Club Blue Room

I will admit to this gladly, I have no idea how to Rollerblade. I can just about roller-​skate and I can ice skate in a way, that I can get round the ice rink in one piece, and going faster than 2 mph without holding the sides. Although I have fallen a few times and dragged my mates down with me, oh the times! Not the point!
I went in here yesterday (Tuesday 9^th April 2013), for the pure fact me and my friend wanted to learn how to rollerblade (She says she can do it, I don’t believe her, especially after the test.) I found the person who helped, stupidly helpful! I asked for some cheap good beginner skates, he recommended the Spark 80 Rollerblades. He let me put them on, ride up and down the shop (I didn’t fall, good sign), I loved em. I asked him how does the brake work exactly, as it didn’t work totally on that smooth surface. He showed me some few basics, he knew what he was talking about, he said he would show me more, but he isn’t a certified instructor, he was self taught, but he showed me what he could. After a few more rolls up and down, with some attempts at braking, he mentioned to give this instructor a call. Apparently if you buy a pair of blades, you get a free lesson, on presentation of your receipt, WIN!
So all in all, great customer service, stayed with us, talked us through some things, showed us some basics, adjusted the bearings (As they were brand new) and gave us an instructor to phone. He most certainly didn’t pressure us in anyway to buy them, people could learn from this guy! Left a good impression on me.
Now excuse me, I’m off to try me skates, and try not to die. Hopefully!

I’ll be the first to admit, that I know little about skating. Okay, maybe to be fair I should hold a race open to all contestants who want to me the first to admit that for me, but whatever. So, it doesn’t take much to impress me when it comes to skate shop knowledge. It also doesn’t take much to impress me when you’re a tall, lanky, angelic looking boy with soft, shaggy blond hair and wide blue eyes like the guy who helped me at this shop. Despite my marvel at his appearance, it doesn’t affect my opinion that workers in this shop were unanimously helpful.
I went here to rent some inline skates for a Sunday roll through the streets with the London Friday night skating group, or whatever they’re called (see a previous review of mine). The blades I rented weren’t in tip top shape, but they were nevertheless good. For 10 pounds, I rented skates and padding to my hearts delight (for the day that is). I had so much fun on the skate that I thought it might be a good idea to buy some skates, so I spoke with the workers a bit and they were very friendly and knowledgeable. Of course, I’m sure they wanted to sell something to me and perhaps wine me and dine me and serenade me on moonlight walks along the Thames with a harp and lute, but that doesn’t change the fact that they were helpful.
If I ever need advice on skates again, I’d probably go here, because then at least one of us knows what’s going on.

I hang out here sometimes in the hope that a gorgeous, sweat drenched skater will role in to buy some new wheels (or whatever they buy) and take me away on the back of his board, literally skate me into the sunset. I am actually only half joking here, but read no further if you are not some sort of skate or snow enthusiast, or if you don’t share my perverse image of the perfect date because Club Blue Room is designed solely for skate enthusiasts and their demented stalkers.
They are like the Footlocker of skate shops (as in really big and probably only frequented by spotty teenagers). From the research I have carried out on the more mature skater and the best places to find him, they prefer smaller independent stores, run by their friends. I could be wrong though; this store does have everything in every brand and colour you could ever need to become a pro skater, even helmets (oh dear). It’s the kind of place a school friend of mine went to when he completed his one day transformation from chav to skater and came in the next day with a board and huge DC skate shoes with matching beanie instead of his usual Kappa jacket, Reebok Classics and Elizabeth Duke at Argos gold chain.
It really isn’t my place to be snobbish about this store considering I can’t even skate board, it’s just that I spend so much time hanging around the park at Southbank I feel like one of the gang. In all seriousness, it’s a great store with infinite amounts of skating paraphernalia. They also rent and sell in-​line skates and roller boots with ‘full kit.’ I would get myself a pair if I didn’t know that the real skaters call them «shoes of shame.»

Club Blue Room isn’t a disco for blueberries, it’s a skate shop on Edgware Road. It’s a skater’s paradise. There are rollerblades, skateboards, old school roller skates which are reminiscent of the glory of the disco era (completely unrelated to the name of the shop of course) and all the tools a skater needs to keep his equipment in tip top shape. The fun doesn’t stop there though, the store also offers all the cute clothes associated with the funky-​punk skater lifestyle. Brilliant hoodies, shoes, rucksacks, shirts and jackets; anything you need to add some spice to your wardrobe is available here. The prices aren’t too exorbitant either (30 quid for a hoodie, 20 for a t-​shirt), so if you need to get some rollerblade lubricant and a new hat you can tick both of these boxes at one time.