Balyarrow.

 Just a reminder that the Balyarrow was switched from 17th Dec at Perth to 18th Feb 2023 at Stirling (Peak) starting at 10.45.

We require two teams.  Currently we have 6 players, so need another 2 for a fun game and a bit of socialising.

Province Pairs Champions

Our Father and Son (or should that be son and father) team of Morgan and Sandy won through to the High Road Final.  There they met the Province President's Select Team of Ian Donald and Dave Munro (ie Haddington B !)  

The fact that Dave and Morgan were both wearing their Strathcona Tour shirts, despite being on opposite teams, caused some confusion amongst the watching gallery.  Despite this they got off to a nerve settling single in the first and were then left with an open hit for a three in the second end.  Score 4 - 0 at the halfway point and the Province Select looked to be resigned to defeat but still came back with a brace of shots in the third end.  The final end looked a nervous affair with the President's team in command always sitting with two or three shots and Morgan trying to avoid a 'draw the shot' against Dave (again).  Haddington, with the hammer with their final stone made a diagonal raise to cut down the end to a single shot.

Haddington win 4 - 3.

Congratulations also to the East Linton pairing of Robin Aitken and Paul Neilson who won the Low Road by a score of 3 - 2 against Douglas and Balfour, representing Yester.

    
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a larger field than we have seen for several years including three first timers (four if you include Andy McDiarmid, who hasn't competed since 2010, when I started keeping records) we set about the Points Competition.

By dint of Dave Munro not turning up, last years second placed man, Sandy Nicoll, was always the 'first to go'.  Whether it was this, fatherhood, house removals or lack of match fitness, his score was significantly down.  Indeed he was beaten by the eventual winner, his dad, for the first time since 2013.

The worthy winner, Morgan improved his best score by a single point, which was exactly what he needed to do to edge out second placed man, and President, James Pate.

Third place went to Vice President Andy Aberdein who along with fifth placed Graeme and sixth placed Lindsey were the only three players to score in every discipline.  

The First Lady of the Haddington points went to Lindsey McConnell with her best score since 2016.

The scores were perhaps hampered by very swingy ice however with only one point between first and second and five points between third and eighth (or 8 points going down to 10th) it was a very close competition.

A big congratulations go to Roy Black, who improved his personal best by 6 points and equals the 'stick' record set by James Logan last year.

The general 'gamesmanship' obviously flustered our newcomers, Euan and Jeff who both picked up their games in the last two (and usually the most difficult) rounds.  Indeed if they had averaged their last two rounds over the whole competition, they would have been first and second !

 Great night everyone      

Wingate at 33%

 The final first round game saw the defending champion face his biggest challenge.  However a steal of 2 in the final end saw Team Mr Munro maintain a 100% win record to lead the charge for glory.  The remaining teams are evenly spread out in their wake in the following order Team Ms Munro, Team Pate and Team Nicoll Snr.

The others will have more to say about the final results in the upcoming round two.

Ding, ding..........

Rennie Report at 33%

The Battle of the Andy's and the Battle of the Young Guns produced the surprise of the first round of the Rennie.

Team McDiarmid beat the previously unbeaten Team Aberdein while Sandy's squad left it late (ie winning the last three ends) in toppling Hamish's Rink for his first win.

No team now has a 100% record in either wins or losses making it a tight first round.  Topping the table with two wins is Team McDiarmid, rumour has it that Andrew has adopted a governmental policy by, so far, not turning up but I'm sure that is just untrue.  Meanwhile his namesake, young master Aberdein, who made the initial running is also on two wins and is only one end behind.

On one win apiece are Teams Nicoll Jnr and Logan Jnr.  Team Sandy squeek into third place by dint of being one shot up better, however Hamish's quartet although languishing at the foot of the table are the only team to take a win from the table toppers.

And so.... onto round 2 !

Rink Championships

A very brief report that following a couple of missed strikes that we lost to Corstorphine in the first round.

Old Firm Derby

The first official Dave v Karen Munro derby game got off to a prompt start, as did Team Dave.  With Jeff Lewis and Richard Taylor playing out of their skins, the front half of his team saw Munro snr zip into a 5 - 0 lead after two ends.  It was then Karen's turn and although she took the next three ends, father made sure that they were all singles, before striking back with the next two ends.  With the score at 8 - 3 Karen abandoned the game to go and play on another sheet (overlapping of games is possible this season) meanwhile her team went on to try and show that she wasn't needed.  (Spoiler, she was!)

The three man Munro jnr team played a tight end and left Graeme with a 'pick out the shot stone' shot for a two to lend some respectability to the night.  In the end it was slightly heavy and didn't curl enough giving the reigning champion another steal and a final score of 10 - 3.

It is still a 'best of three' though.

President's Drinks

Thanks to President James and his good lady, Lorna, for hosting the first President's Opening Drinks Party that we have been able to hold for a number of years.  Thanks to feeling under the weather, I did not attend but, or perhaps because of that there was a good attendance of players and their partners.  Reports say that it was a highly enjoyable evening and it must have been because nobody was apparently capable to taking any photos for this blog !

First Blood is Spilled

AND....... The Wingate is underway.

Newly promoted Skip, Karen, held her nerve and despite losing the first two ends to go 3 - 0 down came back winning all the remaining ends to score her first win of the season.  She also spelled out a warning to the reigning champion, her dad, that she is gunning for him !

The Power of Three

 Congratulations to the three handed rink of James Pate, Roy Black and John Harcourt for 'winning' the Opening Bonspiel.

Their game was against Andy A, John G, Margaret and Frances.  This was a high scoring game with most of the scoring going the way of the Pate rink. At 4-2 after the third end a big score of 5 swung the momentum firmly in favour of James.  He and his team didn't let up and he ended up lapping the opposition on the scoreboard with a total score of 15-3.

The other game between Ian Donald and Hamish Logan swung one way then the other.  Our new member Euan Forbes helped Hamish to a first end 3.  In the meantime, Graeme was trying to coach Shelagh in the use of a delivery stick !  They obviously did OK as Team Donald went on to win the next five ends before a small come back from Hamish, but by then it was too late.  Despite scoring a 3 in the last end and winning their game 10-4, Team Donald still came up 5 shots behind Team Pate for the honours !

Despite a slow start, we were all still in the club rooms when the starting bell rang, both games took advantage of the additional 10 minutes session time and managed to get in 8 ends.

Province Knockout Draw - Update

 

Please note that the draw has bow been updated as follows:-

Haddington v Athelstaneford - NOW 22-1-23 at 14.30 

(Not 8-1-23 as in original syllabus).

ICE DATES

 The Fixture List including club and external games and draws has been added to the appropriate tab.

Late Summer Housekeeping

 While we are enjoying the hot summer (it's raining outside) and awaiting the ice allocation, I will be undertaking some 'housework' on the site in preparation of the 2022/23 season.

Sad News

 It is with regret that I have been advised that former member John Clements passed away on 15th May 2022.

Annual Dinner & Prizegiving

A huge thanks to Shelagh for putting on such a good night, despite not having played (injury) all season.

The numbers were depleted due to Covid, but those that were there said that it was one of the best nights ever with a fantastic talk by our guest speaker, Harry Bell.

The Rennie Winners

Team Harcourt - Performance Winners

   

The Rennie Winners

Pairs Winners

   

    

Munro's - with most of the prizes

Munro v Munro - The Final Showdown

To mark our final game of the season, the Wingate Winners (Team Munro) took on our Rennie Winners (Team Munro) in a father/daughter Skins Challenge. 

Dave, as our club's all round hero this season and with much more (very little) experience was expected to dominate.  

Team Karen however were not going to have any of that and proved that you don't have to know what is going on, if you just keep winning ends !

The first four ends saw skins being traded back and forth, like a bottle of wine at a government work meeting.  The fifth end saw no skin winner and the 3 available skins being carried forward to make the sixth end worth a big six points.  This was scooped up by Team Karen who then went on to take the four skins for the final end.  The overall score being 13 skins to 3 in favour of the youngsters.

Big Congratulations to Karen Munro, Morgan Nicoll, Kath Dun and Margaret Harcourt.

The father daughter rivalry should nicely spice up the Wingate next season

21/22 East Lothian Province Bonspiel

It has been quite a year for Dave Munro's Haddington team who successfully defended their Knockout Title.  Would Dave also manage to win the Elco Cup in back to back years ?

The answer was NO !  What team would pip him to the post ?  None other than the Haddington 2 team of James Logan, Colin Baird and the farther/son duo of Morgan and Sandy Nicoll.

Haddington now edge further into the lead with 22 Bonspiel wins (since 1859) ahead of Athelstaneford's 15 wins. 

 

Munro does it again

 Congratulations to Dave Munro who, in a must win (and hope for his nearest rival to fail) game successfully manages to defend his Wingate title. His dominance has only been halted once in the last six attempts.  This marks a double for the Chesterhall Clan with his daughter Karen having scooped the Rennie.  Next season should see them playing off against each other.

Mr Munro would say himself, that he wouldn't have won without the able assistance of Colin Baird, Ian Donald and Roy Black.  Maybe next year we shouldn't allow him to secure the services of as many 'stick delivery' hotshots !

East Lothian Province Knockout

 Congratulations to our team of (in alphabetical order) Andy Aberdein. John Good, Andy McDiarmid and Dave Munro.

They scampered past Athelstaneford in the first round then, in back to back sessions, Dirleton and East Linton.  This brings the clubs wins to 12 (since 1995) with the nearest rivals, Athelstaneford, sitting on 7 wins.

Let's hope that in next years Province Finals, we can finally get out of the round robin phase !

All Change

With the end in sight, it was a night of the 'underdogs' in last nights Wingate games.  Bottom of the table (for now) Team Nicoll Snr. score their first win.  They took their victory in the last end against multiple defending champion and league leader Dave Munro and his squad.

A mixed night for the Nicolls saw Team Nicoll Jnr. lose a big four shots in the first end against Team Pate (Its nice not to have to add Snr. or Jnr.).  Try as he might, and with his team under performing, Sandy could not strike his way back in to the game, allowing James to score an easy victory.

This moves Equipe Munro Snr. out of the top spot, in favour of Team Pate while the Nicolls, father and son contest the lower edges of the table.  Sandy has a game and a point in hand but has to play Team Munro twice before the dust will finally settle.

The Pairs Competition

 Following topping their respective leagues the deciding match for the High and Low Road Trophies were between Sandy Nicoll & Jeff Lewis and Andy Aberdein & John Harcourt.

Team Nicis got off to a good start with a three shots in the first and third ends with Team Abercourt being restricted to singles in the second and fourth ends.  Trailing by 4 shots it was always going to be a big ask for a comeback and despite Sandy missing a double takeout (probably his only miss all afternoon), Andy and Jeff were left with another single.  They did have bragging rites, however, by taking 3 ends to 2, nevertheless the final score was 6 - 3.

High Road Winners - Sandy Nicoll & Jeff Lewis

Low Road Winners -  Andy Aberdein & John Harcourt.

 

In the 'small final' Hamish Logan & Roy Black beat James Pate and Margaret Harcourt by 5 - 2 to decide third and fourth places.

The First Munro to strike

Congratulations to Karen Munro and her team of Morgan Nicoll/Kath Dun, James Pate and Margaret Harcourt.  With their Saturday afternoon win against the Logan's pusher squad, they have sealed the Rennie Quaich.  

Maybe, just maybe, her father will have some competition in the Wingate next year.

I attach a photo of Karen with her proud parents celebrating.  (In this case, I believe that they were celebrating a birthday meal prepared by the Rennie Queen, that hadn't poisoned any of them ?)  

President v Vice President

 Congratulations to President James Pate for decisively winning his game against Andrew Aberdein's rink.

Meantime their second rinks were grubbing it out in a, very well humoured, game of single shot ends.  In the end both Presidents teams won and were applauded. 

Given the current Covid situation it was good that thirteen of the sixteen sat down to a convivial supper and as the bar was closed, no-one had to argue as to who was driving.

Swan - Semi Final

Well done to our teams, headed by Morgan Nicoll and James Pate for their valiant attempt to overcome the might of Currie & Balerno and make the final.

Team Nicoll played well against Brian Flemming's team (with turncoat Dave Munro as third) and managed to win by a narrow margin.

Team Pate were working hard and held on to a slim lead after the fourth end but this evaporated with a big score of 5 against in the next end.  Holding their nerve they fought back and in the final end were sitting with a two, enough to win the game on aggregate, with the President of the RCCC's last stone to play.  Susan Kesley needed a draw to within six feet but played slightly too heavy.  The shot just clipped Team Pate's front stone and deflected onto their rear stone to score a one and take the match.

Good luck to C&B in the final.

Munro Loses - Shocker

2022 got off to an early start with the lower ranked Rennie teams showing that they cannot be discounted.

Heavily tipped Karen Munro took on third placed Andy McDiarmid and the result was a big surprise, a scoreboard busting 13 - 5 win for the underdogs.  This means that Karen's rink has doubled their seasons losses to two.  Both of which have been to the McDiarmid quartet !  Ms Munro will be pleased that she has now completed all her games against that particular rink.

Meanwhile, the second placed Team Aberdein staged a mighty come back, only to lose a single, and the game, in the final end against bottom placed Team Logan.  Again, both of Team Logan's wins have been against Andy A and his merry crew.

No league positions were changed from these results, although Karen is now showing nerves by chasing Ends.  Mathematically any of the four teams could still lift the quaich, but with her lead and a handy buffer of ends, it is still Team Munro's to lose.