UK Skaters - Where are you from and where do you skate?

[onlyhappyonice]

Hey guys, just wondering where the UK guys are located around the place and how far people generally travel to a rink

I'm in Rugeley in Staffordshire, I travel to:
silver blades in cannock (15 minutes)
tamworth snowdome (30 minutes)
telford rink (45-50 minutes)

[sk8_4fun]

Hey guys, just wondering where the UK guys are located around the place and how far people generally travel to a rink

I'm in Rugeley in Staffordshire, I travel to:
silver blades in cannock (15 minutes)
tamworth snowdome (30 minutes)
telford rink (45-50 minutes)

I'm in shropshire and skate at Telford too! :D
it usually takes me about 25 minutes

sometimes I skate a Deeside but that takes an hour so I dont go very often.

[onlyhappyonice]

I'm in shropshire and skate at Telford too! :D
it usually takes me about 25 minutes

sometimes I skate a Deeside but that takes an hour so I dont go very often.

What times are nice and quiet at telford as I have two young children 6 and 4 who are a bit perturbed by how busy it was when we accidentally went during a disco session.

[sk8_4fun]

What times are nice and quiet at telford as I have two young children 6 and 4 who are a bit perturbed by how busy it was when we accidentally went during a disco session.

to be honest there are no quiet times at the moment due to DOI fever. If you are ever on your own we have great 'adult morning' (Gosh that sounds so dodgy!!:roll: )session on tuesdays and thursdays 10-12.30 including a group lesson but no kids are allowed. It usually drops off a bit as the weather gets warmer though and the tea-time sessions tend to be a bit quieter.

[onlyhappyonice]

to be honest there are no quiet times at the moment due to DOI fever. If you are ever on your own we have great 'adult morning' (Gosh that sounds so dodgy!!:roll: )session on tuesdays and thursdays 10-12.30 including a group lesson but no kids are allowed. It usually drops off a bit as the weather gets warmer though and the tea-time sessions tend to be a bit quieter.

Yeah I'm really beginning to get sick of the rinks being rammed because every one and their mother sees the celebs doing it and think they could be the next big thing on skates :roll:

Well that would be no good for me unless I booked the morning off work when our son starts full time school in september me and rach could try and get along to it.

To be honest I'd quite like to meet some more people with AOSS as I feel a bit of a loner right now haha

[sk8_4fun]

Yeah I'm really beginning to get sick of the rinks being rammed because every one and their mother sees the celebs doing it and think they could be the next big thing on skates :roll:

Well that would be no good for me unless I booked the morning off work when our son starts full time school in september me and rach could try and get along to it.

To be honest I'd quite like to meet some more people with AOSS as I feel a bit of a loner right now haha

oh I hear ya! School hols are keeping me off the ice right now but I've had a bad case of AOSS since I started skating just over 2 years ago. I'm Totally hooked and always looking forward to my next fix, er, I mean skate!:giveup:

[onlyhappyonice]

oh I hear ya! School hols are keeping me off the ice right now but I've had a bad case of AOSS since I started skating just over 2 years ago. I'm Totally hooked and always looking forward to my next fix, er, I mean skate!:giveup:

Oh I hear you... my last e-mail to someone on this forum contained me saying how every day is a countdown until I'm next on the ice, tuesday nights and saturday mornings for me at the moment.

[NickiT]

I'm from Bracknell in Berkshire and obviously skate at Bracknell. The rink is just 3 minutes away from home so I've no plans to move house!

Nicki

[smelltheice]

I have moved around alot so have skated scotland, the south Basingstoke and gosport but currently at Blackburn

[Helen88]

I skate at Alexandra Palace [Ally Pally] (London), about 10mins from the house at the minute - but, if they get the planning permission to turn it into flats (:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:) I'll have to either travel to Lea Valley (no idea how to get there), or Guildford Spectrum, which is an hour away a four in the morning. But hey - if I have to get up at 2:30 - I will!!

[LondonSkater]

I skate at Queensway (London). 30 minutes on the bus from home and very convenient for work. I occasionally venture to Slough if I want to practice on a bigger rink.

[Amandaskategirl]

I am from London but currently at Warwick university and living in Leamington. I skate at Coventry during term time and at Queens the rest of the time. Although at the moment I haven't been doing any skating at all. :(

[Mrs Redboots]

I skate at Alexandra Palace [Ally Pally] (London), about 10mins from the house at the minute - but, if they get the planning permission to turn it into flats (:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:) I'll have to either travel to Lea Valley (no idea how to get there), or Guildford Spectrum, which is an hour away a four in the morning. But hey - if I have to get up at 2:30 - I will!!
What's wrong with Streatham, where I skate? Direct on the Thameslink, what could be easier? Lea Valley, incidentally, is accessible by train from Liverpool Street, and there are buses, but I'm not sure which. The TfL journey planner (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner) is your friend here!

It's about four miles from where we live, and takes anything from ten minutes to half an hour to get there, depending on the time of day.

Actually, I don't think they'll turn Alexandra Palace into flats - I think it has to be kept as a "venue" - and they are talking about a temporary rink there while a new one is built, but whether or not that will happen.... your lot will have to do what our lot did and make a pressure group to ensure continuity of skating.

[airyfairy76]

I skate at Alexandra Palace [Ally Pally] (London), about 10mins from the house at the minute - but, if they get the planning permission to turn it into flats (:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:) I'll have to either travel to Lea Valley (no idea how to get there), or Guildford Spectrum, which is an hour away a four in the morning. But hey - if I have to get up at 2:30 - I will!!

You must live very close to me Helen!!

I skate at Alexandra Palace as well, but I also occasionally skate at Lee Valley (when my friend who rides at the stables next door can give me a lift), and at the Sobell leisure centre (but its very small and poor ice).

And as Mrs Redboots said, the plan was not to develope it into flats, but to lease it longterm to develop into a more rounded venue, including a hotel, bowling alleys, cinemas, and an ice rink. They promised to build a temporary rink in the grounds whilst they moved the ice rink up to the third floor (:o ), but we shall see. I believe however, there has since been a hitch, so hopefully the ice rink won't be going anywhere for a few years yet!

http://www.alexandrapalace.com/press_business_as_usual.html

[Derek]

I skate at Coventry, since I live 20 mins walk away.

[karliey]

I skate at Streatham like Mrs Redboots but we go at different times.

It takes an hour for me, with part of the journey by tram and part by bus. That's my closest rink.

[WhiteBoots30]

I skate at Bracknell. I only live 10 -15 minutes drive from the rink - in fact we moved here as I was at the rink more days than I was at work!

[Mrs Redboots]

I skate at Streatham like Mrs Redboots but we go at different times.

It takes an hour for me, with part of the journey by tram and part by bus. That's my closest rink.
One of these days I'll come to dance club so we will meet! I only don't go because there are few men, and one ends up standing about propping up the barrier getting cold while one's husband dances all the dances we're supposed to be practising with Other People!

From these boards, Clare also skates at Streatham, but she's in Australia just now, and 2loop2loop sometimes does.

[2loop2loop]

From these boards, Clare also skates at Streatham, but she's in Australia just now, and 2loop2loop sometimes does.

Well, I get around a bit... My home rink is Milton Keynes, but in a typical week I also skate at Streatham, Scally Pally and Queen's, and I'm sometimes seen at Lee Valley and Slough too.

[Gareth]

I only really skate at cardiff, its about a 30 minute drive from where I live, I sometimes skate at bristol that is about 45 mins, but its not a nice rink at all, i keep expecting to catch something whenever i go in there:o It really is disgusting.

[Mrs Redboots]

I only really skate at cardiff, its about a 30 minute drive from where I live, I sometimes skate at bristol that is about 45 mins, but its not a nice rink at all, i keep expecting to catch something whenever i go in there:o It really is disgusting.
Very nice people there, though! But I know what you mean.... I was doing a competition there the year our free dance finished with a lift, and I was to throw my head back.... and I did and looked up at the ceiling! Big mistake!

[onlyhappyonice]

Come on I want details, what's it like there

can't say I've skated anywhere that was disgusting, apart from the toilets at tamworth snowdome.... :(

[Mrs Redboots]

Come on I want details, what's it like there

can't say I've skated anywhere that was disgusting, apart from the toilets at tamworth snowdome.... :(
Just a bit sadly and needs a coat of paint. As do many rinks.... and most have horrible toilets, especially after a public session.

[sceptique]

I live in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, skate at Coventry (20 min) and teach at Cannock (45 min) secretly praying that one day I will convince all my private students to move to Coventry so I don't have to spend 8 hours a week driving up and down A5.

[PhysicistOnIce]

I'm another of the Bracknell crowd. I live in west Reading and it can take anything from 25 minutes to over an hour depending on the time of day.

[kateskate]

I live and work in London so I skate at little old Queens!

[Bunny Hop]

I also skate at Bracknell. I live in west Reading and work in north Reading, so it is closest, though it doesn't feel that way when stuck in Reading traffic trying to arrive in time for the morning patch session.

[frbskate63]

I'm another of the Bracknell crowd. I live in west Reading and it can take anything from 25 minutes to over an hour depending on the time of day.
I also skate at Bracknell. I live in west Reading and work in north Reading, so it is closest, though it doesn't feel that way when stuck in Reading traffic trying to arrive in time for the morning patch session.
Which is one reason why I live in west Reading, and skate mostly in Oxford... Bracknell is closer, but I started skating at Oxford because it was the easiest rink to get to by train.

I didn't know there were two other west Reading skaters on the board.

[Ice Dancer]

I'm also in Reading and I skate in Basingstoke. When I first started they had the best times which suited my then job (have since changed but am totally settled there), and I can get there easily before and after work.

[jmb]

Any more info on skating in Scotland, particularly Glasgow?

[skatermum]

The nearest ice rink to Glasgow is at a shopping mall called Braehead. They have a little round rink for public sessions (although this was closed the last time I was there) and an olympic sized rink which I believe is now open more regularly due to the closure of Paisley ice rink. There is also an ice rink in the East Kilbride shopping mall, Time Capsule in Coatbridge, and a couple of rinks in Ayrshire. You have touched on a sore point as I think it is ridiculous that a city the size of Glasgow does not have even one ice rink - ok rant over :frus:

[karliey]

The Edinburgh rink has nice ice. Olympic size. It's in Murrayfield, 20min bus from the city centre. Out in the direction towards Glasgow. Right next to the rugby stadium. If you're going to be in the area it's worth stopping by if it's open, public session times are on their website. Costs between £3.50-4 on weekdays. The ice is groomed before every session. Of course it's still really crowded at weekends.

[ouijaouija]

i'd say where i skate but i wanna be anonymous! My rink is good in that the prices are okay and its open everyday of the year pretty much. it also seems more busy compared to when i first started two years ago.

a lot of people joke about my rink not having changed in decades

[Mrs Redboots]

The Edinburgh rink has nice ice. Olympic size. It's in Murrayfield, 20min bus from the city centre. Out in the direction towards Glasgow. Right next to the rugby stadium. If you're going to be in the area it's worth stopping by if it's open, public session times are on their website. Costs between £3.50-4 on weekdays. The ice is groomed before every session. Of course it's still really crowded at weekends.

I have heard that it's very cold there, though. But I know some seriously nice people who skate there, and hope to visit there one of these years.

While on the subject of Scottish rinks, Dumfries is nice, but very wide, you have to have practice ice before competition so you know where you're going to be during your programme. And there was a rink on the Ayrshire coast somewhere that was on two levels, with a ramp up and down again. I promptly sat very hard on my tailbone trying to come down the ramp. Sigh.... and the rest of it was a very odd shape if you wanted to practice dance on it, which we did!

Inverness, right the other end of the country (is it the most northerly rink in the British Isles?) is small, but friendly. We used to skate at Aviemore, but the rink there closed some years ago.

[onlyhappyonice]

I have heard that it's very cold there, though. But I know some seriously nice people who skate there, and hope to visit there one of these years.

While on the subject of Scottish rinks, Dumfries is nice, but very wide, you have to have practice ice before competition so you know where you're going to be during your programme. And there was a rink on the Ayrshire coast somewhere that was on two levels, with a ramp up and down again. I promptly sat very hard on my tailbone trying to come down the ramp. Sigh.... and the rest of it was a very odd shape if you wanted to practice dance on it, which we did!

Inverness, right the other end of the country (is it the most northerly rink in the British Isles?) is small, but friendly. We used to skate at Aviemore, but the rink there closed some years ago.

I would imagine an Inverness rink requires no cooler units to freeze the ice:lol:

The furthest north I have ever been was Bythe in Nothumberland and that was farrrr too cold for my liking

[debrag]

Currently:

Lea Valley on Thursday nights, which is 30 mins away if I time the buses right

Aim:

Lea Valley @ weekends
Streatham On Tues + Wed evenings

[hanca]

I skate at Ally Pally, which is approximately 15-20 mins by car. On Sundays I skate at Lea Valley, because there is flat ice, but it is 1.5 hour by bus.