A good many years ago our former club secretary, David Morrison, aka Deemo, was contacted by a Slim Wilson of Waltham Curling Club, Triumph, Illinois. Slim had acquired a kettle curling trophy on the internet and as it was embossed with the name Holyrood Curling Club, he was trying to track down its origins. The trophy was clearly a version of the one we still use today, awarded each year to the handicap winner of our annual points competition.
David stayed in touch with Slim and after repeated invitations, we finally raised a team to visit them in the plains of the mid-West in 2012 to play in one of their annual bonspiels. An experience never forgotten.
The relationship has endured over the years, largely thanks to David, and so various members of Waltham CC and associated curlers have visited Scotland on curling tours, playing at various venues against clubs they have established contact with over the years.
After a tour in 2015, the last time we met was March 2020, just days before the COVID epidemic, when two teams from each club wer on the ice.
This time we met just one team and enjoyed an interesting afternoon’s curling with the visitors eventually pulling out a strong lead with some fine curling, particularly from their skip Ryan.
We enjoyed a drink and a meal afterwards in the ECC bar, joined by Jim and Gill who had been accompanied in spectating from the gallery by Rob.
The players photographed are from left to right:
David Morrison (Holyrood)
Dougie Auld (Holyrood)
John Waterlow (Holyrood)
Ken Herd (Holyrood)
Ryan Spielman (US)
Laureen Spielman (US)
James Zee (US)
Stephen Cleland (US)
Not photographed but a key fifth but non-playing member of the American team is Rachel Puckett.
Holyrood Curling Club 