The Guy Walking On The Ice

[SweetKingfisher1]

This guy walking on the ice at Whitlingham Broad, but not only that, but carrying a child .

I saw this in the Daily Mail today, but I understand it is in the EDP. I just can not understand why this guy would want to see how thick the ice . 

All I can say is, it is a good job the ice did not break, for the child  not for him. He needs his head checked over.

Regards

Marina 

[Vaughan]

"Whitlingham Great Broad", as the BA congratulate themselves in calling it, is a gravel pit, the remains of open cast quarrying, with steep sides. I understand, at least 12ft deep.

But the public are led to believe that it is a nice place to play about in.

[JennyMorgan]

Here's the EDP's take on the non story of the week:

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/seriously_stupid_chilling_photo_prompts_warning_over_dangers_of_walking_on_ice_1_4858475

I feel quite sorry for the bloke. At most he was standing in about four inches of water, enjoying the novelty of breaking ice with his child.

[Gracie]

I hear what you are saying but there's no way on this planet that I would take my little one's out on any ice thick or otherwise, I agree with Marina, the man needs his head tested and I am as far as you will ever get for judging people

You only have to walk forward a tad and trip on something, it doesn't bear thinking about, enjoy the ice from the bank, throw stones, whatever, but don't take your kids out on it

Grace

 

[jeffbroadslover]

It seems that the guy was lucky that the ice was even thicker than he was.

Jeff

[addicted]

A chap who used to moor his boat on Ely marina when we were there a few   years ago used to tell the story of how as a lad he, together with some of his friends once drove a Land Rover on the frozen river Great Ouse from Little Thetford  to the Cutter Inn in Ely,  a distance of about 2 miles I should think,  reversing it out up the sloping bank that was there forming something of a slipway, Apparently a small coach did a similar thing at about the  same time.,
 Certainly it seems to me that we don't seem to get  the freezing conditions that were the norm when we were growing up as  I well remember skating on a little used  lock that had frozen over at Dobbs Weir near Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire during the 1950s. I'd have forty fits at the very thought of a child of mine doing that today.

 

 

Carole

[riyadhcrew]

I remember when I was a kid (50-55 years ago) up in the east of Scotland, our local park had a large boating lake, with an island in the middle. The lake would freeze and be covered in snow for months. We would get a broom and clear a slalom course around the lake and go ice skating as fast as we could.

[Gracie]

I know a lot of people are of the opinion that todays kids are wrapped in cotton wool etc. I admit to a certain extent they are, my children play football, do karate, go camping, boating and have been known to get covered in mud making mud pies in the garden but we do our best to teach them about safety, taking them out on ice, never, if they choose to take a risk when they are older and out of my earshot, so be it but at least we know we've done out best to keep them safe and hopefully know what the consequences of such antics could be should they choose to do it

Now me, however, will cry like a baby if I so much as break a nail  (well they do cost a lot)

Grace

[BrundallNavy]

As a child, one year when we had a hard freeze I walked from Barton Turf Staithe out to the broad and round the island at the Irstead end. The broad was packed with people ice skating but sadly we don't get many cold spells nowadays.

Doug.

[thingamybob]

Not a good idea.

Many years ago when I was in my twenties I used to ice skate on my local lake in the winter. I still have my ice skates incidentally.

It is a bit too warm to expect ice to support you nowadays.

Be safe, keep off the ice.

[addicted]

Many years ago the fields across the fens used to freeze for months on end, to the extent that people used to skate on them. Fens Skaters are a well known fact in this part of the world. and at a meeting of the  IWA a couple of years back the guest speaker was an old Fens Skater. He even brought his old skates for us to look at. His tales were fascinating and his skates very different from any I've seen before . The races they used to hold must have been quite a spectacle. His account of it all conjured up some enthralling pictures.

 

Carole

[Vaughan]

I knew a Lincolnshire farmer who skated in the winter and he showed me his skates. They had a pronounced high curve up at the front, almost a full circle, and were called "Fen Runners".

It seems that, as the fens are reclaimed and drained land, then the depth of water in each part may have not been quite the same when it all froze over, so you found yourself skating over quite pronounced steps in the ice.

[riyadhcrew]

We all used ice hockey skates. Curved up at the front - but no teeth for brakes. If you wanted to stop, you went side-ways or dug in the back of the blade.

[addicted]

I lived very close to a skating rink when a child and went skating at least 6 times a week. On one occasion I had just had my blades ground and having just stepped onto the ice was standing holding the barrier while "scuffing" my blades to get rid of any metal detritus that remained  before  I started to skate. while doing  this 2  American Airmen appeared either side of me  promising to make sure I didn't fall over and saying they would teach me to skate. the mischief in me let them get on with it! Half way through the session they used to clear the ice for "Ladies' 'and Gent's speed periods so that competent skaters could exercise their skills without being impeded by learners. My 2 Sir Galahads took me to a seat so that I could watch how good they were while they went through their paces during the Gent's  session. With all the confidence of a cheeky 14 year old, as they came off I went on and as I showed them speed, jumps and spins, they knew they'd been had, the roars of laughter from my 20 or so friends that had gathered in the stands to watch was also something of  a clue. They took it in good part.

 

Carole