I really do love this time of year! Christmas is well and truly under way and all the fun activities that go with it are slowly but surely opening up! One of these I simply love, is ice skating! Trying to channel my inner Jane Torvill always provides hours of entertainment, not only for me, but everyone else, as despite my best efforts, I’m rubbish! But if you fancy a skate, then good news as the Royal Tunbridge Wells ice rink is reopening!
It’s opening this Friday, that’s November 20 and will be open until  Sunday, January 3, 2016, so there’s no excuses not to get your skates on! Literally!
It’s set in the beautiful Calverley Grounds amphitheatre, and offers something for everyone, from general skating and parent and toddler sessions, to meeting Father Christmas himself in his cosy log cabin. It’s pretty much the perfect family trip! To mark the opening night of the ice rink, Silver Blades in Gillingham will be showcasing a variety of their very own talent from group routines to solo figure skating performances from Jodie Russell (bronze medallist in the 2015 British solo junior ice dance championships) and Aaron Freeman (currently training for next year’s British senior male championships).
Just to add something a bit different, local samba band Bloco Fogo will also add colour and spectacle with their energetic samba drumming, so if you’re more about just watching than participating, they are for you!
I spoke to the mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Councillor David Elliott and he said: “The ice rink is the perfect destination for some winter fun. Royal Tunbridge Wells is a great place to be this Christmas.”
I think we’d all agree with that sentence!
There are family tickets, concessions and the loyalty card means you can build up stamps and exchange for a free skate. Parent and toddler sessions are every morning with two dedicated sessions for under fours and their parents – with main skating following every hour from 11am.
Alongside the rink there will be little wooden chalets, selling Christmas gifts and festive produce. There will be lots of mouthwatering food to choose from, Basil on Ice with their specialty hot chocolate, soups and award-winning cakes and bakes. Freshly made pizzas stone baked in a wood-fired oven from Pizza Cucina and mouthwatering gourmet sirloin steak burgers, pulled pork in a hickory barbecue sauce and home-made waffles from Apple & Cor! Not forgetting the Fuggles pop-up bar selling real ale, some Belgian classics and other seasonal drinks… is your mouth watering yet?! So make sure you head down there with friends and family and start your Christmas now!
Becky xx
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