New Arena Announced for Durham

It’s the news you’ve all been waiting for. Plans for a new multi-million pound leisure complex have been announced which could see a permanent ice rink return to Durham for the first time since the city’s Riverside Rink closed in 1996.

The announcement was made public at the inaugural Ian Defty Memorial Trophy at Newcastle’s Metro [...]

CDIF Supports Plans for Gateshead Rink

A new ice rink development for Tyneside was announced on Sunday 24th August which could see a 3,000 seater arena built on land adjacent to Gateshead International Stadium.
The proposed 7 acre development would offer a range of new sporting facilities to complement the existing International Stadium, Indoor Athletics Hall, sports academy and English Institute of [...]

Ian Defty Memorial Trophy

The life of Ian Defty, whose life was tragically cut short earlier this year will be celebrated later this month in a 4-team tournament at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle.
Ian, who grew up as part of Durham Junior IHC and was a key member of the 1995/96 Durham City Wasps squad was a well [...]

The Rink that Nearly Happened

In 2004, the CDIF in conjunction with Sedgefield Borough Council commissoned a Feasibility Study to examine the possibility of redeveloping part of Newton Aycliffe’s Leisure Centre to incorporate a first-floor ice facility. Intially, spectator capacity was restricted to 600 spectators, however as the study progressed, it became clear that the rink would be able to [...]

An Interview with Jim Hall (2004)

In an exclusive interview, we had a chance to talk to one of the founding members of the Durham Wasps in 2004. Jim Hall, - born and bred in County Durham - first donned a pair of skates when the wartime Durham Ice Rink was an open-air rink covered by a giant tent. Learning to [...]

An interview with Nick Quail (2005)

A successful ice hockey team need good players, but it also needs loyal fans – and Durham had many of those. We spoke to one of them in 2005 about his memories of supporting the Wasps from the mid 1980s up until the closure of the rink. Nick Quail got bitten by the hockey bug [...]

An Interview with Ian Cooper (2006)

In an exclusive interview conducted in 2006, we talk to homegrown Durham legend and former GB international Ian Cooper. After coming through the ranks of the Durham Junior system, Ian, alongside his brother Stephen enjoyed several successful seasons with the Wasps including the Grand Slam season of 1991. Ian – and Stephen – also enjoyed [...]