"AND we danced, on the brink of an unknown future, to an echo from a vanished past.”

So wrote John Wyndham in The Day of the Triffids (I think around about the end of chapter three, but my copy of the book is lost in the mists of time, so I cannot check. Answers on a postcard, please!) The book was written in 1951, a post-apocalyptic novel by the English science fiction author. According to the narrative, most people in the world are blinded by an apparent meteor shower, and an aggressive species of plant starts killing people.

I know, this sounds far-fetched. Much more believable that a rogue virus would be killing folk. Much more believable and easier on horticulture. Alan Titchmarsh, you can stand down.

This is a rather long-winded way to celebrate Scotland’s involvement in curling.

I remember with vivid clarity Rhona Martin’s team winning Olympic gold at Salt Lake City 20 years ago tomorrow. Before skip Martin and her teammates took to the ice at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, curling was a quirky minority sport to the vast majority of Scots and virtually unknown to the rest of the UK.

By the time Martin kept her cool to play her last stone, six million British television viewers sat glued to their screens past midnight. We were among them.

It was amazing.

The events of February 21, 2002, are being remembered in a celebratory BBC Scotland film which marks the 20th anniversary of that sporting battle against the odds.

Team GB’s victory changed the image of women in sport and made sporting history – and it all came down to the last stone.

But let’s celebrate the men.

Great Britain’s men’s curlers won Olympic silver this weekend, an achievement of outstanding proportions.

Congratulations to Sweden, who won 5-4 in a nerve-shredding final to claim gold.

Bruce Mouat’s team of Scots took a compelling match to an extra end, but Britain’s 98-year wait for a men’s curling gold medal continues.

“It’s still pretty raw,” Mouat told BBC Sport. “That’s going to be the case for quite a while.

“I’m trying to think how great our week was and [feel] proud how we went about it.

“We topped the table and had a really good semi-final performance so I’m trying to think about the other things apart from that game.

“I do feel proud of myself and my guys. I’m sure down the line I will feel proud of this medal but right now I’m just trying to soak it in.”

So whatever happens, win or lose, Scotland – sorry, Team GB – has done us proud.

However, I don’t think the fans can complain.

As I write, we eagerly anticipate Team GB’s first chance of a gold medal of the Games as the women’s side face Japan in the final in the wee hours of today.

Perhaps we are dancing to a tune of the future.