This film is part of Free

Title of error

Silver Blades Ice Skating

Streatham goes dancing on ice at the coolest place in town.

Promotional 1963 7 mins

Overview

The art-deco frontage of the Silver Blades ice rink is a much missed feature of the streets of Streatham. Whether you were a budding Torvill or Dean, a denizen of the Bali Hai cocktail bar, or face down on the ice, it was the coolest place in town. It was certainly good enough for The Kinks, The Small Faces and Manfred Mann who all played there in the 1960s.

Originally opened in 1931, the rink was a key part of the growth of figure skating as a sport, although it was temporarily closed during WWII. This film was made after the site was bought by Mecca and made the fourth in their Silver Blades chain. Sadly the original rink closed at the end of 2011 after its 80th anniversary, but a new rink remains a central feature of the redeveloped site.

Genres

Promotional

Country

United Kingdom

Location

Streatham

Language

English

Subjects

Watch for free

Jumping over Tennis Net Jumping over Tennis Net

Home movie 1903 1 mins Silent Location: Streatham

The grown-ups of the Passmore clan let out their inner children as they leap over a tennis net in this early home movie

Watch for free

Streatham Children's Pageant Streatham Children's Pageant

Non-Fiction 1916 1 mins Silent Location: Streatham

Time for Britannia to get off the bus - the Queen is coming to Streatham

Watch for free

Our Business Is Fun Our Business Is Fun

Documentary 1975 60 mins Location: Streatham

Meet Futuristic Fred, the celebrated fairground artist from Streatham.

Watch for free

Flying a Kite Flying a Kite

Home movie 1903 1 mins Silent Location: Streatham

In the year the Wright Brothers made their first flight, an Edwardian family film themselves taking to the skies… sort of.

Watch for free

Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A

Short interview 2024 24 mins

Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

Watch for free

Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A

Short interview 2024 30 mins

Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.

Watch for free

Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell

Documentary 2024 42 mins

Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.

Watch for free

Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels

Short documentary 2024 12 mins

Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.