Skegness Magazine

The Wonder Wheels, the first Skegness skating group, were formed in 1963 by the resident stater at the Festival Pavilion, Stan and Meg Darbyshir-Jones.
The group consisted of 14 girls, one of whom was from Nottingham, and one boy.
Stan and Meg hoped to work at putting on a full-scale show at the Festival Pavilion, but this was hampered by current alterations at the pavilion.
So to begin with, they concentrated on practicing one routine – 76 trombones.
The act opened with a spectacular display of spinning by Stan and the only boy in the troupe, Colin Winfield, of Lumley Avenue, whom he whirled round at a breathtaking speed. The fourteen girls made their grand entrance next, led by Meg, in their smart red and white uniforms. For a finale they all marched out, lined up and went down in twos. Then they split off, broke up and did a wheel.

When Foreshore Manager, Wilan G Bosworth heard of the work of the Wonder Wheels Skating Troupe he pup them on the programme for each firework display.

Picture: The Wonder Wheels – trained by resident skaters at the Festival Pavilion, Stan and Meg Darbyshir-Jones, all these skaters, except one, are from Skegness. They presented a skating show at the Wednesday fireworks displays.
They are, from the left, back row; Kathleen Walton, Una Harvard, Elizabeth Bellamy, Susan Sharpe, Stan and Meg Darbishir-Jones, Pauline Peak, Anne Crow, Helen North and Pat Shore; front row: Zetta Fox, Jane Cripsey, Melita Smith, Colin Winfield, Janet Smith, Kathleen Trout and Jennifer Henson.