more rolling

There's something subversive about fancy dress perhaps because the wearer is not themselves for a bit.  It certainly appealed to Edwardian roller skaters.

Sara Pascoe is definitely a better roller skater (20:39) than Rachel Parris (not difficult) but she doesn't have the relaxed elegance we've often envied in roller derby skaters out of play.

It's not just roller derbyists who have attitude.

Our calculation may be imaginative but at the beginning of last century a one hour lesson in fancy skating would have been around £36 in today's money ... sounds about right.

A chum who has been motor homing near Wales pointed us at BBC Wales' three part doc about roller derby league Tiger Bay Brawlers.  On tv tomorrow night in Wales only but available everywhere on iPlayer.

The day after we'd bought a helmet for roller skating we came off backwards big time banging our head hard.  Sixteen year old Sid Hudson skateboarding in Bury St Edmunds wasn't so lucky.

A tintype was a mid 1800s photo process which makes just one positive and usually mirror image.  Popular as it could be processed quickly, a sort of Victorian Polaroid.  The subject's participation is needed for the long exposures suiting snapper Jenny Sampson who used the process to make pix of female and non-binary skateboarders in US skateparks.

The other Norfolk roller derby league on YouTube and in Canada.

BBC doc United Skates has stunning (often synchronised) rolling from black American skaters.  It also has racism, gangs, developers and closing down roller rinks but stay with it as the ending is encouraging.

Nice to see that roller derby skate outs are still alive in the USA.

In a lifetime of laughter and tears we have noted that most people like what they're used to and that usually means clichéd predictability so when the Blue Thunder Rollers renamed themselves we were impressed they resisted Suffolk Punchers or such like.  Recently Suffolk Roller Derby skater Dr Astrid Coxon has revived the draught horse allusion.

When Richard Branson goes roller skating with some rock dinosaurs and it's not him who breaks his ankle surely an up cock by God ... ♫

Just one more confirmed Covid-19 case in Suffolk yesterday.  A fifty sixth reason to be cheerful ... The twenty stair rail is really <beep>ing that up.

Rollerworld Colchester has started a Crowdfunder page so they'll still be there when the stay at home let's them re-open.  Inducements include roller derby and speed skating sessions.

Crikey!  A non-helmet wearing backflip on roller skates in a skate park and the suspension of British american football extended to the beginning of July.

Short track slider (not roller) Elise Christie has been on a journey.

Suzi Rufell is a better roller skater than Rachel Parris.

Scot Alicia Rodgers and her mates bought roller skates after seeing Whip It (they are not alone) but then omitted the next step learning to skate.  Alicia is now learning to skate for a charity live performance on 25th May.  She's doing better than us (we can't shoot the duck off skates) and thankfully she had gained a helmet by the latter part of week two.

896 confirmed Covid-19 cases so far in Suffolk and total yesterday, the rate of increase seems to be easing.  The thirty fifth reason to be cheerful continues yesterday's roller derby theme with a tattoo related YouTube. ♫

877 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Suffolk and total so far.  The thirty fourth reason to be cheerful ... London Roller Girls eh?

When Cambridge Rollerbillies were Romsey Town Rollerbillies they shared a warehouse with a cycle polo team, it was very Whip It if not banked track.  Sadly the Billies didn't get an anonymous angel unlike Sacramento Roller Derby ... even if your premium bond pulled the big one you still wouldn't have enough money.

A charming immediately post Edwardian Easter card with a roller skating small girl who is also a bit scary with her stick to hit the fluffy little chicks.  A rolling on cards album update that includes rolling skating bears, cats and a dog.

Roller derby in its present flat track iteration is a young sport so there's always a new way to interpret the rules.  We recall a downed skater having three seconds (a bit mean eh?) to get up but we can't find it in the current WFTDA rules.

Suffolk Roller Derby recreating old time derby fun in 2018 and Ipswich.

Happy New Year.  The bit of Suffolk that is near the coast tends to go into hibernation during January but we'll forage for any stirrings.  In the meantime here's the pic we meant to use about bank track roller derby in that there London and the 50s.