The Curling Image Project (Week 13)

CIP-85. L-R: David Aitken, Robin Halliday, Peter Smith, Harry Reilly. Probably taken soon after the team had won the Uniroyal World Junior Championship in 1986. A promotional pic? Perhaps one of the team could confirm details. Note that three of the team have hog's hair brushes whereas Harry has a horse hair brush. Hair brushes, remember them? (6x5.5in print, photographer not stated.)

CIP-86. Several 'friends' have asked, "Are you not going to upload any photos of yourself?" So, here's one which has a bit of a story. In the early 1980s I was playing in the Graeme Adam team at the Skol Edinburgh International at the Murrayfield rink. We reached the final. Although I was already writing a little for the newspapers, that was not on my mind this weekend, because Richard Harding, the Glasgow Herald's main 'curling correspondent', was coming through to Edinburgh to cover the final. As we came off the ice, having won the competition, a message was passed to me that Richard had been turned back by snow on the way through, and could I submit a short report to the paper myself. So after the presentation ceremony, I was to be found with pencil and notebook in the changing room putting together my thoughts on the last game. This I duly phoned in to the copy-taker (this being in the days before email), and spoke to the sports' desk to explain what had happened. "That's great Bob," said the sub on the desk, "our photographer got a good pic to accompany the report when he was at the rink earlier." He didn't mention what the photo was, and I just assumed it would be one of our skip, Graeme Adam, or perhaps both skips in the final game. Photos of lead players never appeared in the newspapers. So, it was with some surprise when I picked up a copy of the paper on the Monday, to find the report of us winning the competition with my byline, AND the above photo. Embarrassing? Yup. My students certainly thought it was. But it's nice to look back on a time when I had hair! (9x7in print, by an unnamed Glasgow Herald photographer)

CIP-87. Here's another pic with an interesting story. Ulrika Bergman, Margaretha Lindahl, Anna Bergström, Maria 'Mia' Zackrisson, and Maria Engholm from Svegs CC were the Swedish ladies squad at the World Junior Championships at Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1994. Mia is on the right of the photo. The event was in a big old arena, and aside from friends and family the stands were pretty empty most of the time. One afternoon however, a large group of soldiers in uniform came into the arena. In 1994 the former Yugoslavia, the country just to the north of Bulgaria, was still in the middle of what we now call the 'Balkans War', see here. (It is somewhat chilling now to think that there we were enjoying an international sporting event, when, only a few miles away, dreadful atrocities were being committed.) It transpired that the soldiers were UN peacekeeping troops on leave, and included some Swedes. These guys began to cheer for the Swedish girls above and I can vividly remember the chant 'Zac-Kris-Son' .. 'Zac-Kris-Son' .. 'Zac-Kris-Son' .. ringing out around the arena, I suspect much to Mia's embarrassment. (6x4in print, Bob Cowan.)

CIP-88. Here are the winners of the Aviemore Ice Rink Midsummer Bonspiel in 1977. L-R: Hugh Meikle (Ice Rink Manager), Margaret MacDonald (lead), Iain MacDonald (3rd), Mary Gammack (2nd) and Charlie Gammack (skip), from the Aberlour Curling Club. The prizes were donated by Dewars of Perth. (10x8in print, Aviemore Photographic.)

CIP-89. Time to mention pairs curling. Dr Derek Anderson (President, Royal Caledonian Curling Club) is presenting the National Pairs trophy to Norman Brown in 1990. His teammate Hew Chalmers is on the left, and Bruce Guild, the RCCC Secretary, is on the right. (7x5in print, photographer unknown.)

CIP-90. Another outside scene, from an old album of photographs, the same source as CIP-17. Written in pencil is 'Cambo, January 21, 1891', so the location could be the pond in the grounds of Cambo House, Kingsbarns, Fife (see here). Given how the stones seem to be scattered all over the ice, one has to speculate that these were not experienced curlers! (15.5x11cm faded print, enhanced in Photoshop. Photographer not known.)

CIP-91. Julia Halliday and Wendy Baxter competing at a junior women's weekend competition at Greenacres c1986, sponsored by Goudies Garage. (8x6in print, probably by John Elder.)

All photographers are credited when they are known. Check the archive (on the right) for previous Curling Image Project posts.

The Curling Image Project (Week 12)

CIP-78. This is a scene from the final of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club's Rink Championship at Perth, in 1956. On the left is Tom Morris, with a duster in his hand! The sweepers are G Lorimer and J Christie. If you look closely you can see that some of the stones carry pompoms for identification. The image appeared in the September 1956 Scottish Curler magazine. According to the Annual for 1956-57, Morris's Perth CC team, which also included J R McEwan, were beaten 10-7 by Glendoick (K Melville (skip), J Smith, W Clark, and W D McEwan). (8.5x6.5in print, by Star Photos, Photography House, 75 Kinnoull Street, Perth.)

 

CIP-79. Some Swiss curling history today. Otto Danieli and his team of Roland Schneider, Rolf Gautschi, and Ueli Mülli were the surprise but popular winners of the Air Canada Silver Broom at Perth in 1975, having beaten Canada in the semi-final and the USA in the final. This 1979 photo shows Otto still playing competitively four years later with a new team. Otto is third from left in the photo, with the corn broom. Unfortunately, I don't have the names of the others in this Zurich Crystal CC foursome. Anyone? (4x6in print by Erwin Sautter.)

CIP-80. Here's another cabinet card from my collection. A group of fourteen curlers has posed for the photo. Note that the curler on the right is carrying a crampit. There's no indication on the card of where or when this was taken, or who is depicted in the photo. Often the photographer is named on such cards, but not in this case. However if you compare this photo with the image of the header on the Curling History Blog, it is the same group of curlers, although in a different lineup. Check it out! Assuming that the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland has the correct attribution for their image, then CIP-80 is another photo of curlers at St Fort house, Fife, in 1895! (6.5x4.25in)

CIP-81. We haven't had an event mascot yet, so here is Rory, from the World Championships at Braehead in 2000, with the two Scottish skips at the event, Bob Kelly and Rhona Howie. The question is, of course, who was inside the costume? Can the real Rory now be revealed? I'm also wondering what was the first big curling event to have a mascot? (4x6in print, photographer not stated.)

CIP-82. What a beautiful trophy! Mollie Kinnaird is presenting the National Open Curling Championship trophy to Bill Muirhead. Others in the picture are L-R: George Haggart, T Horne (Kirkcaldy rink manager), A Young, J Thom (Chairman of the Board at Kirkcaldy, and Derek Scott. Muirhead's rink had beaten the Harry Colville side 15-7 in the final. What year? (8x5.5in print, by David Ireland, Kirkcaldy)

ADDED LATER: Lynne Stevenson has provided the information that this was her grandfather's trophy! He won it outright for Heavy Horses and took the horse off the top and donated it to Kirkcaldy Ice Rink as the Kinnaird Trophy for the National Open Curling Championship. It got very damaged over the years and was returned to the family. Her cousin Bill in Australia has it now.

CIP-83. There are many large impressive curling trophies out there, but this is not one of them! Size isn't everything, of course. Still, we can add another alcohol sponsor to the list, ie Bertola Sherry. Baxter Wilson, third from left, receives the Bertola Sherry Knockout Curling Tournament trophy, played for by members of Atholl Province at Pitlochry in 1991. Dennis Marmion (national accounts manager for Peter Thomson Agencies) is presenting. Others in the photo are James Dykes (sales merchandiser for Peter Thomson Agencies), Rory MacDonald, Jane Fernie and Douglas Beedie. (8x6in print, by Richard Allan, Photographer, Stanley, Perth.) 

CIP-84. Here is the great Erwin Sautter from Switzerland, many of whose photos feature in the Curling Image Project. Erwin was one of the first international curling friends I made on the press bench at the 1980 Silver Broom. Indeed the photo is of the Brass Whisk, the bonspiel for members of the press corps who attended in large numbers the major international championships back in the day. Erwin is skipping against Christina Lestander. The venue is of course Greenacres. The year 2000. I wonder who won? (6x4in print, photographer not stated.)

Thanks to Lynne Stevenson for extra information of CIP-82. Photos are as credited where the photographer is known. Check the archive (on the right) for previous Curling Image Project posts.

The Curling Image Project (Week 11)

CIP-71. Hand knitted Cowichan sweaters were once a fashion statement on the curling rink. On the back of the photo it says 'Bennett Rink', but the individuals are not named. Does anyone know who they are and where they are from? The style of their brooms suggest that the photo dates from the 1950s. Certainly, Mary Maxim patterns for such jumpers were first published in 1954. Of course the real reason that I'm posting this photo online today is to give me an excuse to give the link to John K Samson's heartfelt tribute to the knitted curling jumper, which you will find here. Music Rocks Curling Tips 111 makes me smile every time! It was produced to promote a charity curling event back in 2013. More recently, this article in the Calgary Herald would suggest that knitted jumpers are making a comeback! In which case my own collection of knitting patterns for such sweaters, see here, may well take on a second life! (7x5in print, photographer not known.)

 

CIP-72. Kerry Burtnyk is directing play, with Graeme Adam behind, in the Famous Grouse Ayr International in 1983. The Burtnyk team were 6-5 ahead of Adam in the 3rd/4th playoff, but lost a four. Graeme's team was Ken Horton, Andrew McQuistin and Dick Adams. Burtnyk was skipping Rick Folk's team (Ron Mills, Tom Wilson, Jim Wilson) at the event. The Ayr competition, together with the Skol Edinburgh International were the main televised events, apart from Scottish Championships, in the early 1980s. (7x5in print, photographer unknown.)

CIP-73. This photo of Janie Love (Mrs Tom Love) featured in the February 1954 issue of the Scottish Curler. This image accompanied a second article in a series entitled 'Women on the Ice'. The article indicates that Mrs Love had begun curling in 1936, and by 1954 was 'in the top bracket of lady curlers in Scotland' with her name already on number of trophies. In 1954 she was the President of Perth Ladies CC with 33 regular members and 16 occasional. (6x3.5in print, Star Photos, Perth)

CIP-74. This photo is from the closing ceremony of the World Curling Championships in St John, New Brunswick, in 1999. Representatives of the local organising committee for the 2000 World Championships at Braehead have just received the World Championship banner into their safe keeping. Holding it at the back is Kirsty Letton and Ian Gillespie. Holding the front are Mark Callan and Judy Mackenzie. The photo was published in the October 1999 Scottish Curler. (7x5in colour print, photographer not stated.)

CIP-75. This is a 'cabinet card' from my collection. Cabinet cards are photographs mounted on stiff pieces of cardboard. The earliest cabinet cards date from the 1860s. Their popularity had waned by the turn of the century, as the photographic postcard became popular. This card probably dates from around 1900, and has the photographer's name (Macintosh, Kelso) stamped on the front. But where is this curling pond, with what looks like a curling house in the background? (6.5x4.25in)

ADDED LATER. Robert Walker has kindly supplied the information that the photo shows the Newton Don house curling pond (just north of Kelso), located the east side of Newton Don Bridge at the gates on the Kelso to Stichill road. The feed for the pond comes from the Stichill burn via sluice pit which controls the flow either into the pond or bypass to the River Eden. Repairs to the waterway stopped in 1963 when the plans to build Border Ice Rink started to become a reality. The hut was built by the Kelso Club to store the stones but the hut was vandalised and the stones thrown into the pond around 1963, some of which were found a number of years later when it was being cleaned out.

CIP-76. Delivering the stone is Hammy McMillan Snr, with William Findlay ready to sweep. The photo is of play in the Famous Grouse Inverness Invitational, but which year? It was Hammy who built the Stranraer curling rink attached to the North West Castle Hotel back in the early 1970s. His son and grandson, both also called Hammy, have made their marks in Scottish and International curling. (6x6.5in print by Blair Urquhart.)

CIP-77. The quality of this photo is not great, but it shows a beginners' class in the two sheet annex at Greenacres in the mid-1980s. These were the days when the first objective of learning to curl was to be able to slide without a stone! It could not have been easy for the beginners back then. Note how some of the students are playing from 'temporary' wooden hacks propped against the back edge of the rink. These were made by the Greenacres owner John Stevenson. This was a clever idea, as it cut down on students having to stand around in the cold waiting for their turn on the centre hack, and John did not have to drill extra holes in the ice for additional hacks. Anyone recognise anyone? (6x4in print, photographer unknown.)

Photos are as credited where the photographer is known. Check the archive (on the right) for previous Curling Image Project posts.

The Curling Image Project (Week 10)

CIP-64. Back to school again today. This is a George Heriot's school team, at the Lanarkshire Ice Rink, Hamilton, in 1972. The young curlers in the photo are L-R: Bob Martin, Ronnie Brock, Mark Smith (skip), James Cowan and Graham Tait. I could not make sense of this at all, until Lindsay Scotland worked it out for me, confirming his thoughts with Ronnie Brock. Bob was not a player on the team, but had been last year's skip, and was the 1972 'coach'! The other four finished runners-up to Brian Alderman's Hutchesons' Grammar side at Hamilton in 1972, then won the title the following year when the National Schools Finals were at Crossmyloof. I eventually discovered that the photo was published in the January 1972 Scottish Curler, where the Heriot's team were described as 'strong and attractive'! (8.5x6.5in print, photographer not known.)

CIP-65. I just love these old photos of the brooms in action. Especially when they feature the Richardson rink. Here are Wes Richardson and Sam Richardson hard at work in a Scotch Cup match in 1962, against Sweden, in the Haymarket rink, Edinburgh. Note the difference in grips. Sam has an 'overhand' grip, Wes is sweeping 'underhand'. (10x8in print, by W Taylor, The Scotsman newspaper.)

CIP-66. Another 'when we were young' pic! L-R: Martin Turner (skip, 18), David Ansell (18), Susan McLean (16), and Katie Wood (14). The photo was published in the March 1980 Scottish Curler, with the caption, "This young rink raised many eyebrows at Gogar Park Curling Club where they won a weekend competition for the Beard-Wick Trophy with a series of high-class performances." (8x6in print, photographer not stated.)

CIP-67. I'm not 100% sure where, nor when, this was taken. It must be at the Falkirk Rink as it's by a Falkirk photographer, in the 1950s. It could well be the final of the British Ladies Open Championship at Falkirk in 1954. If that is the case, it is Mrs Irene Cleland who is the skip directing play with a glove in her right hand. Note the duster on the ice at the front of the house, and another under the brush of the runners-up skip, Mrs Nan Briggs, at the back of the head. What exactly is the gentleman doing at the side of the house? (6x4.5in print by Thomas L Rennie, Falkirk.)

CIP-68. One of curling's great characters, Norway's Dordi Nordby had a competitive playing career that covered three decades, see here. She played in three Olympics, eighteen World Curling Championships, and twenty-three European Curling Championships. She skipped her team to the World Championship title in 1990 and 1991. The photo is not dated but would appear to be early in Dordi's career, 1980s I would guess. (4x5in colour print, by Erwin Sautter.)

CIP-69. Miss Great Britain in a promotional shot at the Aviemore Ice Rink in 1973. Gay Spink had won the title the previous week at Morecambe, and this seems to have been one of her first 'duties', visiting the Aviemore Centre for three days, during which she got close to the ice in the rink for this shot. I wonder if she got to throw a stone? (5.5x9.5in print, by Pavel Latny, Aviemore.)

 

CIP-70. The venue I think is the pond at the Peesweep (Lapwing Lodge), on Glennifer Braes, south of Paisley. This looks like the Carmunnock and Rutherglen CC, or the Reform CC, but when? (I wasn't there, so that suggests sometime in the 1990s.) That's certainly Bob Kelly with a very fetching woolly hat, giving the ice with a corn broom. Anyone else recognise themselves? (6x4in colour print, photographer not stated.)

ADDED LATER: I got this one completely wrong. The curling is taking place on Castle Semple Loch, Lochwinnoch, in the 1980s. The photographer was Brian Alderman. Michael Burton is partially obscured behind Bob Kelly, and Helen Burton is on the right.

Thanks to Lindsay Scotland and Ronnie Brock for help deciphering CIP-64. Photos are as credited where the photographer is known. Check the archive (on the right) for previous Curling Image Project posts.

The Curling Image Project (Week 9)

CIP-57. This photo brings back memories of schools' curling at Crossmyloof in the 1960s and 70s. Jane Henderson skipped this Craigholme school team at the National Schools Championship finals at Aviemore in the 1969-70 season. Back L-R: Anne Henderson (3rd), Jane Henderson (skip). Front L-R: Vivienne Adam (lead), Muriel Logan (2nd). Incidentally, Vivienne's brother Graeme Adam, with Brian Alderman, Alistair Govan and John Brown (Hutchesons' Grammar), won the 1970 Schools title at Aviemore, beating Lockerbie Academy in the final. (The photo was published in the September 1970 Scottish Curler. 4.5x6.5in print by Cameracraft, Elmar Fromberg, Glasgow.)

CIP-58. A rarity this! It's detail from a magic lantern slide which shows play with irons. Unfortunately no provenance came with the glass slide when I acquired it some years ago. Iron play was popular in Quebec Province up until the 1950s, but this image dates from well before this, perhaps even from the nineteenth century. (The slide measures 4x3in, and has a 'Canadian Pacific Railway' sticker on it. Presumably hand coloured.)

ADDED LATER: Alan Chalmers has suggested that this is within what is now the breakfast terrace at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. He notes that there are a few pictures within the hotel of curling taking place inside the building. The hotels website has this, "In the late 19th century, William Van Horne, General Manager of Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway, began building the hotel as the ideal stopover for CP travellers." That explains why the slide has a Canadian Pacific Railway sticker attached to it. I've now found the very photograph online here, although it looks as if I have reversed the image when scanning the slide.

CIP-59. There's a Swedish ladies' Tour team in Scotland this week (end October 2018). In celebration of this, we go back to 1988. This is the squad which represented Sweden at the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary, when curling was a demonstration sport. Eight countries took part. L-R: Elisabeth Högström (skip), Monika Jansson, Birgitta Sewik, Marie Henriksson, and Anette Norberg. They were beaten by Canada, (skipped by Linda Moore) in the final. Where did the GB women finish? (*answer below.) (6x4in print, photographer not stated.)

CIP-60. Scotland's team at the Goodrich World Junior Ladies Championship in Markham, Ontario, in 1989. L-R: Carolyn Hutchinson, Julie Hepburn, Katie Loudon, Julia Halliday. Bronze medallists! (7x5in print, photographer not named, but likely Michael Burns Jnr.)

CIP-61. Susan McLean, now a Royal Caledonian Curling Club Board Member and Scottish Senior Champion! This pic is from the Henderson Bishop finals in Aberdeen in 1986. Susan was playing with Jane Sanderson, Mhairi Stephen and Julie Hepburn. The team reached the final against Kirsty Letton's side, but lost 11-6. The competition was sponsored at that time by the Scotsman newspaper and by Martini and Rossi Ltd. (8.5x6.5in, photographer not known.)

CIP-62. In 1989, Canada's Pat Ryan is photographed with 'his new invention' (as written on the back of the photo), a curling shoe with a metal slider. Double world champion skip, in 1989 his team were dubbed the '(Pat) Ryan Express'. But I liked him because of his interest in country music and that he penned the Brier Song, see here! (7x5in print, by Frieder Rosler.)

CIP-63. L-R: Keith Douglas, Ken Horton (skip), Willie Jamieson and Stephen Cullen, who gets extra points for his colourful trousers! The team had won the Famous Grouse Inverness Invitation in November 1978, stealing the last end against the Jock Dennis rink in the final. Jock's team was Bill Nicol, Danny MacLennan and Sandy Mackintosh, according to the report in the November 1978 Scottish Curler. I think the corn brooms are just for colour! (8.5x6.5 print by Blair Urquhart.)

Thanks to Alan Chalmers for help with CIP-58. Photos are as credited where the photographer is known. Check the archive (on the right) for previous Curling Image Project posts. * Trick question. There was no GB women's team at Calgary.