Growing up in Sunderland: Disco nights and learning to ice skate - memories of the rink at Sunderland's Crowtree Leisure Centre

Most of us had a childhood chapter – however brief – of thinking we would be part of the next Torvill and Dean. And for Sunderland youngsters of certain generations, these dreams were put to the test on the ice rink at Crowtree.

From learning to swim to learning to skate, the much-missed leisure centre was a huge part of so many childhoods. As the nation’s head is turned once more by celebrities taking to the ice on ITV, Sunderland families have been sharing their memories of ice-skating trips to Crowtree.

Were you a regular at the Saratoga discos, or was the rock night more your thing? Here are some of your fondest memories – including the skates you had, friends you made, and times you fell over – from the Crowtree rink.

Michelle Forsyth: “Ice rink was my whole world as a teenager.”

Lesley Mfon: “Learnt to skate there with the purple ice skates as a small child. Made me love ice skating from that day forward.”

Mark Quinn: “Use to play ice hockey and we had the original Dancing on Ice with the disco nights.”

Darrin Forse: “Falling over!”

Russell Giles: “They used to have a rock night on the ice back in the ‘80s. Those plastic blue ice skates you used to hire used to give me some major blisters on my heels.”

Martin Bloomfield: “The discos were legendary. Come 9pm and the ice was like a lake with a layer of water on the surface and such a high volume of skaters. Who ended up getting sprayed with ice and water from head to foot and having to go home on the bus drenched? Fantastic times!”

Julie Cliff: “I practically lived at Crowtree in the ‘80s, me and my Bauer Turbo ice hockey boots, ice skating four-to-six times a week. Best days of my life and such great memories of meeting good friends.”

Susan Foggin: “Friday night disco. Loved it, I could skate but needed crutches to walk, so the freedom was amazing.”

Gazza Coombs: “Saratoga disco on a Wednesday night was class.”