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Embassy Roller Rink Walford Road

J

jake

Guest
anyone remember the embassy roller skating rink just off the stratford road sparkhill, i had many happy hours there, hire the skates, really loud music, and always packed, just thinking i had a great childhood, without causing problems for others those were the day's.(its a mosque now or an asian cinema)

jake
 
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Hi Jake
The Embassy was in Walford Road and was reputed to be the biggest roller rink in Europe, Me and my brothers and all our pals went there regular on saturday mornings
It burnt down completely a few years ago and was replaaced with houses
The Mosque you're thinking about used to be the Waldorf Picture House
Great memories
Jerry
 
Hi Jake
The Embassy was in Walford Road and was reputed to be the biggest roller rink in Europe, Me and my brothers and all our pals went there regular on saturday mornings
It burnt down completely a few years ago and was replaaced with houses
The Mosque you're thinking about used to be the Waldorf Picture House
Great memories
Jerry
 
There is another thread somewhere on the site with lots of memories of the Embassy Roller Skating Rink. Perhaps when Pom gets up she will give us a link.
 
i remember the embassy roller rink when all the big names of wrestling used to wressle there all the stars of time gone bye in the early fifties , and the number eight bus used to stop just at the very front door before they moved the bus stop back to the walford picture house , and that was when they turned the embassy into a roller rink . and the number eight no longer stopped at the very front door of the place the walford picture house changed to an asian picture house the old billard hall still stands i believe .
 
Stan handed out the skatess and also acted as a second at the wrestling.I used to sit in the front row with my Dad every week. Iwas given a kiss for i think my eleventh birthday by Kendo Nagasaki who always wrestled in a mask.Conrad Davies promoted the wrestling and some of the wrestlers played snooker with my Dad (he had a full size snooker table in the attic), we lived in one of those rambling houses in Walford Road. My husband was in the speed skating team and still has the scars and missing elbow to prove it! Amazing how three little words "Embassy roller rink take you back 40+ years
 
Memories of the Embassy Roller Rink

I came across this wonderful site by chance today!...................And guess what I was one of those mad, fast skaters at the "rink" I first went with a friend at age 11 and was hooked from then on! Every day I skated my heart out, Saturday morning, afternoon and evening you would find me there, the carnival nights with the loud music and races! The kids of today think they can skate! well not as well as us!!!!........we would then skate home on our wooden wheels much to our mother's dismay. I tasted my first bottle of ice cold Coke from the machine in the cafe, and we used to all go to a shop a few doors away and have dandelion & burdoch ice-cream floater, delicious! Does any one have any more memories of the rink? I often drift back there in my dreams...............such happy days!

Barbara Howells (nee Bennett)
 
rollerrinklass, yes I too have happy memories of the roller rink, one that comes to mind is that you used to tip the blokes that were giving out the skates, looking back I am not sure it made any difference.
I don't know the years you are talking about but do you remember Jeanette Arnott she used to skate for the roller rink team in the early fifties.
 
roller rink

Hi Darby
Cannot recall the name sorry, but I always was rubbish at names! I started skating in/around 1956, I remember the chaps used to tip the guys giving out the skates, they always reckoned they got a better set of wheels(with out the flat, worn out wooden wheels that made a humming noise!) But as you say whether they did or not? Do you remember Keith Hearne ? he worked in the skate shop, he is married to a very dear friend of mine. I still have scars on my knees from bad falls on that wooden floor! Best time of my life though!

Barbara Howells
 
My 'auntie', Madge Morris, was manageress of the Embassy Roller Rink in the 1940's. I used to go there with my Dad quite often and there was a lane on the outside for beginners or those not sure of themselves if I remember rightly. We always had a great time there - usually falling over!
 
rollerrinklad

Hi Barbara!!
Just discovered this site and saw your thread.I was also one of those mad, fast skaters started when i was age 13 or 14 and went day and night it was around 1958 till the day it closed. in the early 60's my friends and myself always gathered around the top left corner from the entrance under the big tall tower. I wonder if we ever bumped into each other on the rink, I was also one of the guys who was at the front or the back of the big chain we had in the free for all session.
Tony.
 
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Skated there as a teenager, have photographs of the place when Louis Armstrong and the All Stars played there in 1955. Also went there for the wrestling and that must have been late fifties early sixties?
 
For those who are interested here is a snap of the front entrance to the Embassy not long before it closed.

I have a couple more of some of the skaters and of the inside if anyone is interested.

Cheers,

pmc1947

SparkbrookEmbassyRink-1.jpg
 
roller rink

Hi pmc1947
And still the memories keep "rolling rink" in in! I would be interested in any photographs you or any one may have. All my memories of the Embassy rink are embedded in my brain never to be forgotten.

Thanks in anticipation!

Barbara Howells
rollerinklass:)
 
Embassy Rink 1958

Hi Tony
Yes I probably bumped into you a few times. I started skating I think around 1958 ish. I took to it like a fish, in fact I wish it had been a career that I could have taken, but in those days it wasn't an option. I loved the carnival nights, the racing especially. I do remember the dare devil lads who formed the line and the poor devil on the end often ended up in the barrier! hose were the days!

Barbara Howells
rollerrinklass:)
 
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Rollerrinklass

Sorry about the late reply, but I missed your answering post. These snaps were sent to me by a chap called Frederick on another website. He is in the group photo taken on the front steps of the Embassy Rink 5th from the left in the middle row

Cheers

Phil

Embassy Rink 1.jpg Embassy Rink 2.jpg Embassy Rink 3.jpg Embassy Rink 4.jpg
 
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