FOR six decades, ice skating was one of the most popular hobbies in Bournemouth.

Thousands of people took to the ice during the lifetime of the town’s rink in Westover Road.

Many were casual skaters, while others worked hard to gain certificates or take part in competitions.

The rink saw appearances from some of the biggest names in skating of all kinds – including John Curry, Robin Cousins and Torvill and Dean.

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And it was one of the town’s big entertainment venues, with Ice Follies shows drawing crowds.

Many skaters are due to attend a reunion on Saturday December 28, when the Cool Coast Ice Rink comes to the BIC.

They have been sharing memories and pictures via a Facebook group called Westover Ice Rink – Memories.

The Westover Ice Rink was one of Bournemouth’s art deco treasures, opened in the 1930s above the Westover Garage, some of whose directors were keen skaters.

In 1933, it hosted ice hockey match – Bournemouth vs Streatham – followed, astonishingly, by ice speedway.

There were always general skating sessions open to the public, but many also took up ice hockey, figure skating, ice dance or speed skating.

Tony Peach, now living in Canada, recalled: “I started skating at the Westover when I was seven years old and went on a Saturday morning.

“I figure skated at first and this helped me so much with my hockey, which I started playing when I was 12 in figure skates. I remember the coaches Pete Murray and Colin Bennett telling my parents to please buy me some hockey skates as they wanted me to play for the juniors.”

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He played for the Bournemouth Hounds at junior level and then, aged 14, the Bournemouth Stags.

“During this time we would travel all over Britain and be proud to pull on the Stags’ jersey. It didn’t matter about all the travelling. It was what I always wanted to be a part of,” he said.

“We didn’t have iPads and iPods or internet back then, we had all our good friends at the Westover.”

Tony Cade worked at the rink from 1962 until 1985, as chief electrician for most of that time. One of his fondest memories is John Curry’s first professional appearance at the rink – on Sunday June 27 1976.

“John arrived on the Saturday afternoon. On talking to him about running order etc, we found out he had no music,” said Tony.

With only 90 minutes until that evening’s Ice Follies show was to begin, Tony escorted the skater to the record department of Beales to buy music.

While the Follies were on, they transferred the music to reel-to-reel tape and edited it by splicing the tape, ready for Curry to rehearse as soon as the rink was empty again.

The rehearsal finished around 4am, after which Tony went home to write cue sheets for himself and the spotlight operators before returning at 9.30am for rehearsals with a full cast.

“The show went like a dream. John did four or five encores for both his numbers,” said Tony.

“I will never forget that weekend. It was a real privilege to work with him.”

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Figure skater Allison Smith, nee Paget, was a regular at Westover Road from the mid-1970s until its closure.

“During the 1980s there was regular BBC coverage of Westover’s amazing skaters, a fantastic contribution towards the huge popularity of the sport,” she said.

She recalled how the figure skating season always began in September, with new music selected, followed by practice sessions learning moves.

There was always a competition to look forward to, from the Beginners cup through to the Stuart Cup for advanced skaters and the Eldridge Trophy, which was about musical interpretation and fun.

She recalls how many people dedicated themselves to the pastime for years, working towards tests or formal skating qualifications. Some went on to join companies such as Holiday On Ice.

Westover Figure Skating Club was run by parents and former skaters, she recalled. “These were dedicated, enthusiastic people that simply loved the sport and did all the hard work making sure the children were getting as much enjoyment out of it as they could,” Allison said.

“There was always something to look forward to, whether it was rehearsing for a Christmas show, practising towards an exhibition, having a new costume made or arranging activities socially away from the ice. But what skaters enjoyed the most was meeting up with their skating pals and having a great skate.”

Tony Cade said: “In the 1960s and 70s it was packed full every evening and also during the daytime for school holidays. But there was a decline in skating and the rink wanted a lot of money spent on it.”

Despite public protests, the rink closed in 1991.

Pat Pond, who started skating there around 1955 and continued throughout the 60s, said: “It was the most ridiculous thing they ever did, getting rid of the ice rink. It’s so fashionable now with people watching Dancing On Ice.”

Mary Waygood, who organised the forthcoming reunion with Michele Hartnett, said: “I never imagined, when I started the Facebook group, Westover Ice Rink – Memories seven years ago, it would be so successful but it just goes to show how strong a bond Westover ice skating created.

“The members of the group are its life force and hopefully one day future generations can read about the fun, or hopefully even experience the freedom we all benefited from by having an ice rink in Bournemouth to escape to.”