I went to the opening night of Blackpool's Hot Ice Show - this is what I thought

It’s where I was taken year after year by my grandparents in the 90’s as a special treat. We always had good seats near the rink, where you could smell the dry ice and feel the whoosh of skaters as they breezed past.

But I’ve not been back for the best part of 30 years, and would it be as magical when I took my six-year-old son for the first time?

Well, in short, yes! Leaving a warm, bright night, we stepped into the darkened arena inside the Pleasure Beach Resort and were immediately immersed in a cosy world of shimmering curtains, twinking lights and a rink illuminated in blue with the Hot Ice logo.

The thrill of opening night carried it’s own energy, with the great and good from the world of theatre, amusement parks across the world, journalists and local dignitaries gathered alongside members of the public, eager to see exactly what Eternity held. There was an infectious energy all around, with whoops and hollers as the show began with real fire across the ice and pyrotechnics.

I won’t spoil the show too much for people wanting a surprise, but I will say this - for people who think Blackpool is just Kiss Me Quick and stag do’s - think again. This is a show of the highest calibre, put together seemlessly and executed brilliantly. It’s not some gimmicky skating show - this is the real deal - it’s living, breathing art right infront of your face.

I have never been at a show where there’s such a heartfelt, spontaneous standing ovation for the INTERVAL as well as the spectacular cabaret-inspired finale.

The costumes are out of this world (and made me wonder where they were all stored), some of the moves are mind-bending, there’s parts where bubbles and water come down from the roof, and several times you blink and wonder ‘how did they get there?’

The biggest compliment I can pay the skaters - 30 World Champion and Olympic skaters including Dancing on Ice star Simon Proulx-Sénécal - is that at points during the two-hour show, I forgot just how difficult what they were doing was. They made it look that easy.

What a wonderful show, right on our doorstep. Go and make some memories.

Hot Ice Eternity runs from July 4 to September 7, and has a mixture of evening or matinee performances. Tickets are available here.