BBDD vs LRG bout

I've just got back from a weekend in Birmingham. Aside from having the valuable time with my Mom, Dad and brother, I also got to watch the two oldest teams in UK derby history go head to head.

The bout itself was a little unevenly balanced, in terms of team performance, and the final score reflected that. Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames lost 23 to London Rollergirls 274. It was still good to watch and is always a pleasure to see just how good the LRG are. Especially Kitty Decapitate and Sky Rocket.

It is a bit disheartening when the final score is that way, but the Blitz Dames did themselves proud at the after party. I lost count of the number of shots I consumed with them and the dance off was hilarious for all - how a dance off turned into a sit up and plank off came about is still a bit confusing, but it was great fun! I hate doing the plank in training, so god knows why I ended up doing it in a club with Jack Attack sat on my back.

Glasvegas - a roller derby bootcamp

I've just got back from Glasgow and absolutely every bone in my body is aching... my ribs kill me every time I cough and my legs feel like they're going to stop working soon. But, I have a gigantic smile on my face and I'm looking forward to the next one already!

So what does a roller derby bootcamp involve?

I arrived at our apartment late on Friday night, after flying up to Glasgow after work and pretty much went straight to bed. After being prematurely woken by the kids in the room above us, I hauled my tired ass out of bed and got ready for the hike up to the sports hall. Thank god for WhipIt who made sure we all knew where we were going, when we needed to be there and what we needed to do on the way.

We got to the sports hall and there were rollergirls buzzing around everywhere, eagerly awaiting the start of the two day training and fun. We got into our gear, signed our waivers and got our numbers marked onto our arms.

And that is when the most intensive training I have every experienced started. I used to think the Duke of Edinburgh's award was tough, but now that feels like a walk in the park. We all started with the usual warm up free skate and stretching session. Led by Ivana S. Pankin & Trish The Dish who were our coaches for the weekend and two of the best in the sport (both from Team Awesome in the US).

Then we all split across the two tracks and started our drills. I have never skated so hard and fallen so much, but having Trish the Dish as our coach was amazing. The only downer of the day was seeing one of the girls on our track fall and be carried off to hospital. It turns out she broke her ankle in three different places and had to have an operation on Sunday morning.

After a gruelling 5 hours of whips, hits and jam training, we headed straight to the pub for a very well deserved drink. Back to the apartment to shower and eat and then we headed up to the Sports Cafe to party with the other girls.

Elvis entered the building and the traditional derby wedding ceremony started. And it wasn't too long before we realised Elvis was in fact Ballistic Whistle from LRG. He did a pretty convincing impression - maybe that's his real calling in life! A few tequila shots and several cocktails later, we figured an early(ish) night was needed, so headed back to the apartment.

And so started day 2 - with the kids above giving us our early morning call again. Every bone in my body was aching, so I doubted whether I had the energy to skate again. And the walk up the hill in the wind and rain just about took my last bit, so I decided to be a spectator for the day. I didn't mind so much, as it was great to watch all the amazing advanced girls bouting and I had as much fun as if I had my skates on.

We went for a quick bite to eat at the end, before I headed off to the airport and made my way back home and to the warmth and comfort of my bed. Luckily, I live on the top floor, so no chance of kids running around upstairs in the morning - unless they'd moved into my loft while I was away.

Welcome to the world of Motley Screw

Hello!
I was filling out a questionnaire to help with a book that will be published soon about roller derby leagues in the UK and it made me think about all the things I've done since I joined the London Rockin Rollers, that I thought I would start to document my life as a rollergirl and skating with LRR.

So many amazing memories might be lost if I don't do this, so here is my way of logging them and sharing the experiences I have with anyone who might want to read.

To start with I thought I'd give an introduction to roller derby, London Rockin Rollers and me, so here you go.

What is roller derby?
Why reinvent the wheel? I could have spent ages writing a summary for you, but it's much easier to check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_derby which will give you the lowdown, and more. I play flat-track derby, in case you were wondering.

Who are the London Rockin Rollers?
The London Rockin' Rollers are a league of swift and sizzling sirens on skates.
Broads that do battle on 8 wheels!
Born on the wrong side of the roller derby track, these kick-happy thrill-hungry defiant dazzling darlings will steal your hearts....and then your hot rods!! Looking for a new kinda kick? Then come and catch these total terrors on the track.
Want to know more? Just join us at http://www.myspace.com/londonrockinrollers

Who is Motley Screw and why do I skate as #58?
I grew up in the West Midlands in England in the 80s. I loved music and so of course I loved Duran Duran. I was Head of Choir and played oboe in Furzebank Orchestra.

Once in my teenage years I learned one word - angst. So I quickly moved on to The Smiths and became really moody and started questionning the world.

However, a fantastic phenomenon happened that snapped me out of this and that was the mighty Mötley Crüe.

I've done quite a lot in my life and I am proud of who I am. I attribute that to having amazing parents who I admire more than anyone could ever believe.

But the Crüe, and Nikki Sixx in particular, are my idols and that's where my skate name comes from. And my number? Easy, the year Nikki Sixx was born.

One more thing to mention is my radio show. I co-present the new and unsigned show on www.totalrock.com every Monday from 8-10pm GMT. Tune in and put a voice to my blog.

So that's it for my intro. More to come very soon.

Motley Screw #58
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