Day 18 - Ayr - Day 2

The Tourists stayed overnight at the Western House Hotel and headed back to the Ayr Curling Club at 9:15 am for one more game in the morning. 

They were once again greeted with a bagpiper and a guard of honor.

The morning results:

Team Rich (USA/Red) vs. Team x (Scotland/Yellow)

Scotland - 8  USA - 6

Team Wright (USA/Red) vs. Team x (Scotland/Yellow)

Scotland - 7  USA - 5

Team Beadle (USA/Red) vs. Team x (Scotland/Yellow)

USA - 7  Scotland - 5

Team Jackson (USA/Red) vs. Team x (Scotland/Yellow)

Scotland - 7  USA - 6

The Tourists dropped 3 points this morning to cut their lead to 89 shots. 

The Tourists were served a tasty lunch of lentil soup and Scones and Cheese. 

The Tourists then traveled to Kay’s of Scotland in East Ayrshire.  Kay’s has exclusive rights to Ailsa Craig granite to make curling stones.  The process to make curling stones hasn’t  changed much over the years.  There are just six guys in the shop and they try to complete 8 stones per day.  The machines that they use are circa 1950.  They have tried to use newer machines but the electronics in newer machines short out because of the water involved in working with granite.  The building that they are in dates back to 1741 and their shop goes back to 1911.

Ailsa Craig common green granite is brought in and then cut lengthwise into slabs about the height of curling stones.  The stones are then bore from these slabs. The slurry that is generated in the production of the rocks (water and granite mixture) has over 120 minerals in it and is sold for agricultural purposes.

The stones are then rounded and cut to make room for the blue hone inserts. The inserts are created from blue hone granite and then inserted and glued into the common green stones. 

The stones are then polished and the striking bands are sandblasted. Finally, the running surfaces are then created manually by sanding.

The trip to Kay’s was certainly the trip of a lifetime. Tourist Jeff Wright was especially happy to see Exmoor listed on their board for their rocks that are scheduled for delivery in September.  The rocks we saw them making were bound for Korea.  

The Tourists returned to the Western House Hotel to dress in their formal F-1s for the Burns Supper tonight. 

The Tourists then went to the Ayr Curling Club for their Burns Supper.  

The Burns Supper started with drinks and songs from the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra.

Selkirk Grace was recited by Alison Young.

Piping of the Haggis

The Haggis was piped out from the kitchen for presentation to the attendees  

The piping of the Haggis was followed by a recitation of the Robert Burns poem “To a Haggis” by Neil Sands, complete with stabbing of the Haggis 

Dinner

Dinner consisted of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, followed by Steak Pie and Cranachan.

The Toast to the King was made by Bobby Ireland of Crosshill Curling Club  

Immortal Memory by Jamie Mason which provided details around the life of Robert Burns including his influence in the USA.

Fiddle Orchestra serenaded the attendees with a couple of songs. 

An extremely humorous Toast Tae the Lassies was made by Archie Gilbert of the Douglas Curling Club  

Reply Fae the Lassies was provided by Liz Goldie of the Dumdonald Curling Club who is the grandmother of the piper we had today.  She recited a poem called “Us Lassies Need a Man”, however it was not a Burns poem.

The Scots then sang a number of Scottish songs including “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”, “Lively Stornaway”, “The Wild Rover” and “Flower of Scotland”. 

Tam O’Shanter was recited by Simon Lamb.  This was a slightly modified version of Tam O’Shanter that incorporated the USA Curlers.  It was met with a standing ovation from the attendees and was a truly memorable experience for the Tourists.

Toast to the Ayr Curling Club by Tommy Wilson

Reply Tae the Club by Mara Lindsay

Toast Tae the Herries Maxwell Tourists by Ken Ireland

Reply Fae the Herries Maxwell Tourists by Leland Rich  Leland provided a brief thanks and the Tourists provided their “entertainment”.  In an unexpected development, the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra provided accompaniment on the Tourists songs.

All attendees then sang “The Star O’Rabbie Burns”

A Vote of Thanks was given.

The evening concluded with all attendees singing the most famous Scottish song of all “Auld Lang Syne.”

The bus driver was past his hours, so the Tourists got rides back to the hotel by some of the members of the Ayr Curling Club. 

The Tourists have an early 7:15 am departure for Stranraer for 2 games tomorrow.