October's Scottish Curler

October's Scottish Curler magazine, the first of a new season, has been published and is now in the mail to subscribers.

This month's BIG story is the discovery of an unknown curling painting by Sir John Lavery, in a gallery in Cape Town, South Africa. David B Smith describes how he tracked it down. There are reports on the RCCC summer camp, the AGM and the Gala Awards dinner. Maryel interviews Jim Buchanan. The curlers receiving support through the Scottish Institute of Sport and through the RCCC are in the spotlight.

Club of the Month is Dunfermline Ladies CC!

Rock Rules returns with a question from Sandy Beech of Largs, answered by Chief Umpire Helen Back.

Curling World features the big outdoor bonspiel in New Zealand, with an evocative description of what it was like to take part. John Fridd's photo is on the cover and others are inside.

Copey predicts who's going to do well this season in men's and women's play, in Behind the Glass! And the Editor had something to say about volunteers. iCURL looks at Forums. Plus the usual roundup of news reports, Hoggie, and the caption competition.

There's something in the magazine for everyone. Please keep the voice of curling in Scotland alive! Find out how to subscribe here.

Scots for Oslo International Bonspiel: sad day for Rudolph

The Snaroya curling arena in Oslo is the venue for the Radisson SAS Oslo Cup, September 20-23. This is the second WCT-e event of the season for the men, and the first for the women.

The Men’s event has twenty teams playing a round robin in four sections. The top two teams from each group qualify for quarterfinals. The total purse is NOK 150.000 (CAN $30.000).

There are two Scottish teams in the draw. David Murdoch, still without Ewan MacDonald, has Warwick Smith at third. Fit again, Euan Byers is back at lead, and Ross Hepburn is in at second for this competition. The National Academy team of Logan Gray, Alasdair Guthrie, Keith Duncan Millar and Ross Paterson have their first competition of the season.

The Women’s Cup will be run in a similar fashion to the men. The total purse is NOK 90.000 (CAN $16.000). Kelly Wood, Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers and Lindsay Wood are in the draw. Claire Milne, Lynn Cameron, Jacqui Byers and Rachael Simms have Canada's Jennifer Jones in their section. Sarah Reid, Jennifer Morrison, Alison Black and Barbara McFarlane, a new team for this season, have a tough baptism with Sweden's Anette Norberg, Norway's Dordi Nordby and Liudmila Privivkova's Russians all in their group.

The results can be found here.

In researching this info I also happened to notice the plans for tonight's social event: 'Rudolph's Party' Thursday evening, where on the menu is 'lapplandish reindeer' and Norwegian aquavit. Enjoy.

The other breaking news today is that the October Scottish Curler magazine is now safely at the printers, and on target to be dropping through mailboxes sometime during the first week in October, Royal Mail industrial action permitting.