Frederick Fincham Long

Race winning skates were uncovered and a family history search brought to life following a chance encounter on social media in November 2020. 

The fenland skates pictured above with a handwritten note belonged to Frederick Long. The skates are marked as Sheffield Steel from the factory of W. Marples and date back to the late 19th Century. Speed skater, Frederick Long won a One Mile Race on Cuckoo’s Hollow, Werrington in the early 1920s. Cuckoo’s Hollow at this time was made up a series of dykes pastureland and a stream/ brook running through and the mile race took place on the frozen brook.

Cuckoo’s Hollow was landscaped in the 1970s becoming a nature reserve with the creation of a lake to replace the Brook. Nearby, Skaters Way is a reminder of the sporting history of the site.