Question for my British friends!

[dani]

Hi!!

I have a friend that I saw a couple of weeks ago and she lives in the Wimbledon area. She was quite excited about my skating and it has had her thinking about skating herself. (She has her figure skates, but hasn't skated in ages)

So, any thoughts of ice near her? She said that she knows about a rink in (at?) Streatham and one in Guildford that is further away but maybe closer time wise. Anywhere else she should check?

I am very ignorant of my British geography - at least at that level ;-) I know about Ireland and Scotland and Wales (oh my ;-) but not of areas around London.

Hugs and thanks!
Danielle

[melanieuk]

Hi :)
Annabel skates at Streatham, I'm sure.

I'm in Scotland so I can't help, but if your friend pays a visit to Edinburgh.....

[nutty-ducky]

I live a bit further down from London. I live in Plymouth, so i cannot help, sorry!

[Mrs Redboots]

Yes, tell her to go to Streatham. It couldn't be easier for her to get to - there is a direct train from Wimbledon station to Streatham every 15 minutes or so, if not more frequently. I think there are 5 trains an hour, but I could be wrong. It would take her about 20 minutes to get there - more if she drives, but on public transport very quick and easy. Public sessions start at 10.00 am, but the coaches are still teaching and usually hanging around. Or tell her to try the teatime session, at 4.30 pm (not Wednesdays) to find a teacher.

[dani]

Thanks Annabel! I passed that along.

Hugs!
Danielle

[mikawendy]

Hi, Dani--

This may be OT, but if your friend lives near the Wimbledon area, then I think she lives near a really great public park, Richmond Park. A friend of mine who did study abroad in the US and then went back to live near the Roehamption Institute lived near the park. We liked to take walks there. I think she lived very close to Wimbledon because every year during the tennis, her neighborhood would be chock full of cars...

[dooobedooo]

Size:
Streatham: roughly Olympic size, slightly narrower and longer.
Guildford: standard Olympic size (60m by 30m).

Transport:
Streatham: five minutes walk from station, fifteen minutes by train from Wimbledon, train every half hour. Subject to traffic hold-ups if driving, due to inner city location, perhaps half an hour plus.
Guildford: very quick by road, down the A3, about 25 minutes. Not so good by train, bus ride from station, 40 minutes train ride.

Style:
Streatham: famous rink from 1930's, Rocker Foxtrot and Blues invented here, independently owned, very slightly run-down, centre of Streatham.
Guildford: new rink in about 1995 in award-winning leisure complex with multi-pool swimming, gym, cafes, squash, bowling, in parkland, run by local council.

Skating:
Streatham: informal, cheap, beginners classes Monday evening and Saturday mornings, some good coaches, but fewer people training seriously, you must be having lessons at Streatham to skate on training ice, dance club Monday evening about 6.30pm.
Guildford: organised timetable, inexpensive, beginners classes Saturday mornings, slightly more good coaches and slightly more people training seriously, training ice up to 11.30, for training ice you need a membership card which you can only get if you are having lessons here. dance club Tuesday evening about 7.30pm.

The other accessible rinks are Leisurebox in Queensway, W2 (35 minute tube ride to Bayswater or Queensway, small rink, amateurish, but nice "figure and dance" atmosphere on Sunday morning) and Alexandra Palace (Wood Green tube, a long journey about 60 minutes, international size 25m by 50m, many serious skaters who are competing and testing)

Mikawendy's right. Richmond Park is huge, eight miles in perimeter, stocked with deer, plenty of high ground with views over central London and Surrey, big oak woods, lakes, plenty of wildlife, historic buildings, nice afternoon tea in Pembroke Lodge Gardens yeah!

[batikat]

Just thought I'd add my tuppence worth

I've not skated at Streatham but my kids did a competition there and really liked it. Check out the 'art deco' ceiling if you go! I thought it had a nice friendly atmosphere and you get the added benefit of meeting Annabel!

Guildford; I've only skated the public sessions but it's handy having all the other facilities there as well and they usually have the Russian AllStars doing their show there around May sometime - not on the main rink but on a temporary ice pad downstairs somewhere. There's a good ice dance club there on a Sunday morning which I have yet to get to but maybe one day.

I have to confess I'm not a fan of Ally Pally - perhaps because I did my first ever competition there. Plus it is a night mare to get to I think. I was going to compete there next week but unfortunately it clashes with my day in college.

Bracknell and Slough are further out along the M4 but Slough has Monday evening dance classes and Bracknell has some good classes for adults if they are available during the day (mornings from 10.30). Off-ice training and 'Annies Edges' on a Monday, beginner adults on Tuesday, Dance class and Dance Moves on a Wednesday and a 'Housewives course' (with free coffee!) on a Friday. There is at least one adult who comes in regularly from Richmond to skate at Bracknell so I guess it can't be too arduous a journey.

Hope your friend enjoys getting back into skating wherever she ends up!

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by dooobedooo
Size:
Style:
Streatham: famous rink from 1930's, Rocker Foxtrot and Blues invented here, independently owned, very slightly run-down, centre of Streatham.

No longer true - the site has been sold to a supermarket chain, who are going to build us a brand, spanking new, Olympic-sized rink, about 50 metres down the road, incorporating a leisure centre with swimming baths, gym, etc, etc, and loads of seating. Assuming all the planning permissions go through, this will start building in April next year, so in about 18 months' time we should have a glorious new rink. The present site, and the swimming-baths next door, will then be redeveloped as a supermarket. So yes, the present rink is run-down (on a bad day I'll say you are being very polite saying "very slightly"!), but this is not permanent.
Skating:
Streatham: informal, cheap, beginners classes Monday evening and Saturday mornings, some good coaches, but fewer people training seriously, you must be having lessons at Streatham to skate on training ice, dance club Monday evening about 6.30pm.
6.45-8.15 pm, and do come (we finish dancing at 8.00 to allow the classes to start, but we stay on the ice until 8.15 to practice or whatever)! The present British no 4 Ice dance couple, and the current British Junior champions train at Streatham. I believe there are also adult beginners' classes on Thursday mornings, there used to be. Certainly there still are on Monday evenings. "Doobedoo", are you one of the Monday evening crowd? If so, do make yourself known to me, any of the coaches will tell you who I am, especially Kevin, who coined my screen name!

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by batikat
I've not skated at Streatham but my kids did a competition there and really liked it. Check out the 'art deco' ceiling if you go! I thought it had a nice friendly atmosphere and you get the added benefit of meeting Annabel! Added benefit, forsooth - I thought I was the main attraction (just kidding!)
I have to confess I'm not a fan of Ally Pally - perhaps because I did my first ever competition there. Plus it is a night mare to get to I think. I was going to compete there next week but unfortunately it clashes with my day in college.I rather love the place, even though it is not easy to get to from this side of London. A superb setting, though, and really ought to be on everybody's "must visit" list, if only for the views across London! Dance club is 8.45 on a Wednesday evening.
Bracknell and Slough are further out along the M4 but Slough has Monday evening dance classes It now has a dance club at 7.00 pm on a Monday evening (clashes with ours at Streatham, but ours doesn't meet during school holidays and theirs does, so one can sort-of do both), and then dance intervals at 8.45 and 9.45 pm. The dance intervals also happen on Thursdays, which makes that a great night to go there.

and Bracknell has some good classes for adults if they are available during the day (mornings from 10.30). Off-ice training and 'Annies Edges' on a Monday, beginner adults on Tuesday, Dance class and Dance Moves on a Wednesday and a 'Housewives course' (with free coffee!) on a Friday. There is at least one adult who comes in regularly from Richmond to skate at Bracknell so I guess it can't be too arduous a journey.Except it's a pain to get to by public transport, and doesn't have a dance club! Guildford and Queen's both have their dance clubs on a Tuesday evening, although I'm not sure what time, and there are also clubs at Gillingham and Chelmsford, but I don't know when they meet. I don't think Romford or Lee Valley have dance clubs, and I'm pretty sure Sobell (a tiny pad in Islington, but it produced some fantastic skaters who won the group artistic class at the last Streatham Open) doesn't.

[dooobedooo]

I just remembered a couple of other rinks ....

Annabel mentioned Sobell in Islington N1 - don't know it personally, it is quite small, but it is quite an active rink. Islington is a long way from Wimbledon, though, about an hour on the tube.

Winter Outdoor Rinks in Central London

Then there are two winter outdoor rinks, both small but very enjoyable, and if she is working in City or West End they might be handy for a lunchtime practice:
Broadgate, Liverpool Street EC2 (November to March) (Liverpool Street tube)
Somerset House, Strand WC1 (December to January) (Temple or Covent Garden tube)

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by dooobedooo
I Winter Outdoor Rinks in Central London

Then there are two winter outdoor rinks, both small but very enjoyable, and if she is working in City or West End they might be handy for a lunchtime practice:
Broadgate, Liverpool Street EC2 (November to March) (Liverpool Street tube)
Somerset House, Strand WC1 (December to January) (Temple or Covent Garden tube) I believe there's to be another one this year, at Marble Arch in the West End.

The Broadgate rink is a permanent rink - it is only open in the winter, but it is on a dedicated site, and has proper instructors, learn-to-skate classes and so on; the Somerset House rink is more of a Christmas jolly. Great fun, I understand from those who have skated there, but you only get about 20 minutes for what is really quite an expensive subscription.

[dooobedooo]

Just found this useful link with maps and web links of ice rinks on the London inline skating site:

http://www.londonskaters.com/faq_ice_skating.htm

Your friend may also be interested in their inline skating meetings in Hyde Park near Marble Arch on a Wednesday or Friday night. You can hire inline skates from London Skate Shop in Queensway, though they ARE different from iceskates - be careful!

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by dooobedooo
Just found this useful link with maps and web links of ice rinks on the London inline skating site:

http://www.londonskaters.com/faq_ice_skating.htm


Useful, but an awful lot of the information given is just plain wrong, as in the buses that go past Streatham Ice Arena - many of those listed go nowhere near, although the ones that do go past are correct.

Talking of which, there is now a new bus link between Camberwell, the Elephant, Victoria, and Shepherd's Bush, which will go straight past Queen's if anybody is wanting to go there - it's the no 148.

[dooobedooo]

Mrs Redboots,

Do you know the exact location of the proposed new replacement Streatham Ice Arena? I can't imagine where they will put it , unless it is round the back somewhere ...? Or maybe across the road?

Thanks.

PS. I just found some history on this venerable rink ...
http://freespace.virgin.net/sisag.nicky/history.htm
Didn't realise they invented the Viennese Waltz there too!
And people have told me about the original Mighty Wurlitzer that used to play for dance intervals (now long gone).
Really it should be a listed building ...

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by dooobedooo
Mrs Redboots,

Do you know the exact location of the proposed new replacement Streatham Ice Arena? I can't imagine where they will put it , unless it is round the back somewhere ...? Or maybe across the road?It's where the buses turn round - typical they (London Buses or TfL or something) built a state-of-the-art bus garage and then never used it, and all it is used for now is karting. Corner of Natal Road and the high road - don't know what they will do with that newsagents! The URC Church will be incorporated into the site, probably rather better laid-out with its own garden, and the supermarket itself, with underground parking and a bus turning area, on the site of the present swimming-baths and rink, and most of the other space up to the station - certainly the car-wash and that grotty carpet shop. Thanks.

PS. I just found some history on this venerable rink ...
http://freespace.virgin.net/sisag.nicky/history.htm
Didn't realise they invented the Viennese Waltz there too!
And people have told me about the original Mighty Wurlitzer that used to play for dance intervals (now long gone).Not that long; they still had them when we first started, in the mid 1990s! Actually, if we get new management (there was supposed to be an announcement today, but it was cancelled) we may be able to reinstate the dance intervals on a Monday night, depending who it is - I know the coaches, especially R, want it as much as we do. Fingers crossed....
Really it should be a listed building ... It is, or was, but only the facade, not the whole of it, so the supermarket was able to get away with it. I think the plans will be posted on the Sisag site (the one you quote), if they haven't already been. I wish they could keep the old rink, everybody does, but it simply isn't feasible - it would need so much money spent on it. The lights failed this morning - it was really quite funny. Luckily it was the only thing, and when we got there it was light enough not to want them, but even by the time I left, although some of the lights were back by the time I left, not in the ladies' loos, so you had to leave the door open and sing rather loudly......

[caffn8me]

....(almost six years) but I'm the girl Dani was talking about in this thread. I finally started ice skating this year in February and had a few false starts while I sorted my skates out. My ancient figure skates (c. 1950) didn't have enough ankle support (OK, they had none) and my coach insisted I needed new ones which finally arrived a few weeks ago.

I skate mostly at Streatham (and have even done so with Mrs. Redboots) but have also skated in a few other rinks (most recently Ice Forum (http://www.iceforum.com) at Town Center, Kennesaw, Georgia, USA) a week ago.

I just wish I'd started skating again when this thread was started (it was really an archaeological dig updating this thread). I might be able to skate by now if I had!

I expect to skate again in the USA in the next few days before I return to London on Monday next week.

Sarah

[hanca]

I rather love the place, even though it is not easy to get to from this side of London. A superb setting, though, and really ought to be on everybody's "must visit" list, if only for the views across London! Dance club is 8.45 on a Wednesday evening.


Thank you, Mrs Redboots. I also love Ally Pally.

Surprising how everyone is being polite. No one really metioned the main attraction on the rink - the hill - which gives you unique opportunity to practice jumps downhill! :lol:

I wasn't aware of the dance club. Wasn't it cancelled several years ago?

[caffn8me]

...and I get to skate at Ally Pally with hanca on 10th October :)

Sarah

[Mrs Redboots]

Surprising how everyone is being polite. No one really metioned the main attraction on the rink - the hill - which gives you unique opportunity to practice jumps downhill! :lol:

I wasn't aware of the dance club. Wasn't it cancelled several years ago?

Yes, sadly it no longer meets. I'm sorry to hear the hill - or rather valley - is still there, though!

[rlichtefeld]

Too bad I didn't know you were in town. I skate at the Duluth IceForum rink and our club (Georgia FSC) operate out of both IceForums. If I couldn't have made it over to see you, I could have had several adult skaters get in touch with you.

Rob

....(almost six years) but I'm the girl Dani was talking about in this thread. I finally started ice skating this year in February and had a few false starts while I sorted my skates out. My ancient figure skates (c. 1950) didn't have enough ankle support (OK, they had none) and my coach insisted I needed new ones which finally arrived a few weeks ago.

I skate mostly at Streatham (and have even done so with Mrs. Redboots) but have also skated in a few other rinks (most recently Ice Forum (http://www.iceforum.com) at Town Center, Kennesaw, Georgia, USA) a week ago.

I just wish I'd started skating again when this thread was started (it was really an archaeological dig updating this thread). I might be able to skate by now if I had!

I expect to skate again in the USA in the next few days before I return to London on Monday next week.

Sarah

[caffn8me]

Too bad I didn't know you were in town. I skate at the Duluth IceForum rink and our club (Georgia FSC) operate out of both IceForums. If I couldn't have made it over to see you, I could have had several adult skaters get in touch with you.

RobHi Rob!

Thanks for that. I will definitely be back again and will let you know in advance next time. I used to work in the Atlanta area (well, Griffin to be precise) so still come over to see friends now and again. This trip I saw rain - a lot of it!

Sarah

[londonicechamp]

Hi Sarah

Good luck with your skating when you are back to the UK.

By the way, Somerset Ice rink (outdoor) is going to be open from 17 November to 24 of January 2010. Maybe you and your friends want to go for some leisure skate there this year.

I was there last year, rink a bit too small, besides doing lemons (forwards and backwards), stopping, forward crossovers in the centre, there is not much that I could do. I fell into the trap of joining their skate school. I rang them up and the person who picked up my phone said that their lessons are for people who want to improve their skating skills, not novice. I went, and immediately the coach taking the lesson knew that I should not be in that group class. :(

londonicechamp

[caffn8me]

Hi londonicechamp, thank you for the kind thoughts :) I will certainly be planning to do several of the outdoor London rinks this year but will keep my lessons in Streatham.

I managed two skating sessions today (with sunbathing on the beach between). The skating sessions were the afternoon public session at Incredible Ice (http://www.incredibleice.com) in Coral Springs, FL and the evening session at Glacier Ice and Snow (http://www.glaciericeandsnow.com/) in Lighthouse Point, FL.

This second session was the first time I got to skate with Dani who started this thread all those years ago :) It's taken long enough!

We expect to fit another skate together in before I head back to London on Sunday.

Sarah

[londonicechamp]

Hi Sarah

Well, you should really go skating in Somerset House and Canary Wharf. I was in these two outdoor rinks for a couple of times last year when they opened.

Hi Mrs Redboots

No, you do not get 20 minutes for skating in Somerset House. If you turn up early, then you will get the full hour; if not (coz you arrived late), you still get at least 45 minutes. I skated there for 4 to 5 times last year, really cool.

londonicechamp

[Mrs Redboots]

Hi Mrs Redboots

No, you do not get 20 minutes for skating in Somerset House. If you turn up early, then you will get the full hour; if not (coz you arrived late), you still get at least 45 minutes. I skated there for 4 to 5 times last year, really cool.

londonicechamp

Yes, but it's so crowded you can only actually skate for the first ten minutes, while the Great British Public is holding on to the barrier and getting its feet underneath it! That bit - where you can show off - is quite fun, but after that it's just another overcrowded public session, and not much point, really.

[hanca]

I wouldn't really bother going. Crowded and rubbish ice. Not great for skating. Yes, maybe a nice atmosphere, but I am not skating because of enjoying nice atmosphere, I am skating because of the feeling from the skating.

[fsk8r]

Yes, but it's so crowded you can only actually skate for the first ten minutes, while the Great British Public is holding on to the barrier and getting its feet underneath it! That bit - where you can show off - is quite fun, but after that it's just another overcrowded public session, and not much point, really.

You've forgotten the continual bumps as you go over the pipes because the ice is so thin or it's so warm that they've not managed to create any ice and they're trying to sweep the water off because they continually forget that it's generally about 10C in December.