Here Be Treasure (part2)

..."BLACKPOOL:
Blackpool Leisure Beach.
A lot of people have felt the need to tell about this one which is apparently in a poor state of repair. Perhaps they'll have fixed it up for the summer season. There's one good ramp which the regulars use in conjunction with a launch ramp. High possibility rating as it's easy to draw an admiring crowd by pulling off backside kick turns.

BREAN:
Brean Down Leisure Centre, Near Burnham -on-Sea, Somerset.
the place with the seventeen foot halfpipe. This is now closed. One solitary correspondent insists that he still uses it but this has not been corroborated. This is not one to make a special journey for.

BRISTOL:
dame Emily Smythe, Bedminster, nr train station.
Council near disaster fast tarmac surface which appeals to slalomists and rollerskaters. Sort of concrete, sort of halfpipe which has to be seen to be believed, but don't take this as a recommendation that you make the journey. The bottom corner of the halfpipe was being put to good use when I went there to have a look because Lockleaze was full of water and there was nowhere else to go.

Lockleaze.
this is sited in an adventure playground near the football stadium at the very end of Shaldon Road. The bowl is highly recommended on sight and by word of mouth, but it has virtually no drainage and was full of water when we went to look. There is also a halfpipe with similar problems and a free-standing ramp.

CLEETHORPES:
Council? provided ramps and so on next to the swimming pool. Seasonal committed regular skaters and committed council employee = hope for the future.

COLWYN BAY:
Something but we don't know what. If you're in the area have a look and let us know what you find, but I gather you'd be better off down the road in Llandudno.

COSHAM:
On our way back from Southsea we spotted this council facility in Southampton Road, Cosham. It's concrete and is located in the back of a school/youth club or something similar. Southsea makes more sense.

EDINBURGH:
Several completely useless council built "Skateboard rinks". These wonders, each one of which probably cost more than most commercial parks, feature ill lain paving stones sloping down into drainage gulleys. We gather that one of these parks has now been stolen by local residents to make crazy paving which is a fitting end to the matter. The repercussions still rumble on however and skateboarding in Scotland suffered immense damage because such a vast amount of public money was squandered on facilities which, for obvious reasons, were never even used.
Holyrood ParkThis park is closed to traffic on Sundays and is turning into Scotland's answer to Hyde Park. Slalom/Speed/Freestyle/Rollerskates. a useful place to keep in touch with other skaters.
Meadowbank Scotland's National Sports centre is the location for regular training sessions organised on an invitational basis by the S.S.A. It will also be the site for "Skate 80" a skate demo taking place on June 8th.
Blues, 1 Wemyss Place, Edinburgh. Rollerskates/Sales and hire available, but not skateboards."

more to come...