A. All ice rinks have contacts with local skating teachers or coaches. They provide lessons at the rink when it is not being used for a public session. [See Skates and Rinks]

A. Nothing really, except an interest in ice-skating! You can hire skates at the rink for a small charge and only need to buy your own skates if you want to. Mittens or gloves are useful and some beginners use elbow and knee pads for protection against the odd fall! [See Skates and Rinks]

A. Look in yellow pages under 'Skating' to find any local rinks. If you have any difficulty, there is a web site listing UK rinks [See Information: Links] or contact the National Ice Skating Association for advice [See Information: Organisations].

A. At an indoor rink, the ice is between 1cm and 8cm thick, frozen over a bed of sand.

A. As with any physical sport, there are accidents and everyone falls at some stage on the ice. If you follow the safety guidelines at the rink, the only problems you should have are a few bumps and bruises!

A. If you want to skate for fun, for a few hours a week, it is not expensive. You can hire skates when you pay for your skating sessions. Buying skates is not expensive either. Many rinks sell good quality second-hand skates at a reasonable price. The cost of lessons varies and depends on individual teachers and coaches. [See Skates and Rinks]

A. If you want to play any sort of sport then good coaching is important. Lessons are part of this coaching as they teach you how to move more effectively the ice. Some rinks have ice hockey clubs, with teams for different ages and abilities. If you are interested in playing this fast-action sport, then contact the club organiser or coach via your ice rink.