York Guides

Yorkshire Post Today

Paul Jeeves
AN INTERNATIONALLY-renowned production company has frozen 50 tons of ice in the heart of York to create a skating rink in the shadow of Clifford's Tower.

The historic monument will provide the backdrop to the ice rink throughout the festive season, and thousands of skaters have already taken advantage of the attraction since it was introduced at the weekend.
Lunchbox Theatrical Productions has been responsible for creating the ice rink, which involves three giant chillers running 24 hours a day and 20 miles of piping to keep the ice frozen at a temperature of minus 13C.
Since the company was established in 1992, it has gathered a global reputation for productions in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa and Britain
Chief executive James Cundall launched the firm with a group of Hong Kong businessmen, and among the shows his company has overseen are West End musicals in the Far East along with Alegria from Cirque du Soleil, Riverdance and Stomp.
Mr Cundall said: "It is great to be in York, it is one of my favourite cities in the world and it is such a wonderful setting to be next to Clifford's Tower.
"Other European cities have staged Christmas fairs with attractions such as ice rinks in recent years, and I think that Britain is beginning to catch up.
"There are similar things in Vienna, Prague and Frankfurt, all the major European cities, but I do think the venue we have here in York is as good as anywhere else."
On the first two days since the rink opened on Saturday, more than 2,500 skaters paid up to £7.50 for an hour on the ice. The rink will remain in the city until January 8, and it could now become an annual attraction.
Lunchbox Theatrical Productions has staged The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty on ice, and worked on other shows with Dame Shirley Bassey, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, José Carreras, Lesley Garrett and the Beach Boys.