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Garden centre to open festive ice rink this weekend despite freezing conditions

The weather forecast may be showing freezing conditions - but that won't stop a Shropshire garden centre from opening a festive ice rink.

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Staff get ready for the grand opening. Photo: @bridgnorthgardencentre/Facebook

Bridgnorth Garden Centre, in Shipley, is inviting people to get their skates on and slide on down from this Saturday as it encourages some icy family fun in the run-up to Christmas.

Families, friends and couples can do their Christmas shopping at the family-run British Garden Centres store and also enjoy themselves on a brisk winter’s day.

It is the first time the skating rink has come to Bridgnorth and it will arrive to much anticipation on Saturday, December 10.

Amy Stubbs, development and projects manager at British Garden Centres said: "Whether you are visiting to take your family ice skating, to sit and have Christmas tasties in our Gardener’s Retreat, or to take the children to visit Santa - there is something for everyone at Bridgnorth Garden Centre.”

The rink will be open from December 10 and then Thursday to Sunday until December 19, where it will then open every day until December 30. It will have slots available from 9am (except Sundays at 10 am) to 4.30 pm. The rink will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

There is also a Santa's grotto for those that have been good this year and a Christmas store selling real trees, accessories and decorations, as well as gifts for all including crafts, homeware, fashion for both men and women, as well as baby and children's toys.

Tickets are £6.95 per person or £25.00 per family (two adults and two children).

Skate hire is included in this price. Each ice skating session will last for 30 minutes. There are lockers available for your belongings while you are skating for a £2 refundable deposit. Skate aid Penguins for those less confident will be available to use each day.

To book, visit britishgardencentres.com/bridgnorth-garden-centre/.

For enquiries on private session hire or anything else please email bridgnorthskatingrink@britishgardencentres.com.

British Garden Centres (BGC) is the UK’s largest family-owned garden centre group with 61 centres around the country. The group is owned and led by The Stubbs family, who also own and operate Woodthorpe Leisure Park in Lincolnshire.

BGC was launched in 1987 with the opening of Woodthorpe Garden Centre by brothers Charles and Robert Stubbs. Since 2018 it has expanded rapidly with the acquisition of 50 garden centres allowing it to grow from its heartland to the business it is now with 61 garden centres spread from Carmarthen to Ramsgate, Wimborne to East Durham.

The group has a team of 2,700 colleagues working across the garden centres, restaurants, two growing nurseries, four distribution centres, Woodthorpe Leisure Park, and Woody’s Restaurant & Bar.