The Central City Roller Girls is a team on the forefront of the global phenomenon of roller derby…read more They're relatively new, but have aggressively pursued greatness and recently were recognized as the #2 team in Europe. They take beginners and train them. They have multiple teams and play all over the UK. Their home base is in Birmingham. Their bouts are high energy and exciting. centralcityrollergirls@blueyonder.co.uk It's interesting to see the number of mothers on the team. One corner of the arena seems to be a playland of mothers and their children.

For my daughters 8th birthday i took her and some friends to watch CCR in a bout. I was nervous…read morethat the kids may get bored.... how wrong i was, to be worrying! Feedback from parents was that their kids won't stop talking about it! I bought each of the girls a lovely pin badge and sticker, from the merch stall (instead of the usual goody bag of tat) and when given them at the end of the day, they all handled them like they'd been given a piece of treasure, which was lovely to see. One mum has reported back to me that her daughter is wearing hers everyday. To top it off, the birthday girl said it was the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER. From my perspective, the day out to watch CCR, went down a treat because the children could watch when and as much as they wanted to yet still play and be typical kids. Not many places they are allowed to do that! As soon as we walked in everyone was very welcoming and friendly, one lady brought colouring sheets of roller derby players and a huge box of crayons over to the kids, whilst another chap brought extra chairs out for us. Right at the end everyone lined up so the derby players could roll past and slap their hands... the hand slaps went down a treat, you'd think the kids hand all just shook hands with royalty! The CCR girls went out of their way to give my youngest (2yr old) mini slaps, kudos from me and the grandparents there it was so cute! There was just a wonderful atmosphere, buzzing, lively, fun, friendly! Even my parents really enjoyed it, now they want to go back to watch more and at first they weren't going to come with us at all! Under 12s were free to get in, I only had to pay for the adults which worked out at about five quid each having bought online in advance. There were cupcakes for sale, a raffle, merch stalls for the different teams and a skate hut stall selling all sorts of bits and bobs for any skaters needs. There were vending machines in the sports centre for buying drinks but we took bottles of juice in and snacks to. I knew my best friend and I would enjoy the day, we have all our outdoor skate gear and so far have managed to wobble up and down the hall lol. Me far more pathetically than she. I need to hurry up and let myself fall, so I can get over the fear! We were both oozing friendly jealousy at the awesomeness of the skating from CCR We have been inspired to get on and learn properly by taking advantage of the lessons offered by CCR, on a Saturday. This really is a sport for any age, wether you be watching on the side lines and cheering the skaters on. Or if you want to strap some skates on your feet and have a go yourself.... Go for it, I promise you won't regret it. Especially within such a lovely environment full of skilled, friendly folks.

Softball is a great summer sport that is perfectly aimed at those who like to be active and…read moresocialise at the same time! The Cardiff league has been running now since 2006 and is made up of 8 teams that play from April through to August at Llandaff fields and Pontanna Fields. The league plays the co-ed slowpitch version of the game, teams are equally mixed between male and female players and the ball is pitched under arm. While at first glance the game my seem complicated, it is very easy to start playing and before long become addicted! I have been playing for many years and when the clocks change to BST (British Softball Time) I know it is time to get the glove out for Spring training. The league is a very friendly bunch of people, they always welcome new player to the league.

Bloss as its affectionately known is the place where I used to play tennis many years ago. It…read morecontains 7 tennis courts, two of which are fairly new but the rest are really ageing. It also has a football pitch and a place to play bowls. There is also a very old little pub attached to it. My memory of it is being kicked off tennis courts by older members who thought they were more important than us. Unfortunately you don't have much choice of where to play tennis so this is one of the best courts in the area unless you can afford David Lloyd which is also nearby. On most days you can play just by turning up and there is no one there so there is little need to book a court. Its a nice place but its really badly managed and unfortunately I can't see it improving in the future.

A fantastically welcoming social and sports club…read more I had been told about the place by a friend and decided to stop in to see what the fuss was about. First impressions; the facilities they have are brilliant. There is a beautiful cricket pitch, several impressive Tennis courts, a stunning bowls green, to name but a few. There is a large function room with its own access to the bar. Upon entering the bar you immediately feel welcomed and pick up the vibes of this homely environment. All of the members were extremely welcoming and more than happy to answer any of my questions. I understand that 'The Bloss' also boasts several highly competitive Hockey teams. Along with a Chess and Petanque league. There is also a Drama section, for any budding thespians! A Darts board, Pool table or (like me!) if you just simply fancy a pint or two then this is a fantastic find, the beer prices are the cheapest in Solihull, easily! This is an easy 5 star review and I will certainly be using this Social/Sports club in the future.