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Silver Blades Ice Rink

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DJ at Silver Blades

DJ called Gil Martin - He pulled in some really big crowds and created a really good atmosphere on the sessions for about 15 years; in the late 70s and all throughout the 1980s until the rink was finally sold and shut down for 7 years in about 1989. Allegedly, as I heard it at the time, Mecca was reinvesting its ice rink profits (even the profitable ones like Silver Blades Bham) into Dance Halls and Bingo Halls etc - to the cost and neglect of its Ice Rinks, Birmingham included.
 
Silver blades.

:) Just before it closed when I visited it with a friend it was owned by a Greek business man. I miss the bowling as we had lots of friends there. :( TTFN. Jean.
 
Gill Martin.

:confused2: Pete. Was Gill married to Paddy who also worked at Silver blades and later at the bowl downstairs?. :confused2: TTFN. Jean.
 
Gil Martin

No, from what I remember he was tall with dark hair and his first name was Gil (male) and not Gill (female). He was married though, to a slim attractive girl - can`t remember her name. But as I remember her name definitely wasnt the female version of "Paddy". I never saw her in the bowl downstairs only in the Ice Rink with Gil.
 
DJ's at the rink

The other DJ was Eddie he use to ride a motor bike.Hey Pete,when did you stake at the rink you may know me if you went there alot. And yes Gill Martin was a kick a#$ DJ. Did you know anyone that worked at the rink? And did you ever watch a ice ball game? Paul.C
 
silver blades

hi paul c. i do remeber the the silver blades. went there a few times. this was after the spring hill roller rink closed down. sad day that was. i have read in the local paper that the silver blades will be reopening. i may once again put on the boots. cant guarantee staying on my feet these days though ha ha wales
 
DJ's at the rink

Hi Paul. Yes now that you mention it I remember Eddie the Organist. Also a talented Guy. He mainly worked on the Dance / Family Sessions but also did a couple of the "pop sessions" with Gil Martin. I mainly skated on the "pop sessions" (as they were then called). I remember a "Ron Hargreaves" and a "Kevin Dawson" also a freindly guy called "Olly" on the main entrance. Yes I also remember "Ice Ball" it was in its infancy and starting to become popular with the skaters in the late 80s.
 
such a shame to see the blades looking such a mess .i spent a lot of time in the 80,s at the blades and there are a few names from the past . just to fill every one in pete was that way. gill a1 dj .olly only worked fri and sat night on the door and drove a tr8. he lived up from great barr . any one remember tom hatcher and his son john they both worked on the door. tom worked at the now defunked rover . he also had a daughter ,anna she was a figure skater ,would love to know what shes up to know??? well i went out with her for about 6 months. the manager was a bloke called john hetherington . other names if you skated a lot .ally ,dalton, patrick,troy . well i said i spent a bit of time at the blades (did not skate mondays)easyer to tell you when i was not in the place .happy memorys.:)
 
Hi Rupertbear

You may remember me you may not? I worked at the rink at that time I was the Zamboni driver and i also had to work on the ice as a red coat on some nights. I also played on the iceball team if you remember that now that was great fun. I worked at the rink for 8 yrs then I moved to the U.S.A, I had 8 great yrs at the rink and thats were I met my wife. Here are some names you may know? Clive,Glen,Mikey,Roger all were red coats and worked in the skate hire. Jerry cleaned the rink. Jane worked in the cafe. Brian and me took care of the rink and the drove the Zamboni. Let me know if you remember any.
 
hi paul i can remember clive . i think it was a bloke called mick who drove the zamboni. the last time i skated at the blades was 84/85 there was no ice ball at that time so it would have been after 85. if you played ice hockey you prob new russel (russ) he went out with a girl called michalla (maggie) my sister.
 
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Hi Rupertbear, I worked in the skate hire with Clive and Mick trained me on the Zamboni and then he took i another job. as for hockey i remember a russ but i dont remember he's girlfriend. Did russ play at solihull? I played at silver blades on the Birmingham Eagles 87/88 and ice ball was late 85/86 then i left for the U.S in 88.Good,Good,Good years :) I was shocked when Mecca closed it down the first time. And then when it reopened i got call over here to see if would be interested in going back to brum to have my old job back, but i did not know anything about the new owners so i said no (that was hard) and then i heard it closed down again. I hope one day it can be reopen and stay open and then next time i come home i can go back and skate. Now that would bring back alot of memories.
 
Does anyone remember big Les from the 70's.........he spent most of his time at the rink. He'd rush up to you, stop suddenly & then spray you with ice!!:D He used to have lots of fits bless him. He was sooooo agile on his feet......wonder what happened to him?
 
Paul C. said:
Hi Rupertbear, I worked in the skate hire with Clive and Mick trained me on the Zamboni and then he took i another job. as for hockey i remember a russ but i dont remember he's girlfriend. Did russ play at solihull? I played at silver blades on the Birmingham Eagles 87/88 and ice ball was late 85/86 then i left for the U.S in 88.Good,Good,Good years :) I was shocked when Mecca closed it down the first time. And then when it reopened i got call over here to see if would be interested in going back to brum to have my old job back, but i did not know anything about the new owners so i said no (that was hard) and then i heard it closed down again. I hope one day it can be reopen and stay open and then next time i come home i can go back and skate. Now that would bring back alot of memories.
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hi paul ,russ played for the eagles in the early 80s , the last time i was in the blades was late 84/
 
hi jillian atkins do you know a rita atkins i have some photo,s of her in the 60s, myself i know a john atkins from st martins flats 60s &70s, ok christy
 
Hi Christy, hello:) I don't know a Rita Atkins, but I do know a John Atkins who is my cousin. I haven't seen him for a while but If I remember rightly he lived in Great Barr. He has a brother Trevor and two sisters Annette and Kay. Is it the same one? G:)
 
hi gillian, the john atkin,s i knew was long blond hair big build in his early 50,s now he was alway,s of to butlin,s in the 70,s he had an eye for the girl,s then, he came from highgate were i grow up at ST MARTIN,S FLAT,S he was about 3years older then me , i am sure rita atkins lived in the flats to not his mom maybe his aunt, thanks christy
 
hello my name is marcus i had many a happy days in the late 70s and 80s i also was in the mohawks love to hear from old mates thanks
 
i hung about with alan/ patrick/doulton/and 2 brothers 1 ithink was called john and the other i think was alan. many more but forgot names
 
Hi Marcus, I worked at the rink for alot of years before i moved to the U.S in 88. Just trying to found someone i knew or someone who knew me.
 
i used to go on a wednesday friday saturday day and evening and a sunday afternoon. we used to hang out at wimpeys which was turned into Mcdonalds. my nicknames were spring and zebady lol:D.
 
Hi marcus, I drove the zamboni at the rink. Do you remember iceball? I played on the team i also was a redcoat. I used to lang with Mikey, Roger, Glen, Clive, and a lot more. Talk soon.
 
So, do you remember Les then.....there must surely be someone around who remembers the man. We're talking late 1960s thru to the 1980s???
 
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Hi Dolphie, What did les do at the rink and did he always go buy les? and when in the 80's talk soon :-)
 
Hi Paul. Yep, Les was a really big guy.......I can see him now, usually wore a rust/red jumper. He was so incredibly light on his blades for such a big bloke. He had fits....several a day so used to hang around the rink as he felt safe there. If he felt one coming on, he used to head for anyone that knew him to help him. As he was so well known there they used to grab him off the ice before he hit the floor!! He was always there Tues & Thurs nights, Sunday mornings etc at the family sessions. He was forever stopping short right in front of you, spraying you with ice from his bladeslol. I eventually stopped going to Silver Blades (as I'd left Brum for Uni in the late 70s but always returned home for the hols) but my Mom still went right thru the 80's & to my knowledge he was still there then?? I often wonder what happened to him.

Dont think he actually 'did' anything, eg work there but I'm not sure.
 
Hi,iv only just found this thread!! I loved Silver Blades!! my cousin was a red coat in late 70s early 80s along with myself I was the youngest one ever!!i was only 12 years old!!!my cousins name was Melanie Gough?once i had taken mi hockeys off and was away to my locker and some big bird trod on my toe with her skate still on....boy did she get it outside!!!!:rolleyes:
 
Paul C. said:
Hi Marcus, I worked at the rink for alot of years before i moved to the U.S in 88. Just trying to found someone i knew or someone who knew me.
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its ashame i would love to see all the old faces again was best years of my life
 
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