Ice skating comes to South Shields' Hedworth Hall for Christmas - this is how you can book your place

The landmark venue on Dean Road will be opening an ice rink in December and is taking skating bookings now.

It comes as Hedworth Hall gets set to host its Winter Festival which will feature a range of festive entertainment including a craft fair and Christmas parties with live music.

The ice rink will be open from Wednesday, December 15 to Wednesday, December 22 and those wanting to skate will be able to enjoy an hour on the ice from 12pm to 6pm each day.

The rink is being made with next-generation synthetic ice, and will take shape in the venue’s car park.

Tickets for the one-hour skating slots can be booked now from the Hedworth Hall website, priced at £10 per person, plus a booking charge.

Some walk-in spaces may be available on the day, but the venue is urging people to book in advance as the attraction is expected to be popular and walk-in spaces are not guaranteed.

The number of those skating on the ice rink will be limited to 50 skaters per hour.

Alongside the ice rink there will also be a Santa’s Grotto where youngsters will be able to meet Santa and receive a gift.

Tickets to see Santa are £5 and can also be purchased in advance or on the day.

The Christmas craft fair will take place on Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19, featuring food and drinks alongside gifts created by visiting artists and crafters.

The weekend will also see characters from the panto, taking place at the Hedworth Hall in the run up to Christmas, coming along to meet and greet visitors and pose for snaps with the little ones.

Families across South Tyneside are expected to be looking forward to a Christmas full of extra cheer in 2021 after covid restrictions saw almost all festive events wiped off the calendar in 2020.

This included cancelling the popular annual Camel Parade and the Christmas lights switch-on events.

Restrictions also meant families had to have much smaller gatherings on Christmas Day to usual, with many unable to see loved ones.

Tony Singh, owner of the Hedworth Hall, hopes the ice rink will become an annual tradition for South Shields.

“People missed out on so much last year because of Covid that we wanted to make this Christmas even more special,” he said.

"It is the first time we have brought an ice-rink to our venue and if it proves popular, we could possibly make it into a yearly event.

“The rink is just part of our wider winter wonderland festival which will also include a Santa's Grotto (tickets to be made available soon).

"We are currently working with a number of partners to bring this festival together, and we do have more plans in the pipeline to help make the run-up to Christmas a very festive occasion.”

:: Tickets for the ice rink are available now by visiting: www.hedworthhall.co.uk

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