About Us
Meridian Roller Figure & Dance Club is an artistic roller skating club based in Orpington, South East London.
We are a deditcated group of volunteers who aim to provide fun and friendly skating sessions for all abilities and ages. Whether you have never worn a pair of skates before, or have been skating for years, you are always welcome to skate with us! We encourage both children and adults to take up our sport and believe the benefits of skating are more than just physical. We pride ourselves in providing quality teaching and inclusivity for all.
All skaters start at our Sunday Morning General Skate (sessions) where you are able to get a feel for the club, meet our lovely team of coaches and volunteers, and have a go! During this session you will also begin to learn the basics of artistic roller skating, develop your balancing skills, and play a few games if you fancy it too!
We have plenty of experience with inexperience, so if you are a little rusty, please don't worry - we are here to help!
Please browse our website to find out more about us. We hope to see you soon!
*Please note you must have your own skates.
Our Club History
Meridian RF & DC is one of the oldest members of the Federation of Artistic Roller Skating (FARS).
The club was created in 1948 and was originally called The Bell Mar club run by the famous coach Billie Belchum and John Marchant.
When they retired the committee decided to rename the club Meridian due to the club being based in the Greenwich area in London. The club was originally based in the The Arches Leisure Centre which was know at the time as Greenwich Baths.
The Baths had two large swimming pools which had a wooden floor laid over the top of them to create a large roller skating rink. This was one of the premier roller skating facilities in London.
The first coach of the Meridian club was Jenny Mudge and then Pauline Potts, who stayed with the club for many years, until Wendy Murphy joined and took over as Head Coach in the 70's. Wendy still remains the Head Coach at the club due to her outstanding coaching talent and love of the sport.
On an annual basis Meridian are proud to host an Open Competition that invites all the Artistic Roller Skating clubs from across the UK to attend and compete for medals, trophies and recognition. This is held at the Walnuts Leisure Centre and is always a popular event for competitors and spectators alike.
Our club logo reflects our heritage in Greenwich as the "M" shape on the logo is actually the Meridian Line Sculpture which is located at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park. If you turn the sculpture sideways and look at it face on, you will see the axis of the globe forming the "letter M" This is where we took our inspiration from.
Our Committee
We are Based at the Walnuts Leisure Centre in Orpington, Kent.
Walnuts Leisure Centre
Lych Gate Road
Orpington
Kent
BR6 0TJ
The club runs skating sessions to cater for all ages and standards. Please view the sessions section on this website to see the times we offer.
Want to skate with us?
For general enquiries text Alison on:
07957 478462
or e-mail
Do you have the right equipment?
Meridian have entered a partnership with a company to supply our skaters with the correct high quality skates using top world class brands such as Roll-Line, Edea, Risport and Komplex to make the step forward towards competitive skating. These skates are fully endorsed by the coaches at the club and really make a difference in your skating ability.
This is a hire scheme per month.
For additional details vistit
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