Michael Sutherland and his team of John Brown (throwing last rocks), John MacDougall and Robin Gemmell earned the right to represent England at the World Senior Champonships in Edmonton, Canada in March when they defeated Peter Bowyer’s team of Chris Robinson, Phil Barton and Ernest Fenton by 3 games to 0 [14-3, 6-3, 9-4] at Greenacres Curling Club in November. This will be the team’s third World Seniors appearance and they will try to better their previous rankings of 4th and 6th.

The England team for the Women’s Championship selected itself, being the only entry, and will be Glynnice Lauder (skip), Venetia Scott, Joan Reed and Moira Davison.

England’s representatives at the RCCC Province competition at Greenacres were unlucky not to qualify for the knock out stages when they were eliminated by 1 end. The Preston rink of Phil Atherton, Phil Barton, David Kerr and Chris Kerr won 2 games, peeled 1 and lost only 1, but their tally of 17 ends was one less than the team which qualified from second place from their section.

Scores:Beat Upper Strathearn 10-7 and East of Fife 12-6, tied 5-5 with Perth and District and lost 5-7 to Cupar and District.

The Preston Curling Club’s magnificent I’Anson Trophy which was first awarded in 1897, was played at Stranraer in November, An entry of 12 teams had been received, but a last minute withdrawal led to some curlers doubling up in different teams but no-one was disadvantaged.

Phil Atherton debuted his new line-up of Harvey Curle, Chris Smith and Richard Murray (all from the Glendale club) and he duly won the trophy for the 8th time, 24 years after his first win when he was but a lad playing for the late Ron Thornton.

The Preston club secretary, Phil Barton, lives in Fife and is a member of Inverkeithing club and he has persuaded some of his fellow members to come to Stranraer for the weekend in the last few years. This year for the first time a Fife team, skipped by Bill Rennie, won one of the trophies, the Meggat Rosebowl for finishing second, while Phil Barton himself was third and won the Liverpool Centenary Trophy. Finally local Ron Miller won the 4th place Stroyan Cup.

The second anniversary Bonspiel at Fenton’s Rink in Kent was sponsored by Glenfarclas and the teams played for the Glenfarclas Still Trophy last contested at the northernmost curling rink in Britain at Brora. The long trip to the southernmost curling rink in Britain attracted teams from Iceland and Spain as well as 10 local teams.

Play began early on Friday morning with 2 sections of 6 teams playing 3 games under the Schenkel system and then, after those games, the teams were re-racked into a low road and high road of 6 teams each for two further games.

Once all the maths had been done the winners were Alan MacDougall, Gordon Lyon, Ernest Fenton and Jules Fowler, repeating their triumph in last year’s unsponsored competition. Runners up were John Sharp, Lana Watson, Susan Young and Asako MacDougall. Low road winners were Michael Opel, Stephen Wilson, James Hustler and Ian MacDonald.