Ian C
Sunday August 28th 2006 and were just home from Argos after collecting my Girlfriends 10 year old son his first skateboard. We’ve been listening to the radio in the car the station was playing The Arctic Monkeys, Similou and The Keiser Chiefs.
Rewind 26 years and I’m getting into BMX in a big way (that’s another story) playing on the radio are The Specials- Too much to young, Blondie’s- Call me and The Jams Going Underground.
Rewind a further 3 years and Ive just nailed a roller skate to a 20”x 6” piece of tongue and groove and along with a hundred other 11 year olds I’m sat on it (no standing yet) and bombing down all the hills in my neighbourhood. I couldn’t wait for Christmas 77 And the polypropylene Pro-Am that came with it. Playing on the radio are The Bee Gees-Stayin Alive, The Sex Pistols-Anarchy in the UK and the Stranglers No more Heroes….
Over the next couple of years my mates and I would make frequent visits to the skateboard shops in Bolton the first one being at the bus station end of Deansgate. I can still remember the layout with the 3 steps towards the back of the shop (this was where all the decent gear was) and the smell of grip tape that hit you as you entered.
Later another shop opened this was on Bradshawgate facing the Swan pub. I don’t recall that one lasting very long.
At some time around 78/79??? I went to some place (distributor?) in Stockport with 2 of my skateboarding mates Dave Hughes and Gary Lyons they were buying new decks and wheels by a company called Lan. To this day I don’t know anything about Lan. I just remember that the decks were much wider than anything ide seen before and the wheels which were a dark blue colour were much harder than the other wheels that were around at the time.
Gary Lyons Father owned a coach company and was considering selling the business to fund the building of a concrete skate park on the land at the back of his house. Unfortunately he couldn’t get planning permission. Later at Gary’s we built a large wooden ramp with a run in and numerous extensions and a very tight half pipe. Also at one stage a concrete bowl was started but never completed. Gary’s father used to run coach trips to skate parks and I vaguely remember a couple of these. The first being a really good wooden indoor park in Stockport this was (I think??) In a mill near the town centre within site of the railway arches????
There was also a trip to an outdoor concrete park (maybe)called Pandora’s Box???? I remember snapping my home made deck fitted with ACS 651 trucks and blue kryps at this park. Cant for the life of me remember where this park was though It was after all over 27 years ago !
The replacement for the broken deck was a second hand Alva bought from a local skater called David Birtwhistle (sp) if I remember correctly he was a marshal at Bolton Skateboard City and arguably the best skater in my area at the time. The Alva deck with ACS 651 trucks, blue kryptonics and SKF bearings lasted until the end of my skateboarding days whereupon I gave it to my Nephew.
We frequented Bolton Skateboard city where I was a member and I remember my Dad taking me down there to sign up just before it was opened (what Year?) Remember how dusty that place used to get? Years later after it had closed down, a section of the wall where the half pipe used to be had been knocked out and we used to get in and ride the bowl and snake run on our BMX’s. The bowl and snake run were full of crap so we just carved and did 180’s on the right hand bank. Happy days.
Other favourite skate spots were Salford banks, The whirl pool in Manchester, Harrop street banks, Walkden shopping precinct, and Southport skate park.
Salford Banks
Still there but in very poor condition. These 12ft high sloping banks had random raised flags that you had to dodge LOL
Heres some pictures……
Harrop street banks
A set of low banks behind a block of flats near Walkden still there!! Heres some pics
Walkden Shopping Precinct
Much changed today but back in the day this was a Mecca for skateboarders. Built on multi levels with “moguls” mostly undercover too.
The whirlpool.
Only vague memory’s of this as i recall it was behind a block of offices in Piccadilly Manchester???. It was a gradually spiralling set of banks. We were usually chased off by security guards after a short session Laughing
Southport Skate park
We used to catch the train from Walkden station on a Saturday morning to visit this park. Much smoother than Bolton skate park. It became a bit neglected and sometimes a problem with sand in the bowl areas. Think it was demolished in the 90’s and a Go Kart track built on the site.
As I mentioned, BMX more or less brought to an end 3 very happy years of skateboarding. Ill have to ask my Nephew what happened to the Alva!
Fast forward back to September 10th 2006 Ive just had very enjoyable session at Rampworx in Liverpool. Ive just learned to “drop in” and have been having a go at carving the black bowl. It’s good to get the adrenalin flowing again Cool
I would love to here from anyone one who remembers the original Stockport skate park, The whirl pool, Pandora’s box or indeed anything else I've been waffling on about.
Cheers Ian c.