Season’s Greetings from England

Last year the Van Hage Garden Centre at Ware in Hertfordshire decided for a Christmas Ice Rink. Looking for a complete solution, they turned to Ice-World dealer Stage Electrics who has developed a full ice rink service in conjunction with Ice-World.
Stage Electrics installed a skating rink of 600 square meters, 20m by 30m in size, which gives it a capacity of 200 skaters per session, and it's turned into a much bigger event altogether.
Burgess from Stage Electrics: "This year one of the big changes that we couldn't control is the amount of snow that's fallen. That brings its own issues because the snow sits on top of the ice and you have to get rid of it as fast as possible before it freezes solid and makes the surface uneven.

But a resurfacing machine has enabled them to keep a good surface of ice right the way through. And there's a plus point, in that the low temperatures this winter have reduced the load on the chillers, which means less generator fuel has been consumed."
So does the rink itself involve much in the way of ground preparation? John Burgess: "With the Ice-World system we effectively build a paddling pool, then flood it right the way up to the level of the pipes and freeze that in one continuous session over a period of 12 to 18 hours."With a six-week operating period which extended into January, Van Hage used the time to add different themed events. "They've expanded the concept considerably beyond the pure skate experience," says Burgess from Stage Electrics. "They had ‘Skating Cake with Father Christmas' before Christmas, for mothers with small toddlers who meet Father Christmas in the Skate Café and then go skating. They've added various other elements and events along those sort of lines to add even more fun and value to the skating experience."Stage Electrics installed the base structure, rubber matting, benches, skates, ice rink, safety barrier and a resurfacing machine. Two elements were provided in conjunction with established partner suppliers - De Boer for the marquees and Aggreko for the generator. The Van Hage team dressed the public areas themselves and put together the skate exchange area.