LIR – Lanarkshire Ice Rink

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To visit just CLICK on the above image

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And to visit LIR’s Facebook Page CLICK on the above 

New Email address (as October 2022) – info@lanarkshireice.co.uk

BACKGROUND

With a result of a warming of the planet even towards the end of the 1800’s the certainty of curling in outside ice was becoming a lottery and early in the 1900’s most curling clubs in Scotland moved indoors to the burgeoning ice rinks with their new refrigeration plants and the guarantee of  ice.

Unlike a lot of  clubs in colder climates such as Canada and the northern States of America where individual clubs still maintain the practice of providing their ‘own’ ice through single, double, four sheet indoor rinks, most curling clubs in Scotland curl ‘out’ of a regional rinks. (checkout the RCCC – tab for a listing)

In Lanarks’ case we curl out of Lanarkshire Ice Rink based in Hamilton about 20Kms south east of Glasgow city centre. Checkout how to get to the ice rink here MAP .

If you would like to checkout ‘WHAT’s-A-HAPPENING‘ at the LIR click on the calendar below or indeed head off to the LIR Site itself.

 

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HISTORY

Extracted from the LIR Website:

“In 1965, keen curler and well respected pharmacist, Tom Dickson returned from a Rotary tour of Canada inspired to develop a local ice rink. He and a number of like-minded curling enthusiasts raised the capital to aquire land and build the ice rink which openned in 1967. Squash courts were added in 1975 and continuous updating over the years has ensured top quality remains the hallmark of all facilities on offer.”

And 50 years on 1967 – 2017HERE

 

And so 40 years on:

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 2007 (1967) Lanarkshire Ice Rink’s 40th Birthday Cake

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 Donald MacRae of LANARK CC pipes in visitors to LIR’s 40th celebrations

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Lorna Gray of LANARK LADIES CC throws (slides) the opening stone

Extracted Off Lanark Rocks Issue 08#1:

On Saturday 15th September a celebration day was held to commemorate the 40th Anniversary
of the Ice Rink.
Donald Macrae was the piper for the day but the big surprise was that Donald even curled in his
kilt……..now what a sight that was!
The main opening celebration saw Lorna Gray deliver the first stone of the day. Lorna’s father (R
B Dick, Jnr) was the first President of the Ice Rink Club from 1967-68 so it was with great pleasure
that Lorna accepted the invitation to deliver the first stone. By Lorna’s side she had two current
Senior World Champions (Archie Craig and Lockhart Steel) as sweepers. With keen ice and
a perfect delivery the sweepers gently guided Lorna’s stone onto the pot lid. Shouts of cheers
were heard: glasses were raised and everyone was now ready for a day of celebration ie curling,
drinking, eating and socialising. It was a great pleasure to see one of the founding Directors come
onto the ice to ‘cut the cake’. It must be of enormous satisfaction to the founding Directors to
witness the success of Lanarkshire Ice Rink from those early days

ON-THE-ICE – The LIR Newsletter

Following on from the success of ‘LANARK ROCKS‘, and before the creation of the LIR’s website it was felt by the two operational committees (ICE RINK/SPORTS CLUB) that a similar newsletter could be produced and made available around the Rink and also by email.

So in 2009 & 2010 a trial was carried out with the production of some 4 Issues.

A couple of the Issues are presented here – Jan 2009 Dec 2010