Silver Blades Sheffield: The days you could get as wet skating as you could going to the baths

It's come to the end of half term in Sheffield – the first break for schools of 2022 and a time for parents to find time and money to occupy their children.
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This is a cold one, not one for playing outdoors as I remember, and looking out of the window now neither is this one – unless you’ve been lucky enough to get overseas for some winter sun.

What do you do if you have limited funds?

Growing up, it wasn’t easy to keep entertained. Parks were out - wet, windy and muddy – and cinemas weren't cheap.

23nowff - General skating at Silver Blades Ice rink, Sheffield.
5 May 197023nowff - General skating at Silver Blades Ice rink, Sheffield.
5 May 1970
23nowff - General skating at Silver Blades Ice rink, Sheffield. 5 May 1970
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Luckily my elder sister June would come home from school with discount vouchers for Silver Blades ice rink located on Queens Road.

The rink opened in 1965 and was skate central – for both blade and roller.

The vouchers my sister got enabled us all to go in the morning or afternoons at Silver Blades.

 Pictured at her home on   Hatfield House Lane, Shiregreen, Sheffield is  Linda Kay with mementoes of her early years as a keen skater at the Silver Blades Ice Rink. Pictured at her home on   Hatfield House Lane, Shiregreen, Sheffield is  Linda Kay with mementoes of her early years as a keen skater at the Silver Blades Ice Rink.
Pictured at her home on Hatfield House Lane, Shiregreen, Sheffield is Linda Kay with mementoes of her early years as a keen skater at the Silver Blades Ice Rink.
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As I remember we would traipse up the flights of stairs and into the large rink area which as I remember, smelt of fried chips and damp carpet.

Although not as scary as my first visit to Sutherland Road swimming baths, it was just as wet.

Falling numerous times soon made you as wet as when you went swimming.

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We hired some badly fitting plastic boots which were purple in colour, I don’t think anyone would steal those.

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Unlike many debutees, I wasn’t scared of the ice, nor did I buy into the urban myth about losing a digit or two if and when you fell onto the ice. I’ve never, ever heard of anyone losing any digits due to a fall on the ice and encountering a cut from a sharp ice skate blade, although I wouldn’t dwell on the ice too long if I fell.

I loved sliding in the school yard, or any incline anywhere we could find, when black ice descended on our streets or school playgrounds.

We would slide on the school playground before the school bell or during break, time before the caretaker threw down salt – the spoilsport!

I remember some people would throw coal fire ashes on the street to get rid of the slippery surfaces, but a purpose-built rink held no fears for me.

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So periodically through my early school years in the 70s and 80s, I would go to Silver Blades and learn how to skate.

This put me in reasonably good stead for when I entered my teenage years.

Silver Blades was great fun for many, regardless of age, with booming music – a disco on ice – and the chance to show off your skating ability, in the Speedway section.

I don’t think you can walk or drive past without thinking about what it used to be like.