Leeds Rollarena
Posted: Sat 06 Apr, 2019 11:04 pm
I started skating there on 12th January 1971 with very very greatful thanks to a new friend David, whome I had a purely by chance meeting with 2 nights earier at a fun fair and who already was an established roller skater. David subsequently became a good and much valued friend until he left skating a few months later to join the merchant navy.
I instantly fell in love with skating and became a 5 or 6 ( sometimes 7 ) nights a week roller skater until the rink's closure on 29th June 1973.
Main features
2 speeds sessions each followed by a trio's dance skating session. Main speed records were Red river rock by Jonny and the hurricanes, Wipe out by The Saffari's and your ready now by Frankie Vallie. Trio's records were Lonely Boy by Paul Anchor, followed by World without love by Peter and Gorden followed by either an instrumental version of 76 trombones Or Candida by Dawn.
Trio's skating consisted of group's of 3 skaters side by side (2 girls with a boy in middle or 2 boys with a girl in middle) linking arms behind backs. Each groups would skate forwards all kicking left feet forward a couple of times then all kicking right feet forwards a couple of times then all 3 skaters would rotate round 360 degrees (all keeping in line) and continue forwards repeating the same steps. There could be 12 or more groups of 3 skaters (hence trio's) all skating round the floor simultaneously.
Live local band on stage each Saturday night
All night skating sessions ( Midnight to 06:00) each bank holiday Sunday night and each Christmas night.
Bar (over 18's) looking out onto skating floor
DJ's included
Simon Peters (of Radio Leeds)
Malcolm Hulme
General manager Les Phillips (not the film star)
Many many very happy memories of those times and all the good friends made there.
Following the closure of the rollarena with 2 live concerts by David Bowie (29th June 1973) a groups of about 10 of us migrated up to the Bradford Ice Arena to continue skating. Sadly, over the following 3 or 4 months 1 by 1 the others dropped out to persue other interests.
I was the only one of the original 10 to keep it up - for over 30 years - hence my very very greatful thanks to David who, following a purely by chance meeting at a Christmas fun fair was to completely change my life for the next 33 years.
I have a folder on the juke box page of my phone titled Leeds Rollarena with all the tracks listed above and many many more from those times that were played regularly at the rollarena and a photo of the actual fairground ride where David and I first met - so the memories are always with me.
I instantly fell in love with skating and became a 5 or 6 ( sometimes 7 ) nights a week roller skater until the rink's closure on 29th June 1973.
Main features
2 speeds sessions each followed by a trio's dance skating session. Main speed records were Red river rock by Jonny and the hurricanes, Wipe out by The Saffari's and your ready now by Frankie Vallie. Trio's records were Lonely Boy by Paul Anchor, followed by World without love by Peter and Gorden followed by either an instrumental version of 76 trombones Or Candida by Dawn.
Trio's skating consisted of group's of 3 skaters side by side (2 girls with a boy in middle or 2 boys with a girl in middle) linking arms behind backs. Each groups would skate forwards all kicking left feet forward a couple of times then all kicking right feet forwards a couple of times then all 3 skaters would rotate round 360 degrees (all keeping in line) and continue forwards repeating the same steps. There could be 12 or more groups of 3 skaters (hence trio's) all skating round the floor simultaneously.
Live local band on stage each Saturday night
All night skating sessions ( Midnight to 06:00) each bank holiday Sunday night and each Christmas night.
Bar (over 18's) looking out onto skating floor
DJ's included
Simon Peters (of Radio Leeds)
Malcolm Hulme
General manager Les Phillips (not the film star)
Many many very happy memories of those times and all the good friends made there.
Following the closure of the rollarena with 2 live concerts by David Bowie (29th June 1973) a groups of about 10 of us migrated up to the Bradford Ice Arena to continue skating. Sadly, over the following 3 or 4 months 1 by 1 the others dropped out to persue other interests.
I was the only one of the original 10 to keep it up - for over 30 years - hence my very very greatful thanks to David who, following a purely by chance meeting at a Christmas fun fair was to completely change my life for the next 33 years.
I have a folder on the juke box page of my phone titled Leeds Rollarena with all the tracks listed above and many many more from those times that were played regularly at the rollarena and a photo of the actual fairground ride where David and I first met - so the memories are always with me.