Ice rink brings some Christmas magic to the heart of Bilston
A festive ice rink has opened in a market town in the run-up to Christmas.
Hundreds of people have snapped up free tickets to take advantage of the 14m x 10m rink on Wood Street in Bilston, which opened on Friday and runs until December 23.
Situated next to the outdoor market, it has been organised by Bilston Business Improvement District (BID) and there are also several stalls selling drinks, wreaths and crafts.
Mary Williams, of Willenhall, brought along her children Ellie-May Coughlin, aged five, and Charlie-Marie Coughlin, aged seven, to enjoy an ice-skating session on Saturday afternoon.
"The kids love it – it's good for the community and it brings the whole family together," she said.
Elaine Holloway also came down to the ice rink with her daughter Lyndsey Holloway and grandchildren including Lillie, aged seven and four-year-old Jacob.
The 60-year-old, of Dudley, said: "I think it's absolutely brilliant. "It's been a family affair today and it's nice for the kids."
Lee Easterbrook, from Solihull-based Aries Entertainment, was dressed as an elf during the skating sessions on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, of Sutton Coldfield, said: "It's been busy.
"I'm spreading Christmas cheer and have been making sure everyone is okay and having fun. "I love doing these sorts of things, it's a bit of fun to do on the weekend."
The attraction is open daily from 10am-4pm until December 23.
Free tickets have sold out on Eventbrite but walk-ins are also being accepted where possible.
Simon Archer, Bilston BID manager, said: "We have capacity for 2,100 – 1,400 people have booked through Eventbrite. The rest will be walk-ups.
"It's been fantastic today. We have our own Christmas German market stalls as well."
