Turn Left Issue 20

EDITED, DESIGNED AND WHATEVERED

BY ADAM PETERS. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS

BY JOHN HESSE EXCEPT: MONTAGE BY MISTRESS OF PHOTOS BY RICHARD HANSON & ROCKERS // REBECCA CORNFORD: PAGES 4 (PHILOSOFEAR), 5 (SMASH’ER & SNOW), 6 (RAE) & 12 (BETSY) // RICHARD HANSON: PAGE 6 (MINEZA) // MEGA PIXEL: PAGE 9 // PJ PHOTOGRAPHY: PAGES 8 (BELLES) & 10 (FOXLEY) // US: PAGE 10 (FARMER) // JON TERRY: PAGE 10 (HELLATRIX) // CHRIS BELL: PAGE 13 (ULTRAFOXX)

YERS EX–PLA L I C SPE A

BIG THANKS TO ALL OF OUR LOVELY INTERVIEWEES (26 – A NEW RECORD)

S R E K C O R R I E TH

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OFF

WENTY T N W O D ACK

WE TR

Welcome to Issue 20 of Turn Left. To celebrate this milestone we’re doing something a bit different with the mag.

If you’re looking for info and interviews with all the teams in today’s games, turn to the centre pages...

The rest of this issue is given over to a huge ‘where are they now’ feature focusing on twenty former Brighton Rockers stars...

RS...

SKATE N O T H G I R ER B

FORM

GIN ATOMIC

“I LEFT THE ROCKERS as I moved to Japan to live in a ski resort for a few months, but I still full blown stalk them online. It was great to see that they got a strong win at Portsmouth, which moved them up a lot in the rankings recently.

I don’t play derby at present (I’ve been snowboarding instead) but we’re leaving Japan and heading to Melbourne now for a while. I’m hoping to get my skates back on in Oz. Rockers highlights include my birthday game v Newcastle B last April, which was pretty epic. It was my 30th birthday, we won after a run of loses, and of course Cake or Death said yes when her chap popped the question. It was a great game for so many reasons!

I had so many good times with the Rockers – from training to games to after parties.

Skating in the Pride parade was pretty fantastic also.”

VAN HAYLEY

“IT BROKE MY HEART to leave the Rockers, but I was moving to Bristol to study.

I’m doing an audio engineering degree. I love it here, but Brighton is still home. I’m with Bristol Roller Derby at the moment. They’ve been very welcoming, though I haven’t had as much time for it as I’d like.

It’s been great to hear about all the amazing things the Rockers have accomplished as a team recently. I’ve been back to visit a couple of times – how exciting was that intraleague event at the Corn Exchange last December – and it’s always great to see everybody.

My favourite game with Brighton was last year’s Eastbourne Extreme Rockerbillies v Bourne Bombshells match.

We love the Bombshells and Extreme is always fun. It was such a great game and so amazing to take home the win.

If I miss one thing overall, it’s the after party games. Nobody parties like the Rockers!”

THE R A PHILOSOFE

SWANN “THE FIRST FEW MONTHS I was with Brighton were the best for me. Bash was coaching and it was such a huge step up in ability from where I’d been.

I got a message from Bash a couple of months into my time there asking if I wanted to play on the A-team against Croydon and it was the most excited I’ve felt in the whole time I played roller derby. All my old team mates came along with signs cheering me on, and I felt so proud to be part of the team.

I left as I started work as a Prison Officer, and then moved in with my partner (now husband) who lived in Kent. The combination of the awful shift patterns and living over an hour away meant it was basically impossible for me to make training. I’m a bit out of it with following roller derby in general, but I speak to Gin here and there and Irish Mist came to my hen party. I’d like to have kept in touch with more of them, but life has just gotten in the way.

I haven’t seen too much of what they’ve been doing, but I have noticed a whole bunch of new skaters – and skaters who were just starting out when I was there – making it onto the

A-team roster, which is exciting. I’m living in a little village called Brenchley in Kent at the moment, but I’m just about to go travelling the world for seven months. When we come back, we’re looking to buy a house, so who knows where I’ll end up then!

I’m now a member of Southern CoEd Roller Derby and play for the Apex Predators, but I’m nowhere near as involved as I have been in the past. I don’t coach or anything like that any more. I’d like to get into it again now that I’m not working at the prison, which will give me a lot more free time!

It’s hard to pick out just one thing from my time with the Rockers. A lot of what I loved about being with them was the validation I felt as a player. It was the first time I’d had other experienced players to continuously measure myself against, so when I did well, I felt it more than anywhere else.

One of the things I miss most (which I sort of hated at the time) is the dance warm ups.

The Rockers always had such a sense of fun behind everything that they did, while still being super competitive, and I loved that about them.”

“MY FAVOURITE ROCKERS MOMENT was the first open door game I ever saw, Brighton v Seaside Sirens in 2011. I was in Fresh Meat with Brighton at the time. I decided to try to take some photos of the game – my first attempt at roller derby photography. It turns out that shooting moving people in dark sports halls isn’t as easy as it looks, but I spent so much time cheering that I didn’t get that many photos. The Rockers won by a huge amount and I had no voice left after the game.

When the Eastbourne team was formed I started going along to their training, just to help out as I was minimum skills passed by then. I fell in love with the skaters and the team and it felt like a better fit for me. Plus, I wasn’t getting to play at Brighton as I wasn’t very good! With my skill level at the time, being with a newer team made a lot more sense.

The times Eastbourne trained also suited me a lot better.

I still attend the odd Rockers game when I can, and I guest skated for their B-team back in September. I’m always interested in how they’re doing and check out their scores on Flattrackstats. I was glad to see that the A-team had a big win recently and moved back up the rankings, as they seemed to have been on a downward slope for a while. The Rockerbillies narrowly beat the Eastbourne B-team Cherry Bombs in December. Hopefully the teams will have a rematch at some point this year.

I’m still living in Sussex, but I’m not with Eastbourne Roller Derby any more. I’m not currently skating as I’m in my final year of uni and don’t have time for it at the moment. I’m hoping to get back to skating at some point after university finishes. My only current involvement with roller derby is as bench coach for Southern CoEd Roller Derby’s women’s team, Apex Predators. I also still do a bit of derby photography, but not too much as I don’t have time for the editing.”

CHARIOAT SOPHI “MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE MOMENT with Brighton was being sick in Bash’s shoe at the Glasgow after party. Those really were the golden days.

I left the league as I got a girlfriend. *crying and laughing emoji* I’m in London now because of work. I’m not involved with derby at present, but I’m thinking of joining a London recreational league.

I still see lots of the original Rockers from my time skating, and the ones I can’t see I still keep in touch with.”

LAB WRATH “I SKATED WITH THE Rockers for two years, from a baby rookie to an A/B crossover.

It was so cool to find a group of such badass skaters doing awesome things. It was also a really supportive atmosphere at every practice and game.

The derby community is so strong and nurturing. I was super sad to leave the team, but as I was transitioning I couldn’t stay on a women’s team!

It’s so great that women have carved this space out in the sporting world and continue to do such great work for women’s self-esteem and confidence. I’ve seen people literally transformed through roller derby, getting the support to be confident enough to try things they never thought they’d be capable of. It’s so cool to see!

I’m so excited for where the Rockers are headed next. The team keeps gaining great players and they’re a really solid bunch on and off the track!”

IRISH MIST “MY ROCKERS HIGHLIGHT WAS bringing the B-team back.

Going from captain to line up manager for the Rockerbillies let me see the team evolve into the kick-ass unit it is today!

Why have I left? Jumped before I was pushed. They’ll be nothing without me! *drunken hic* ...and no, I don’t still keep in touch with them. I’ve moved to the ‘Here Be Dragons’ section of the map, and the Rockers are dead to me. Dead!

The roller derby brainwashing hasn’t been deprogrammed yet though, so I’ll still be on skates somewhere until the intervention. My favourite moment with Brighton was eating cake with Cake or Death.”

“I STARTED OUT SKATING with the Rockers. I completed my Fresh Meat training, then I ended up fracturing and dislocating my ankle pretty badly. I had three lots of surgery in the end. Needless to say, I didn’t actually get to play any games.

I was excited to be asked to become Head NSO. I trained myself from scratch, then recruited NSOs and trained them up. It was a fun experience and I loved being able to still be involved in the league. There are many highlights as it was a fun time for me. At the time, the Rockers were on a high and were undefeated for ages.

My biggest highlight has to be meeting my life partner, Scoot’er. She was the Head Ref. We’ve been together almost six years now. I left the Rockers to move to Canada. I miss them and I’m still in touch with some of them. I met up with Mistress and Banger briefly when I was back in the UK last year, but I’d love to catch up with others next time I’m back too.

“I TURNED UP TO the Rockers’ first ever Fresh Meat intake day back in 2010. I was terrified, but fell in love with the sport straight away. I met some amazing people. Bash was soon my derby idol.

Unfortunately, I had to leave them after a few months, as I moved to Eastbourne for university; but seeing as I was well and truly hooked, shortly afterwards I helped start a local team there, now known as Eastbourne Roller Derby.

We’ve recently been having some scrimmages with the Rockers, which have been great and I’m sure they will continue.

Did someone say Sussex super (challenge) team...?”

, SMASH EER FIERC I often check game results.

I’m hoping that I can coordinate a trip back home with one of their games so I can NSO for them again one day! I’m still involved in derby. I am currently the Head NSO for Calgary Roller Derby Association. This has been instrumental for me in developing even further as an official. They are a WFTDA league and they won bronze in the D2 Champs last year.

Previously I’ve just enjoyed being an official, but since being part of this league I’ve really had to up my game! I’m now a certified WFTDA official. I’ve been lucky enough to officiate some high level tournaments throughout the US and Canada, including the D1 Playoffs.”

SNOW MERCY

RAE RAY RIOT “MY BRIGHTON ROCKERS YEARS were probably the first time I ever felt that I fitted in with a group. It was OK to be me. I started with the B-team.

The most memorable part of that was skating in a game away to my home team, Leicester’s Dolly Rockit Rollers.

The after party was mad. A combination of post game exhaustion and alcohol made for a pretty significant game of

“OUR FIRST OPEN DOOR bout is still a highlight. We were so nervous and had been training so hard, and even when we were winning we still thought it could be taken from us!

Over the next five years we had so many laughs and so many more wins. And then losses. So many fun training

ENYO FACE

dance-off, in which my handstand push-ups (taught to me

by Mistress) lost to an incredible box jump onto the bar.

Then I made the A-team, which in itself was the best feeling in the world. Roller derby was my life; it was all I talked about, all I did. We skated in Alexandra Palace. We won and lost, but every game was so much fun.

Unfortunately I became really unwell. I was in and out of hospital with depression and psychosis. I couldn’t go to practices. I could barely leave the house, so had to stop playing. I miss it so much. I mainly miss the people.

It’s difficult to explain, but I love my derby friends – I just found it really difficult to stay in touch. I’m working on that!

I’m a paramedic, so job commitments made it difficult. I’m also a boxer and I’m looking to compete again soon, so hopefully I’ll get some of the Rockers girls along for support!”

sessions, awesome after parties, and we played some excellent teams. I also loved the classic comments from friends watching their first games. A favourite was someone who thought that the sin bin was where skaters go for a rest when they’re tired.

Over the years I left to go travelling. I returned, but my attendance was never great.

It was work commitments and the terrible commute that meant my attendance dropped completely eventually. A lot of the Rockers are my closest friends and I really miss playing for the team. I now live in New Zealand and I’m meeting up with Bash in a few weeks.

My contact with the team is purely social. If they ever needed something, I’d always like to help, but in terms of following their results/rankings...

I was never too competitive when I was on the team!”

“I HAVE SO MANY highlights to choose from. I’ll have to pick going to play the Gent team in Belgium. Road trip Rockers stylee. We arrived from the UK just in time to kit up and get on track, smashed it and then hit the after party. This is as much info as I can give as I swore an oath of silence.

I left as I had done my time in Brighton and chose to move back to Devon. The siren call of South West Angels of Terror (SWAT), who I now play for, won me over. I’ve returned home as I originally did Fresh Meat with this wonderful bunch. Cake Or Death’s sister Insane Bolt was our captain and head coach for many years. Roller derby literally is a family!

MINEZA CIDER I do keep in touch with a few of the Rockers, and always hope to bump into them when I visit Brighton. Mother Trucker and her fella Tango now live here in Devon too, so I’m always close to memories.

I loved every second of my time with the Rockers, but Pride the year I was there was such an amazing experience!

We turned a Land Rover into a giant roller skate and about forty of us filled the street, doing tricks and jumps and wowing the crowd. There was also that amazing time we were in a magazine called Pretty Litter.

We got dolled up in awesome clothes and skated around a diner being naughty!”

“THE ROCKERS SAW SO many changes while I was with them, especially as I was one of the founding members. The first highlight was getting a bunch of girls who’d quickly become my best friends to a point where we were able to play in a proper roller derby game. It took us a full year, but we got there eventually!

Obviously another highlight would be the amazing away games we had over those first three years. They were so much fun. Dublin, Glasgow, Gent... those were all some of the best times I’ve had. Roller derby plus a huge group of your best friends plus travel costumes equals awesome fun!

I had a lot of reasons for leaving. I guess the main one was that I didn’t have enough time or energy to give roller derby the dedication it needed and deserved any more. Also, I started to feel that maybe I’d given derby the best I had as a skater, and I wanted to leave

D ROSE BLEE

on a high. Plus, the team had changed a lot and it felt right leaving at a time when the team was in transition and had a lot of great up and coming players to take my spot!

I’m still friends with a few of the players, so get occasional updates on how the team is doing plus any juicy gossip! From what I can see, the A-team is getting stronger and is starting to really thrive as a team again, so I see great things for the future. I don’t get many

updates on the B-team, but it’s wonderful to see them play so many games and to see that the league is now big enough to have a full permanent B-team.

I hope they can keep it up!

I’m still in Brighton, but I work nights as a veterinary nurse (thus why I can’t give derby the time it needs any more). I just keep my eye on the team from afar now, and occasionally make it to games to cheer them on. I went to their exhibition game at the Corn Exchange last year. I screamed so much I nearly lost my voice – it was such a fantastic game!

Hands down my favourite Rockers memory is our trip to Dublin. Everybody nailed the travel theme (terrible tracksuits), the team were all good friends of mine (it was so much fun), we played really well and then had the after party to end all after parties. Makes me almost teary-eyed thinking about how much I miss those days. It was the absolute best!”

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Can you give us a quick summary of your history to date? Hertfordshire Roller Derby formed in late 2010 and started competing in the 2012 End Of The World Series. The Belles were part of the Heartlands tournament during 20132014, and this tournament then developed into British Champs in the format we know it today.

Hell’s Belles played in Tier 4 of the British Champs in 2015 and were promoted to Tier 3 in 2016. We’re still in Tier 3 for 2017 with our sights set on Tier 2. Hell’s Belles Roller Girls were awarded Team of the Year in the annual Welwyn Hatfield Sports Awards 2016 ceremony.

We were so proud!

What’s the derby scene like in Herts? Do you mostly play against teams nearby or on a wider UK/European basis?

As a team, we scrim/bout with leagues all over the UK. We are located fairly close to the lovely Milton Keynes Concrete Cows, who hold a monthly mixed scrim open to all skaters. We always have a blast!

Do you know much about the Brighton Rockers Ateam you will be facing today? I know they are a driven and dedicated team. I’ll be watching out for all their players and tactics. I played one of my cherry poppers at Brighton when they played Hot Wheel, so it will be awesome to see how their game has changed in the last two years.

Any particular Hell’s Belles players the crowd should look out for? The audience should look out for Candy CaneHer, she’s a crowd pleaser!

Any thoughts on the day’s other game between the Brighton and Suffolk Bteams? I’m looking forward to watching this. All the teams I’ve seen from Brighton and Suffolk put on such a good game and are always very exciting.

Finally, any message for the Hell’s Belles fans in today’s crowd? Try not to upset the refs by being too loud this time.

Hell Yeah Hell’s Belles!

“WE DIDN’T HAVE AN easy day when we faced Vienna last time out at the Dolphin. I don’t think it was entirely a surprise as it’s so difficult to tell what a team will play like based on the stats at the moment. The A-team were a little disheartened, but we learnt a lot from that game.

Perhaps it was more surprising for the B-team, as for some of them it was their first defeat.

Both Vienna teams were a lot tighter in their play and stronger. We’d been working hard on a particular wall as a league since Caen, but when we faced Vienna it turned out they were already stronger and faster at the same thing. We kept on working on it relentlessly and three weeks later when we faced Portsmouth away that hard work paid off… finally!

As for today, I used to know a bit about Hell’s Belles back in my days with the Milton Keynes Concrete Cows, but that was many years ago and a lot has no doubt changed. I’ve had the customary check on Flattrackstats and see that they’ve recently played against Rebellion. Now we lost to Rebellion by one point, whereas Hell’s Belles played them and lost by 204 points.

Make of that what you will, I ain’t sayin’ nuffin’. The crowd should look out for Fellen E Assault and Cruelty Spree on track – this will be their first open door A-team game.

The Rockerbillies face the Suffolk Bees, who are very much an unknown quantity to us. Let’s just see what happens. Playing regular games for B-teams is super important for all areas of game development, from learning the rules to putting your skating skills into practice under high pressure situations.

I think it’s an essential step for those aiming to progress on to A-teams, as the level of roller derby has increased so much in recent years.

Our next A-team games after today will be over in Ireland.

We’ll be facing both Limerick and Belfast at the Delta Sports Dome in Limerick on June 17th.

I think it might be good to go into those games thinking

RANKINGS AND PREDICTIONS FROM FLATTRACKSTATS.COM BRIGHTON A: 98TH (554.4pts) HERTS RD A: 101ST (553.9pts) BRIGHTON A 56% CHANCE OF WINNING PREDICTED DIFFERENTIAL OF 13:12 SUGGESTS CIRCA 195-180 HOME WIN

BRIGHTON B: 305TH (454.9pts) SUFFOLK B: 278TH (463.7pts) SUFFOLK B 51% CHANCE OF WINNING PREDICTED DIFFERENTIAL OF 78:77 SUGGESTS CIRCA 234-231 AWAY WIN EUROPEAN RATHER THAN UKRDA RANKING USED THESE STATS ARE CORRECT AS OF 04/05/17

RECENT ROCKERS RESULTS ALL OPEN DOORS SINCE LAST ISSUE 04/03/17 @ HAYWARDS HEATH BRIGHTON A 126-262 VIENNA A BRIGHTON B 107-242 VIENNA B 25/03/17 @ HAVANT PORTSMOUTH A 153-265 BRIGHTON A PORTSMOUTH B 210-221 BRIGHTON B they will be as hard as playing Amsterdam earlier this year, and then hopefully the only way is up from there. Two games in one day will be tiring, of course, so we’ll have to really work hard in terms of our stamina.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2017, I’m pretty excited.

We had a tough start to the year, but we didn’t let it get us down – we just worked even harder. Our B-team is going from strength to strength, with last year’s Fresh Meat rising quickly through the ranks, and we have a whole new batch of newbies who will be snapping at their heels in no time at all.

Finally, a quick plug: The Rockers are having a fundraising night at the Latest Music Bar on July 22nd. There will be a quiz, DJ and three amazing bands.

Tickets are £8 from our website.

Rockers fans please come along!”

G N I Z Z U BEES B

S) FFOLK BEEB-team up U S E H T ( s the g ASTERISK me see s goin

a team i cond g me?

Which y’s se a . d s o e his ga t e le g in t folk B n f u u t ...whi S s e t t th to ge agains Who are you? We’re a pretty newly established team. Following a good ‘growth year’, Suffolk Roller Derby seized the oportunity to create a women’s B-team towards the end of 2016, to allow some of our newer members a chance to get more gameplay experience.

This has been especially important for our crossover skaters going into their first experience of British Champs, which can be really intimidating.

Our first game was in November against the formidable Cambridge Punt Rockers. We didn’t win, but it was a serious learning curve and we really enjoyed ourselves. We’ve also played Norfolk’s Black Shucks (a win!) and the Milton Keynes Concrete Cows (another thoroughly enjoyable loss).

We’re eagerly anticipating our next challenge!

Do you mostly play against teams nearby or further afield? A mixture. We meet up with Norfolk quite a bit (we’ve played both their women’s A and B-teams and their men’s team this year already) but as both our men’s and women’s teams are in Champs, we’re all over the place. Some of our

women even made a trip over to Reykjavik to play Iceland recently. What an adventure!

Do you know much about the Brighton Rockerbillies?

Brighton are something of an unknown quantity to us. We’re really just looking forward to a fun day out, a new challenge, and extending some Suffolk love out into Sussex (which is where I’m from originally).

Any Suffolk players we should look out for? Care to predict the result? Now that would be telling ;) I’m keeping an open mind – results are not really my primary concern (although winning adds a nice flavour). I’m more focused on putting our training into practice, playing a clean game, and having a good time!

Any thoughts on the Brighton v Herts A-team game?

Again, a little bit outside my sphere of knowledge! But I’m confident it will be a fiercely competitive game – I anticipate a lot of excitement.

Finally, any message for the Suffolk fans in the crowd?

WHO ARE WE???

7

LETTERS

ELLES) B ( Y E L X O EES) s LADY F B v ( ) D N E O G T N H A G RIX DER ON (BRI T D A L D L E E G H R s E v FARM Which animal would you If you could choose any sport other than roller derby to instantly become really good at, what sport and why? Farmergeddon (Brighton Rockers): Why would I choose anything else? Tiddlywinks!

Lady Foxley (Hell’s Belles): It would have to be snooker!

It’s my guilty pleasure. I’d love to rock up to a snooker hall and hustle everyone. Better still do it at the Crucible in the final!

Hellatrix Deranged (Suffolk Bees): Probably gymnastics to be super flexible and muscly. It also looks like a tonne of fun!

Who is your favourite comic book superhero and why?

Farmergeddon: Tank Girl, obviously! I also once made my own up for a superhero party: Gaffer Girl. My costume was entirely made of gaffer tape, including a gaffer tape cape, and my super power was the tape’s fixing ability. I was the only person to use their super powers all night!

Foxley: I never really did comic books but Penny Crayon should be a superhero; creating chaos, having all the fun, then just simply rubbing it out – now that’s a cool superpower!

Hellatrix: Honestly it’s going to have to be Deadpool. I’m super emotionally invested in his story. He has kids. I hate frecking Vanessa with a passion.

How many sets of wheels have you gone through in your derby career to date?

I’ve only worn one set out, but think that’s pretty good going for the year I’ve been playing. I just wanna buy more!

Not that many really, I’ve been wheel savvy. I think maybe five sets, including outdoors and cheap Fresh Meat ones.

Ha, so my knowledge of wheels is non-existent. I’ve only gone through two sets, purely because I had no idea my first ever set were indoor wheels. I’ll have to change my current set soon though, since they’re cracked and stuff.

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Who is you favourite person from history and why? The person that invented bacon, because bacon!

There is only one answer to this. Henners (Henry VIII) is my idol. So many reasons why and I could go on for hours, but the fact that a single man changed religion, became head of the church, broke with Rome... all for love/lust and pride. That’s some serious dedication!

Princess Diana, as she strove to make everyone see everyone as human, no matter what.

most like to teach to play derby? Pigs. They’re like tanks – there’s no stopping them if they wanna get past you!

My puppy dogs Rocky and Lola, so I could hang out with them more. An actual fox on track with me would be great too. We could be all sly and rock the ‘Fox Trap’ together!

Probably a spider. Just think of all the crazy footwork!

What’s the longest you’ve ever been off skates due to injury? Just a couple of weeks.

It was actually acquired at the after party for my first game!

Touch wood I’ve been lucky. I was off a couple of weeks with a fractured coccyx in Fresh Meat and about two weeks with a suspected fractured rib.

Fingers crossed that’s my lot.

About two weeks. I fractured my ribs, but being off skates made me miserable.

How many languages can you swear in? Four: English, Greek, Polish and French. I did know some in Danish, Russian and Italian, but unfortunately I can’t recall them any more.

Two or three. Languages are not my thing. Accents, on the other hand... I’m always swearing as a Northerner or Scot.

In English, German, French and Greek, so only four. But I can get very creative when it comes to cursing, soooo...

BIONIC BETTY “I MISS THE ROCKERS. I moved away so I had to leave the team. I have a lot of great memories from my time there.

It was fantastic to make the Ateam, but my top memory was being voted 2015 B-teamer Of The Year by Turn Left readers.

I made a lot of friends in my time at Brighton, and I really respect them, on and off the track. I’ve recently joined Southampton City Rollers. I’ve been friends with some of them for years, and they are a super lovely and enthusiastic bunch!

As well as skating for them, I’m also taking on a coaching role so I can give something back to roller derby. I learnt a lot from my time at Brighton.

I’m feeling super positive about my derby future and I’m enjoying every second on track!”

ANTI GRAVETTY

“I WAS IN THE Rockers from the start. It was one of funnest rides I’ve ever been on. Having been brought up in a sheltered Swiss finishing school, it was quite a change to join a team of the lairiest, hairiest, stinkiest ladies on eight wheels. They hit me repeatedly, they saw me cry... and yet they remain some of my closest friends.

I like to think I brought a certain refinement to the team, because unfortunately my lack of spatial awareness and poor physical fitness meant I was never going to be one of the star players. After falling over for no reason in the middle of a bout and breaking my ankle,

I retired in 2012. I now spend my empty evenings fondly reminiscing about the time we all got on our hands and knees and scrubbed an entire warehouse floor, and trying to forget the horrors of the fruit transfer game.

Remember: your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution will bring us VICTORY.”

“WHEN I WAS 38 I took my daughter to see a Brighton Rockers game. I’m not a sporty person and I was expecting to be bored, but it was far from boring! At the roller disco afterwards I reluctantly pulled on a pair of skates, the first I’d worn in 25+ years. It was like experiencing time travel. I was ten years old again. I started skating... a lot!

By the time the next Fresh Meat started I found myself signing up. Fresh Meat hurt. It hurt in every place and every way, but I could also see muscles appearing in places I’d never had muscles. For the first time in my life my body felt fast and capable. It was a steep learning curve!

I loved being a Brighton Rocker. I loved being fit, I loved being part of a team, I loved stretching myself, I loved that it was so different from my working life. I loved having people to laugh with, to gossip about, to look up to.

My favourite moments weren’t the games (which I always found too stressful), but the times during training when I laughed so hard that I couldn’t skate, or when I mas-

tered something physical that I’d thought impossible.

I was 38 when I started skating, and 42 when I eventually stopped. I should’ve stopped at least a year before, but I couldn’t quite bear to. I ignored injuries and pain and carried on because I loved it.

Two injuries eventually finished it for me. Firstly, a fall on my shoulder which chipped some bone and impinged the movement. Then, some lower back problems, which turned into a slipped disc, and is still not only keeping me off-skates, but often keeping me off everything else as well!

For a while I thought I could still be involved in some way (I used to do the art and merch), but what I loved about derby was the skating and the friends I’d made. Watching other people skate makes me sad. Although it’s wonderful that the Rockers have attracted so many new people since I stopped skating, because I don’t skate anymore I haven’t built up a bond with them. I hear how the team is doing through my partner (referee Mik’s Grim) and my friend Kapow. I’m still very proud that I was a Rocker.”

BETSY N BOURBO

“I ALWAYS ENJOYED THE excitement of away games; travelling, staying away, camaraderie, the rocking after parties! Belgium was great for that. Myself and my other half Nick (ex-ref Tango) were driving a minibus each and we literally arrived as the Gent team were warming up pre-game.

We had to get changed super fast and get our asses on the track straight into the game. It always felt in those moments that we were totally gelled as a team, working together well.

We did also have an amazing run of winning a silly amount of games in a row, which we were very proud of.

I left the Rockers at Christmas 2013 due to injury. It was a really hard decision to make as I loved it, but I had serious long term injuries to my shoulder and knees. (My shoulder still gives me pain every day!)

When I got to the point where I could no longer climb out of my truck without wincing – I was a professional truck driver, hence the name Mother Trucker – I had to make the decision between being able to earn money or play roller derby!

I’m a bit rubbish at keeping

up with the team these days as I’m a very busy bunny and don’t live in the area, so I don’t really know how they are doing results wise. I’m very happy that my lovely friend Farmergeddon is playing for them now, though – she rocks! It would be nice to get to a game at some point soon. I was hoping to see them at the SWAT v Brighton game, but sadly it got postponed. Come on Rockers, rearrange please!

I now live in Devon with my family, on a smallholding near Exeter, and make stained glass windows. I love it, but the list is endless, so there’s not much time for other things beyond sowing seeds and digging. I’m not involved in roller derby at all. I did carry on helping out at games while I still lived in Brighton, but I moved away a year after I hung up my boots.

I think one of the funniest moments with the team was when we were on our way back from the Gent game. Our two vans full of girls kept passing each other, mooning each other, pulling faces, etc... the finale being everyone in Tango’s bus completely disappearing!

It was very funny.”

“MY ROCKERS HIGHLIGHT ON the track was playing a closed door against Brawl Saints, looking back at Mistress jamming to realise I was the only Brighton blocker on track. We got lead unbelievably, solely down to her jamming not my blocking! The Dublin after party was legendary.

I left the Rockers to spend more time with my family. We planned on moving to the West Country, but so far we’ve only made it to Worthing.

I’m still in touch with most of my old teammates. They’re extraordinary people who I hope I’ll know forever. I try to get to games when I can, and we recently started arranging ramp sessions via the league.

Every now and again I think

about playing derby again and then I look at the standard the teams are playing at now. I’d get my arse kicked! I watch a lot online still though, and hope to go to the World Cup in Manchester next year. My partner does some fitness work with the Rockers and I’d love to get involved in setting up a junior league. I’m also the king of random suggestions for how to improve the league!

My favourite anything is the self-confidence that the Rockers gave me. I had two kids under three when I joined the league and was struggling mentally. I found I was definitely more contact sport than baby group. The league gave me a focus outside being a mum and I never looked back.”

MOTHERR TRUCKE

X

ULTRAFOX

“I HAVE THREE ROCKERS highlights; the trip to Lille, the party which I had to go to hospital after, and getting the opportunity to jam (which I’m really grateful for).

I left as I was doing a full time masters and working part time, and didn’t have the time for twice weekly training and the off skates fitness work needed. Life took other turns and I didn’t really go back.

I live in Lewes and keep in touch with Kapow, so I get to hear how the Rockers are getting on. I think it’s really awesome they have a B-team now.

It’s good for developing players to offer track time to a range of levels and abilities.”

DERBY McGEE

“MY TIME WITH BRIGHTON Rockers was seriously some of the best times I’ve ever had.

There’s a real bond you make with people when you start a project together, and creating the league was such an awesome thing to do with so many wonderful people. If I could go back and not change a thing I would because it was so much fun. Not to mention I made some truly wonderful and lifelong friends through it all.

Any particular highlights? So many. All our away games were pretty epic and memorable, to be honest. That minivan danceoff driving back from Belgium with that big bottle of gin.

Bernie/van/Lille.... Maybe the most nervous I’ve been ever!

Those who know, know.

Definitely that closed door game against the London Brawl Saints [then #2 in Europe]. We were losing by nearly 100 at half time and totally lost control. We had a chat and decided to have fun and not be douchebags on track. We put ‘the raw prawn’ tactic into action and came back to lose by just three points. It was the Rockers’ first ever loss after about eleven wins. We were nervous, but it was awesome – we didn’t even feel like we’d lost.

Oh and that epic dance they did for me on my last game where I balled my eyes out and they nearly broke my leg.

And our skate outs – especially the Beyoncé ones! Haha, so many of the girls hated them, but somehow me and (mostly) Rose Bleed would make it happen. Sorry not sorry.

TY THE MIGBHASH MIGHTY

Not forgetting our bench team. Their outfits were always on point. They knew their stuff and worked their asses off with us every week so we could get to where we wanted to be.

They gave 1-to-1 pep talks, danced, smiled, brought ice packs, brought calm, brought laughs, kisses and hugs. It never felt like it was the skaters and them. It was just always us, and we would’ve been screwed without them. And they put up with me. So they did good.

I left as I needed to sort out my career, so I went back to New Zealand to study. Leaving the UK was the hardest decision I ever had to make. I still wonder now if I should have just stayed. I still follow the results and keep in touch with a few Rockers, so I get to hear about how the team is doing.

When I left, Hairy Fairy and Kapow had done an awesome job in taking over Fresh Meat coaching, and they have really increased the number of people the league retains from each intake. Hairy Fairy is a good friend of mine, so I absolutely know that she would have made training fun, so why wouldn’t freshies want to stay.

I know a few Rockers left around the same time I did, so it makes sense that the league went through a lot of changes and a few losses. From what I can tell now, though, they’re on the up and looking awesome.

These days I am halfway through my degree in my hometown of Christchurch. I miss playing with the Rockers and my life in Brighton every

single day. I still play derby. I wasn’t going to, but I couldn’t help myself. I play in a casual, non committal capacity. Due to study I can’t commit. I’m not involved with this league like I was with Rockers. You know, that was our league – we made it what it was and it was so fun and amazing with cool people.

There was never drama – it felt like we all wanted to play hard and have fun whilst doing it. I think the biggest part was that we all actually liked each other, so training all the time wasn’t a chore. Also, we kept the rules pretty loose and flexible to make it work for us.

I miss this, and I don’t think that I’d get that with any other team – it’s the kind of stuff that comes with creating something worthwhile with people.

My overall favourite moment with the Rockers was DUBLIN! It was so many years ago now, but that trip was just awesome.

When you say Dublin to a Rocker that was there it’s like the gift that keeps on giving with all the hilarious memories.

Away game dress themes.

We thought they were hilarious – everyone else probably thought we were a horrendous hen party. After party dancing.

So good. I think half the time I was sore the day after a bout from the dancing at the party, rather than from the game.

That slow motion skate out to Enya in Edinburgh. Haha!

Oh, and of course, the people. Roller derby and Brighton is an awesome combination, and the people involved in the Rockers were good ’uns!”

Was your favourite former player not included? We’d have filled this mag three or four times over if we’d tracked down everyone. Keep an eye on future issues...