Wednesday 15th November saw this season's annual competition between Ayrshire and Renfrewshire Provinces for the Harry Hart Trophy take place at Greenacres Curling Rink.
So who was Harry Hart whose name the trophy bears ?
In the past, no visit to Largs would have been complete without a sail on the bay in a hire boat. Most boats were hired from stands at the prom pebble beach and boarded from wooden piers on wheels pushed out into the sea. The stands were hired from the Burgh Council (remember them ?) and the boat hirers had to have licences which were issued at the start of each summer season.
There were regulations attached to the licences including no touting and each boat hirer was responsible for the cleanliness of his part of the beach !
Boat hiring in Largs was a family business and the main families were Paterson, Halliday, Anderson, Dick and the said Harry Hart. Today there are no hire boats at Largs prom but Harry Hart's name lives on in our annual competition.
This year the Ayrshire Province rinks were skipped by Province President Billy Howat, Jim Boswell and Gemmill Jack. All three Ayrshire rinks recorded victories over rinks from the Reform, Between the Sheets and Gourock clubs with Gemmill's rink of Kirsty Letton, Andrew Kerr and Charles Sutherland being presented with the trophy by Renfrewshire President Andy Robinson after the usual post match hospitality as the highest up rink.
So there you are, some local history to go with an Ayrshire Province victory.
Thanks to Andrew Kerr for an interesting and well researched article.
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