Saturday mornings in the 1950s
SS Brighton ice rink in West Street, c 1946
Image scanned from the collection of Trevor Chepstow, Sports Stadium Brighton Archive
In the 1950’s my brother and I sometimes went ice-skating on Saturday mornings at the Sports Stadium in West Street.
I was never very good at skating (and still no good!), and the highlight for us was probably when the motorised scraper came on to re-set the surface.
The hired skates never quite fitted, and it became excruciating trying to keep your balance between the changing benches and the ice. Then it was a matter of trying to keep upright whenever possible!
One year we went to see “Babes in the Wood” on ice. It was a tremendous spectacle, with skate blades throwing up showers of ice, twirls and dances, and coloured spotlights reflecting off the glassy surface as they followed the skaters round the rink.
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I also went to the Sports Stadium to see ‘Babes in the Wood’. I think it was an outing we went on but not sure who’s. Can anyone tell me what year it was on?
I remember that a lady skated to ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ and it was from that moment that I wanted to ice skate. My first pair of skates were bought from a shop in North Street (just up from the Ship Street turning). I remember the basement of the shop being crammed full of second-hand ice skates.
I still ice skate now whenever I get the chance. I just wish we had an ice rink like the SS Brighton again. Those were the days.
When the S.S. Brighton came down, Brighton Council promised to build a new one. Forty plus years on - I wonder if the planning officer has got around to it yet!
My dad was “Pat” Barry and he was the manager of the bars. I can remember the Long Bar up on the first floor, there was also the Spanish Bar, The “Rinkside” Bar and the Paris Lounge. I too went ice skating, and often several times a week in the summer hols and always on a Saturday. I could go so often because all the family got in free. I clearly remember ‘Babes in the Wood’ and think it must have been around 1958? If anyone has any pictures please add them.
Sadly, my next door neighbour, Roy Crossley, a 1950s Southampton Vikings player and friend of many Brighton Tigers of that era passed away on 18 June 2017 age 88. RIP, Roy.
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