An Interview of Leslie Ingram-Brown

1. When did you start curling and what are your best achievements as a player?

I started curling when I was fourteen at Hutchesons' Grammar School in 1961. I do not like to think of things in curling as achievements but have reached the finals of the Scottish Championships and have a number of trophies (I will not say how many) won over the years. I always wanted to go on a RCCC tour to Canada and made it eventually in 1993. It is always good to win but the real point is how to lose gracefully. Always remember the ‘Spirit of Curling' as defined at the back of the Rules of Play and Competition booklet.

2. When and why did you start Umpiring?

In many respects I started umpiring at my local ice rink in Glasgow, Crossmyloof, when I looked after the competitions there and was on the Scottish Ice Rink Committee. I suppose I would be around 21 at the time. From there I progressed by chance to the finals of the Scottish Championships at Perth where Roy Sinclair asked if I knew how to measure a stone! I proved the point and from being a spectator became the official measurer of stones! This gave me the bug which I have never lost over 30 years later. Why did I start - I cannot really answer the question. I suppose it really started when I was asked to intermediate between two skips at a local competition and it has never stopped since.

3. What do you think of those newly introduced automatic hogline devices?

The Eye on the Hog Device is one of the best pieces of news to hit curling for years. No longer can the players accuse the hog line official of being ‘blind'. You cannot argue with the Eye on the Hog and it is totally consistent for all players. I have a great deal of sympathy and admiration for anyone who sits on the hog line and watches stone after stone being released. I did it for over 20 years. Players should remember the rule requires the stone to be ‘clearly released' and if this was remembered life for the hog line official would be a great deal less onerous. And if coaches would teach their players to release within the rules hog line officials would be redundant.

4. Who makes all the yearly changes to the Rules of Play and Competition?

The Convenor of the Rules Committee for the WCF is in charge of our Rules of the Game.

5. What is the most memorable moment so far in your umpiring career?

Being invited to umpire the Olympic games at Nagano, Japan in 1998.

6. Do you have a nick name in the curling world and how did you get it?

Stonemad. I got it at the Summit Centre in Glasgow prior to the World Junior Championships being hosted in Glasgow in 1991. I got the name by chance in a discussion one night when a friend came out with the name because I am involved in the sport and collect everything to do with the sport when I can, and when I can afford it!

7. Where do you live and what do you do for living?

I live in the south side of Glasgow and am a Company Director in the family business which specialises in navigation books famous for Brown's Nautical Almanac. The first publication being The Nautical magazine in March 1832 by the first editor Rear Admiral Becher. The Brown's entered the business c. 1850 and have been involved ever since. I am currently the Joint Managing Director with my Brother. I am the sixth editor of The Nautical Magazine whilst my Brother, Nigel, is the Editor of Brown's Nautical Almanac. Our Mother is the other Director.

8. Tell us something about your family and if you have any pets?

Father died in 1980. Mother is 84. Brother is 14 months older than me. He is married with one son and one daughter. I am a number in the divorce courts - no children. No pets - how would I have time to look after them.

9. What are your other hobbies?

 Other hobbies - looking after the garden and golf (handicap not being declared). Played cricket for 42 years but now retired. I like DIY and stamp collecting aided by a world wide family business clientele.

10. What would you like to say to people who consider becoming umpires?

Umpiring is fun. You meet a lot of good people and make many friends. It requires a certain amount of dedication but the rewards are there. At international level it gives the opportunity to travel to other countries. Umpires should not be seen and always work in the background. If you want to be famous umpiring is not for you. I would always encourage any curler wanting to be an umpire to have a go but make sure to attend a proper umpires' course and then decide whether you want to go on. You will need a lot of help to begin with but help is always there if you ask. Umpires are for the curlers and work with the curlers to make sure any event runs smoothly; decisions are always made fairly, without bias and within the rules.