First Points Competition

1st Club Points – 11th December 2019

Six Club members started in the competition for the 1st Points of the season but unfortunately Keith Morris was unable to continue after 3 disciplines because of his continuing Achilles tendon problem. It was a tightly fought competition which included all ten Points disciplines and, using the excuse of the combination of the new ice and the new stones for the scoring being slightly less than would normally be expected, the eventual overall winner on a score of 33 points was Jim Ramsay.  On equal scores of 31 points, the runners-up were Ronnie Hope and Dave Anderson.  Alex Moir and Dave Carr finished on 27 and 24 points respectively.

It was a very enjoyable competition  and our thanks go to Jean Noble for her sponsorship of this event.

Dave Anderson

Singles Competition

On 8th December, six experienced male members were joined by two slightly reluctant ladies to take part in this year’s Singles Competition.

The first rounds were duly completed with Iain Scott, Andrew Lambie,  Murray Hope and Dave Anderson all winning to progress to the High Road (Dave having to draw shots against Ronnie Hope), whilst David Gillespie, Liz Anderson and Jean Noble joined Ronnie in the Low Road.

Liz played Ronnie in the first Semi Final and, after 4 ends with result at 2-2, had to draw shots again which Liz won. In the second match Jean had a win against David Gillespie, a game of both drawing and striking. To their great surprise the two ladies went forward to meet each other in the Final of the Low Road. This was very much a game of drawing to the house with Jean getting off to a great start in the first two ends before Liz countered in the third. Another single  in the fourth meant that Jean became outright winner of  the Low Road Competition. 

Dave and Murray beat Iain and Andrew respectively in the  Semi-Final of the High Road both winning by the same margin of 4-1.   After a short break , Murray and Dave played off in the hard fought Final, both often playing to the edge of the house and trying to take out each other’s stones. After five ends of singles shots apiece, Murray led 3-2 with no score at the final end. 

Many congratulations to Murray for winning the High Road Final, and to Jean for the Low Road Final.  Thanks to all who took part, and particularly David Gillespie who stepped in at the last minute. Thanks also to Dave Anderson, our generous sponsor.

Report by Jean Noble 10th December.

Final of Knock-Out Competition

For the second year running Team Ramsay met Team Scott in the final of the Knock-out Competition played on 3rd December.

Team Ramsay got off to a great start taking a 3 at the first end, before Team Scott countered with a 2 at the next.  Jim’s rink won the next two ends with first a single  then another 3 to lead 7-2 after the fourth end.

However Team Scott were not beaten yet and rallied to take a 4, then another 4 in the fifth and sixth ends,  then a 2 in the final end to win 12-7. A high scoring match worthy of the Final.

Many congratulations to the winning team of Iain Scott, Robert Beaton, Alex Moir (sub for Tom Griffin) and Alicia Neil. Commiserations to Jim Ramsay and his team of Ken Hunter, Christine Hope and Ian Neil.

Report by Jean Noble.

Henderson Bishop

Penicuik played in the Henderson Bishop against Pentland Ladies on Tuesday 3rd December.

The Team was made up of Janette Lambie as lead, Barbara Gillespie playing second, Pam Ramsay playing third, with Margaret Carr as Skip. Everyone played really well and Penicuik won 7-4.

The same team played against a very strong Currie and Balerno team the following day, and unfortunately we were soundly beaten 15-1.

Certainly we experienced the ups and downs of Curling over the two days were were involved.

Report from Margaret Carr 5th December 2019.

 

Rink Championship

Jim Ramsay skipped Penicuik’s  team for the first round match in the Rink Championship against Currie and Balerno on 26th October,  but disappointingly they failed to appear on the day so Penicuik progressed automatically to the next round.

This match against Corstorphine was on 9th November and Jim’s rink (comprising himself, Andrew Lambie, Iain Scott and Margaret Carr) had a great result winning 8-4. 

Penicuik will now play in the Semi Finals on 15th December at 10am.

 

SIAE Friendly Match

Report by David Cunningham, Secretary of SIAE

“Following an idea at our AGM, SIAE invited DAFS and Penicuik to take part in social games on Sunday 17th November.  They are two of our closest competitors and friends, with our origins at the Bush Estate, near Penicuik, and the links within agriculture.  We often play them in the Province League, Bonspiel and King George IV Trophy – but not this particular season!

DAFS was represented by David Lindsay, Graham Thomson, Jill Gillard and Catriona Graham.  Dave Anderson, Keith Morris, Liz Anderson and Elaine Lambie played for Penicuik.  SIAE put together two rinks (Steven Thomson, Mike Veitch, Graeme Muir and Morna Findlay; David Cunningham, Chris Parry, Maureen McCulloch and John Elcock), with the former starting against Penicuik and the latter against DAFS.  After four ends, our teams swapped sheets, so that we could play our other guests.  Good fun, good banter and even some good curling!

We kept score for the sake of it and it’s fair to say that Penicuik scored the most (and conceded the fewest) shots over the seven ends.  Nobody cared too much about that as we retired to the bar.  Many thanks to all the curlers who represented their clubs – long may the social side of our sport continue.”

Knock Out Semi Finals

Sunday evening saw the Semi-Finals of the Knock-out Competition.

Team Ramsay had progressed to the Semi after winning their Quarter Final match against Team Lambie 9-3, and were now drawn against Team Anderson for the first Semi.   Dave Carr’s Team had also won their game against Team Hope 9-2 in the other Quarter Final match, and were now drawn against Team Scott for the Semi.

Jim’s rink got off to a great start against Dave A’s rink  winning a four in the first end, then scoring a 2 and then a 3 in the next two ends to consolidate his position. Despite winning a single shot in the fifth end Dave’s rink were unable to make up lost ground and Jim’s rink, of Ken Hunter Christine Hope and Ian Neil, marched into the Final winning by a hefty margin.

In the other Semi Final match, Dave Carr’s rink took the first three ends by a single shot before Iain Scott’s rink responded to win the next three ends again by a single shot. All square then 3-3 going into the final end. This was a very closely contested match which  Iain’s rink, of John Jacobs (sub) Tom Griffin and Alicia Neil, eventually won 4-3 to reach the Final. 

So, Team Ramsay will meet Team Scott in the Knock-out Final to be played on Tuesday 3rd December at 7.30pm. 

.

 

Club Challenge 2019-20

”Report on Challenge Match – 13th November 2019

Holders
Andrew Lambie
Keith Morris
Robert Beaton
Martin Hobbs
           v
Challengers
Jim Ramsay
Dave Anderson
Ken Hunter
Ronnie Hope
Result : Andrew Lambie’s team won 7/3
Andrew reported that Martin and Robert played very well while Keith, who had a sore ankle, was in  the head but played third stones.
The score was 1-1 after the second end then Andrew’s rink scored a 4 at the third end then the teams exchanged single shots in the next 4 ends.”
Report written by Andrew Lambie, 16th November 

Tribute to the Wilson Family, Penicuik

THE WILSON FAMILY: FIVE GENERATIONS IN PENICUIK CURLING CLUB

WILLIAM WILSON (Club member 1839-93)

William Wilson was a painter, as was his father Charles. William’s grandfather, George, hailed from Wanlockhead, the son of the manager of the lead mines and scion of an old covenanting family. George Wilson took up the trade of a painter and plasterer and moved to Carlops with his son Charles and grandson William, who was born in 1808. Both Charles and William carried on the trade of George Wilson and all three built and occupied adjacent cottages in Carlops. In 1824, Charles was presented with a medal from the Highland Society bearing the words “In respect of the cleanliness and neatness with which the cottage was kept”. The medal was presented on behalf of the society by Mr James Mclean of Nine Mile Burn, who incidentally was a founder member of Penicuik Curling Club in 1815. The business flourished and William Wilson decided to move to Penicuik in 1839, where he joined the curling club. William was one of the club members who backed the proposal by fellow Penicuik Curling Club members Dr John Renton, John Piper and Charles Cowan to join the Grand Caledonian Curling Club at its inception in 1838.

He was appointed skip in 1842 and took part in the first Grand Match at Penicuik in1847, playing with John Piper, Dr Alison and John Dewar against Cumbernauld. Aside from his trade and curling, William was an officer in the free church, a member of the Free Gardeners and served on the parochial board. In the last few years of his life he loved to sit and chat about the old coaching days, when there was no police commission, railways, or machines for making paper! William Wilson died in July 1893 in his 84th year and after 54 years association with the club.

CHARLES WILSON (Club Member 1859-1927)

Baillie Charles Wilson took over the painting business from his father William. He joined Penicuik Curling Club in 1859, some twenty years after his father, although the first reference to him in our curling records is in October 1865 when he is appointed to the club committee. Charles served on and off the committee for the next forty years; the last record of him in the minutes is his appointment to committee in 1906. Charles curled well into the 1900’s winning the club medal in 1887 and seventeen years later in 1904! He spoke very eloquently at the centenary dinner in 1906 when he enthused affectionately of the fourteen years he had played in Charles W Cowan’s rink, reminding all present that in the eleven years when they had a full rink, they never lost a match! At that time Charles Wilson had been a member of the club for 57 years. He continued as a member till 1919, when he was appointed an Honorary Member. He died in 1927. This stalwart of the club had been a member for 68 years!

DAVID L WILSON (Club Member 1897-1964)

Charles’ son, David L Wilson, was born in The Glebe, now called Imrie Place, in Penicuik in  1881.  He was given the middle name of Lawson in memory of his grandfather Charles Lawson, another stalwart of the curling club. D L joined Penicuik Curling Club in 1897 and served in the Royal Flying Corps, and subsequently the Royal Air Force in France in 1917-18. His son, Charlie Wilson, was born in 1915 and a fourth generation of Wilson curlers was destined for inclusion in the club’s history. David played in the last Grand Match at Carsebreck in 1935 and won by 20 shots. He died in 1964 after 67 years in the club! He was a very well respected member of the community and church in Penicuik.     

David Wilson with his wife and young son Charlie, taken c1919

 CHARLIE WILSON (Club Member 1947-2006)

Charlie Wilson JP was born in 1915 and was called up into military service in 1939. He travelled through North Africa and Italy until demobilisation in 1946. Charlie joined Penicuik Curling Club in 1947 and was soon appointed skip.  He skipped in the last Grand Match at Lake of Menteith in 1979, beating Glamis No 2 by 15 shots to 10. In that game his third player was Willie Ross, who was playing in his fourth Grand Match! Charlie was appointed an Honorary President in March 1989, received the Royal Club gold medal for fifty years membership in 1997, and died in 2006 having given 59 years service to the club!

Charlie in front of Curling House
c 1978

LAWSON WILSON (Club Member 1965-1987)

Charlie’s son, Lawson, joined Penicuik Curling Club in 1965 to be the fifth generation of “Wilson the Painters” in the club. He played until 1987 after 22 years as a club member.

This was a truly remarkable, and probably unique, family. The family business of “Wilson the Painters” was a well respected and much loved institution in the town for 150 years, and their combined service to Penicuik Curling Club, totalling 270 years, is likely to be a record unmatched in any club, in any sport, in any country.

Tribute written by Honorary President Jim Cowper. November 2019