THE BRIER: Visiting fans applaud London's performance

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As the Brier wraps up its 10-day run in London,  we asked out-of-town visitors watching the action to rate how the city did holding the men’s national curling championship. The reviews were a clean sweep for London, Jennifer Bieman reports:

JUDI AND JIM MACHNAUER

The Brier brought visiting Cleveland, Ohio, couple Judi and Jim Machnauer to London for their third trip to the city.

“Everybody said, ‘What are you going to Canada in March for?’ And I said, ‘I’m going to watch curling,’” Jim Machnauer said.

“We came specifically to spend the week here . . .  Everybody has been so nice,” Judi Machnauer said.

“We’re having a wonderful time.”

The pair are members of a curling club back home and say they hope the sport will continue to gain popularity outside of Canada.

“It’s finally starting to catch on in the States, outside of Minnesota and Wisconsin,” said Jim Machnauer, referencing two northern states.

JIM WATSON

Watson, who originally hails from New Brunswick, has lived in St. Thomas for a decade but missed the last Brier London held by a year.

He said he’s impressed by the way London stepped up to put on a world-class event.

“It’s been really good for the city. They’re doing awesome,” said Watson, who was rooting for Team Canada and Brad Gushue in the 18-team tournament.

CAROLYN HENLY AND BOB ARMSTRONG

Henly came all the way from her home in Virginia, a state more accustomed to college basketball hoopla than curling at this of time of year, to catch the Brier.

Armstrong splits his time between Innisfil, Ont., and Perth, Australia, but didn’t want to miss the men’s national curling championship action in London.

Strangers until this week, the two curling fans were assigned to the same seating row at Budweiser Gardens where the tournament was held.

Armstrong said he struck up conversation with other fans in the stands, directly behind the curlers, including some from Ohio.

Henly said curling isn’t given the media coverage in the United States. that it enjoys in Canada and was impressed with the championship atmosphere in London.

“It’s a nice city and nice venue,” Henly said, adding London also has some great restaurants.

She was also impressed by the size and quality of Budweiser Gardens.

“I’m shocked the hockey team that plays here is a junior team,” she said.

ROD BARR

Barr, who lives in Lion’s Head, on the Bruce Peninsula, travelled to London for several days to catch the Brier playoff action.

“I’m really impressed with the way the city has handled it,” he said of the tournament.

MARGO AND PHIL THOMPSON

The Grimsby couple had planned to be in London last Friday for the tournament’s playoffs at Budweiser Gardens, but the late-week snowstorm scrambled their plans.

Instead, they gave their Friday passes and travelled to London for the next round of the playoffs a day later.

Margo Thompson said she believes London – unlike larger Canadian cities – is the perfect size for staging the annual curling championship.

“It’s just a fabulous host city,” she said.

Avid curling fans, the Thompsons volunteered to help with the Brier when it was held in Kingston in 2020.

jbieman@postmedia.com