1946 Ice Champions

Here’s a beautiful little film that shows British skating as it looked in May of 1946 just before the first British Championships to be held after the end of WW2. Filmed at the Empire Pool, Wembley - an arena which played host to many national and international championhips before and after the war - we see a public dance session, stunt skaters and a 1940’s style resurfacing before we see footage of some of the best British skaters of that era in practice before the championships began. Featured are three-time British medallist Marion Davies, Bridget Shirley Adams, Jill Hood-Linzee, 1947 British Champion, European bronze medallist and world silver medallist Daphne Walker and the great Cecilia Colledge, three-time European champion, 1937 world champion and at this time already a 5-time British champion from 1935-1939. She returned to skating after the war to win her 6th and final title here. In this film she demonstrates the layback spin that she invented. The skater featured at the end is Olive Robinson who won the British ladies professional title in the same year.