rolling 2019-2013

mo 23 Dec 2019	Whenever an half arsed journo describes roller derby as skaters racing furiously you know they've never seen a bout ... mind you the skaters' state of mind might be furious ...
sa 14 Dec 2019	Christmas roller disco in the Tommy Mills sports hall Framlingham tomorrow am.
sa 7 Dec 2019	We've renamed this roller derby section rolling to make it more inclusive.
su 1 Dec 2019	We were pleased to see the dress rehearsal Framlingham's Off-Ice Skating Club's Christmas show Peter Pan. Like last year's show this year's is charming and has lots of impressive lighting effect. More info and tickets from pippatigerlove@talktalk.net.
we 27 Nov 2019	In our childhood we read from the public library an autobiography of a Canadian sports promoter working in 1950s London. Not surprisingly he promoted ice hockey but perhaps more surprising also bank track roller derby, The long term result of our reading was when Twitter showed a derby league forming in Essex we had a very faint idea what it was about. The Triple Sword Roller Girls never completed their gestation but no doubt the skaters are still out there somewhere.
fr 15 Nov 2019	Skate outs and dancing for the Hydra? Definitely! ... roller derby eh?
sa 19 Oct 2019	Sunday we arrived at Hogtoberfest on the outskirts of London in time for the presentations but there was freeriding afterwards. Hogg Hill continues to develop with new to us dance and street luge. We were particularly impressed with a very young woman who despite a dressing on her right leg and struggling to slow in the first right hander was still buckboarding.
su 22 Sep 2019	British Championship roller derby this afternoon on the Beeb web site.
sa 7 Sep 2019	Didn't know that wholesome (and no doubt fragrant) Julie Andrews skated bank track roller derby ... she didn't mention it amongst her favourite things.
su 10 Aug 2019	We were very flattered when Jerry The Commissioner Seltzer replied to our Facebook comment that the previous flat track roller derby two whistle start made for more variety in play. He pointed out that in old time banked track derby the pack just kept rolling. We are very sorry to report that Jerry passed away at the beginning of last month.
sa 3 Aug 2019	Usual mainstream overblown journalism when writing about roller derby but also the unlikely info that writer Damon Runyan co-created banked track derby with promoter Leo Seltzer. Runyan wrote the Broadway short stories on which the musical Guys and Dolls was based ... certainly seems unlikely but then Runyan was also a sports reporter with a liking for boxing.
sa 22 Jun 2019	Very pleased to see Denver keeping the roller derby skate out alive and entertaining.
th 30 May 2019	Short track roller derby, three on the track, seven in a team, turn right in the first half turn left in the second, no lead jammer and NO penalty box you lose two points for a penalty (seven penalty ejections?) ... interesting but not stupid eh?
tu 12 Mar 2019	In an attempt to please Mr Google the roller derby section has been reorganised with Norfolk Roller Derby, Suffolk Roller Derby and the now defunct Seaside Sirens having their own pages.
mo 25 Feb 2019	Roller derby skater Boris Gridcity in Houghton Regis ... don't worry, most people don't know where it is either.
tu 29 Jan 2019	Here's a roller derby novelty, the British Championships Mansfield Roller Derby v Hellfire Harlots B is free entry ... though it is a ways to Mansfield admittedly.
tu 18 Dec 2018	The London Rollergirls are recruiting coaches for next year, applications close 28 December. It used to be the law at roller derby bouts that if the announcer mentioned ex-LRG coach Ballistic Whistle there had to be an official time out.
th 13 Dec 2018	In 2014 and Ely we snapped a Red White and Bruise Rollers scrimmage with Suffolk RD and we're pretty certain we snapped a RWB skater with a mixed league team in Bletchley. Like the Seaside Sirens very regrettably RWB are pulling up their track tape for the last time. As a league that pretty much could only draw on military and their families at RAF Lakenheath it was likely to struggle. The brilliant bit is they are giving away their t-shirts for just the postage. Ours arrived this morning and it fits!
su 9 Dec 2018 The Little Mermaid	This morning in the Tommy Mills sports hall Framlingham in front of a very supportive and appreciative audience The Little Mermaid whizzed about on off ice skates. One of the many very young cast members had to be taken to the toilet during the show but like we said before nobody fell over. Such an opportunity for the young to learn self confidence ... hope there'll be another show soon.
su 18 Nov 2018	The skaters at the rehearsal of The Little Mermaid in the Tommy Mills Framlingham's sports hall today were wearing off ice skates, they look like inline skates but the four wheels are mounted in a curve so only two wheels touch the floor making spins and turns easier. At the rehearsals nobody fell ... more here
su 28 Oct 2018	Live European roller derby on the BBC web site this afternoon.
sa 20 Oct 2018	Last Sunday we asked a Killa Hurtz coach if there would be a skateout for their bout with hosts the Leicester Dolly Rockits, Don't know she said But everyone hates skateouts ... so just us then. It seemed a fairly even bout but then we stepped out to see the score and the Rockits were easily pulling away so don't trust us on anything. A comfortable 225-063 Rockits win despite early on losing a skater with an ankle injury, it's always ankles. The Dolly Rockits are full WFTDA members and two Rockits told us the league wouldn't be competing in the British Championships next year as they want to concentrate on tournaments.
su 14 Oct 2018	When we arrived at Loughborough Leisure Centre this afternoon it was pouring with rain and the car park completely full, we had to circle until a leaver made a space but the Leicester Dolly Rockits were very welcoming. The mixed league support bout of rookies and second bouters was very impressive; Bambi jumped the apex, there was organised blocker offence on a power jam and a pivot shouting To me! To me! when play had broken down (she's officer material). Very good stuff indeed.
su 16 Sep 2018	Play off finals in today's British roller derby Championships live on BBC online from 1:30pm. At 4:30pm the Norfolk Brawds play Rebellion Roller Derby.
fr 5 Jan 2018	Roller derby has more rules than the town council (it is possible) and so needs something like this.
tu 28 Nov 2017	... all female world of *roller derby*
fr 20 Oct 2017	Very much approve of this, tomorrow the London Rockin' Rollers celebrate 10 years with an old school roller derby; two whistle starts, minors (remember taking a cougar?) plus tutus and fishnets. Our memory may be gilded but we recall the two whistle start did make for more variety in play ...
we 20 Sep 2017	It continues to surprise us how popular roller skating was as an entertainment at the beginning of last century, including the magnificent looking Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens. In today's long running Radio 4 drama Home Front set during the first world war a couple go roller skating on Folkestone pier. Mrs Adeline Lumley: I'm afraid I'll fall over. Staff Sergeant Silas Morrow: That's the idea.
su 13 Aug 2017	Saturday the Riverside Centre Chelmsford didn't have a functioning car park but it does have decent coffee and in the sports hall we enjoyed ref Blaster Chief's very clear penalty signals and a Surrey skater fleeing during the first half because she was needed elsewhere as a bridesmaid. A Norfolk Brawds 473-065 whitewash of Surrey RG but we've been told Surrey have lost experienced jammers. The Killa Hurtz v Hell's Belles bout was an absolute cracker! Pretty much even stevens all the way it could have gone either way on the final jam with a Belle's 246-240 win. Derby name of the day (a bit tortuous but East Anglian) Hurt-Ratio Nelson and for us a happy return to the Riverside.
tu 11 Jul 2017	Last century roller skating on Bournemouth Pier was certainly al fresco and possibly ad hoc, impressive how many ladies involved and muffs (possibly echoing ice skating) were clearly a fashion accessory but what intrigues is why the two ladies at the back of the Dunfermline roller skating brass band need a bucket?
mo 12 Jun 2017	Pretty obvious why on the outskirts of Stamford the shiny new sports centre and home of the Daniels is called Borderville ... it's maybe just 100 yards from the county border with Rutland. On Saturday a clash with a children's party in the hall slowed things down but the track was already laid, the bouncy castle soon packed away and NSOs instructed. A bunch of friends, relatives and potential derbyists got to see a lively Borderland Brawlers scrimmage and were soon picking it up ... two small boys near us were advising the jammer to pass the star. Derby name of the day Eiffel Power.
tu 9 May 2017	The Spectrum Leisure Centre Guildford is a warren with an ice rink, swimming pool and of course a bloody Costa Coffee. Hosts Surrey Roller Girls had a theatrical element to their skate out of which we much approve but then they were rather overwhelmed 423-34 by Rebellion Roller Derby. Perhaps in that situation *more offence* than defence because their jammer is just going to keep on lapping until you get your jammer out ... but then what do we know? Derby name of the day Hunter Stompson (2 clever by 1/2).
fr 28 Apr 2017	It doesn't surprise us that the the London Roller Girls have a junior league.
sa 3 Sep 2016	H.P. Shovecraft emailed pointing out that removing the star panty in the penalty box is specifically illegal in next year's WFDTA rules. We do dearly love roller derby but how can you take seriously a sport where a skill is putting a hat on? But then taking off a skin suit whilst running is a triathlon skill ...
mo 4 Jul 2016	What surprises us about roller skating at the beginning of last century (apart from how universal roller rinks were in the UK and US) is how many staff were employed (34 at Earl's Court) and usually included women ... presumably to teach the ladies. A worrying detail is the absence of toe stops but then there weren't any on our Jacoskates we just wore out the toes of our shoes.
su 24 Jan 2016	Crikey! A Chelmsford Killa Hurtz Girl on a corner in Wimslow Arizona and isn't she a sight to see.
tu 15 Sep 2015	Pictorial evidence that roller derby always was co-ed ... and East Anglian.
tu 9 Sep 2014	In July Nottingham Roller Girl Louise Wright cycling to work was hit by a Greene King lorry and died later that day in hospital ... her derby name was Louisey Rider ...
su 10 Aug 2014	Yesterday we felt derby and Scottish lve in Cambridge.
su 1 Dec 2013	At the start of Pivots of Penzance in High Wycombe last weekend the slippery Portsmouth Roller Wenches' jammers were sliding through the pack untouched and we feared a tedious whitewash and though by the half the Big Bucks High Rollers had started to function the Wenches still had a comfortable lead. Impressively only one official timeout in the half. Halfway through the second half Big Bucks took the lead and then power jams (in derby you do need to keep your jammer on the track) generated an entertaining 227-161 win for Bucks. Much commitment to the pirate theme and derby name of the day Halcyon Daze.
fr 29 Nov 2013	Here's a candidate for awkward roller derby photo.
sa 1 Jun 2013	We got an honourable mention last month ... which was nice.
su 28 Apr 2013	The Romsey Rollerbillies aren't big ladies but on average their skaters looked a little larger than the Norfolk Brawds' and when combined with consistently strong blocking maybe it contributed to a truly awesome 400-38 drubbing of a slightly short handed Brawds in Cambridge last weekend. Like rowing eights and rugby union packs perhaps weight is relevant? Maybe a team's average skater weight should be in the programme? Rebellion Roller Derby who like the Brawds and Wilts favour the short handed approach had a comfortable 214-110 win over Hell's Belles and got away with a piece of derbyness so cheeky we only saw it in the edit afterwards. After party at the Tram Shed, derby name of the day Xavier Bacon (refs are people too); next month's Heartlands series at Milton Keynes and the Rebellion ... oh yeah!
th 21 Mar 2013	Saturday in Oxford we admired the Severn Torrent's uniforms and asked a jammer if the uniform had any padding No, it's all woman. Severn followed in the west country tradition set by Wilts and despite being a short handed 11 against 14 steadily moved away to a substantial 310-83 win over Wolves. (Liked the howling and Time Warp dancing Wolves ♫It's just a step to the left♫). Czech-point Zuzi said Wilts did have a full fourteen but this included a goodly number of debutants and the core of the team was still quite small. Impressively Wilts made and kept a useful lead over hosts Oxford for most of the game until the last five minutes when Oxford started to come back ... perhaps Wilts were panicking. Early in the final jam the Wilts jammer got a slightly baffling track cut call and amidst threshold of pain spectatorial noise Dread Ditto made a six pass power jam for a 178-170 win. Gobsmacked would be the word to describe the Oxford bench. The Wilts jammer said I really could cry ... you win some you lose some but we share your tears Wiltshire jammer. Thankfully only one injury needing Pastor Painkillaz and time seemed to fix it. Derby name of the day Beatrix Got'Er.
we 6 Mar 2013	♫Our first problem Saturday night was thinking the Ipswich Spread Eagle is the Falcon ... it hasn't been the Falcon for some time apparently. In the wilderness of an Ipswich Sunday night finding someone to solve our confusion we discovered the Giles family statue has moved to the other side of the road and the Cromwell Square car park has gained a statue of ... more on the Ipswich page
tu 5 Feb 2013	The first bout of the Heartland series Saturday started with a minutes !NOISE! in memory of Rebellion RD skater and director Karen Beulah Ballbreaker Parks. Though the Vendetta Vixens 133-217 Oxford Roller Derby bout was very excellent it got rather washed away in our memory by what was to come. Thankfully no serious injuries in either bout but Vixens' Lucy Go-Lightly did take a promptly called high block to the face and though she skated on it was clearly painful. In only their third or so public bout just eight Wiltshire RD skaters took on a full 14 Concrete Cows team and won! No, you couldn't make it up, power jams put Wilts ahead in the first half and we Brits do ♥ love an underdog, the non-Cows part of the crowd really got behind Wilts who held on to win 206-184 despite losing Mega Faye Tality towards the end for seven plain vanilla (the only kind now) penalties. Stunning! Derby didn't look that different under the new no minors rule set though the one whistle start prompts jammer line starts. Time on the day limited the theatre of the skate outs, pity.
th 24 Jan 2013	RaRa's is a new to us 50s themed ice cream parlour in Northgate Street Ipswich and they stayed open later last night for the first get together of the still provisionally named Ipswich Roller Derby. A little slow getting started because first spectacularly multiple sundaes had to be served but then the presentation was well thought out, bubbley and babberly. Next up a social, hopefully a visit to Rutland for Mean Valley v Norfolk Brawds and training starts March; with Amy and Ryan's obvious overflowing enthusiasm this has got to be a winner ... finally derby comes to East Suffolk!

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