Penicuik CC first played Mechiston CC in 1816 and in honour of that occasion, last January, we played a commemorative match (Penicuik won).
As we all enjoyed the match it was decided to make it an annual event. So, on 13th January 2017, we met again, with Keith Anderson, David Cunningham, John Wood and Ross Angus representing Merchiston and Tom Alexander, Iain Scott, Dave Carr and Keith Morris representing Penicuik.
Penicuik got off to a good start with a two then a single. Merchiston came back with a two, but Penicuik went on to win the remaining 4 ends to win 8-2. The result was closer than it seems as on a number of ends the Penicuik winning shot only just beat Merchiston’s stone.
The game was followed by the usual post match drinks in good company.

This bonspiel competition was introduced eight years ago to mark the contribution made by Hamish to each of the four participating clubs.  Two rinks from Chartered Surveyors, Merchiston, Penicuik, and Watsonian, assembled on Saturday afternoon to contest the event, with each club rink playing a single end against each of the six rinks from the opposing clubs.  The winning club to be determined on aggregate score.  The line-up for Penicuik 1 was Tom Alexander, Dave Carr, Jim Cowper, and Mike Mauchline; the line-up for Penicuik 2 was Ken Hunter, Iain Scott, Reg Dunbar, and Kirsten Mauchline.

The match was played in the customary friendly but competitive fashion.  Penicuik 1 scored a total of 8 shots (+5) whilst Penicuik 2 scored 6 shots (+6), with Iain Scott skipping the last three ends.  The aggregate score by Watsonian matched Penicuik on a total of 14 shots, but their shot difference of +7 was inferior to that of Penicuik (+11), leaving Penicuik as winners of the trophy. The assembled company enjoyed a refreshment at the bar before partaking in a meal together in the dining room of Edinburgh Curling Club.

A special vote of thanks goes to Margaret Carr, Linda Hunter, Alister McDonald, and Vic Ramage who became ‘Chartered Surveyors’ for the afternoon.

Penicuik got off to a flying start in this knockout cup with an 11-1 victory over a warm and friendly Musselburgh side. Our rink – Murray Hope, John Jacobs, Robert Beaton and Ronnie Hope – were first to find consistent weight and took an early lead. Each player had a very strong, consistent game; controlled weight and great shot making ensured that we maintained pressure at every end.

The next round on 3^rd February will see us face stiff opposition in either 37 Club or Edinburgh Accies.

Murray Hope

Penicuik met Haddington in the first round of the Swan double rink knock-out competition on Thursday afternoon.  The Penicuik rinks were Jim Ramsay, Ken Hunter, Liz Anderson, and Ronnie Hope; and Dave Anderson, Andrew Lambie, Jean Lennie, and John Glidden.

Both Penicuik rinks lost the opening end of their respective games and struggled thereafter to gain a foothold against opponents who were playing well.  Both games concluded in 8-3 defeats.  So it only remained to enjoy a refreshment with our opponents and to wish them well in the next round.

At around 11:30 Tom Alexander, Jim Cowper, Ronnie Hope and John Jacobs set off for Kelso to play against the Borders Province in the Pate Trophy. Heading up Lowries Den and onto the bypass comments from the back of the car came thick and fast. Where are ye goin Tom, this isnae how you get tae Kelso. We duly pressed on and after some slight confusion due to a broken road sign on the A697 we pulled into the car park at Kelso just after 12:30 where Jim Cowper sheepishly conceded perhaps this was the best way to get to Kelso after all.

We found we would be playing the Borders Province President’s select which would be skipped by the Vice President as the President was on holiday, and after some welcome nourishment we ambled on to the ice at 1:30.  At the first end on very dour ice we miraculously took the end to be 1 up. As the ice keened up it became nip and tuck and after 7 ends the Borders were leading 7-6, but there were still a few seconds to the bell and an 8th end was played. Unfortunately this didn’t go well and we gave up 3 shots to end the game 6-10. As is always the case in these games it was played with friendly banter throughout. Overall after this first session Borders Province were leading Midlothian Province by 8 shots.

We then retired to the bar where the banter continued and the usual tales were flowing. As we prepared to leave around 5:00 it didn’t look too promising for Midlothian Province but there was still time to turn it around. After a very enjoyable, albeit unsuccessful day we finally rolled back into Penicuik around 6:00

Tom Alexander

Borders Province 66 Midlothian Province 54

Penicuik met Merchiston on Sunday evening (7 Feb) for the much anticipated annual Team Points contest.  As the time of the engagement approached, our expeditionary brigade became somewhat depleted by call-offs to the Sick List; we were fortunate that sufficient volunteers from our battalion of reserves came forward to bring us back to full strength.  Our formation for the night was made up of Tom Alexander, Dave Anderson, David Ballantyne, Jim Cowper, Ronnie Hope, Ken Hunter, Keith Morris, and Iain Scott.

On quite tricky ground, Ronnie, Dave, and Keith led our attack in the early skirmishes (Striking & Inwicking), with Iain Scott supporting well with his contribution at Inwicking.  Merchiston regained some ground with their superior performance at Drawing, but Ronnie, Dave, Jim, and Ken ensured a quick reply at Guarding.  A narrow gain was established at Chap & Lie with Ken, Dave, and Tom in our vanguard.  Both teams struggled to take the initiative with the difficult objective set by Wick & Curl In, but Merchiston proved superior here.  At this stage of the contest Penicuik had a 15 point lead; so onto the latter parts of the battle.  Our light artillery proved effective at Raising with David and Ken extracting full points, however Merchiston equalled our boys when it came to Chap & Lie.  In the final round (Drawing the Port, and Outwicking), a solid advance at Drawing the Port by the whole Penicuik Brigade ensured that we would take the day before we consolidated our position with a small gain at Outwicking, largely based on the actions of Dave and Keith.

The final score was Penicuik 124 points, Merchiston 97 Points.  Our top three scorers on the night were Dave Anderson (24), Ronnie Hope (21), and Ken Hunter (21).  A fine performance by Province Secretary David Cunningham made him Merchiston ‘s top scorer on 23 points, and he was supported by Keith Anderson and David Finnie, both on 17 points.

A good night for Penicuik, but our worthy opponents will return to give battle next season re-invigorated, so we must look to our mettle and be prepared for a tougher contest.

The annual Province Bonspiel was held on Monday 25 January.  Penicuik fielded three teams (a consequence of our Club size).  Ken Hunter skipped the first game, against our old friends Merchiston, with Ronnie Hope, John Glidden, and Reg Dunbar.  After a keen contest Penicuik ran out winners by 7 shots to 6.  The second game was against a strong Oxenfoord team; Jim Ramsay skipped with Jean Lennie, Andrew Lambie and Dave Carr.  Penicuik lost the game by a single shot.  The evening game against the Bank of Scotland was skipped by Walter Brown, with Dave Anderson, Roger Scott, and John Jacobs.  The final score in this game was 9 – 4 in favour of the Bank team.

Overall not so good, Penicuik ended the day being 5 shots down, yielding an aggregate score of -1.67.  The bonspiel was won by Carrington who ended the day with an aggregate score of +14.33 for their three rinks.

Penicuik 1 met Corstorphine in the second round of the Rink Championship on Sunday morning (24 Jan), with Walter Brown at Skip, Ken Hunter, Jean Lennie, and John Jacobs.  Corstorphine skipped by Colin Campbell, with Aarhon Forsythe, Dan Arrendale, and Colin Baxter managed a comfortable win by 9 shots to 2, and we wish them well in their semi-final game.

Penicuik 2 met a strong Oxenfoord rink in their first round match on Sunday 13 December. Dave Anderson skipped the Penicuik rink of Jim Ramsay, Andrew Lambie, and Dave Carr. Penicuik stayed in the game until the last couple of ends when Oxenfoord ran out winners by two shots.

In February 1816, curlers from the newly formed Penicuik Curling Club ventured into Edinburgh to play the club’s first inter-club game against opponents Merchiston Curling Club.  Penicuik emerged as victors on the day however, in a return match played on Penicuik ice at the beginning of March 1816 the Merchiston curlers took the day.  To mark the bicentenary of these games, the Merchiston and Penicuik clubs met in a friendly fixture at Murrayfield on Tuesday evening (12 Jan).  The Penicuik team was Ken Hunter, Keith Morris, Tom Alexander, and Dave Carr; and the Merchiston team was Jim Cannon, Keith Anderson, David Hume, and Archie Smith.

Merchiston started off on the front foot and took a single in the first end.  They pressed hard in the second end and were unfortunate to lose a single.  After that the Penicuik team started to get a better grip on the game, and took two shots in each of the next three ends to go 7-1 up after five ends.  Merchiston came back with a well worked two at the sixth end.  In the final end a fine draw by Keith Morris saw Penicuik lying shot behind a gaggle of front stones.  However it was not to be, Jim Cannon with his last stone managed to just avoid a front stone and get an angled raise within the house to take shot.  Final score 7-4 to Penicuik.

Afterwards the players gathered to enjoy a sociable refreshment together and discuss the long association of their two clubs.  David Hume, President of Merchiston, had drawn up information from the PCC minutes to entertain the party.  It was mutually agreed that the fixture should become an annual event if suitable arrangements can be put in place.