Report by Jean Cassie

🌟 Stranraer Weekend – 21st to 23rd November 🌟

Ten intrepid Penicuik Curling Club members packed their bags (and possibly their sense of adventure) and headed for Stranraer for the Dalrymple Cup Qualifier weekend. The nine players—Jim & Pam Ramsay, Graeme & Jean Cassie, David Gillespie, Kirsty McWilliam, Karen Black, Jarrad Manesh, and Paul Clapperton—were kept in line and loudly cheered on by the ever-enthusiastic Barbara Gillespie.

🥌 The Teams

Penicuik 1:
David, Kirsty, Pam, Paul and Jarrad, rotating players across their three games with military precision (well… curling precision).

Penicuik 2:
Jim, Karen, Graeme and Jean, also taking on three games and proving a tough unit to crack.

🌍 Who We Faced

Over the weekend we took on a wonderfully mixed bag of opponents—including teams from Norway, Lithuania, andSorn (Ayrshire) . The competition was fierce, the games were tight, and every match brought its own wee bit of drama.

Penicuik 2 came heartbreakingly close to a semi-final place, missing out by just one end. So close you could practically hear the collective sigh echoing across the ice! We have succeeded in earning a runner up place in the March competition.

🏨 Hospitality at Its Finest

The North West Castle Hotel spoiled us rotten. We enjoyed great food, comfy surroundings, and some of the best ice you could wish for. On Saturday night, they even hosted a short  curling competition—complete with live music—and the festivities rolled on into the small hours. (Some may have curled better on Saturday night than Saturday morning…) https://youtu.be/cVuIqXjBg6s?si=p4Q4C-Gb6eMTfH5g is a link to a Video produced by Graeme Cassie.

Spectators just couldn’t believe the skills they were witnessing!

🎉 Final Thoughts

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend packed with laughter, competition, and great company. If you’ve never tried one of these events, get yourself signed up the next time!—seriously, you’re missing out.

A huge thank-you to Kirsty for organising the entry and keeping everyone on track throughout the weekend. We couldn’t have asked for a better team shepherd!