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Many people will be unaware of them, but the skaters of Leeds are there, woven into the fabric and history of the city. From street races to roller disco and Roller Derby, Leeds has provided opportunities to skate for many years. Skating is a peculiarly supportive community in our city, especially for women. In this chapter we uncover why. 

The history of skating in Leeds goes back to the early 20th Century, when you could have seen Edwardian women skating elegantly, wearing long skirts as they glided around the popular skating halls of the day. With the invention of teenagers in the 1960s, young girls loved to dress up for the roller disco. Lots of older people remember the Rollerena on Kirkstall Road. Many of the skaters we spoke to rediscovered skating with Roller Derby in the mid 2000s and kitted up for a contact sport that is the very opposite of genteel. Skating can be daring and scary but we discovered that there are lots of people over 50 who still do it – and encourage every generation to take part.

Speaking for myself, I was very excited to be given a pair of adjustable metal roller skates with red leather toe straps for Christmas in 1960. I learned to skate on my own on our concrete drive. Paving stones sound great on roller skates making a clickety click sound a bit like a train. Sometimes I would try to beat a bus as I skated along the pavement. I loved the noise of our wheels on the wooden floor of the wrestling hall, tearing along the edges of the room then going round and round circling holding hands with a friend. Since then I’ve had 2 knee replacements – I think my skating days are over. But it was a huge pleasure to meet

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