Ian Fairfax
proper brummie kid
Keith I remember Dad mentioning your name from his days at Springhill along with Art. Below is couple with Dad in and Mom, Dad also did alot of cycling. Last picture was 1953 at Earlswood.
-
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
Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road
- Thread starter Di.Poppitt
- Start date
arthur smith
master brummie
My brother came second in the West Cup I think it was about 1970.Hi Ben, I knew your Grandfather and remember him well. He donated a trophy know as the 'West Cup' which we used to compete for. I'm sure there is a photo of him somewhere in this thread. There is an index to some photos in post #414
oldmohawk ...
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
In this photo Bill West is 4th from right in the front row. I'm 3rd from left in the middle row.
In this photo he is 4th from left in the back row.
Also in this photo on Wyndley Pool Sutton Park
edit ... 3rd photo added
Last edited:
Attachments
Richard Dye
master brummie
I used to skate at spring hill and had lessons with mr vickers and also a miss lavickski they I think moved to Bearwood ice rink when spring hill closed and Bearwood opened. Bearwood was a cinema and was converted to an ice rink by a man called ossi Osbourne and Janet Sawbridge skated on the opening night
Julian
knowlegable brummie
I won a trophy called "The Grinsell Pairs" in the late 1980s at the Richmond Sportsdrome and had to skate with a partner to win it. I knew there was a skater named Grinsell but not that there were brothers. I'm just realizing that this is possibly the reason why the trophy was so named!
Don’t know the date of this pamphlet, but it might interest some members who used the rink. Viv.
Thanks Phil, very much appreciated, the year of this was definitely 1961 as that was the year I joined the Mohawks hence no badge. fun fact it's only -29 c today hear in Winnipeg, Canada. All the very best to you/Piccies
Hi Bigland,
I'm sorting out my Mohawk pics, here are two of them as I get used posting. The 1st pic is of the full club on a Sunday morn, I'm far right 1st row. The 2nd (not so clear) is a cup win on snowy ice. I saw your photo - takes me back to the 50's.
I've attempted to send the photos, hope it works ! Now reposted with new system Oct 2011
View attachment 167574
Regards
oldMohawk
Richard Dye
master brummie
Bless you
!Good day Phil
I just thought of some funny memories from Springhill and Silver blades rinks,
At Springhill the team was being introduced one at a time and Eric Grinsell was just in front of me (Richard Downing) so he goes down the 5? steps and jumps onto the ice and goes flat on his face, he gets up and goes flat on his face again, then he noticed he still had his skate guards on, that was a little embarrassing but funny.
Another time I was in a race and fell at one of the corners and the back of my skates got hooked over the top of boards, I had to get someone watching to lift my skates off to get free, its funny when I think about it now but not at the time.
I just thought of some funny memories from Springhill and Silver blades rinks,
At Springhill the team was being introduced one at a time and Eric Grinsell was just in front of me (Richard Downing) so he goes down the 5? steps and jumps onto the ice and goes flat on his face, he gets up and goes flat on his face again, then he noticed he still had his skate guards on, that was a little embarrassing but funny.
Another time I was in a race and fell at one of the corners and the back of my skates got hooked over the top of boards, I had to get someone watching to lift my skates off to get free, its funny when I think about it now but not at the time.
paul stacey
master brummie
I first went there with my dear cousin Pam, and her fiance Mick Holland, and had some wonderful time. She passed on in Dec 21, and I actually thought of those lovely happy times at Springhill. Thanks for the memories Pam, and Mick....
Actually another somewhat funny situation happened at Silver Blades, we were training and Bobby Grinsell fell at one of the corners just in front of me but there were no steps up of the ice like Springhill only about 11/2" so he slid across the rubber mats on his bottom, thus a brazing his skin. so we took him to the first aid room and tapped his bottom over but then he could not lift his leg over the saddle on his scooter.
All the best and keep safe.
All the best and keep safe.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Richard, an interesting event I had ...
At Silver Blades the barriers had a layer of perspex sloping inwards under a top shelf concealing fluorescent light tubes. One night in a race I was skating on the bend when the blade of my skate landed on a matchstick causing me to go down sliding at speed towards the barrier feet first. My skates hit the barrier and slid up the perspex breaking the light tubes. I lay in a shower of broken glass looking up at electric wires sparking.
At Silver Blades the barriers had a layer of perspex sloping inwards under a top shelf concealing fluorescent light tubes. One night in a race I was skating on the bend when the blade of my skate landed on a matchstick causing me to go down sliding at speed towards the barrier feet first. My skates hit the barrier and slid up the perspex breaking the light tubes. I lay in a shower of broken glass looking up at electric wires sparking.
Last edited:
Hi Phil
WOW, So it was probably do to your experience that every speed skating rink now has padded boards when racing, Thanks for getting my imagination going!!! brilliant.
One time when training at Silver blades one of the other guys asked me to look at the ice on the corners and said, what do you think of these red streaks it looks like blood. at that time we had those soft leather boots and someone noticed that the ice had worn a hole in my left boot while cornering and a little bit of the side of my foot was dragging on the ice, hence the red streaks, I never felt it because in those days you had to pull the laces so tight your feet were numb, that's something else that does not happen with todays fancy skates.
good times.
WOW, So it was probably do to your experience that every speed skating rink now has padded boards when racing, Thanks for getting my imagination going!!! brilliant.
One time when training at Silver blades one of the other guys asked me to look at the ice on the corners and said, what do you think of these red streaks it looks like blood. at that time we had those soft leather boots and someone noticed that the ice had worn a hole in my left boot while cornering and a little bit of the side of my foot was dragging on the ice, hence the red streaks, I never felt it because in those days you had to pull the laces so tight your feet were numb, that's something else that does not happen with todays fancy skates.
good times.
Good day Phil, I'm still thinking of the fluorescent light tubes experience of yours and have related it to my kids, one of which works in a bank and she showed other tellers some of the pictures of the Mohawks, so when I walked into the bank 4 other tellers shouted loudly Hi Dad, I thought that was quite embarrassing.
By the way I could not find those pictures I sent you, but thanks for your experience, its a great one to relate to others.
All the best. Richard, although in my second year of racing I was known as "dirty downing", I think I got disqualified in every third race that I entered that year.
By the way I could not find those pictures I sent you, but thanks for your experience, its a great one to relate to others.
All the best. Richard, although in my second year of racing I was known as "dirty downing", I think I got disqualified in every third race that I entered that year.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Richard ... it was easy to get disqualified ... it happened to me a few times mainly overtaking going into the corners.
Your photos are in your post below
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/speed-skating.54735/post-755099
Slight techie note ... after you have attached a photo it is best to insert them into the post either as 'thumbnails' or as 'full images'. It is then easy to search for inserted photos but not easy to search for photos which have remained as attachments
Last edited:
Good day to anyone in the links above, my name is Richard Downing and I started going regularly to Springhill ice rink in 1957, joined the Mohawks in 1961 to the end of the season in 1965 at Silver blades, and I saw Bill West, in fact I am in the same picture, see above picture #155554 from Phil (oldmohawk) middle row, second from the right.
I got a job in 1979 and moved to Winnipeg Canada 1980 and started playing ice hockey, I played in goal until I was 65
mainly for two high school teachers teams, I also made fiber glass/Kevlar goalie masks for teams all across north America.
But thanks to Springhill rink for giving me such a great start, when I raced for the Mohawks I went 8 times a week.
A little of subject but you can skate on the Red river in Winnipeg for over 7 kms.
All the very best to you all. Richard.
I got a job in 1979 and moved to Winnipeg Canada 1980 and started playing ice hockey, I played in goal until I was 65
mainly for two high school teachers teams, I also made fiber glass/Kevlar goalie masks for teams all across north America.
But thanks to Springhill rink for giving me such a great start, when I raced for the Mohawks I went 8 times a week.
A little of subject but you can skate on the Red river in Winnipeg for over 7 kms.
All the very best to you all. Richard.
Richard Dye
master brummie
Richard , great story/adventure. Very well done!
I was just looking into my dads history and background and found this forum, my dads name was John Savage, I seen him on one of the Mohawks photos, think he was in the Mohawks in the 60’s I knew he loved speed skating when he was younger and he said he use to work at the skating rink, I knew he was a bit of a lad, anyone got any funny stories about him, I would love to know.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Now that you have identified him I remember John Savage although I did not know him too well. I'm also in that photo taken one Sunday morning all those years ago ...
oldmohawk
Last edited:
Good day Lauraloo
My name is Richard Downing and I remember John, in the team picture above which was taken in 1961 he is in the third row from the front and third from the right, I am in the second row from the front and second from the right, I presume he had only just joined the Mohawks as he has no badge like me at that time 1961, but apart from that I'm sorry I can not help you any more.
All the best and keep safe/
My name is Richard Downing and I remember John, in the team picture above which was taken in 1961 he is in the third row from the front and third from the right, I am in the second row from the front and second from the right, I presume he had only just joined the Mohawks as he has no badge like me at that time 1961, but apart from that I'm sorry I can not help you any more.
All the best and keep safe/
I found two old pictures of a girl friend from Spring hill rink and married her back in 1965, note the state the ice was in.
but so many great memory's from that rink and the coach trips to Richmond rink.
On one trip to Richmond rink the coach drive could not get to the car park because a Mini driver had parked near a corner so a group of guys got of the coach, picked up the Mini and put it on the side walk, great times.
but so many great memory's from that rink and the coach trips to Richmond rink.
On one trip to Richmond rink the coach drive could not get to the car park because a Mini driver had parked near a corner so a group of guys got of the coach, picked up the Mini and put it on the side walk, great times.
Attachments
Delighted to find this thread as I owe my existence to a collision at this ice rink!! My mum and dad both used to go skating there and my dad literally "bumped into" my mum and things went on from there. Mum used to know people in the Mohawks (in particular Alex Yates and Bill West) but this was in the 1940s so I think earlier than many of the posts here though I haven't had time yet to go through them all. In her life notes she wrote for her grandchildren my mum included her memories of skating at the rink and elsewhere and I have copied and attach the relevant bit. Will try to look through her photos sometime to see if there are any photos inside the rink, though I don't remember seeing any.