Ian Waller and his family enjoy a wonderful day of skating, pizza and fun!
It was so good to be back! Our family visit to Bath On Ice has become the most welcome and enjoyable of Christmas traditions, and something that we all look forward to.
For those new to the experience, Bath On Ice has taken over its traditional spot next to the mini-golf at Victoria Park, offering an ice rink and aprés skating bar which serves superb hot chocolate, pizzas and plenty more too.
Each year my family of five brave the ice, with the teenage children increasingly stylish, my wife effortlessly smooth and me, the oldie, tottering along behind like a bow-legged ducking on a frozen pond, just trying to keep up! Around us, a busy rink was full of zoomer, totterers, those clinging desperately to the wall and plenty of parents and carers pushing their children around on plastic, chair-shaped skate aids.
The whole atmosphere is just loads of fun, with people of all ages having a right laugh and loving every minute. Yes, of course there are spills along the way, and generally that’s all part of the fun, with skating marshals on hand to help you up again and make sure that you’re OK.
Each session is an hour long and you will need to book – particularly at weekends when the sessions sell out super quick. The evening sessions are particularly popular.
And for parents and carers of toddlers, check out the Toddler Time sessions on weekday mornings (until 15 December).
We found the hour-long session to be about right – it gave us all a chance to rediscover our skate legs and improve our technique, without getting too exhausted. You’re welcome to leave the ice at any time to take a break if needed, although looking at some of the junior skaters, they look like they could have carried on all day!
Once our hour was complete, it was back inside to swap our skates back for our shoes and enjoy the warmth and hospitality of the Moguls Alpine Bar.
While there’s plenty of space, with heaters on the wall and blankets available to borrow if you’re feeling chilly, for groups larger than eight persons, you can also select from a range of party package options that include reserved seating in our VIP lounge areas.
We went for hot chocolate, pizzas and churros, all of which were just delicious. While my lot stuck with the traditional options of pepperoni, ham and pizza and margherita, I went a bit more festive with the Christmas Special, complete with sliced turkey, brie, stuffing and cranberry. There’s also breakfast rolls available for early arrivals, along with hot dogs and loaded fries.
All in all, this was a hugely enjoyable visit and just a perfect way to get those family Christmas activities going. With the Glow Golf next door offering even more fun, Bath On Ice has become one of Bath’s very best festive traditions.