Ice: questions and Band 8 answers

Not particularly, to be honest. I tend to stick to room-temperature water or hot tea because freezing drinks give me sensitive teeth. The only real exception is during the height of summer, when I'll occasionally pop a couple of ice cubes into an iced coffee to cool down.

Yes, a couple of years ago I went on holiday to northern Norway. It was mid-winter, so the fjords were completely frozen over and there were massive sheets of thick ice everywhere. It was freezing cold, but the scenery was absolutely stunning.

I did, yes. Whenever we had a cold snap, my brother and I used to run out into the garden to slide across the frozen puddles. We'd always compete to see who could stay upright the longest, though I usually ended up flat on my back.

I've tried it once or twice at a pop-up rink set up in my town centre around Christmas. To be fair, I was terribly clumsy and spent most of the session clinging onto the handrail, but it was still great fun with friends.

I wouldn't say they're mainstream, mostly because we don't get severe winters or have many indoor rinks. Having said that, people still love tuning in on television to watch figure skating or curling whenever major international winter tournaments are taking place.