Ice Skating at Millets Farm, Frilford, Oxfordshire

So its a cold wet winter day and we decided to go ice skating. Completely mad I know, and the rink is uncovered, but it was so much fun and ideal for kids of all ages. So long as they can walk they have skates to fit.
The ice rink was a real ice rink not fake at all, so feels realistic and is easier to skate on. You book in for a session (usually starting on the hour) and the session lasts 45mins, which is plenty of time and if you need a sit down or rest you can step of the rink for a bit.
Spaces are limited to a set number for each session so the rink is never going to get over crowded, plenty of space for all.

For children under a shoe size 10, they get skates that strap onto a shoe (Bob-Skates), these worked well with trainers but don't think they would work well with boots. They also have 2 blades so more chance of keeping young ones upright. The strap-on skates shorten or extended to the required length, probably up to a shoe size 12 if needed. A standard single bladed boot is available from shoe size 10.

 Quite a lot of families had hired Bobby seals, suitable for up to the age of 8. They looked a really good idea for some of the less confident children who were on single bladed skates, and parents can also push kids around on them (few races going on too).

There were always helpers on hand if you had fallen over to get you back up again, and take a nice group photo for us too. Friends and family joining you at Millets but lacking the balance for skating can watch you from the viewing platform, or grab a cake and coffee from the cafe next door (where we all dived in later for a hot chocolate to warm up... and what a wonderful hot chocolate it was).

We had such great fun and it was excellent to see Charlotte really skating and even managing to do a lap of the rink not holding anyone's hands.

Tickets can be booked in advance online or at the booking desk. In November they are doing half price tickets for some days, book online or in person you will need the voucher from the Millets magazine which you can pick up at the customer service desk. The rink is open until 8 January 2013.