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S.S. Brighton

SS Brighton ice rink in West Street, c 1946

Image from the collection of Trevor Chepstow, Sports Stadium Brighton Archive

Saturday mornings in the 1950s

By Martin Nimmo

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.

Sent to website by e-mail 20-1-2003

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments about this page

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.

By irene dobson (28.02.2008)

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!

By Brian Littlechild (11.06.2010)