Buchan duly won their last game over Linlithgow to take the winners acclaim, with Bathgate and Livingston finishing second and third respectively.

Another good competition.

Date Day Time   Club Shts Club Shts   Points 26.09.07 24.10.07 21.11.07 5.12.07 16.1.08 19.3.08 12.3.08 Total                                     26.09.07 Wed 8.15   Livingston 9 Oatridge 7   Abercorn 2 2 2 X 0 0 2 8         Buchan 4 Uphall 12   Bathgate X 2 2 0 0 2 0 6         Abercorn 11 Linlithgow 4   Linlithgow 0 0 0 2 X 0 0 2                   Buchan 0 X 0 0 2 2 2 6                   Livingston 2 2 2 2 2 X 2 12 24.10.07 Wed 8.15   Abercorn 7 Uphall 5   Oatridge 0 0 X 0 0 0 0 0         Livingston 18 Linlithgow 1   Uphall 2 0 0 2 2 2 X 8         Oatridge 2 Bathgate 11                                         6 6 6 6 6 6 6 42                                     21.11.07 Wed 8.15   Bathgate 12 Linlithgow 6   Ends won               Total         Abercorn P Buchan P                             Uphall 2 Livingston 7   Abercorn 4 4 5 X 2 4 8 27                   Bathgate X 5 4 2 3 3 3 20                   Linlithgow 3 1 3 5 X 3 2 17 5.12.07 Wed 8.15   Buchan P Livingston P   Buchan 3 X 0 3 4 5 4 19         Bathgate 2 Uphall 13   Livingston 5 7 5 4 5 X 5 31         Linlithgow 8 Oatridge 2   Oatridge 3 2 X 2 4 0 0 11                   Uphall 4 3 2 6 3 4 X 22                                     16.1.08 Wed 8.15   Oatridge 7 Uphall 8     22 22 19 22 21 19 22 147         Abercorn 2 Livingston 8                             Bathgate 5 Buchan 10   Shots Up               Total                                                       Abercorn 7 2 6 X -6 -1 13 21 19.03.08 Wed 9.55   Bathgate 6 Abercorn 5   Bathgate X 9 6 -11 -5 1 -6 -6         Oatridge P Buchan P   Linlithgow -7 -17 -6 6 X -1 -6 -31         Uphall 5 Linlithgow 4   Buchan -8 X -6 -2 5 6 6 1                   Livingston 2 17 5 2 6 X 6 38                   Oatridge -2 -9 X -6 -1 -6 -13 -37 12.3.08 Wed 7.50   Linlithgow 3 Buchan 9   Uphall 8 -2 -5 11 1 1 X 14         Bathgate 6 Livingston 12                             Abercorn 13 Oatridge 0                                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Both Oatridge and Manse had won their first 2 games and in a close encounter with Livingston Manse won the last end to reach 6 points and +18 shots. Oatridge also won their last game but finished with an overall +13 shots. Uphall came third with 4 points and +3 shots.

Manse fully deserved their victory and it was hard lines to Oatridge who for the second year in succession won all 3 games in the competition but lost out on shots up.

Although the West Lothian Bonspiel at Stirling was a success in January this year (2006), it was disappointing that the timing was the day after the Area 6 Bonspiel and there was no catering available on the Friday to enhance the social aspects of curling. It was also the away weekend to Pitlochry for Bathgate CC and the Province was appreciative of the lengths the club went to in order to produce three rinks rather than withdraw from the competition.

On booking ice for season 2006-7, special mention was made of the various difficulties and a request was made for ice to be allocated on a more convenient date. Unfortunately, only part of the the letter was read with the date allocated for the West Lothian Bonspiel on the same date, but the date of the Area 6 Bonspiel had been moved and catering was to be made available for the Friday.

Bathgate Club were in early contact with the Secretary of the Province as their weekend at Pitlochry is again on the same date, but contact with the Ice Rink confirmed that all the prime time ice had been allocated and accepted. Brief contact was made with the Province clubs at the first Nimmo game and, as Bathgate confirmed it was very unlikely the club could produce three teams on that date, representation was made to the ice rink to identify ice availability perhaps with a different format for the Bonspiel.

After a long discussion, with the aim of playing the Bonspiel on the one day to encourage the social aspects of the game, Stirling Ice Rink have confirmed the Bonspiel will be changed to the previous week the of Friday, 5th January with the same sessions and draw for the competition.

Whilst I appreciate it is still early in the New Year for some of us, it is the only option available and I am grateful to John Bateman at the Ice Rink for resolving the situation. (Some of the ice was allocated to other clubs so this is a big accommodation by the ice rink)

I should be obliged if you acknowledge receipt of this E-mail with any comments.

Regards Ritchie

Abercorn will represent the province at the Scottish Province championships in Greenacres in November 2006.

it was an enjoyable day - an achievement to get 24 full teams out to Stirling on a Friday, and good competition all round.

Congratulations to Livingston - worthy winners.

Livingston, Oatridge and Manse will represent the province at the Area 6 Knockout competition in 2006/7.

West Lothian were represented by Abercorn, Bathgate, Manse, Livingston, Linlithgow, and Oatridge.

This means than last year's winners - West Lothian - have gone from Heroes to Zeroes in a year.

In a tense final round Uphall were edged out by Oatridge in the last shot, and Buchan held on against Manse to peel the game.

Bathgate and Abercorn both lost their games narrowly, and the final positions of the top three were Buchan, Uphall and Bathgate. These three teams will represent the province in the Area 6 Knockout next year.

Buchan, who won the trophy for the first ever time, will represent the Province at the inter Province finals next November