By: Joe Lewis
Joe first started skateboarding at the History Facility on West Road in the late 90’s when he was 12 years old. Skaters would congregate around the ‘L-Banks’:
“The noise of skate wheels rattling … seeing people going up the banks and doing jumps, kick flips and tricks… it was an unbelievable paradise for skateboarding. The tricky thing is that it wasn’t able to continue like that..”
Group of skaters at the History Faculty steps (photo Sas Mays)
Listen to Joe’s memories of Cambridge street skating where town met gown, and its eventual demise.
Kimmy and friend sitting on the grass at the L-banks (photo Sas Mays)
Andy King popping an ollie over the L-bank hip (photo Dan King)
Dave doing a boneless on the L-bank (photo Dave Copsey)
Joe kickflipping on the L-bank after it was skate stopped (photo Dan Higginson)
Lock-down gave Joe and Sim Higginson the opportunity to research and independently publish their book A Brief History of Cambridge Skateboarding which can also be purchased from the Museum of Cambridge gift shop and Cambridge Waterstones. More about CamSkate here: cam-skate.co.uk
If you have any memories of Playing Out in Cambridge that you would like to share – whether from last week or decades ago – we would love to hear them. Please upload them to Add Your Playful Story. #CambridgePlaylaws