THE recent British solo ice dance championships in Sheffield brought success for four Basingstoke Ice Skating Club members, writes Peter Phipps.

Charles Howard-Jones took home a silver medal in the under-14 primary men's category.

The 13-year-old, who is coached at the Silver Dome Arena by Alan Abretti, was second behind Joseph Buckland, who skates out of the National Ice Centre, Nottingham.

Buckland took the lead after the compulsory dance, which was the willow waltz.

Howard-Jones was second and held that position after his free dance programme.

Another Abretti-trained skater, Victoria Heath-Smith, joined Claire Miller and Fiona Piggott, who both travel to Bracknell to train, in the primary ladies' class.

There was little to separate the trio after the compulsory dance.

Heath-Smith, who is 12, was fifth in a field of 18 skaters. Miller, also 12, was sixth and Piggott eighth.

Heath-Smith moved up a place after the free dance to finish just outside the medals in fourth place.

Miller was seventh overall and Piggott eighth.

The winner was Olivia Webster from Sheffield.

To qualify for the British championships, Heath-Smith won at Alexandra Palace, where Howard-Jones also qualified.

The annual Junior Club Coaches Cup competition had to be postponed due to the last-minute withdrawal of NISA judge Jane Brown.

However, the afternoon was turned into a successful end-of-term performance with all the children skating their programmes in front of an audience of parents and friends.

The competition has a revised date of September 8, after the school holidays.