People of York witnessed the official opening of their open-air ice skating rink on 14th November at the Eye of York below Clifford’s Tower for the fourth year in succession. Organiser Maria Farrugia says that more than 45,000 people took to the ice last Christmas, more than 110,000 visited it since it was first organised and the bookings this year were strong again.

James Cundall, chief executive of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, the company behind The Ice Factor said that they had tried to perfect the festive experience that every visitor of the only real ice skating rink in Yorkshire would experience with the help of new discounts and school partnerships.

Maria also added that their opening night was as eclectic as the previous year, with guest appearances from Leah Bracknell, star of Emmerdale, who appeared in a Grand Opera House pantomime and African drummers to start off the season with a bang. She claimed that Ryan Thornton was the star of the evening with a skating piece especially choreographed for The Ice Factor.

The ice skating rink opened for the public from 15th November, 2008 at 10am, with hour-long sessions daily (except Christmas Day) until 9.45pm on Sunday, January 4.