I would have been over the moon getting these for my Christmas. Give them to kids nowadays and they'd no be very happy. Where is the fun in xboxes when you could go 30mph down steep hills on rollers.
I remember these being all the craze, it must have been around 1977. The year after skateboards hit the UK and the lad who lived next door to us converted loads of these rollerskates and some wood into skateboards. We were the trendiest street in the area - for a little while at least.
Used tae get an old beano book. Lay it on one skate, sit on it and away you go down the hill. Nae brakes. Great fun. Bumped head and skint knees if you come off at speed.
First skate board - John Brittons. £29.95 Woden deck and with rubber wheels. Used to go down arcade in town and mult storey. Although there used to be security guards that'd chase you off. Once lost it to a speed wobble going down Smithies, board shot into road and a car ran over it, flicking it back at me, almost taking my head off. Trucks were ruined.
Never had roller skates but we used old pram wheels and some wood to make soap boxes complete with brakes and steering made some beauties back in day got quite inventive.hardest part was getting hold of wheels
Called them trolleys. Finding an old pram where wheels used to clip on/off the axel, was like the Rolls Royce of the trolley world. Axel used to be fastened with bent over nails. If you were reight posh, you'd have a piece of carpet for a seat and a brake.
Brakes ? Trolly or sledge, the only thing we used to stop us was the big red exit gates from oakwell at the bottom of Belgrave Road. In summer we used to ride big thick pieces of cardboard down the steep hill ( now removed ) from where the Metrodome is now and use the chain link fence round the training ground as a stopping device. And we turned out ok. LOL.
Ironically my niece really wanted some roller skates last Xmas, we couldn't find any anywhere. This year she wants an xbox.
Yes - trolleys were one of the main things I remember as a kid. Finding an old pram with wheels on it were like finding gold. Mi dad were never one for having any tools - so for the axle he used to put the poker in the fire and burn it through the wood for us. Still got visible scares on mi legs from the days of trolleys.