Froghill’s folding ice rink is to reopen this week after remaining closed for the last three months. The rink has lain unused since mid-January, when it accidentally became locked in a car boot.
Owner and local businessman Marcus Creamfield said he was ‘over the moon’ that the rink would re-open to the public and invited skaters both old and young to a free session on Friday evening.
The rink, which is substantially bigger than a football pitch, has been a popular local attraction for over 20 years. When not in use, it folds up to the size of a Weetabix packet and can be stored in a carrier bag.
“I’d put it in the boot of the car at the end of the day,” recalled Mr. Creamfield, “and when I came to get it the following morning, the car’s locks jammed on me.”
All efforts to free the locks failed, as did attempts to force the boot lid with a crowbar. Eventually, with the ice melting and water cascading from the vehicle, the Royal Engineers were called in and Mr. Creamfield’s Volvo was blown up in a controlled explosion.
“When we finally salvaged the rink from the debris, it was in pretty bad shape,” said the 41-year-old entrepreneur. “Most of the grab rails had been blown off and, of course, all the ice had long since gone. The first problem was getting it open, as the hasps had stiffened during the three-months of inactivity.
“It can be very nasty, getting a stiff hasp,” added Mr. Creamfield, before turning on a hose to fill the rink, ahead of Friday’s grand re-opening on Froghill Common.
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