News
Toots n'ice
A NEATH play centre is hoping for a return to fortune after paying off a significant tax bill.
Toots Play Centre has spent the past three years paying off a £50,000 revenue bill. The centre on Milland Road has continued to trade during the period and paid a monthly amount to HMRC after coming to an agreement with the tax man. The centre officially re-opens today after the installation of a 20ft by 30ft indoor synthetic rink by ice rink specialists WH Leisure Ltd. Founder Debbie Matthews said: "We have finally finished paying that debt off to the Inland Revenue. "The business is now moving forward and as such is having an indoor dry ice rink installed."
Mrs Matthews is herself a single mother of three and her 14-year-old daughter Caitlin works in the business on weekends. The 39-year-old is also a staff nurse at a care home for people with brain and spinal cord injuries in Gorseinon. She added: "We have always tried to stand out from the crowd at Toots. “We came to an agreement with the revenue and we've been paying it off on a monthly basis over the past three years. "We have been trading through it.
"A colleague of mine came to the company in October last year and we were chatting and she had some brilliant ideas and one was the ice rink. “She took out a loan to put into the business and we invested it in the dry ice. "We felt the market was getting inundated and we wanted something that wasn't in the area. Something totally different. “We came up with lots of different ideas.
"We have taken several bookings for the rink already."The original opening was carried out by the mayor and mayoress of Neath."
Mrs Matthews was inspired to invest in the ice rink after seeing a similar play centre with a rink in Rhondda and her business will now be called Toots N'Ice. She added: "We researched it and looked at different companies that did it. We have been working with one for the last two months and we are now ready to go. There are barriers all the way round. "We will have skaters on the ice the whole time to help, supervise and teach. “We hope we can put our troubles behind us."
Polar bears head to Celtic Manor Resort!
Ho, ho, ho! enjoy all the magic and sparkle of the festive season as the ice rink at Celtic Manor Resort's spectacular Rooftop Garden becomes the fabulous frosty backdrop for your wonderful winter adventure.
Feel the cold tingle of winter air on your face as you glide around the sparkling ice rink, then watch your children’s faces light up as they visit Santa in his grotto and meet his real reindeer too!
Every Thursday evening the Capital FM Street Stars will be joining us for their Capital Ice Parties, playing music from the Capital playlist and offering visitors a chance to take part in the Secret Santa Game to win some fantastic prizes.
Further information : http://www.celtic-manor.com/our-christmas-kingdom.aspx
Darlington festive ice rink opens!
The finishing touches are being put to a new winter ice rink in Darlington town centre ahead of an evening of festive fun.
The town’s Christmas lights will be switched on tomorrow (Thursday, November 29) by Rhys Williams, captain of Middlesbrough FC, and Darlington FC manager Martin Gray following an afternoon of activities.
The celebrations with stilt walkers around the town centre, before a roadshow, hosted by TFM presenters Tim Lichfield and Ben Weston, that will feature dance competitions, games and music from Whinfield Primary School Choir and X Factor contestant Dale Ali.
After a guest appearance by Father Christmas, the Darlington Town Rangers pictured at The Ice Rink being built at Darlington Market Square, from left Michael Oakley,Helen Surma, Martin Law. The Christmas lights will be switched on at 6.30pm.
The ice rink, in Market Place, will open from the 29th November through to the 6th January. Tickets will be available from the Dolphin Centre.
Alex Swan, manager of Darlington BID, which has organised the ice rink, said: “We’ve had a lot of interest about the ice rink but now that it has been built it’s certainly caught a lot of people’s eye. We’re hoping that people will take the chance to come and have a go while its open.”
For full details on the ice rink opening times and ticket information visit: www.distinctdarlington.co.uk/event/ice-rink-dates/
Polar Bears head to the capital
Polar Bear skating aids will be available to rent upon arrival at the ice rink. Skating aids are designed to provide assistance to children whilst skating as they gain confidence on the ice. The Polar Bear skating aids are brand new, and can even be used by adults due to their size.
Polar Bears head for the United Arab Emirates
A selection of skate aids head to the beautiful Marina mall in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The coolest place in Abu Dhabi - obviously! The best rink facility in the UAE after the refurbishment, clean, bright and superb value now have a selection of fantastic skating aids.
Willows Farm Village and Park
Santa's Spectacular Grotto & Festive Farm Fun
21st Nov – 24th Dec 2012
Visit Santa in his Grotto and receive a golden key to enter his toy shop where children can pick their own present. Join in with the Nativity story, hop on the Festive Wood Ride, enter the Elves House, see the reindeer plus Fun Fair Rides, undercover JCB Young Drivers Zone, Woolly Jumpers indoor play barn and Reindeer Hunt with prize for every child. Not forgetting Willows Magical Ice Rink – get your skates on to experience their synthetic ice rink for all the fun without the cold and wet.
New Cardiff Devils' Home in the Valleys
The Devils Community Foundation is expanding to the Welsh Valleys and last week their own DCF U10’s Coach Adam Bailey and Head of the DCF Brent Pope went back to basics with 14 young welsh ice skating enthusiasts. The new initiative is part of the DCF’s interest in cultivating skating talent in the Valleys and develops young people’s skills and interest in skating in general.Brent Pope believes the new synthetic ice rink at Eskimo Joe’s Play Centre is a perfect base for the Devils Community Foundation to nurture the Stars of Tomorrow, ‘everyone starts their skating career somewhere and why not here at Eskimo Joe’s in the Valleys! I was extremely impressed with the standard of skating from 5 to 13 year olds and of the 14 skaters we started with last week 11 of them passed Level 1 already and they are now onto Level 2 this weekend.’
Eskimo Joe’s Managing Director Clare Miles contacted the Cardiff Devils before the end of the 2011/12 season and was keen to build a partnership with the powerful Welsh Ice Brand and has been delighted with the partnership already, ‘we opened the ice rink 9 months ago at Eskimo Joe’s in Gelli in Rhondda Cynon Taff and it has been an overwhelmingly success. I have had interest since the beginning from our customers to provide skating courses, hockey lessons and anything suitable for the young people of the Valleys and now it is happening through the Devils Community Foundation. Adam and Brent were great with the kids last week and we are optimistic this can be a long term programme that keeps young people engaged and active in ice sports.’
This week the DCF will be offering two hours of skating instruction to include a DCF Level 1 Course from 10-11am and a DCF Level 2 Course from 11-12pm. It is exciting times to grow ice sports at the grass roots level and Head of the DCF Brent Pope is delighted, ‘the biggest challenge we have with ice sports in Wales and the UK is the availability of ice time. Eskimo Joe’s is a great starting place to nurture future ice talent and it is a pleasure to work with Clare and her team. We look forward to a long, prosperous partnership together.’
The SnowDome recieve first pack of Polar bears!
The SnowDome offers the ultimate ice skating experience! The UK’s only ice track surrounds the existing ice skating rink making the total skating area more than double the original size! The 250 metre ice track, complete with a ‘mini rink’ for first timers provides a new dimension in skating fun for all the family!
And they now have our ever popular Polar bear skate stability aids! Stable and safe, they encourage a correct skating stance which has won the approval of skating teachers & coaches.
Moray Leisure Centre add Skate aid bears!
Situated in the Royal Burgh of Elgin, in the heart of Moray, Moray Leisure Centre has added our popular polar bear skate aids to their hire stock.............
Plymouth Pavilions take delivery of Bears!
Alpine ice rinks Polar Bear Skate Stability Aids take to the ice at Plymouth Pavilions. They have been designed to help young children gain confidence on the ice. Stable and safe, they encourage a correct skating stance which has won the approval of skating teachers & coaches.
Silver Blades add Polar Bears to Cannock
Silver Blades add more of our popular Polar Bear Stability skating aids for their Cannock Ice Rink.
The bears are very popular with everyone at all three of the popular Silver Blades Ice Rinks.
Alpine Ice Rinks, Hockey Puck Skate Sharpener
Introducing the Alpine Ice Rinks Hockey Puck Sharpener!
After only 1 or 2 hours of skating on freshly sharpened skates, the new edge starts to dull to a point where most experienced skaters can feel the difference. There are numerous skate sharpening devices on the market. They come in many shapes and sizes and are designed for different uses. The Alpine Ice, Hockey Puck Sharpener is not intended to replace power grinding wheel sharpening. It is intended to keep the edges sharp longer for those skaters who like the feel of just sharpened skates. One or 2 passes over your blades with light pressure will bring back that just sharpened feel.
SilverBaldes take delivery of first pack of Polar Bears
Silverblades ice rink take delivery of 20 Polar Bear Skate Stabillity Aids for their Gillingham & Altrincham ice arenas.
BBC's A Question of Sport - Chrsitmas Special 2011
BBC Choose WH Leisure to provide "ice" for their Christmas special after producers extensive tests proved their surface most suitable. Sue Barker hosted the Christmas edition of the light-hearted sports quiz, with regular captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell. Joining them were TV presenters Jake Humphrey and Tim Lovejoy, comedian Patrick Kielty and impressionist Alistair McGowan.
Squires Cafe Bar
After a personal recomendation the owners of Squires approched WH Leisure Limited with an idea they had to transform part of their function room in to an ice rink. After an initial site vist it was clear that real ice was not a option, Synthetic ice offered itself to there requirements. They then researched the market and visited many sites accross the counry and were possible asking the owners about the rink they owned and the companies that had installed it. After negotiations a design was chosen and a new barrier system manufactured.
Daughters inspire their father to build Newton Aycliffe leisure complex
A father who was frustrated by a lack of facilities for his daughters has opened a leisure complex for families in the same predicament.
Darren Peckitt and his wife, Andrea, 38, built Planet Leisure, on Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, after being inspired by their ten-year-old twins, Niamh and Annabel.Incredibly, the 41-year-old engineer managed to hold down a fulltime job at Cummins engineering, in his home town of Darlington, during the 20-month, £1.5m project.
“It’s been a struggle, but it has been worth it,” he said. “I haven’t had a day off for about four months and I’m having to do 18-hour days, but we’re almost there and ready to hand over to the management team and start taking things a little bit easier.”
The 32,000sq ft complex, in Maple Way, features a 4,000sq ft synthetic ice rink, a 12-lane bowling alley, obstacle course, laser arena and licensed restaurants among the attractions.Mr Peckitt said because the leisure complex was built on a business park, it has lower overheads than centres built on retail parks and he is keen to pass on those savings to his customers.It is the second time the couple have set up a business to cater for their family’s needs – they also run the nearby Ruff n Tumble soft play centre.However, Mr Peckitt said despite being the envy of their school friends with access to facilities most children could only dream of, his daughters possess a more practical attitude.Mr Peckitt said: “I’m very grounded, so they have to be and they have been helping out where they can, and will probably help out even more in years to come.“And it’s not as if we have been able to just open this big facility overnight."There have been a lot of times when I have been away from the family and there have been a lot of sacrifices and I’m looking forward to things settling down.”Planet Leisure is open from 10am to midnight Monday to Thursday, 10am to 1am Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 11.30pm on Sundays.
Hebburn mum to create very own ice rink
Watching Dancing on Ice gave a Tyneside mum a cool idea – to build her own rink.
Now, after an eight-month planning battle Yvonne MacPherson is making her dream a reality.With a business partner, the 48-year-old is ploughing savings and loans into creating one of the region’s first synthetic rinks.And she has a race against the clock to transform an empty warehouse behind Coxon Terrace, Felling, Gateshead, ready to open next month.“I’ve really excited but absolutely terrified at the same time because there is so much involved,” said Yvonne, from Hebburn, South Tyneside.“Since Dancing on Ice was on the television, interest in ice skating has really gone up and demand for rinks has soared.”The divorced mum-of-three boys used to manage Atlantic Antics, a children’s activity centre in Jarrow, so had experience running a business but she’s never had her own. “It’s a leap of faith but I’m confident it will be a success because there is a definite demand,” she said.As a child, Yvonne used to get two buses to ice skate at Whitley Bay and says her sons, Callum, 16, Connor, 18, and Liam, 20, had to do the same.With the help of an army of friend volunteers she is gutting the warehouse, patching up the tin roof, making the building soundproof, giving it a lick of paint inside and out, installing ventilation, seating and toilets as well as a 30 metre by 12 metre rink to cater for 60 skaters at any one time.
The rink, made of polyethylene, is suitable for normal metal blades.She has chosen synthetic over real ice to keep installation and maintenance costs down but was forced to put the whole idea on ice when her application for planning permission, put in last December, was knocked back by Gateshead Council.She said: “They thought it was going to be too noisy and that loads of kids would hang around outside. But that won’t be an issue because it’s for families. “I appealed and got a report on noise levels which I submitted to the council.“I’m also going to install sound proofing and special equipment to keep noise levels down.”Yvonne won her appeal and has been given temporary permission for two years to see how the venture goes.
A website is being created with details about the rink, which will be called Sk8ers. When it’s ready people can check out details about the new attraction at: www.sk8ers.co.uk
Eskimo Joes Skate & Play
Rumble in the jungle owner Clare Miles is opening a second indoor play centre.
Eskimo Joe's skate & play in Gelli, in the Rhondda Vally in mid August. The Tonypandy based entrepreneur took on the lease for the 5000 square foot former Monster Madness premises in the village, just 10 a minute drive from Rumble in the Jungle, at the end of June. Miles said: " We have pretty much gutted the site and rewired it and put in a new fire alarm system. We do not have a lot of space but we are being clever with it."
A high play frame, designed for the space by SPI Play, will run along the snow and ice theme and will feature a sprial slide,aerail glide, rollers and mini trampolines. A dedicated toddler area will also offer light and sound display panels.
The rink is being put in by specialist firm WH Leisure. "I saw a synthetic rink at Leisure Industry Week last year and the idea has been at the back of my mind ever since." said Miles. "after talking to the owners of Monster Madness, I realised that the site was too close to Rumble in the Jungle, I needed to do something different so that the two businesses would not be competing with each other. I thought of the ice rink and the name Eskimo Joe's just came after that."
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