Greetings…
A while back I posted about a souvenir book that my mother was given at the end of World War Two…
https://alystoysoldiers.blogspot.com/2021/04/an-old-book-and-bit-of-family-history.html
When I said that my grandmother and mother had worked in the cafeteria/tearoom of Falkirk Ice Rink I had assumed that it was quite a small venue…
How wrong could I have been…
https://falkirklocalhistory.club/around-the-area/recreation/falkirk-ice-rink/the-second-world-war/
It would appear that it was quite a ‘hip’ place…
And the Polish troops were actually stationed very close to the venue…
The Ice Rink closed in 1977 so sadly I won’t be able to make a visit next time I travel ‘up north’
I shall continue digging into this…
All the best. Aly
Hmmmm... Interesting extra detail Aly. Maybe I will try using the power of Google to see what I can find out about the Polish squadron that was stationed at RAF Montrose during the war, that my mum mentioned on occasions. I suspect, given she was eighteen when the war ended, that there may have been some teenage crush type emotions involved in her high regard for the pilots!
ReplyDeleteIt’s worth having a dig Keith…
DeleteI am quite surprised by what I am finding out…
My Mum would probably have been eighteen/nineteen at the end of the war… and she definitely had teenage crush emotions about the young Polish soldiers she met at the Ice Rink…😁
All the best. Aly
Wow Aly, that’s some venue. Wonder what’s at the site now?
ReplyDeleteThere was I believe a plan to turn it into an indoor football sight…
DeleteBut as far as I can see from Google maps it has been knocked down and the area is grassed over.
All the best. Aly
Site 🙄
DeleteMost fascinating indeed, it's amazing what one can uncover.
ReplyDeleteI’m always pleasantly surprised at where these things lead…
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Thank you for these additional details, which convey a very special story on the other side of Europe from us during the Second World War.
ReplyDeleteAt first sight it seems strange to us that carnivals and parties were organized during the war, but, as the online article points out, it was a precise government choice not to interrupt the activity of these recreational places, but rather to exploit them for fundraising or parades ; and in addition I imagine that people wanted distraction and normality even in those dark years of war.
From the memories of R's grandfather and D's great-grandfather, who worked as a warehouseman for the Allied troops when they established their headquarters in his hometown on the Adriatic coast (1944-45), exclusive shows were organized for the soldiers. Do you know if this ever happened to the Polish or British soldiers in Falkirk? Or were the parties always open to civilians and soldiers alike?
I think that the rink was open to everyone…
DeleteI was looking a plans of the rink and I could see that there was a bar area along with the restaurant, a Milk Bar and conference/ meeting rooms… I believe my grandmother worked in the Milk Bar which would have been something like a Cafe or an IceCream Parlour…
All the best. Aly
Warning... this kind of thing can prove addictive... just ask my wife Sandra...
ReplyDeleteIt has indeed proven to be addictive… but I am liking what I am finding out.
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Family history is fascinating, even if you only discover you are from a long line of peasants as I did. Are you sure though it was only the ice rink that closed, I thought it might be all of Jockshire😉
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that there will be any ‘Blue Blood’ in my family it looks like it’s all miners , foundry men and soldiers.
DeleteYou could be correct Dave … it think everything north of the Watford Gap closed in 1977…
All the best. Aly
And of course it’s David… not Dave 🙄
DeleteIt is good to know your roots - my brother found a few scandals when investigating our own!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t mind a few scandals… as long as nobody got hurt 😁
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Another interesting find! You can now collect records of the various bands listed on the page and listen to them while painting the minis ;-)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, did you manage to contact the Sikorski Institute in London to find out more about your little booklet and the "mysterious Roman"?
Best wishes,
Jan
What a great idea Jan…
DeleteI haven’t gotten around to contacting the Sikorsky Institute yet…
I got sidetracked by Falkirk Ice Rink 😁
All the best. Aly
Not sure they have venues like that anymore Aly ? Whilst with my Dad at the weekend he let slip that he used to manage a rock and roll band back in the day before becoming an English teacher who knew !
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny… I still can’t imagine my parents doing anything wild 😂
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Seeing that the rink closed in 1977, I'm reminded of how persons of a certain vintage (like me) who came of age in that decade were surrounded by (and benefitted from) vestiges of earlier times. Sad to think how few remain, let alone are still in operation.
ReplyDeleteI know growing up in Edinburgh I was surrounded by venues, cinemas and various dance clubs… a lot of them still remain but sadly quite a few are probably now flats for student accommodation.
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Fascinating! Hard to believe that was our our world just 75 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI know… in the greater scheme of things it’s just been mere moments…
DeleteAll the best. Aly