Rock and Roller!

From the near death of my roller blades after one of my mum’s ‘new year clear out’ invasions (they may have been lying there in dust for 10 years – but who knows when I might take it up again?!) to one of my friends being permanently on wheels in an effort to perfect the art in 4 days, roller skating has been a hot topic of conversation this week amongst my family and friends.  All this hype has seriously made me consider getting back on those wheels in a big way.

So imagine my delight when I heard about the London Friday Night Skate and London Sunday Stroll?!

The London Friday Night Skate is a weekly (weather permitting), free, marshalled, fast paced skating tour around London starting in Hyde Park.  In addition to whizzing through London with the wind in your hair, there is also a portable sound system to accompany you!  Although this sounds like fun and games, it is not for the amateurs (like me), it is pretty fast and you are legally required to stop by yourself on your skates.

If, like me, your mantra is ‘If I’m going down, you’re coming with me’, then maybe the London Sunday Stroll may be more suited to your abilities.  Although they still state that you must be able to stop, change direction and control your speed on hills, the Sunday Stroll’s pace makes this a more achievable feat.

The skating tours are entirely free and are put on just for fun!  The London Friday Night Skate usually leaves from Wellington Arch in Hyde Park every Friday at 8pm, and the Sunday Stroll usually departs from Serpentine Road in Hyde Park at 2pm every Sunday.  The website provides full details including routes and if the skates are running due to weather.  There's also information on there about the Easy Saturday Skate, skate hockey and the Speed Skate team!

So what are you waiting for?!  Dig out those skates, brush away the cobwebs and recreate your very own Starlight Express around the streets of London!