Ponds & Ice

The First Pond

The 1869 report in the Border Advertiser (see Ye Olde Sports Reports Tab) refers to Mr Bayne’s field at the east end of Earlston which is now on Georgefield Farm and the Border Advertiser of 15 December 1871 reports “the first game of the season” on Grizzlefield pond” which is located between Huntshaw and Grizzlefield.  The Minutes of the Club do not record when curling moved to the Black Hill pond (on the lane running east from Cowdenknowes Mains) but in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, a Clubhouse was erected.  The bulk of the cost of the construction was raised from a Prize Draw which raised £73.19.9d. There was some haggling over the estimates and work was “curtailed to the amount of funds on hand to proceed with the building”. The clubhouse was insured for £100 against destruction by fire.

The Artificial Pond

In July 1907 the Club built an artificial three rink pond “to cost £100 or thereabout, with a house for the storage of stones, etc in addition”. The land was granted by Lord Binning and was on the site vacated by the Bowling Club when they relocated to Station Road in 1906. Gas was piped from the Gas Works at the East green and this allowed evening curling for the first time at a charge of 3d (1p) per night for each player.

The pond measured 142 feet in length and 60 feet in breadth and required only “a quarter of an inch of water to afford the means of enjoying the roaring game” whereas the pond at Georgefield needed “a considerable degree of cold to render it fit for curling”.

The Georgefield Pond

A second Artificial Pond was built in the 1930s by R H Grant. The pond was located beside the Turfford Burn at the lane leading from Grizzlefield Loanend to Georgefield and was used regularly when frosts permitted. The floods of 1947 swept away the pipes which supplied the water from the Burn and the pond was not curled on again despite the valiant efforts of the ice master Matthew Wood, a retired policeman.

Indoor Curling

Haymarket Ice Rink, Edinburgh opened in 1912 and the following year Earlston curlers started indoor curling for the first time. Many of the Border competitions were played at Haymarket with Earlston joining other rinks in the Border Bonspiel.

In 1964 the Border Ice Rink opened and this has been the venue for the club to the present day.