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Paddy's Milestone (clip)

How curling stones are made from the Ailsa Craig in Ayrshire

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Description

A film detailing the making of curling stones from the stone extraction from the Ailsa Craig or "Paddy's Milestone" to the shaping, polishing and finishing in the factory at Mauchline, Ayrshire.

Questions & Activities

Questions

  • What are the men making in the clip?
  • How old do you think the boy in the finishing room is?
  • Which countries play the sport of curling?
  • How and where are modern curling stones manufactured today?
  • What do you think happened to the man's back in the clip?

Activities

Health and Wellbeing: The narrator says that "pumice, strong tummy muscles and water" are used to polish and finish the stone. What would be the health and safety implications of this method today?

Science: What is pumice and what is it used for?

Drama / English: Script a conversation between two of the workers in the factory. What would be their concerns and what would they be talking about?

Geography: The Ailsa Craig where the curling stones are cut is a volcanic plug. Research volcanoes and how they created.

PSE: Research the game of Curling and its position at the Winter Olympics.

Clip Details

Record Id 007-000-000-157-C
Resource Rights Holder National Library of Scotland
Project Ref 0916
Date 1947
Genre Documentary, Industrial
School Subject Science, Technologies, Health and Wellbeing, Physical Education, Geography, Drama, English
Who Andrew Kay and Company, Mauchline (sponsor), Elder Dalrymple Productions (production company), J Blake Dalrymple (director)
Where Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire, Mauchline, Ayrshire
Attributes Black and White, Sound
Clip Length 2:13
Film Length 31:24
References www.kaysofscotland.co.uk