which rink?

[debrag]

Ally Pally
Adult lessons Wed night – 30min lesson, 15min practice. £50, public sessions £7
Travel – tube or 2 buses (1 way).

Sobell
Junior & adult (not sure if lessons are split) Mon, Tues night & Sat, Sun mornings – 30min lesson, 30 min practice, free entry to Mon night public session. £41-44, public sessions £1.80-3.80
Travel –1 bus there, 2 buses back or tube.

Streatham
Adult lessons Tues & Thurs night – 30mins, free admission into public session. £55, public session £6
Travel – bus there, 2 buses back.

[Mrs Redboots]

Streatham, definitely!

Actually, Ally Pally is very nice, but can be very cold and the ice goes up and down a bit so you just stand still and next thing you know you're at the side. Don't know Sobell, but believe it's very small. Produces some good skaters, though - as does Queens, which is also small, but their dancers always have terrific edges.

But Streatham is very nice, almost full-size (it's Olympic length, but not Olympic width). And we are all hoping they will start building the replacement rink this June - don't worry, the old rink is to stay open until the new one is ready, it was one of the conditions.

[debrag]

what are the public sessions like at Streatham? are they busy etc

Prob do public at Sobell much cheaper and easier to get to.

[karliey]

Due to Dancing on Ice, publics at weekends pretty much everywhere are impossible I think. I went last Saturday to streatham and it was impossible to practice - too crowded - but still less crowded than Guildford.

I think the weekday publics are still ok, and even if you're not having a lesson they usually leave ice coned off for public use.

I'm surprised it's Olympic length, the width must make so much difference in my head. I'm glad to hear about the new rink though, hopefully it will have a better surface.

[debrag]

I wouldn't do weekend publics only the one after my lesson if I went there as it's a way out for me (I live in Mile End).

[Helen88]

Ally Pally is quite difficult...it's the nearest rink to me though (about two miles away), so it's the only one I really go to. Avoid weekend public sessions at all costs though...although the Sunday morning one isn't too bad. It does have 'hills' though (maybe because it's built on one...? :P), so you do have a tendency to slide.

[Mrs Redboots]

what are the public sessions like at Streatham? are they busy etc

Prob do public at Sobell much cheaper and easier to get to.

They do vary - when the winter rinks were open, they were very quiet, so I'm told. I expect they're heaving now, with Dancing on Ice having started again. But they cone off space for the classes. I haven't skated on a public session for years.

Quickest way to Streatham from Mile End, by the way, is to change at Blackfriars on to what used to be the Thameslink service and is now First Capital Connect - Streatham Station is 100 metres from the rink!

[dooobedooo]

I wouldn't do weekend publics only the one after my lesson if I went there as it's a way out for me (I live in Mile End).


Lee Valley?

http://www.donowdo.com/Skating/Lee-Valley-Ice-Centre-London-E10-7QL.htm

[debrag]

I have looked at this rink so many time but never looked to see where it actually is lol I keep thinking it's all up in N( but it's actually not far from me and they have 3 levels of patch - Senior (competing skaters), Junior (NISA level 1 to junior competition) and Novice (beginner to NISA level 1). So thats something to aim for :)

[debrag]

Just phoned up about lessons at Lea Valley and they tell me it's £35 for the adults as well. They mentioned Tuesday @ 17:00, Thursday @ 20:30 and Sat @ 9:00 (I think). Just adults is Thursdays, on their leaflets adults are only on Thursdays so we will see.

I have a feeling they have the price wrong, though with the auto message they say it's £35 and don't split kids & adults. I have to go in or ring back mid Feb as the courses start 28th so either they have a week break between courses or they started one last week which I've just missed :(

I may go have a weekend skate there this Sat to check it out.

I'm hoping that there will still be places on 21st Feb as I get paid then and it would be ideal to pay out of my next wages not the ones I have now.