Hi everyone! I'm Gemma, 28, Sales & Marketing Manager from Stoke. Crikey it only seems like to minut...
Hi everyone! I'm Gemma, 28, Sales & Marketing Manager from Stoke. Crikey it only seems like to minutes when I was heading for red and now i'm off to Orange. Thanks peeps xxx
Member since:25.09.2005
Reviews:158
Members who trust:25
I don't know whether it the latest stint of Dancing on Ice that has made people want to go Ice Skating, however it was mentioned to me this week and automatically I said no, you are not getting me on the ice rink. After several days of persuasion I eventually said yes reluctantly, but just to keep the peace. I wasn't looking forward to it at all. I hadn't been on the ice for ten years at least and the last occasion when I went I had quite a bad fall and it seemed to put me off going again. I out those thoughts at the back of my head however and off we went to the nearest Ice Rink, which to us in Stoke on Trent is Telford.
Now taking into consideration I hadn't been to Telford Ice Rink for ten years, I thought it might have changed a little since mylast visit however I was overcome to see that it hadn't changed at
all. A slight disappointment really.
It was peak time for skating 7:30pm - 10:00pm, they have different events everynight however Thursday was a free for all. We got there at 7:30 on the dot which was good as we didn't have to queue to get in and any later we would have had to as a queue quite long quickly formed behind us. The cost to get in is quite reasonable really and costs £6.10 for one adult, which includes as long as you want skating until you get kicked off the ice, plus skate hire. The reception area is pleasant, very brightly lit and very clean. It has a shop in there for people that take skating seriously and like to own their own blades and has a big window that overlooks the ice. No one was on when we got there so just a big ice rink to see really.
Walking down the stairs you come to a room where you are able to take your shoes off and obtain you skates. The skates to hire are hideous. Bright blue, with black straps across them that you lock as tight as you can so they are not slack. They get very heavy the longer you wear them and are very uncomfortable to say the least.
Before we went on the ice, I decided to take a trip to the toilet and I was horrified as I walked in there. They had not changed over the past ten years and were only worse. I honestly believe that they had not had a lick of paint during that time. The doors were covered in graffitti and with them being wood little piece had been carved out by people wanting us to know they were there. They were not clean at all, disgusting in fact. I not make another trip into them, I waited until I got home. Disgraceful.
They have a cafe area where you can obtain something to eat and drink and it was called Percy's Plonker. Whoever had the initiative to come up with that name, ideally needs the sack. I didn't eat in there and didn't have a drink either because that didn't look too clean either. I'm not a clean freak but i do have some standards.
The ice rink itself when we got on was perfectly polished which is great until it starts to get cut up. I'm not a great skater by any means and was a little apprehensive as I didn't want to do what I did on my last visit so I suppose I was a little cautious at first until I gained the courage to venture out a little bit further, falling on my backside only once, much to my surprise.
The people of Telford must visit the rink regularly, its probably like a youth club for the younger generation and there are some fantastic skaters that just whizz round as if skates are their first means of movement. I do find that some of the better skaters possibly intimidate those that are less confident and found people laughing when they flew past them and someone then lost their balance and landed on their bum.
After about an hour I had had enough and was read for home. The boots rub your feet even though I had three pairs of socks on, I recommend plenty of socks if you don't want to get blisters and they become that heavy your legs start to ache. I woke this morning with my knee killing and made the decision as to why I hadn't been for ten years.
If you are good at skating then I would receommend it if it is local to you, however would not travel any distance to come here, its about 30 minutes away for Stoke which is long enough.
Think I would be better suited to the Snow Dome in Tamworth if I am going to be trying any more winter sports soon.
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Great review, i used to go ice skating all the time when i was younger
techno_man_37 27.02.2008 20:33
great review, used to be quite good at skating, then i gave it up for a few years went back and i was terrible, wouldnt mind starting again tho as it is good fun
gizmogizmo 27.02.2008 20:26
umm used to love skating but am sure i'd manage to make an idiot of myself should I try it again now! x
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