 Poster: A snowHead
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The owners of Hemel Hempstead artificial ski slope, north of London, are planning its conversion to a snowdome, according to a report from SnowboardClub.co.uk. If this goes ahead it would be the first indoor snow facility within easy reach of the city. A 150m main slope, 70m teaching slope, button lifts and travelators are included in the scheme.
Photo impression: SnowPlanet, New Zealand - next snowdome to open (March 2005) www.snowplanet.co.nz ...
Plans have also been mooted for the Wycombe Summit plastic slope, west of London, to convert to snow but this facility is in a more sensitive rural location. Is Hemel more likely to secure planning permission and finance?
This report from SnowboardClub.co.uk.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 14-01-05 17:17; edited 6 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I certainly hope so! 
Hemel slope is about 5 minutes from my office, I could go at lunchtime.
Milton Keynes is about 25 minutes from home - it's just too far to go to ski...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I drive for 2 hours to get to Milton Keynes, from Gatwick. Mad, but damn site closer than anywhere else with real snow 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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They seem to be springing up all over the place now.
I seem an announcement some time ago re plans to build one at Haydock in Liverpool. Not seen anything since - anyone know about this ?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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But the previous London attempt 'sprung down' - the attempt to convert the Beckton Alps to a snowdome seems to be dead, although the foundations of the building were laid.
As far as I know, the Glasgow Xscape is the only one under construction right now, which will be the 4th in the UK (though there was a 5th pilot one at Telford, built in 1989 from memory).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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David Goldsmith, The Telford one is shut.
It wasn't exactly big, it was basically commercial meat locker (not much longer than a 38ton truck), more of a testing ground for the snow making equipment. A couple of short swings and you would have been down. It ended it's days as a place to hold sledging parties, for kids, company bashes, etc. Good fun but again too short.
I don't think you can count the SnowDome Tamworth in the same league as the Xscapes. I happened to be in Tamworth on business on Wednesday and seemed to have my ski gear in the boot (can't think how that happened), so I availed my-self of a quick hour's skiing. Unfortunately by the end of the first run I remembered why I really don't like skiing there. The surface is terrible, sheet Ice with shaved Ice on top!!! It just takes one snowboarder to slide sideways (lots of beginers, so lots of sliding sideways) or a skier to skid and it's an Ice patch. Which would not be a problem with good edges, but the hire skis don't have any edges. The travelators as very slow. One run every 7-10 minutes if your lucky!!! I'll stick to dry slopes and the Xscapes I think.
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Mark v1.0, thanks for that report. Tamworth have been promising improvements to the snow surface, but evidently haven't delivered them. They used a technology imported from Australia called Permasnow, but refused to reveal exactly how they were putting the surface down, which was a bit odd. I believe that ice 'pulverisation' is involved.
I know that Tamworth rejected the Acer Snowmec system - originated at Telford and then used by Xscape - and actually overheard one of Tamworth's directors making fun of snowMec's inventor. Maybe he has the last laugh now.
Interestingly, Tamworth have been putting lots of money into the peripheral facilities in the dome - bars, snowmobiling etc., so I'm not quite clear what their attitude to 'piste comfort' is.
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I would love to have a snowdome in hemel, I haven't tried the dry slope yet instead I drive up to Milton Keynes whenever I fancy a ski.
Having a snowdome on my door step would definatly be appealing (although I would probably spend all my money going there every day, and have none left for a ski holiday).
It would also make Hemel a little more appealing to live in, but it's no good me getting excited I'll probably move out of Hemel before they start building.
I want it now!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Converting the Hemel slope to snow makes a lot of sense. As the SnowBoard article states, all the necessary bits are there already, they just need to be integrated.
Just off the M1 with dual carriage-way most of the way. Snow and Rock on site.
Next-door entertainment complex with cinema, ice rink, blade rink, restaurants - there used to be a fun water place called Aquasplash, but I think that has closed (pity!).
Next-door athletics stadium. Nearby large Tescos. And then all the shops of Hemel.
Planning Permission? Well, there will need to be upgraded access, and an alteration in the layout to allow access from the entertainment complex. If all the traffic comes in that way, rather than the little road that gives access to the dry-slope now, I would have thought the local neighbours would be thrilled.
But I seem to recall many other snowdome projects have been proposed round the UK and then failed to materialise.
I will follow this with interest.
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Jonpim,
As I was saying above, there was talk of a Snowdome at Haydock nr Liverpool a couple of years ago but there is no sign of it yet.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Personally I'd like to see an indoor slope at High Wycombe - easy access from the M40 and a mere 30 mins for me! Bring it on!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Mark, how about something SOUTH of the M25?? There's some very nice valleys here on the South Downs, that could be used and will also hide the snow dome. 
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That's something I want as well, supposedly 50% or so of the GB skiing public (according to an article I read somewhere) live south of London so why no snowdomes down here 
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You know it makes sense.
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I live very close to the slope so will be very interested in any more info anyone has ?
Not far from MK but will give more people another option I suppose ?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Something in the South West would be nice as well! There are, or were, constant rumours about a snowdome being built in Cardiff. I've not read anything about that for ages now.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sounds like a good idea, is it a straight swap? A dome for Hemel ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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