In keeping with my winter activity plan for the lead up to Christmas a group of us went along to Somerset House for ice skating. A winter activity I’ve done every year since I’ve been living here, it still hasn’t lost its novelty value.
What a setting too, Somerset House is beautiful and grand on a normal day, put a giant Christmas tree, skate rink and Christmas lights all around and it’s even more spectacular. Skating to the sounds of (bad) pop music and Christmas carols I couldn’t help but get that feeling again – that one where it feels as though I’m in a movie.
Amazingly, despite growing up with cold Christmases, C has never been ice skating before. I said he’d be fine and just as we got on the ice I said, ‘it’s just like roller blading’ to which he replied ‘I’ve never been roller blading, or roller skating before!’ Probably something I should have checked before booking him in!! Funny how you can know someone so well and for so long and they can surprise you like that.
Anyway, I was kind and held his hand while we went around a few times and eventually he was skating on his own, no hands. Pretty good for a complete novice!! I was well impressed.
Meanwhile, I was ok if a little wobbly at first, but as I got into my groove I got more and more daring and felt I could skate faster and faster. I started doing little circles, skating backwards and eventually thought I could do just about anything.
Swish, swoosh, scrape! Ahhh the sound of my superfast* skates on the ice! Getting up speed, turning backwards and talking to people, thinking I’m awesome because I held C up so many times…
Just as I was thinking that I had done well not to fall over yet what with all the people around, and thinking how cool and casual I looked on the ice, I saw that C had the camera going. So what did I do but try to show off for it?? I was coming around to do a nice big spin and then WHAM! ‘Swish, swoosh, scrape’ did I say? More like, ‘swish, swoosh, bang!’ followed by an uproar of laughter!
The video can be viewed here. I haven’t quite mastered the art of editing and it’s quite long so if you don’t want to watch the whole thing, I appear around 18 seconds in, looking as cocky as hell, and then again for my grand finale at about 53/54.
I am now feeling even more sore and sorry for myself than I was on the weekend because now, along with my cold I have a number of bruises, pulled muscles and literally am aching all over. I seriously learned my lesson about trying to show off though. Although, I’m terribly glad C caught it on camera for its comedic value and for your amusement!
The night was good fun though, and such a great thing to do with a group of friends. We ended it with a nice mulled wine together while I waited for my soaking wet jeans to dry before getting back on my bike.
Did I mention how much I love Christmas in the UK? Yeah, I probably did.
*of course, ‘superfast’ by my skating standards is not actually that fast!
Almost English 