About 40 skaters and many others young and old who enjoyed being on the ice descended on a frozen Welney Wash this week.
The temperatures behaved impeccably to produce the minimum 4in thickness of ice needed to bear the weight of those venturing on safely.
The "rule of thumb" is -4C for three nights and not more than 0C for four days.
After which if you put your thumb into the ice and its length is covered, it’s safe.
On Monday, January 5, locals and aficionados of the ice from far afield flocked to Welney Wash.
And as the BBC has done through two centuries, they sent an outside broadcast crew.
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s popular reporter John Devine, aka Johnny Dee, was their emissary this year.
He did live interviews with some enjoying a recreational visit and two members of the national speed skating organisation.
John first spoke to Peter Riches, a fen skater from Nottingham.
He then interviewed Hugh Williams, the short track ("indoor speed skating", as it used to be called in the 20th century) director for British Ice Skating.
Up next, he spoke to Tom Fell, the BIS long track ("outdoor", as was) director and head coach of Cambridge Arrows Speed Skating Club.
Peter Riches, 24, the Team GBR short track skater who had been giving a 45k an-hour display on the marked 400-metre oval, was last to speak on John’s microphone.
He said: "We all made the trip over - we all kind of flock here from various parts of the country."
A great day out was had by all.
Report written by Lyn Gibb-de Swarte, life member of British Ice Skating (National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain), member of the Fen Centre for All Fen Skating, and president of the Great Britain Bandy Association.
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