The Broadgate Ice Rink has just opened for winter, and I went down there to film the Christmas season getting off to a slippery start. Although the weather was wet and still fairly warm for the time of year, meaning that that the skaters were practically skating on water, nothing was going to deter them from having a go – even if they ended up with a wet bottom rather than a bruised one.
The Broadgate rink is next door to Liverpool Street station and is certainly worth a visit, even if only for the lights and festive atmosphere. An hour in the rink costs £13, or £10.40 if you are student, so you won’t be breaking the bank. For a more peaceful experience I would definitely go during the day, since the evenings are way busier and more chaotic.
Ice skating has been a London winter pastime for hundreds of years now and Broadgate is one of the capital’s oldest outdoor ice rinks. But what is it that entices people to risk a tumble on the ice? I think it’s because you can enjoy it whether you are any good at it or not. People of all ages can take a spin and have an excellent time, slips and spills included.
Watching them from the edge of the rink as they span and sped past me, the skaters looked like figures in a videogame. I chose the soundtrack as an appropriate accompaniment to their antics.
