Bracknell Ice Skating Club Newsletter - October 2004

Artistic Ice Gala is The Best Yet

Tweety Pie and Sylvester, Del Boy, Marilyn Monroe and the stars of Grease and Chicago were among the characters portrayed by BISC members during the club’s annual gala on September 29.

A total of 70 skaters - representing all sections of the club, from tiny tots to adults and from beginners to international competitors - took part in 22 items at the event which is designed to showcase club members’ talent.

The audience was impressed by the range of items and standard of skating and described it as the best gala yet.

The accent was on entertainment and the show featured several artistic programmes which permit the use of costumes, props and scenery. They included six-year-old Harvey Clarke as Teddy with his sister Olivia, 10, as Looby Loo and Ellie Hetebrij, also 10, as Andy Pandy; and a group of adults whose Chapel of Love programme depicted James Bond (John Bailey), four Bond girls (Lesley Brenikov, Rachel Jarvis, Nicki Torrington and Gail Tudor) and a bride (Lorraine Bailey).

The show also included the club’s two synchronised skating teams, compulsory dances skated in formation by 11 solo dancers, a free skating programme by British Novice Pairs Championship competitors Charlotte Hester and David Truby, and free dances by the club’s top dancers, Tamsyn Pack and Richard Boaden, and Christopher Hockaday although his partner, Rebecca Forsyth, had to miss the event because of a neck injury.

It also featured the Flintstones-inspired Ug show number, with 30 skaters, which won the club silver at the National Team Challenge earlier this year, and solos by the club’s top free skaters, Sarah Johnson, 18, whose display featured a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon, and Simon Waller, 17, who had the audience on the edge of its seats when he skated one of his two programmes with his hands chained together.

Guests at the event included the Mayor of Bracknell Forest, Cllr Alan Browne, the chairman of Wokingham District Council, Cllr Malcolm Bryant, and the chairman of Binfield Parish Council, Cllr Jonathan Haskell, as well as the club’s president, John Nike OBE.

The event also included the second presentation of the Jenna Matlay Trophy. A very talented ice dancer who also skated in the club’s synchronised teams in the 1990s, Jenna was extremely popular with everyone who knew her or skated with her, partly because of her cheerful nature and because of her constant readiness to help fellow team members. Tragically she was killed in a car crash in London three years ago when she was 21.

Last year her family donated a trophy in her memory which they asked to be awarded to a club member who isn’t necessarily the best skater but who has worked hard to achieve a high standard, is cheerful and who also helps other skaters, on and off the ice.

This year Jenna’s mother, Pat, travelled from Brighton to present the trophy which was won by Richard Boaden with Leah Rogers as runner-up.

Richard, 16, has been skating for five years and is now the club’s top male ice dancer. He has won championship medals for solo dance as well as with his partner, Tamsyn Pack. They are now in the British Junior Development Squad and represented Great Britain in an international in Italy at Easter. Richard also skated with BISC’s synchronised teams in several internationals including the Junior World Challenge Cup. As well as helping younger skaters on and off the ice, he is a junior representative on the club committee.

Leah, 17, who is also a junior representative, has been skating for about nine years and is now one of the club’s top female free skaters. She was nominated partly for the tenacity she showed in striving to pass her Level 9 elements test. She also competed in this year’s British Solo Ice Dance Championships and has skated with the club’s synchro development team.

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