Planet Ice Altrincham

Family trip. I would advise booking online, just incase. We went on a Saturday so it was busy. We got there early which again, I would recommend because although you cannot enter untill after the earlier slot has left, the queue was out the door. Only one person manning the booking in may have contributed to the long queue. As the time went on it got extremely busy. Despite a lovely time had, if there are several going it can be a bit pricey since you pay for hiring the skates on top of the ticket & also have to pay just to watch. The aids also need to be paid for to use (not refunded) if you have smaller ones or older beginner skaters. That said - you can stay a good while and have a great time. The kids loved it and we ducked out just before the end so avoided the line for our shoes. Only a couple of falls and smiles all round. The kids loved it! * If you are trying to book as a carer they will only accept access card as proof of disability

· via Google

Great night out. First Ice Hockey match. I loved it. Good wholesome family entertainment. I was surprised how popular it was. They run all sorts of side entertainment and the Mascot pops round to check your having fun. Staff were great, very helpful.Bit of a wait for food or drinks. There are toilet on both sides of the rink so easily accessible. Car parks fill up fast but you can park for free in the local area. There's a great spot by the Esso garage.

· via Google

Planet ice is central to the identity of Altrincham, conveniently located adjacent to the end of the Metrolink purple and Green lines. Planet ice is also home to Manchester Storm ice hockey team, whose game against the fife flyers (oldest professional ice hockey team in the uk established at the turn of world war 2 in 1938) was the primary reason for our visit. The facility is somewhat primitive, giving the games a very raw close-to-the-action feel. On game days drinks may be purchased at reasonable value from a make shift bar setup. The toilets are as one would expect for a national league football stadium, but are in good working order and looked after. Everything appeared to be in order. There are clear rules defined for centre use which are displayed in various locations including above the men’s urinals, though these are more targeted for the casual ice skating users. The ice is reasonably well kept, though there appeared to be minor inconsistencies with the preparation of the surface before ice hockey games with some very minor areas left untouched by the Zamboni. The players did not seem bothered by this and it did not affect our experience of the venue. In terms of Manchester storm themselves, they find themselves at the epicentre of the uk professional ice hockey and online dating scene, currently sandwiched betwixt Belfast giants and Glasgow clan at 5th place in the table when time allows between hinge dates. Their players have mixed attitudes in their relationships with opponents and romantic interests on and off the pitch respectively, and some of their players have somewhat of a reputation for ungentlemanly practice in either context. On the ice they’ve clearly sharpened their edge, skating with confidence, yet they weren’t able to overcome the Fife Flyers on our visit. The Storms defensive brigade were somewhat ghostly in their disappearance from the game when they were most needed, resulting in a heartbreaking loss during added time, albeit making for an undeniably thrilling night on the ice.

· via Google

I attended a patch session this morning and was appalled by the condition of the ice. Following hockey use, the surface was left heavily rutted, gouged and uneven, creating conditions that were clearly unsuitable for safe skating. The photographs I took speak for themselves. Training on ice in this condition significantly increases the risk of falls and injury. No skater paying for dedicated patch ice should be expected to train on a surface that has deteriorated to this extent. What is particularly concerning is that this is not an isolated incident. Patch ice is a premium training environment. Customers pay significant fees with the reasonable expectation that the ice will be properly maintained, fit for purpose and safe to use. The condition of the ice this morning fell well below that standard. The attached photographs show exactly why so many skaters are concerned.

· via Google