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Windsor Ice Rink, Smethwick

F

Findwilliam

proper brummie kid
When the Windsor Theatre closed, it became an ice rink. I used to go there to skate (more speed skating than Torville and Dean). We were even allowed to go there on sports afternoon -- much better than football or cricket.

By the way, a much better speed skater than I ever was was one of Birmingham's great sports heros: Wilf O'Reilly. See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilf_O'Reilly

Two gold medals in an Olympic demonstration year, then 'robbed' of chance when it became a full event.

Mike
 
Nice little rink Mike, but you had to be sharp when it came to the stage area when we played our practice hockey matches. The ice plant came from the old BIRMINGHAM RINK when it closed on the take over by MECCA .
Skated at that rink up untill the opening of SOLIHULL & we changed our name from THE BIRMINGHAM BARONS to THE SOLIHULL BARONS.
The Bar & the staff were fantastic at the Windsor, was sorry to go & have to lose the city name from the Team logo,but Solihull gave us a full ice patch and the feeling we had arrived as a hockey team again Thanks to both Mr Allens Manager & owner,
THE BARON
 
Thanks Lioyd for that pic; brings back many happy memories, we used to have to change our skates up in the balcony & walk down to the rink side, this was a bit of a bind in full Hockey kit.
 
Perhaps this will help

. The Windsor in Bearwood Road, built in 1930 to the designs of H. G. Bradley of Birmingham, had a stage; but it was designed primarily as a cinema and was opened as such. For 16 years stage performances were rare. In the winter of 1946-7, however, there was a season of pantomime followed by several weeks of variety, and from the autumn of 1947 until 1957 the Windsor was run as a variety theatre. It then housed a professional repertory company until 1960. The building subsequently became an ice-skating rink and was still in use as such in 1971
 
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