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.