• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

hi aston , nice pics, and very nice chicks, your wife looks a cracker, did you meet at the rink , like most of us i only lived around thhe corner from there we was there regular we spent more time in there than our own house, was you a local lad to the rink, also we spent a lot of time in the bamboo coffee shop across the road from there , see ya ouur kid , astonian ,;;;;
 
My sporting life Springhill in the 1960/70s BIRMINGHAM BARONS ICE HOCKEY CLUB.
You may know some of the faces in these Photos as they were all gegular skaters at the Springhill rink. I am the guy with the No4.
Note the old rink shop in the back of the Team Photos.
 
Thanks Postie, thats great I remember  that post card being on sale at the rink. Its taken looking towards the shop & entrance  end, the cafe is on the right .camera stationed on the balcony were they played the music from. My wife & I met at the spot bottom left were the girl is standing, she fell over and I jumped over her, turned and picked her up. that was some 50 odd years ago. ::)
This topic seems to have got split as I stated one about Springhill Ice Rink Hoping to get Pictures such as this. that would go with the Ice Hockey Team Pics I have Posted  on that site? and skating in general at the rink in including THE MOWHAWKS SPEED TEAM. :'(
Thanks again for your time O0 ASTON
 
The start of the return of ICE HOCKEY TO BIRMINGHAM the lads working to get the rink ready for the first ice hockey match to be played in Birmingham since 1939 when the old Birmingham Maple Leafs folded.Your truly is the guy at the back looking over at the work being carried out on the barrier gates. this is a Birmingham Post & Mail Photograph taken about 1960 at Springhill ice rink.
 
Not Springhill I know, but I have read in the Birmingham Mail that the old Silver Blades Ice Rink is to be revamped and reopened. Good news for ice skaters.
 
Sylvia, the silver blades rink was never the same as the old rink at Springhill so the hockey team had to go to first the old Windsor theater bearwood which had the ice plant from Springhill when it closed, then when Solihull Ice Rink opened we were given ice time there.the then Manager Mr WALTER ALLEN did a lot to held us get hockey going at the Brand new CRESTA RINK. We  had to change our name to the SOLIHULL BARONS. also creating a new team The SOLIHULL VIKINGS.
MECCA when the made Springhill in to a roller rink said the the new ice rink they were building in the city would not allow ice hockey skates. so this made it very difficult for us to keep hockey going we practiced on car park ,roads or any were we could that was until the Windsor gave us a chance to carry on. Many thanks to them back then.
NO I DID NOT LIKE SILVER BLADES OR THE MECCA SETUP. :tickedoff:
 
I know it not springhill but this photo is of THE SOLIUHLL VIKING the new team formed from ex members of the BIRMINGHAM BARONS after leaving both the springhill & Windsor rinks.
You will no doubt see some faces from previous post under springhill ice rink.
ASTON
 
Is it still there Cromwell? :)

I have a photo of my cousin who used to be in the Roller Skating Shows. She lived in Sydenham Road Small Heath.

I used to skate there myself and also went Wrestling Shows there
 
Cromwell, as young teenagers a crowd of us used to go to the Embassy Roller Skating Rink every Friday night,the noise from the skaters was terrific and we used to get covered in a fine dust, like talcum powder which was spread on the floor of the rink, but we had a great time, it was so popular in the mid to late 50s.
 
I will have a look the next time I am passing Alf and if it is I will take a pic from the same place if I can
 
Sylvia, that dust was french chalk that was scattered liberally over the wooden floors, it was supposed to make the floor surface last longer. ;)
 
Postie, I realised after I had posted that it was probably french chalk, as you get older you know what you want to say but can't always get the name or phrase quite right - you see it will happen to you too.
 
The Empire has long been gone. Im sure it changed names to the Embassy. Anyway it burnt down in the 70s/80s , houses built there now.
 
aston said:
Any memories of the Old Birmingham Ice Rink at Springhill. My memories are from 1950s till its close when MECCA Replaced it with a roller rink,for starters I Post a Pic of my self & my then girlfriend now wife Pamela & her friend Janet.(The Blondes mine) I do hope there is some one out there who remembers. They were GOOD DAYS.
ASTON
Click to expand...


So many happy memories of the ice rink. I used to go Friday, Saturday and Wednesday every week from around 1960 until it closed. I remember "ladies only on the ice" and then gents. Always used to have a coffee in the coffee bar. Also rememmber watching the Mohawks. I wore hockey boots and figure boots weren't the "in thing" at the time

Christine
Ex Alum Rock Girl
Now in YOrkshire
 
Chris, those were the days, I spent my youth in that rink started skating at 11 still skate on and of with the grankids at solihhull.
Do you remember Mr Butcher the then manager he was the Guy who gave us a chance to bring Ice Hockey to the Birmingham public, for the first time in 30 years.
Did you ever see any games played by the BIRMINGHAM BARONS?
When the colsed the rink we moved the Solihull,the BARONS name has gone but the Solihull Vikings (Which was started by Ex Barons my self included) still play at solihull no longer the senior team its sad to say but still going strong.
You say about girls wareing Hockey boots,Girls now play fantastic Hockey and are now playing in the Olympic.Look out and see THE NEXT WINTER OLYMPICS.
Any one got any memories of the winter olympics in England in the late 40s?
Have a nice day all
ASTON
 
silver blades

hi anyone remember the heart beat club upstairs love all mary
 
Hi Postie,
Just been looking at the photo of ice rink, brings back memories, do you know around which year it was taken?
Brummie
 
Springhill

Hi Aston

I do remember the Birmingham Barons now that you've mentioned them. I was there on the last night the rink was open. Queued outside for ages to get in. We also used to have "passes out" and we'd walk with our skating boots on over to the coffee bar across the road but I can't remember what it's called.

I haven't skated for years but still have my ice skating boots from 1963!!!

Chris
 
chriswilshaw said:
Hi Aston

I do remember the Birmingham Barons now that you've mentioned them. I was there on the last night the rink was open. Queued outside for ages to get in. We also used to have "passes out" and we'd walk with our skating boots on over to the coffee bar across the road but I can't remember what it's called.

I haven't skated for years but still have my ice skating boots from 1963!!!

Chris
Click to expand...

Dust them off Chris 'Dancing on Ice' is waiting for you:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top