Hello John,
Thinking back I cannot remember the exact date Mecca closed the rink for ice skating but it was around 1962/1963. I do remember that when Mecca built the new Silver Blades Ice Rink they would only allow figure skates to be used in general sessions and so everyone using hockey skates either stopped skating or had to go to Solihull Ice Rink.
Mecca initially did not want ice speed skating at their shiny new ice rink, but eventually asked the Mohawks to race at Silver Blades and we said we would provided they also allowed hockey skates to be used.
Eventually Mecca asked us to take part in skating exhibitions on opening nights at their Silver Blades in Bristol, Bradford, and Sheffield.
The best ice speed skater during my time was Jack Dymock who raced for Aldwych based at Richmond Ice Rink.
Click on the pic below and it will take you to a large gallery of photos and a click on a video in the gallery will show him racing at Richmond.
Apologies if you have already looked at the photos but some of them show me and others named.
Best wishes
Phil
The gallery images were assembled on a wide screen computer and may not fully show on iPads and small screens but if a part of a image can be seen a click will enlarge it.[/I]