Wolverhampton skate night is a throwback to the 70s
It was the 1970s and the Whispering Wheels rollerdrome in Wolverhampton was the talk of the town as hundreds of locals tied on their skates every night of the week.
Almost 50 years later, the wheels are back in motion as a new weekly roller skating night is fast becoming one of the largest of its kind in Europe – with 350 people showing up to the first session at the WV Active Leisure Village Centre in Aldersley Road.
Paul Carter was 20 at the time when he became the first ever resident disc jockey at the original venue in Temple Street just after it had been refurbished.
The 66-year-old worked there for two years alongside his then girlfriend, now wife of 46 years, Jean who helped out in the box office selling tickets.
Mr Carter, who was previously working as a mobile DJ, recalls applying the role after seeing an advert in the Express & Star. He said: "They were advertising in the newspaper for disc jockeys and a load of us went along. They narrowed it town to three who all took a trial and after the three months I was offered the residency.
"We worked there for two years but it was a big part of our marriage because we spent a lot of time together.
"We actually got married shortly after starting and one of the managers wanted us to get married on roller skates, but neither of us could do it that well."
"It was a big big part of my life. It meant something to say you were the resident DJ, although at that time being a DJ it was something you did in an evening – you couldn't make a living out of it."
During the day Mr Carter worked at Woden Transformer in Bilston, while Jean worked in the duplicating office at Wednesbury Tubes before hitting the rollerdrome in the evenings.
The building underwent a refurbishment in 1969 and the floor was replaced with Canadian maple wood – which cost £10,000.
When the rollerdrome shut to the public, Mr Carter played matches for the roller hockey team.
He said: "It seemed like I spent my life in the place. But me and my wife have got really fond memories. The rollerdome was a big thing in Wolverhampton and the surrounding areas and when they were on about closing it the comments that came – nobody could believe that they were going to shut it."
After the Whispering Wheels was closed down, it was destroyed by a fire on December 23, 1976. But all these years later rocking and roller skating is back with a bang in Wolverhampton thanks to leisure centre membership team leader Kerry Williams and Jerry Mcgrath, of Jerry's Mobile Roller Skating, who have teamed up to revitalise the movement.
And due to it being such a huge hit with families, it will be extending its hours from 6pm to 8.30pm.
Mr Carter said it was a great to see and he would be more than willing to return to the decks for a night or two.
Entry for the new events at WV Active Leisure Village Centre is £4 and skate hire is a further £1. To join an online community of Whispering Wheels memories search Whispering Wheels Rollerdrome Wolverhampton on Facebook.
