Wood, Lorna Vevers, Jackie Lockhart and Kelly Wood. Photo by Bob Cowan.

Loudon v Wood at Perth

As I write this, Kelly Wood and her team are two thirds of the way to Fussen. An extra end victory last night, and a close game this morning, leaves Lindsay Wood, Lorna Vevers, Jackie Lockhart and Kelly Wood needing just one more win to see them as Scotland's representatives at the European Championships 2007.

As for the men....... too close to call yet, but I was impressed with David Murdoch's last stone of the game dead draw through a port to the one foot to beat Tom Brewster this morning. We'll see what happens. The curling is great. Ice is good. And if you get bored you can always go and look at the exhibits in the flower arranging conference that's running in parralel with the curling at the Dewar's Centre this weekend!

Top: Team Wood in action.
Above: Coach Sheila Swan on a timeout with Team Loudon at 11pm last night! And no, this is NOT a caption competition!

Men in Black at Perth

What's really needed here are some captions. Top: Hans Wuthrich is saying to Paul Martin, "The difficult I can do today, the impossible may take me until tomorrow." Middle: Gordon Muirhead is thinking, "If I just shut my eyes for a moment, perhaps the situation might get better." Above: Hammy is saying, "Well Tom, there's two things you can do......."

I wasn't really intending to blog from up here in Perth - I don't really get as much chance as I would like to sit down and really watch good curling games - but I thought perhaps you might like to get a feel of what it is like here! So here are some photos and a couple of thoughts.

The opening games of the men's qualifying competition saw David Murdoch draw the one foot to count two at the second end of his game against Warwick Smith. Two at the sixth gave the Murdoch side a 4-1 lead and control of the game.

Brewster edged a Muirhead stone away in the second end of their game, for a 3-1 lead, but the game was broken open in the fourth. With lots of stones in play, and a time clock no longer working due to 'operator error', Duncan Fernie played a howler, removing his own stone and leaving Brewster a hit for a four. He could not have done it better had he been playing last stones for Team Brewster. Tom played the hit perfectly, and 7-3 up, the result was not in doubt.
Peter Loudon is in the Muirhead side in place of Graeme Prentice.

Hans Wuthrich and Paul Martin are making the ice, and the rink has new stones this season. Is it playing well enough? Early days yet.

Pat Eddington is the Chief Umpire.

And 'Men in Black'! Three of the men's teams are dressed in black. Only Team Brewster are in something colourful, with red tops. Curling is a colourful game. You would not think so with so many players dressed as if they were going to a funeral!

OK, so I'm getting old and crabitty! Right, I'm off to watch the curling.