Scottish Curler future

The Scottish Curler magazine has been saved! The reaction of subscribers to the news that it would not be published after this season has led to a change of mind at Clyde and Forth Press.

The publishers have made the following statement:

"Following the recent announcement that the Scottish Curler was to close, its publisher Clyde & Forth Press Ltd, has received a huge amount of feedback from readers disappointed that the magazines was to cease publication after the May edition.

In light of this feedback it has been decided to continue the publication next season.

With Bob's impending retirement after a tremendous tenure as Editor we will work to create a new editorial perspective and the Curler will emerge for the 2009/10 season full of life and raring to go."

However unexpected this news, I welcome it and I am delighted that the title is to continue as a print magazine. The first Scottish Curler was published in January 1954.

Bob

The End

If you are missing Curling Today, please go here.

I refer to my previous post here. The April Scottish Curler magazine goes to print tomorrow with the following statement from the publisher, Clyde and Forth Press:

"Despite our exhaustive efforts to find a new publisher for the Scottish Curler we have not been successful. Therefore, regrettably, the Scottish Curler will cease to be published after the forthcoming May edition. Subscribers who have paid for editions into next season will have outstanding amount from their subscriptions refunded. Readers will receive a direct communication to this effect in due course."

I would like to thank all those who have supported the magazine during my tenure as Editor over the past seven years, and to all who have contributed, especially the Team - you know who you are!

This news means that this is the last post on the Curling Today blog, whose purpose has been to promote and support the magazine.

This link is to my own personal blog (it's an addiction) if you want to follow what the future holds for me. There may even be the odd piece of curling news there. If you want to contribute to discussions on the future of curling communication in Scotland, then the Scottish Curler Forum is where to go.

Curling Today's old posts (all 864 of them) will stay live for a while.

David Smith and I intend to continue with the Curling History blog, and maybe I'll have time soon to contribute more to this.

I'm still looking for your memories of the Scottish Curler, which was first published in January 1954, for the final May issue. These and personal messages can be sent to: Hoglinewamphray /at/ live.com, or to the addressses in the front of the printed magazine.

Thank you to all who have read and followed the blog, and goodbye for now.

Bob

March 2009 Scottish Curler

The March Scottish Curler magazine has been published and is on its way to subscribers today. The cover photo, by Richard Gray, is of Eve Muirhead whose teams won the Scottish Junior Championship and the Columba Cream Scottish Ladies Campionship last month. A most deserving cover girl indeed!

Curling Today, Sweepings, Curling World, the Maryel Interview, Looking Back, the Historical Bit, the Extra End, the Caption Competition, and the Club News pages are all there, together with reports of all that happened on the ice last month!

The Editor had a problem! I had been expecting publication of the Vernon Report, and had held back a page to summarise the findings. When it didn't appear, I did something I don't usually do - I speculated what the report will contain. You will no doubt be interested, as indeed I will be, to see if any of my speculation translates into fact, when (if) the report is published!

Of course, as I have already indicated (see here), the Scottish Curler magazine is heading into a future that I am not part of. I will be Editor for just two more issues, the first of these already in preparation. Can I make a plea? Send me some letters to publish - on any subject, but perhaps especially your memories of the magazine over the last 55 years, and if it has made a difference to you, or to the curling world! It has always disappointed me that so few readers put pen to paper, and of course in the days of the Web there are more immediate ways to make one's opinions known, such as the Scottish Curling Forum. But, as we know, our sport's governing body is not a big fan of forums with anonymous posts and the use of avatars, so if you have something to say in print, in an independent Scottish Curler which is still widely read, you have only a little more time to do so.

Editor /at/ scottishcurler.demon.co.uk

Thanks, Bob

Scottish Curler Future

The March 2009 Scottish Curler is now being printed. It contains the following statement:

"The publishers of the Scottish Curler, Clyde and Forth Press, are looking at the options for the future of the magazine and they are discussing these with the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.

After seven years as Editor, Bob Cowan will retire at the end of this season.

There will be further news for readers in the April Scottish Curler with information regarding current and future subscriptions."

The final print issue will be the May edition. Hopefully the title will continue in a different form. The first Scottish Curler was published in January 1954.

There will be a thread on the Scottish Curling Forum for comment and questions. This blog, which exists to support and promote the printed magazine, will be run down over the next few weeks.

February's Scottish Curler

The February Scottish Curler magazine has been printed and is on its way to subscribers today. The cover photo, by Richard Gray, is of Canada's Kevin Koe whose team won the Ramada Perth Masters early in January.

There are lots of pics in the magazine this month from Perth and also from Braehead where Jennifer Jones's team won the Glynhill Ladies' International. There's a 'well done' to Glen Muirhead and his team for securing a place for a Scottish junior men's side in Vancouver.

The Editor delves into Great Britain representation, and looks ahead to the first Youth Olympic Games at which curling will feature in 2012. Robin Copland and Dave Hibberd are their usual provocative and entertaining selves in 'Behind the Glass' and 'Hibby'!

Maryel has uncovered what the Royal Calaedonian Curling Club's Performance Committee does.

Curling Today, Sweepings, Curling World, Looking Back, the Historical Bit, the Extra End, the Caption Competition, Letters, and the Club News page are all there as usual!

Let me know if you enjoy the read... or if you don't!

October's Scottish Curler magazine

October 1, and the first Scottish Curler magazine of the new season has been published and is on its way to subscribers. On a technical note, it is the first not to be printed at Dunfermline since the current publishers (now Clyde and Forth Press) took over the title in 1985. The colour printing press there having been retired, the new magazine was printed by a Wolverhampton company - and a good job they have done too.

On the cover is Euan Byers, a choice that is sure to please the Front End Union! Inside, there's lots to read... as always the Editor looks forward to getting your feedback on the content!

Looking forward to a new season

Curling Today is back, refreshed and raring to go for a new season! The Scottish Curler magazine will be returning too. I'm working on the first issue already and if all goes well the October magazine will go into the mail to subscribers in the last week of September. The team are in training!

So what curling is there to look forward to in September? Politics thankfully will take second place to seeing curlers enjoying their sport again as rinks open for action!

The men's teams of the World Curling Tour-Europe have an early season start at the Baden Masters. David Murdoch's side are the only Scottish representatives in this sixteen team triple knockout event, September 5-7. Later in the month, September 25-27, twenty women's teams and twenty-five men's teams will compete in the Radisson SAS Oslo Cup. I see that the provisional lineup for that event includes Team Murdoch as well as the John Hamilton and Peter Loudon teams. Four Scottish teams are in the women's event under the names of Kelly Wood, Gail Munro, Sarah Reid and Claire Milne. More nearer the time!

No live webcasting yet from most WCT-e events, although Swiss Sport Television will broadcast a curling game on Sunday mornings. It will be interesting to see if that can be picked up on the web here. Looking at some of the sports in the broadcaster's archive on the website menu, the quality is pretty good. Click on 'Bob' to see! All right then, click on the 'Cheerleading' button!

The WCT-e has a newsletter. Download the most recent issue here. Much credit to WCT-e Tour Director Armin Harder in his efforts to create a better, more professional tour, on high quality ice, with more venues, and increased prize money through television and sponsorship! I'll try to make sure that Curling Today highlights the best of curling in Europe, and how Scotland's top teams get on in the months ahead!

The European Mixed Championship is in Kitzbuhel, Austria, September 22-27. The event website is here. Alan Smith and his team of Gillian Howard, David Mundell and Karen Strang are our representatives. Should be a great competition.

At home, I'm looking forward to the Greenacres Junior Invitation at the Renfrewshire rink September 19-21, and that will be the first opportunity to see some of the new junior sides in action this season. Before that I hope to see some of the National Squad teams on the ice at Aberdeen. And Greenacres will also host a weekend for the country's Regional Academy athletes, an initiative of RCCC Performance Development Coach Rhona Martin.

Remember Primetime? The first programme in the series is tonight. Kelso's bid comes under scrutiny next Monday. Get ready to vote. But more about all this before then.

Just a reflection on the past couple of weeks. Congratulations to Team GB at the Olympics in China. Super coverage too on the BBC! Success and failure! The emotions! Of course next time, in around sixteen months time, all attention will be on the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. These months will go by quickly. Have you met Miga and Quatchi yet, two of the Vancouver mascots? If not, check them out here. Keen curlers they are too!
This pin is available on eBay.

It's nice to be back!

May Scottish Curler

That's Colin Dick on the cover of the May issue of the Scottish Curler magazine, the last of the season. The magazine is on its way to subscribers this week. Colin skipped his team to victory at the Dumfries Junior International event last month, and of course won the U-17 Slam last season. There are more of Richard Gray's photos from Dumfries inside, including May's Photo of the Month.

There are reports on the Scottish Mixed Championship, the National Pairs and the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Championship, as well as the Ford World Women's from Vernon and the World Men's from Grand Forks by Christine and Hugh Stewart.

Yes, the Vernon controversy is reviewed, and, hopefully, there will be more to say about this on Curling Today in the weeks ahead.

Mike Ferguson, the Royal Club Chairman, had a challenge for everyone a couple of months ago, and now anwers some questions posed by Scottish Curler readers.

David Hibberd writes his first comment feature for the magazine, while Copey is his usual perceptive self in Behind the Glass.

Maryel FitzRandolph takes an in depth look at the RCCC's Club and Member Development Committee.

Gourock CC is Club of the Month and David B Smith describes curling in fashionable Knightsbridge, London, at the end of the nineteenth century in The Historical Bit!

Plus the regular Curling World, Looking Back, iCurl, Rock Rules, Sweepings and The Extra End features. And Hoggie!

And if you are not a subscriber, you can download a subscription form here.

Curling Today's first birthday

Happy birthday! Yes, it was exactly one year ago, on April 22, 2007, that the Curling Today blog first appeared. I made my first blog post then, very tentatively, it should be said. I knew that the Scottish Curler magazine needed an online presence, and a blog seemed a good way to disseminate news.

I had two questions, apart from the 'how to do it'. Would there be any items of interest to curlers in Scotland over the summer months and into the new season, and would anyone read them in the blog? As we get close to the 500 post mark (this is number 493) I can say yes, there has been lots to talk about this past year!

The blog has been predominantly factual in its content, only very occasionally does my own opinion creep in. I feel that opinion is best in the magazine, or in the Scottish Curling Forum.

There have even been attempts at humour, on occasion! It has become a team blog too, with Christine Stewart sharing the load from the World and European Championships.

Does it get read? It certainly does - the high point was when more than 1500 unique users logged on in one 24 hour period! When was that? You can probably guess. But there is a regular readership, mostly from the UK, but some 20% from other countries too. Thank you to all who read Curling Today regularly, I hope you have found the content useful!

The Scottish Curler magazine has had a good season too. Find out how to subscribe here.

Last question. How about a party? It will have to be a virtual one as I try to get the May Scottish Curler magazine off my desk today for delivery to the printers. If you are reading this on Tuesday April 22, may I ask you to pour yourself a wee something, and make a toast to 'Good Curling!'

Nearly forgot. One way to remember the 2007-2008 season is to have a look at the photos of the winners from this season's main competitions. These are here.

March Scottish Curler magazine

The March Scottish Curler was published at the end of last week and I would hope that all subscribers have received their copy, and have enjoyed what's inside.

That's David Kelly on the front cover, competing in the House of Bruar Scottish Senior Championship at Hamilton. This was Richard Gray's pic of course, and there's lots more of Richard's pics from the Seniors, the Juniors, the Scottish and the Gold League in the magazine. Plus all the usual features.

If you are not a subscriber, then we need you! Go here.

I'm still in Finland of course, but I hear news from home that Rhona Martin has been appointed to take over from Nancy Murdoch as the RCCC's Performance Development Coach. Nancy is moving on to become one of British Curling's Olympic coaches. Rhona's appointment is for two years.

Rhona is currently employed as West Area Institute Curling Coach. Her new role will see her take on lead responsibility for both the National and Regional Academy programmes as well as the role of National Junior Coach. Rhona will take up her new post on April 1, on her return from the Ford World Women's Championships in Vernon where she is coaching Gail Munro’s Scottish team.

Rhona says, “I am delighted to get the chance to lead these already successful programmes and work with a great group of talented curlers to help them reach the highest levels in the sport.”

Thanks to Copey for the cover scan! The pic of Rhona is courtesy of the RCCC.

February's Scottish Curler

February's Scottish Curler magazine has been published and is on its way to subscribers this week. On the cover is Gail Munro whose team won the inaugural Glynhill Ladies International last month. There are lots more of Richard Gray's photos from the event inside, and also some from the Ramada Perth Masters, including February's Photo of the Month.

Curling outside is a rare occurrence these days, but the February magazine has photo evidence from Royal Deeside.

Mike Ferguson, the Royal Club CEO, has an unusual challenge for everyone in his Chairman's View. Copey reveals the Royal Club plans to bring curling's major events to Scotland. There is a feature abut the World Curling Tour-Europe and how David Murdoch is the players' representative. Moray Firth Ladies CC is Club of the Month and David B Smith describes a pair of most unusual handles in The Historical Bit!

Plus the regular Curling World, Looking Back, iCurl, Rock Rules, Sweepings and The Extra End features. Enjoy!

And if you are not a subscriber, you can download a subscription form here.

January Scottish Curler

Here it is, the January Scottish Curler magazine, now in the mail to subscribers. Have you got a subscription? If not, you can download the subscription form here! Please support Scotland's independent curling magazine.

What's in this month's magazine? The main story of course is the success of the Scottish teams at the European Championships, and there are some great photographs by Richard Gray of the event.

The Editor gets interviewed by Maryel - now that is revealing! Copey speaks out with his usual humour in Behind the Glass with his comments on 'The Great B Road Stooshie', amongst other things. John Minnaar speculates on how much it should cost to build a four sheet curling rink. Broomhall CC is Club of the Month and David B Smith illustrates the riches to be found in dusty volumes in The Historical Bit. And Gordie Kennedy suggests ways that the Royal Club needs to change for the better!

Plus the regular Curling World, Looking Back, iCurl, Rock Rules, Sweepings and The Extra End features. Lots to read and enjoy. I hope you will.... read and enjoy it, that is!

December's Scottish Curler magazine

December's Scottish Curler magazine has been published and is in the mail to subscribers. I hope you will like it. If you don't (and even if you do) please comment on the Scottish Curling Forum here.

Please support the magazine! What's on the blog is but a small fraction of all that is in the magazine, which is written by curlers, for curlers. Subscription details are here.

Thanks to Copey for his scan of the front cover, and in destroying his own issue in obtaining this - I know now what Santa could usefully bring him for his Christmas!

Team blogging

Putting together the Scottish Curler magazine is very much a team effort, and I continue to be grateful for all the help I get each month from the 'team'. The more observant of Curling Today watchers will have noticed recent posts, not by me, but by 'Christines' - aka the magazine's depute editor Christine Stewart. Curling Today is a team effort too!

Curling Today will be at the European Championships in Fussen! Check Curling Today often for reports and photos from the event which begins on Saturday.

The December Scottish Curler magazine has been printed and is set to go into the mail to subscribers early next week. Don't forget there is a thread on the Scottish Curling Forum looking for feedback and suggestions about the magazine. And if you are not a subscriber, details are on the magazine's main website here.

Incidentally, the Scottish Curling Forum is close to reaching one hundred registered members. As an incentive to sign up, Sandy Morton from Millport has crafted a wooden 'wee curling stone' which will go to one lucky curler, drawn from all registered users, when the magic 100 is reached. Registration is free, there are no catches, and you will not receive junk mail. Those behind the Forum just want as much discussion as possible on all aspects of the sport.

Incidentally, the wee stone is made from zebrano wood and is about five inches across.

November's Scottish Curler

They say all good things come to those who wait, and the November Scottish Curler should be (finally!) dropping though your letter box today or tomorrow. I'll not go into the reasons for the delay, let's just say it was a combination of factors in the production process!

So, what's in the magazine this month? I report on the European Mixed, and on the spat between the Royal Caledonian Curling Club Board and the Ladies' Branch. The editorial is entitled 'Are players important anymore?' And the World Curling Federation's decision to celebrate the fifty-first world curling championship, rather than the fiftieth which it should be doing, is called into question!

Copey is 'Looking at the Juniors' in his regular Behind the Glass feature, and Stewarton Heather CC is Club of the Month. David B Smith describes an interesting old medal from Kilmarnock which once belonged to John Mitchell of the Angel Inn.

The Royal Club has launched a 'Fit to Curl' initiative, see more details here. In Holmes in the House the Royal Club's Communications and Marketing Officer, Annette Holmes, explains the new plans for next year's RCCC AGM and Gala Awards Dinner.

Iona Stone from Wales answers this month's Rock Rules conundrum. And all the regular features are there too.

What do you mean, you don't have a subscription. Find how to get one here.

New websites to bookmark

Many reading this will know that the Scottish Curler magazine has been published by Dunfermline Press since 1985. Reorganisation within the group has meant a change of name. The parent of the magazine is now the Clyde and Forth Press Group. One consequence of this is that the magazine now has its own website, particularly to facilitate the process of subscribing, and to make it easy to contact the publishers and editor online.

The address is www.scottishcurler.com. If you want to subscribe to the magazine you can download a pdf file of the subscription form which can be completed and returned in the regular mail with your cheque or credit card details. Soon, it will be possible to subscribe and pay online.

Please consider becoming a subscriber. Scottish curling needs an independent voice and the magazine can only continue if curlers support it. The first issue of the new season is currently being printed and will be available next week. Find the subscription form and costs here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you. How about giving a Scottish Curler subscription as a gift?

Another new website for you to bookmark is that set up by the curlers at Braehead. Find this here. Gary Macfarlane is the webmaster and he has posted lots of photos from the recent Curlathon on the site.

And we thought it was time that the Curling Today blog had a fresh look. Did you notice the new template? Do you like it?

Scottish Curler team in training for Curlathon: Braehead ice threatened

It's tomorrow! The big Curlathon to raise funds for the Highland Hospice and St Vincent's Hospice will begin at the Braehead rink on Friday evening at 6pm. Stars of that session will be the Scottish Curler foursome (perhaps).

Suitably attired (for the Tartan theme), David B Smith, curling's historical expert (left), will marshall his team of Christine Stewart (the mag's depute editor), Maryel Paterson (interviewer extraordinaire), and secret weapon .......... Copey! Yes, Robin Copland comes out from 'Behind the Glass' to represent the best interests of the Scottish curling media in their matchup against Team Paul.

Where, you ask, is the Editor? He's the team manager, coach, psychologist, counsellor, financial adviser, bag carrier, and gopher. In addition he has the commission to record the event for posterity. So, with any luck, there may even be a photo or two here come Monday. Or there may not.

Fifty-four teams, each of whom has raised at least £400 for the two charities, will play in the main event. There are two sessions on Friday evening. Play resumes on Saturday morning at 9am, with the juniors in their Disney themed session at noon.

Wiseman's Dairies and Bank of Scotland are sponsoring two of the sessions.

The star studded International event is on Saturday afternoon at 3pm. If you are expecting serious stuff on the ice, you may well be disappointed. There will be curling, as well as a 'no-strike' version of the game, Joker curling, and puck curling (you have to see it). The Highland Hospice is represented by teams skipped by Colin Campbell, Jackie Lockhart, Claire Milne and Hammy McMillan, whereas Rhona Martin, David Murdoch, Sarah Reid and Jim Sellar will field teams on behalf of St Vincent's Hospice.

Raffles, games and music will keep up interest in the bar, and keeping track of all that is happening with commentary on Saturday afternoon is .......... Copey! Yes, you can't keep a good Scottish Curler correspondent down. There's even a rumour that he's going to wear the 1980s' curling trousers for which he is famous (below) as he drives his microphone.

Do drop in and give the event your support! And your money!

Copey is in the middle in this photo from the Scottish Curler archive. Due to health risks posed to viewers of the blog if the original colour pic had been displayed, the photo is reproduced here in black and white. David's photo is by the Editor.

May's Scottish Curler published

The May issue of the Scottish Curler magazine is now out, and is in the mail to subscribers. The last issue of the season contains news of Rhona Martin's retirement from competition to take up a coaching position, as well as reports of the Scottish Mixed Championship, the National Pairs, the Scottish Schools', the Scottish Wheelchair Championship, the World Seniors', the World Women's and the World Men's. Plus all the usual features.