London Dayz- Neat Ice Rinks
 

Though it rarely gets below freezing in London anymore i believe the city offers some sweet outdoor ice rinks in neat locals. Skates can be rented so for a different aspect to your London trip:

Somerset House Ice Rink - right in the heart of London, in the courtyard of imposing Somerset House.

Broadgate Ice Rink
A small rink behind Liverpool Street station

Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink
Nov 29-Jan 11 2009
located near the main entrance of Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace - combine with a visit to the English Versailles, and to me one of the best palaces in Europe to visit - often overlooked by tourists.
Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, East Molesey, KT8 (0870 060 1778/www.hamptoncourticerink.com).

Kew Gardens Ice Rink
Nov 29-Jan 4 2009
A rink in front of the Temperate House.
Kew Gardens, Kew Rd, Richmond, TW9 (0844 412 4642/www.kewgardensicerink.com).

More details as well as hours appear in this week's Time Out London e-mail edition. Available weekly and free www.timeoutlondon.com - always something of interest, especially for traveler seeking more from London than the blockbuster sights.

There's also one at the Natural History Museum in S Kensington.

The Ice Rink is open from 6 November to 18 January from 10.00 to 22.00 on weekdays and 08.45 to 22.00 on weekends

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-...ink/index.html

There are a ton of ice rinks in London! But, as travelers people should be aware that often times tickets are needed in advance. We went into London last year thinking we could just show up and skate at Hyde Park. All the tickets were sold out! If you do want to skate, plan ahead and buy your tickets before you get there!

There is a free one on the Leidseplein in Ams from November 1 to 11 January. Lots of others cities will have them too.
In addition to all the permanent ones that is.

Holland of course having a tradition of championship skaters - the canals i guess once froze over regularly and what a thrill that must have been to skate on them - and that inner city race which i think actually could happen several years ago when canals froze enough

I camped for years at the Ijs Club in Amsterdam and they once had a huge, huge outdoor ice rink that was once on Museumplein long ago and then moved south a few miles - they had camping in the summer. I saw photos of thousands of Amsterdammers skating there in olden days.

It's not just London with outdoor ice rinks In December. Many other cities and towns around England have them too.

Gloucester has had one for several years in King's Square in the town centre from the end of November, and Cheltenham has one this year for the first time in Imperial Gardens in front of the Queen's Hotel.

And there are many more around the UK in all the big cities...

http://www.visitbritain.fi/things-to...res/ice-rinks/

There's a bloody great big one in Greenwich - in Cutty Sark Gardens.

A right nuisance it is too.

PalenQ we dream every year of an "Elfsteden" winter - one that is cold enough to allow the 11 towns race to go ahead. Sadly I fear such winters are a thing of past.
My kids used to have a great time skating on the local ponds when small, and then on the river when they were older. The schools used to declare a day ice free so everyone could go skating together. Mums would provide snert and hot chocolate and a great time was had by all. Every town and village has a field which is flooded in winter in the hope of having a cold snap for skating.
When the 11 towns race did take place the kids were all allowed to watch it at school, instead of following lessons. My son now lives on the route so we would have ringside seats if it takes place again!
Kids nowadays don't get the chance to learn to skate unless they live near one of the permanent ice rinks.

Cambridge has one on Parker's Piece, and the science park I work on (on the city outskirts) is getting one too this year.

In London, Broadgate is quite entertaining with the suits on their lunch breaks!

Also, I'm fairly sure they sometimes have one near/around The Tower.