Most people who grew up in Greater Manchester will have spent at least some time hugging the barrier wall at Altrincham ice rink.

It was a staple school trip destination – setting those who could skate against those who had realistic fears of losing their balance and then a finger under a blade.

But the iconic sports facility held no such fear for Terry Lawton, who was brought up around the corner in Timperley and was able to put his adolescent years to good use developing a graceful style.

It only occurred to him that skating could be a way of making a living when a friend told him about ice dance auditions at Alton Towers.

Winning a place at the Staffordshire theme park stood him in good stead when the Disney corporation held open auditions in Manchester a few years later and Terry, 42, has now been touring the world with Mickey Mouse’s happy band of dancers for more than a decade.

Tonight brings Terry back home for a brief period during a hectic international touring schedule as Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years Of Magic at the M.E.N Arena.

Born in Canada to Mancunian parents Val and Keith, Terry is grateful not only that ice runs in the family’s veins, but that his mum and dad decided to return to Manchester when he was just two.

He trained at Altrincham under former world champion and Olympic coach Joan Slater and has been skating since he was 10.

“My older brother, David, was a keen skater and played hockey at Altrincham, and my sister Susan, was a skater and ballet dancer.”

“I was down there at Altrincham on a regular basis as a child and then one day I decided to have a go myself. I got into ice dance and eventually started competing.

Terry, who has a house in Leigh, adds: “Professional ice dancing was one of those things which I wish I’d done a lot sooner as I was about 26 when I started earning a living from it.”

Terry is part of a merry band of Disney ice dance troupes which circulate the globe with a series of spectacular shows.

This particular show is a celebration of 65 of Disney’s most unforgettable characters and includes appearances by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio, and all of the Disney Princesses. But it takes an awful lot of hard work to make something so difficult appear to seamless.

“It can be hard work,” Terry adds. “But it’s worth it. It’s enjoyable hard work. It’s not one of those jobs where you wake up in the morning and think, ‘Oh no, I’ve got to go to work.’ I am grateful to Altrincham ice rink and have fond memories of learning to skate there.”

Taken from the Manchester Evening News dated October 13th 2010.