Hi gnu!.... I used to play a lot of Curling, it's a National Winter game in Scotland, but over the last few decades the climate has become too mild, we don't get enough frost to freeze the lochs and ponds anymore.

Curling in Scotland was played at night on small lochs or pools, the ice would be illuminated by Tilley oil lamps and braziers (sp?) provided the heat. Central heating of course came out of a whisky bottle!
Upwards of a hundred folks would come out to play curling in our area, and it was a wonderful experience, with the noise of the stones on the rough ice, the cracking of the ice itself as it contracted and the cries of the sweepers and skips.

Curling was known in Scotland as "the roarin' game" due to the noise the delivered stones made as they travelled up the ice...Ake