We get asked a lot of common questions so it might be worth checking the following before sending your message, just in case someone else has already asked it.

What protective equipment should I wear?

As our safety policy states: you must wear knee, elbow and wrist pads as well as a helmet to attend our lessons. We can provide these but we will need to know when you book the lesson.

Where can I buy skates and protective gear?

There are lots of good skate shops in London, and around the UK, but we highly recommend Club Blue Room. If you buy your skates from them you can attend the first hour of our Sunday Beginners course for FREE, during which you can learn to go and stop.

What skates are best to buy?

Assuming you are a beginner skater we highly recommend the Rollerblade Twister III skates, new for 2008. They provide the ankle support you will probably need, come with a heel brake which is essential for beginners, have a frame that can be moved sideways, and are a highly dependable skate. Club Blue Room are currently selling these skates at £170.00.

In general we advise you to choose skates with reasonable ankle support; when trying on a pair of skates make sure that your heel fits snuggly in the skate and does not lift when you raise your foot off the ground; and try to spend more than £100.00 to get a decent skate: the cheap skates you can pick up for much less will not roll smoothly and are likely to be painful to wear for extended periods.

What can I learn?

Our courses are structured to teach you everything from the basics through to the more advanced skills. Private lessons, which you can book by calling Mark on 07753 489669 or by using this contact page, are more tailored to your personal skill level.

You can review our skills list to find out what skills are, or can be, taught.

Where do lessons take place?

Unless otherwise informed, all lessons take place at The Royal Albert Memorial.

What level of skater am I?

This is often phrased "I'm an intermediate skater", followed by us asking whether you can stop, you saying no, and us shattering your illusions and telling you that you're a beginner! There's no easy way to actually categorise how good you are but you could look at our skills list and make a judgement call from that.