real time web analytics
Report - - Bristol Ice Rink, Bristol - April 2013 | Leisure Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Bristol Ice Rink, Bristol - April 2013

Hide this ad by donating or subscribing !

Seffy

O high
Staff member
Moderator
Bristol Ice Rink (John Nike Leisuresport), Bristol

Seffy, tumbles and END-PROC.

A brief summery for you:

45 years of skating history was brought to an end as Bristol Ice Rink closed its doors for the final time.
The popular venue in Frogmore Street hosted its last skaters for a farewell Halloween party yesterday before a planned redevelopment into student flats by owner Unite.

Bristol-based student accommodation specialist Unite wants to redevelop the 1960s building which houses the ice rink because it claims it is no longer viable.
It had considered including a smaller ice rink as part of the redevelopment but the idea was abandoned in June.

Demolition has been approved.

We've been looking at this one for a while now, and this time, for the first time, it would seem luck was on our side.

After a long week, this was certainly a rewarding way to end it. Think what you want of it, some would say this isn't particularly interesting and just a massive derp, but personally I found it fascinating to see and completely worth it too. Having visited the rink a couple of times when I was younger, it brought back some vague memories.

The place really is in a state, but then again it was in a state before it closed and indeed for the last however many years. That being said, the people of Bristol were still very unhappy at its closure. It did seem to be attracting a large amount of visitors still, which makes you question the closure further.

There is some evidence here and there of it being a cinema in its previous years, but this is mostly gone.

We also found what looks like an old night club, way up in the higher level, which looks like builders briefly moved in once, set up some lights and put some office desks around, then left. I didn't take any pictures up in those parts, as we didn't fancy having to pay parking fines so had to be off. That being said, there isn't too much of interest as it's all been fairly trashed. It was still interesting to see all that above the ice rink, a place where people mostly likely haven't been for years.

The complex originally boasted a ballroom, nightclub, bingo hall, banqueting rooms and amusement arcade but most of the centre closed down in the early 1990s. A successful campaign was launched to save the ice rink and Mr Nike stepped in to take on the business.

An interesting read from a Bristolian talking about building when it held a nightclub and a cinema too.

The rink from the front, years before closure:

8664637996_8f67f10f4a_z.jpg


Snapz...

8664646010_0855bff712_c.jpg


8663545923_690cbc4c31_c.jpg


8664645606_44b43d9e53_c.jpg


8664645436_49cee24b11_c.jpg


8664645280_8f58dc1a10_c.jpg


8663545135_4af642631e_c.jpg


8664644552_1ab8583749_c.jpg


8663544919_35b1349202_c.jpg


8663541385_1cca9244e8_c.jpg


8664641384_43c091fcba_c.jpg


8664639910_d2899312d1_c.jpg


8663540501_ba0b5bea90_c.jpg


8663539433_136821003c_c.jpg


8664639436_1520b3a535_c.jpg


8663539893_2f3d7c66b3_c.jpg


8664642620_8a5bcc6356_c.jpg


8664643090_1385d545dd_c.jpg


8663543073_a3a5bd7c5d_c.jpg


8664641896_edcfcd8b88_c.jpg


8664642094_ca849ec7c2_c.jpg


8663538127_45e93d656e_c.jpg


8663538945_00e593a9ea_c.jpg
s

8663540735_808c238df2_c.jpg


:thumb
 
Top