Selfridges Ice Rink – A morning with Peppa Pig and Father Christmas!

Last Updated on 18 September 2023 by Colette

If you’re looking for somewhere to go ice skating in Manchester this Christmas, I’ve got you! Click through for a fully up to date list for 2023

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Last Sunday we were lucky enough to go on a really fabulous festive adventure!

We were invited to visit The Ice Rink at Selfridges – what a treat!  Of course as ever we didn’t tell Ben and Chloe what we were doing or where we were going – just that we were “going on an adventure”!  The first thing that struck me on arrival was how glamorous a setting it was – lots of beautiful peachy coloured baubles and luxurious faux fur throws. I’m not really sure what I expected but this was utterly fabulous in comparison to the most functional “proper” ice rinks I’ve been to in the past!  No ice hockey here thanks!

We were lucky enough to have arrived pretty early and we were able to change into our skates and get out onto the ice before there were too many people around – of course the downside to this was the ice was super clean and slippy (yes I know it’s meant to be slippy but I was really aware of how very smooth it was to start with).  I’ve probably skated a handful of times, and certainly not in the last 7 years, but I was reasonably confident I’d be ok once I got going, Dave has never set foot on the ice before and I think it’s fair to say he was a bit nervous!  He had a go at skating by himself but found he was much better with a seal to hold on to (of course with both of us being pretty tall it was a long way down to hold onto the seal – cue back ache).

The children’s boots start at a size 9 – which thankfully was the size both boys needed!  Chloe had adjustable skates with 4 small blades on (they reminded me of the roller-skates I had as a child).  I really don’t think she had any idea that the ice would be slippy and just walked onto it – the second I realised what she had done, she fell over, started to cry and wanted picking up.  Of course I had no hope of being able to scoop her up into my arms and comfort her as I was hardly stable myself!  Luckily she was just next to a seal so I plonked her on there and we set off.  She was a bit unsure at first but really started to enjoy herself.  I think Ben and Finley both expected to be able to just skate when in reality neither of them could really stand up so they shared a seal and either sat on it together or took it in turns to hold onto it – luckily Finley’s Daddy is a pretty competent skater so he was able to sort the pair of them out.

We were called off the ice after about 20 mins / half an hour to allow more people to skate which we were a bit surprised about and it meant that we hadn’t all had a good chance at skating as we were taking it in turns to look after the sleeping girls!  The pricing states an hour’s skating so I assume this wouldn’t be the case in normal circumstances.  I was quite surprised reading the pricing that you have to pay separately to hire skate aids – this doesn’t seem especially fair to me, I would have excepted them to be included in the price for little ones who clearly haven’t got a choice about using a skating aid!  I suppose you could cut the cost by sharing them – for example we only needed one between Ben and Chloe.

Once we’d swapped our skates for shoes again we met Father Christmas and Peppa Pig (well the boys did – Chloe wasn’t so keen, she’s quite frightened of people in costume at the moment!)

Safe to say with thought the Krispy Kreme concession was fab – we all enjoyed our well earned donuts and a hot chocolate after exerting ourselves on the ice!

All in all we had a really lovely morning out and the children were all keen to go again!  If you’re up at the Trafford Centre and need a break from the shopping it doesn’t come much better than this!