OpenTube

Doc: It's a London Ting | Stratford Centre Roller Skating

Back With Jack

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Between 1980 & 2017 Stratford Centre became the mecca for roller skating in the uk. Once the shop doors closed, a whole world opened...

It’s a London Ting showcases the stories of the Newham skate community through a series of interviews and mesmerising footage. Skaters of all ages who have frequented the centre are interviewed – including Wayne Gordon, a skater from the 80s known as the ‘Godfather of Jam Skating’ in the UK skate scene.

Also featured are skaters who have shaped the British skating style, including members of we_thenc – The Next Chapter skating collective, members of the Stratford #OSS and inventors of the ‘Chop and Shuffle’ skate style.

Directed & edited by Jack Matthew
Produced by Marilyn Fontaine

Music by
Instagram: tabithawestley
https://www.instagram.com/therealblon...
Instagram: officialvonne
Instagram: resurrect.vamp
https://www.instagram.com/kdnuk/?hl=en
Instagram: djr.xxi
https://open.spotify.com/album/06Toqf...

20 Comments

@jackpola1242 1 year ago

Grew up in Stratford and used to hate walking home from the station late at night, until I clocked the skaters in the mall. Suddenly walking the longer route home via the mall to watch the skaters made me feel not only safe but like part of my local community.

It’s incredible to see how many people around the city skate on a daily basis now

@southernsofty7432 1 year ago

Bought some skates again as part of my mid-life crisis! Content like this isn't helping! Loved this. Looked like great times!

@jeromejohnson5074 1 year ago

I work in Stratford now, I'm always seeing people skating round. been wondering what it was all about, glad this was recommended to me!

@LondonRocksJewellery 1 year ago

man i wish a was aware of Stratford years ago. back in 1993 we used to hit roller express in Edmonton. Im 44 now and started getting back into skating last year , to many years missed. Now I am teaching my two young sons and they are loving it.

@robbertdekker1402 10 months ago

I'm 50 years and went to the rollerdisco in Amsterdam in the late 90's. I just bought some second hand Bauer iceskates and I can't wait to get them converted. Let the love and passion from the London skate scene spread around the world .

@Corneloues 1 year ago

Just to let Wayne know, Brian is still running Beadle Rollerskates at 88!!!

Hes my dad!

He's not making skates any more. He's the UK distributor for Suregrip now.

But he still has a selection of original parts if anyone is interested.

I'm going to be showing him this video tomorrow!

Thanks to Phil Norton for introducing me to this video...

@gentlefieldtheorynerd853 1 year ago

i just bought my 1st skates, i'm almost 60 but i skated as a teen, up north east we had roller discos at night at school in the gym

@KaaaLikeYa 1 year ago

The power of a space that can put a smile on everyone's face. Simple shopping mall. Great surface, hood feel, good times, all welcome. Learning, challenging each other, exercise, music & vibes, different age groups bouncing off each other, sometimes literally ... great memories but long live the culture. To more spaces like SSM man. It's on us.

@kenharding5713 1 year ago

Who's getting ready to roll 🛼 😃

@ifell3 1 year ago

No way, this is a great underground/culture/historic UK thing. You guys should be proud!!

@kwawkwansah2452 5 months ago

Bring it back !!!

@resurrectvamp 1 year ago

So grateful to be involved in some of the music you used in the video. A video for generations of skaters to come.

@fitnesswithang 1 year ago

I used to love skating as a child but circumstances meant i couldnt do it for a long time i started again literally 30 years later back in jan this year and although still wobbly on my feet as i only do it once a week im trying to get my daughter to learn but shes better with a set of boxing gloves than skates lol you guys are so blessed to have the community you have i wish i had something like this as a kid i would probably never would have had to give it up. Love the love you have for it and that foot work is skating goals

@Dannniiiiiiiii 1 year ago

I smiled throughout the whole ting!!!!!!

@lulupupupu 1 year ago

More docos like this. Real and moving. Spirit of the 80s/90s urban youth 🖤

@HackneyOutdoors 6 months ago

Love this! I love RollerNation in Tottenham

@kieronmccarthy628 1 year ago

I’m glad I came across this video on my feed. I’m not from Stratford, but I came there a couple of months ago for a hip hop event in the centre. Anyway, at about 1am when I was leaving and standing outside by some crepes van, a group of 5 black women on roller skates rolled by, all having a laugh with big smiles on their faces. I remember thinking how fun it looked, but also that it was something unusual to me, as I’ve never seen that before. I wonder if they were affiliated with you, or perhaps they were influenced by past skaters in the area. This video gave me a great insight into a community I’d otherwise not known anything about. Awesome!