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Embassy Roller Rink Walford Road

Hi Fred,

I haven't got to listen to your moaning on here as well, have I?. Welcome to you mate.

Phil.
 
This is me after I'd trained at Embassy for a couple of weeks

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aus1PA5-SyI&feature=related"]YouTube - Gene Kelly tap dancing on roller skates[/ame]
 
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Hi Alf
Didn't you look good? I bet your wooden wheels took a bashing! A trip to the skate shop for new ones after all that dancing!

Good one Mate!

Barbara
rollerrinklass:D
 
Thanks Barbara, no touble with the Roller Skates they paid me well:D
 
Happy memories of Embassy Roller Rink. I use to go there and my mum and dad paid for my first skates, lovely white boots. My mum made my skating dresses, all my hand. One year we had the tv people there to show skating, not only figure but the speed as well. I was in it, which was so exciting. My dress was yellow satin, with green underskirts, not that anyone would see the colours as it was all in black and white then. Jean Pheffan (can't remember how to spell her last name) was the resident teacher there, she was world champion quite a few times. I had private lessons with her as well. I remember taking my first medal skating a waltz with her to the theme from Carousel. We lived in St Martins Flats then so it was only a short bus ride away. How I loved it.
 
Hi all I went to the Roller rink towrds the end of the war. It think it was used storge place for shell cases . I was working as a drivers mate on the railways and we delivered some stuff there ,cant remember what now but remember seeing all the rings cut into the floor of the rink and was told it ws from shell cases that had been stored . Anyone recall Bunny Bennet who was in the race team ????????????? Cheers Old brummy
 
This was my second home for about 3 years i was one of those nutters who formed a daisy chain built up a bit of speed and the one on the back flew off at about 50miles an hour you had to be a good skater to stay on your feet. every night i used to walk home to save the bus fare it must have been 4-5 miles Dek:):)
 
jake said:
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 i remember the embassy ,i would go on sat morning ,and on friday evening with my dad they used to have wrestling there .i saw vic faulkner adrien street burt royal and maney more,after skating ,did you go to the ice cream parlour for milk shake .you have brought back some lovly memories thank you
 
The film Pathe news i don't think that is the Embassy roller rink if you look back at page one there are photos of the inside of the Embassy and it doesn't have a banked outer area and the safty rails are different, have a look see what you think. i think it is another rink.
 
Hi Frederick - Thanks for answering. In the Springhill Ice Rink and Roller Rink threads, we have discussed seeing a glimpse of Mecca Ltd in the clip. Mecca took over the B'ham ice rink, built a new ice rink called Silver Blades, and changed the old Springhill rink to a roller rink, and maybe its that one. I think the freezer equipment was sold to the small Bearwood Ice Rink.
oldmohawk
 
Fred

I don't think its the Embassy either, I never used it anywhere near the amount of times that you did. But it doesn't look like the Embassy at all, I have to be honest I never remember it being that clean. Could it be Spring Hill?

Phil
 
Whilst reading a book today from English Heritage (Played in Birmingham) I came across this image in an article about Spring Hill Rink. The competition mentioned was in fact held at that venue after it was converted to a roller rink.

Phil

Ladywood Summer Hill Roller Rink.jpg
 
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Thanks for that PHIL , As i said to OLD MOHAWK The doors , Steps & skate shop seem to be in the same places as I remember from the old days of the ice rink. but I remember windows along one side & the cafe on the other re your photo.
 
slightly off thread on the other side of the road was the Masque Ballroom, met my Wife there at a Xmas dance in 1951 whilst home on leave. I bet thats long since gone too. Eric
 
Eric

The Masque became the Harp Club and did good business for years, its closed now but I think the building is still there.

Phil
 
hi all...just looked at the pathe clip about a dozen times and i am 99.9% sure that it is of spring hill rollar rink...the entrance is in the right place for the stage to be on the right and following round from the stage at the opposite end to the entrance was the bar...i can even see the little step up from the stage to the bar...oh and the cafe was on the opposite side of the stage...

lyn:)
 
pmc1947 said:
Eric

The Masque became the Harp Club and did good business for years, its closed now but I think the building is still there.

Phil
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While on our Dennis Road school trip to Douglas Holiday Camp on the Isle of Man, at the age of 11, I started roller skating and in my early teens was a big time visitor, with my cousin Frederick, to the Embassy Roller Rink only giving up roller skating for cycling. That Irish club, 'The Harp', always put the willies up me and when I'd done an evening session at the Embassy I'd never cross over the street passing the 'Harp' as the noise from inside was frightening and I was worried about getting a drunken Irishman landing on top of me, one that had been thrown through the window!:D

Graham.

 
frederick said:
Graham,
I remember us both being worried when we past the Harp.
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Fred:D:D:D I wonder how many times they had to replace the window in the 'Harp' before they stopped bothering and just boarded the window up; had they run out of cash, windows or drunken Irishmen?:D:D:D

Graham.
 
spent a number of weeks roller skating when the old Birmingham Ice Rink closed for it annual 6 weeks summer refit.
Never could get on with the amount of dust roller skating kicked up back in those days.
In line skates now are a great invention remember doing a demo video for the first skates made by METIRTOY (SORRY ABOUT SPELLING) when playing Ice Hockey at Solihull .
Any one know if they let you use this type of skate at roller rinks today? THAT IS FOR GENERAL SKATING NOT JUST ROLLER HOCKEY?
 
I spent many a happy hour on my backside trying to roller skate at the embassy. and never did master the art, i held on to the bar going round so much i was treated for rust. All the best formula t.
 
hello all, i used to go roller skating quite often in the late 50.s early60's, though i must admit i was just about good enough to stand up!!, i quite enjoyed it though. i only went there once for the wrestling and that was when Masembula had a botle thrown at him first and last time i went there to see the wrestling after that i went to the Aston Hipp. Anyone remember Chopper Conroy from those days?

by for now

shardeen
 
Re: Memories of the Embassy Roller Rink

Hi Barbara Howells,
Michael Poole of the Midland roller skating team that was and is on the Birmingham forum now, wants to have a chat with you and as asked me to get in contact with you as he doesn't know how to do these things yet.


Fred
 
Used to go roller skating there in the early 50s.One time when showing off at speed I came cropper and landed on my head.When I came too there was a gorgeous blonde enquiring if I was O.K. My first thought was,I'm dead, in heaven and she is an angel...wrong...She later became my wife,she wasn't really angelic,but she is still my No.1 squeeze.
 
Re: Memories of the Embassy Roller Rink

Hi Fred
Belated reply
My name has changed to Barbara Cocum now I am pleased to have found my way back to the forum.
I remember the name Michael Poole.
Barbara
rollerrinklass now rollerinklass
 
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