Somerset House ice skating in 2014 brought a blue-lit rink, a brightly coloured courtyard and a Christmas tree decorated with Fortnum & Mason hampers. This Roberts London visit takes in the scene from the entrance, the Skate Lounge and the edge of the ice.
First published on 12 November 2014, the film records that winter’s event and its festive setting.
Through the entrance to Somerset House
The approach to the rink is part of the evening. The camera passes through a stone entrance, with the courtyard and its Christmas tree visible ahead. Pink light catches the vaulted ceiling, creating a frame around the brighter scene outside.
I had come to see the new season’s ice rink. In the opening narration, I suggest that an outdoor rink is a good way to get into the festive mood, even for anyone whose skating resembles Bambi more than a polished performance.
The courtyard becomes a winter setting
Somerset House provides the backdrop: a neoclassical courtyard close to the Strand and the Thames. In this film, pink and violet light spreads across the stone façades, while the rink glows blue beneath the night sky.
The original description gives the 2014 season as 11 November 2014 to 11 January 2015. This film was first published on 12 November 2014, near the start of that season. The dates describe the historical event shown here.
A view beside the Christmas tree
The tree stands prominently beside the ice, with people gathering around its base and along the rinkside. Looking past it, the camera takes in the illuminated building and skaters moving across the courtyard.
There is plenty to watch from the edge. The film returns to the same setting from several positions, showing how the tree, the architecture and the movement on the ice work together. The courtyard remains the centre of the visit.
Coffee at the Skate Lounge
This year’s event was a collaboration with Fortnum & Mason. In the narration I describe Fortnum’s Lodge and its drinks and food, including sweet and savoury fondue, before deciding to head to the Skate Lounge for coffee.
The footage shows Tom’s Skate Lounge, with its menu above the drinks counter. I explain that the lounge was open to skaters and non-skaters, with a front-row view of the rink. That made a warm drink and a seat another way to enjoy the evening.
Fortnum & Mason hampers on the tree
The decorations make the partnership especially clear. Wicker hampers hang among the tree’s lights and baubles, bringing a familiar Fortnum & Mason object into the courtyard display. The camera looks upwards to pick out the small baskets between the branches.
I stop to take a photograph for Instagram, Twitter and Facebook before returning to the tree. In the narration I also mention an earlier film about the Christmas decorations at Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly store.
Watching the skating after dark
Much of the second half of the film stays with the skating. People move across the blue-lit ice in pairs and groups, with the illuminated Skate sign above the central building. Some travel confidently; others make slower progress near their companions.
These longer views give the rink time to come alive on screen. The camera watches from the edge, letting skaters cross the foreground while the building remains a steady background. It is a record of an ordinary session during the festive season.
Looking up at the courtyard
The camera also turns away from the rink to look upwards. A courtyard lamp stands against the night sky, with the pale stonework and roofline behind it. These brief architectural views place the temporary rink within the larger setting of Somerset House.
The lights change the appearance of the building without hiding it. Pink, purple and white illumination pick out windows, columns and decorative details, giving the evening its distinctive colour.
A visit for spectators as well as skaters
Near the end, I return to the courtyard’s appeal whether skating or simply watching with a drink. That remains the thread running through this archive visit: the ice is the attraction, but the setting gives spectators something to enjoy as well.
The lounges, decorations and seasonal programme described here belong to 2014. For a later visit to the same setting, see the Somerset House ice skating and Fortnum & Mason Lodge film from 2015.
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