The annual Midlothian Province Bonspiel competition was played on 26 Monday of January 2015. Penicuik were drawn against Midcalder (2.00pm), Corstorphine (4.00pm), and The Musketeers (6.00pm).

Penicuik 15         Midcalder 3

Walter Brown, Jim Ramsay, Jean Lennie, Jim Cowper

Penicuik 8         Corstorphine 3

Ken Hunter, Tom Alexander, Reg Dunbar, John Glidden

Penicuik 5           Musketeers  7

Andrew Lambie, Dave Anderson, Dave Carr, John Jacobs

Aggregate score +15/3 = 5

Currie & Balerno were the winners of the 2014-15 Province Bonspiel Tropy.

Penicuik were drawn as the away side in a two-rink District Medal tie this season, against Glasgow Ladies at Braehead.  The game was played at Braehead on Monday afternoon 19 January. Traditionally our President and Vice-president raise the rinks for this fixture.

Match Report from Jim Ramsay.

The Glasgow (Girls) gave us a friendly, warm welcome.

Once on the ice both Penicuik teams won their first end.  By the fifth end, the end that usually changes, the game saw President Jim’s rink with 3 ends and 5 points.  Andrew Lambie, who was skipping the Vice-president’s rink for Dave Carr, also had 3 ends but were 1 down against the Glasgow side who had 5 points.

Jim lost a 2 in the 6th end which brought their game to 5 each.  Andrew gained 1 in his 6th end to also display a score of 5 to each side.

Nail biting stuff!  The Ice was very fast and gave huge draws.  The Glasgow sides were both playing at high levels and they, of course, knew the ice.

The game was to be played over 8 ends.  At the end of the 7th end, Jim’s rink scored a 1, while Andrew pulled away with a 3, leaving his team at 8 – 5!

End 8, and the President’s rink managed to secure the front of the house but Jim’s last stone found its way to the centre of the house.  Valerie, who had skipped her side well had an open house to draw to the Penicuik stone for a 1.  She was light and with the big swing on the ice, failed to reach the house, giving Jim, Dave A, Liz A and Pam a four.  OOPs, Andrew dropped a single in the 8th end but still won by 2 shots (Andrew, Dave C, Reg, Margaret).

Final Result Jim Ramsay(S), Dave Anderson(3),Liz Anderson(2) Pam Ramsay(1)

10 Points to 5 with 5 Ends against 3

Andrew Lambie(S), Dave Carr(3).Reg Dunbar(2),Margaret Carr(1)

8 Points to 6 with 5 Ends against 3

A worthwhile trip, well played,  in good spirit and The District Medal awarded to Penicuik!

The Pate Trophy is contested annual between Midlothian Province and Borders Province.  This season the fixture was at Kelso on Saturday 17 January.  Penicuik were one of eight teams representing MIdlothian, and the team was;

Ken Hunter, Dave Anderson, Roger Scott, and Iain Scott

Fortunately despite a mixed weather forcast, conditions for our trip down to Kelso were good.  The ice at Kelso proved to be good, although a liitle heavy for the first end.  Drawn against Coldstream, our position at the culmination of the first end looked promising; we were lying 4 shots up with most the the approach to the head covered with short stones.  However, the opposing Skip played a great raise (nominated) to take shot.  Onwards, we were able to take a degree of control with a two in the second end and a further single in the third end.  After this we were able to maintain a lead, but poorer play saw us lose a two in the last end to finish up winning by 7 shots to 5.  MIdlothian ended the first session 4 shots down overall, and when we left were well down in the second session.

It was an enjoyable day, good curling played in the appropriate spirit, and an enjoyable opportunity to share a drink and chat with the curlers of Coldstream.

The Swan is an inter-club double knock-out competition run by Edinburgh Curling Club. For the 2014-15 competition the Penicuik Teams were;

Penicuik 1          Dave Anderson, Roger Scott, Dave Carr, and Jim Cowper

Penicuik 2         Andrew Lambie, Ken Hunter, Jean Lennie, and John Glidden

In the first game in November, Penicuik beat Corstorphine by a narrow margin to gain a semi-final place.  At the end of the game with only one stone left to be played by Andrew Lambie, Team 1 was one shot down and team 2 were lying one shot up.  Andrew had little choice but to take on a tricky raised takeout to avoid the match going into an extra end.  He played from the centre out across the four foot to hit a Penicuik stone on the edge of the four foot such that it moved left to remove a Corstorphine stone counting second.  What a shot to finish the match on!

Penicuik met Midcalder in the semi-final match of Friday 9th January.  The game was fairly even after 5 ends, Team 1 being one shot up and Team 2 being one shot down.  Subsequently both teams lost a big end, Team 2 lost a four in the sixth end and Team 1 lost a five in the seventh end, and Midcalder went on to take the match and qualify for the final against Oxenfoord.