Reports of events

Curling - November 2007

Three years ago, Margaret Hilton from the Foreign Commonwealth Office attended a Curling Taster Day in Tunbridge Wells, organised by CSSC London.  Despite never playing before, she enjoyed herself so much on the ice, that this year she entered the National CSSC Curling Championships in Kinross, Scotland.  Her account of events is below.

If you would like to give Curling a try, we would be happy to organise another Taster Day as it was so much fun last time around.  Please register your interest with Gemma Fabian on 0207 9767649 or gemma.fabian@cssc.co.uk.

Enough to make your toes curl!

Back in early 2002, five “Scottish housewives”, armed with a few lumps of granite and a handful of yard brushes, took on the world - and won! Their sport in those Winter Olympics was curling and I was fascinated.

My first real chance to "have a go" came in February 2005, when the CSSC magazine advertised a "taster session" organised by Ian Kerr (Scotland Region) at Fentons in Tunbridge Wells, Kent - the only purpose-built curling rink in England.

My second chance came at the beginning of November this year, when I travelled to Kinross in Scotland for a weekend event, again organised by Ian – and it was well worth the effort.

I arrived at the hotel on the Friday afternoon, unpacked my warm clothing and thick socks and set off to the practice session to see how much I could remember. The draw took place for the teams for the next day, then it was onto the ice! Take it from me, it takes a great deal of courage to step onto ice and believe that you won’t fall over!

The beginners were put with experienced players and shown how to handle the stones - not easy with a piece of granite weighing over 40lbs! Brushing is another matter – you side-step across the ice, trying to keep slightly ahead of a stone that is intent on overtaking you and you’re expected to help it move even faster by smoothing the ice in front of it! And the team you are playing against are quite happy to let it glide right across the “house”, or target area, because that means you don’t score!

Later that evening, a hot buffet dinner was followed by a quiz and a few tots of a certain Scottish libation and we quickly got to know our friends and foes for the following day.

Saturday morning and everyone gathered to don woolly sweaters, gilets, hats and gloves and to change into clean-soled footwear – no outdoor shoes allowed on the rink. Beginners and yours truly stepped gingerly onto the ice, our confidence from the practice session temporarily lacking. The team leaders or “Skips” explained what positions we would play and how to interpret the semaphore-like signals they would give so that we knew where to aim the stones.

Twelve teams played each other throughout the day. Layers of clothing were discarded as we brushed furiously, then put back on as we cooled down, waiting for our turn to throw the stones. There were groans and cheers, curses and laughter, frustration and satisfaction, as each person in each team vied to get the most stones in the “house”.

The evening was as much fun as the day. After an excellent 3-course dinner, prizes were presented, dances were danced, drinks were drunk (including more of the aforesaid libation!) and songs were sung, until well into the night. A fitting end to a wonderful sporting day.

Sunday morning drew the main curling experience to a close but I had opted to make it a long weekend. The weekend’s programme mentioned a match between the CSSC and the UK Police Services curling squads – a chance to watch experienced curlers in action! I sat with supporters of both teams, who were happy to answer my questions and help me learn more about the strategies of the game. By the end of the afternoon’s play, I was likening curling to “war games on ice”! I left Kinross on the Monday morning, sad that the weekend had passed so quickly but happy to know that this weekend is an annual event.

Curling is a sport that can be enjoyed by anyone – the young and the not-so-young, the able-bodied and the not-so-able. Ian is hoping to organise further curling events at Tunbridge Wells. So, next time you see a "taster session" advertised at Fentons, come along and join in the fun - I certainly will. See you there!