has anyone ever wondered how wonderful it would be if all the streets were paved with ICE and we could SKATE to town, or to school/work? Imagine needing to go to the corner shop to get some milk (does anyone even do that anymore??), but having to skate there...

I would love that so much. OK, OK, not everyone has their own skates and the rest of the world would be stuffed... but imagine...

it's getting cold in the uk... maybe i will sneak out at night and flood the street, and hope it freezes into ice...

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Not quite frozen streets, but my father tells me that he used to skate from our hometown to another nearby town on the frozen Muskingum river. That river is where I first donned a pair of ice skates - a pair of white figure skates someone gave to my mother. Three of us took turns trying to skate in them on the river.

Near my hometown, I've also skated on large frozen lakes about a mile out to a park area, and then a mile back. You quickly become aware of any headwinds out in the open.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) it doesn't get that cold anymore.

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Bill Schneider

If I had a lake/river near my house that froze in winter, I would probably die of happiness... I could skate EVERY DAY for FREE...
In Sweden, they have little ice rinks everywhere, you can skate there for free if you have your own skates, and once on this little rink, there wasn't anyone but me... it was really wonderful. Why can't we have that in the UK?

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My dad grew up skating on frozen pnds in Russia. They would be all over the place, so they would just come and have a free for all. Usually, a pick up game of hockey would start, and they would use old newspapers as pads as no one could afford real equipment. But it still sounds awesome, skating under the trees. Although you did have to watch out for thin ice.

I can remember ONCE being able to skate down the road. It was after a good ol' southern Ontario ice storm in the late 1950's and there was over 1" of ice on everything. Needless to say there were no cars on the road.

It turned out NOT to be such a bright idea. Did I mention we lived half way up quite a steep hill that was a good 1/2 mile long? Ok, I am a natural blond - WHAT OF IT!!??

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

At my rink you have to pay the full price even if you have your own skates - £6 is just stupid for a 2hr session - but having your own rink...and being able to skate EVERY DAY...*dies*

I've often thought this while walking to work. It would be lovely, but as I have a problem stopping at the moment its probably a good thing that they don't exist as I would fall in front of a car or something!!!

For Canadians: Riddeau Canal

For Londoners: the Thames *has* frozen solid once or twice in the last century. They had carnivals with big tents on the ice, horse-drawn carriages, etc.

For the Dutch: one word (or is it three?) Elfstedentocht

For the rest of us warm-weather folk: inline skates will have to do.

Rideau canal is awesome. You can skate the whole length. There are little snack huts and at the end on the lake there is a fair, all on ice. Loved it. Had my honeymoon there 10 yrs ago. Want to go back someday.

Kay

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When I lived in Ottawa, I used to skate on the Rideau from school to work, out for a quick bite to eat or off to a movie - it was great!

I don't need to imagine - that was the reality of my childhood - all roads and sidewalks covered with snow pressed by feet and wheels into a solid ice-like surface and kids putting on ice skates to play street hockey or just skate around... pretty much like kids on rollerskates do. I bet they still do it nowadays out there.

But as far as I remember it stands very little comparison with a feeling of skating on smooth and polished artificial ice... and you had to watch for the cars pulling into driveways!

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My other car is a Zamboni