Sandy Balls turns icy this Christmas

A magical winter wonderland will be created for skaters at Sandy Balls Holiday Centre in the New Forest from December 1. The festive forest scene will be completed by an ice rink this winter and the attraction is set to be the icing on the Christmas cake for the popular holiday centre in Godshill near Fordingbridge.

The temporary rink will be at Sandy Balls until the end of January - and it will be open to the public from 10am to 7pm daily. The price for an hour’s skating for adults will be £5 and £4 for children, including skate hire.

The man behind the Forest Ice project, Sandy Balls Leisure Club manager Richard Bowden-Smith, said: “We believe that Forest Ice will prove to be a major attraction for us this winter, for guests and members of the public alike.

“A visit to the rink will be great fun for all the family. Our new Bistro is planning its very own Forest Ice menu to appeal to skaters and those who’d rather take a more sedentary approach from the side-lines!”

Sandy Balls also wants to encourage local schools to use the synthetic rink and it will be available for private hire by them, or local companies, from as little as £100 for an hour.

Mr Bowden-Smith explained: “We hope that local businesses will take advantage of the fact we have the rink here this Christmas and will bring their staff for a bit of festive fun.

“It’s a great way to start a Christmas party and we can offer office parties with a difference by combining skating and dining in The Bistro after working up a healthy appetite by spending an hour on the ice.”

For more information, log on to Sandy-balls.co.uk.