As Asset said ashfelt, tarmac was'nt invented when the roads were put down with cobbs, back in the late fifty's most of all the side roads were cobbs,some with the tarry wooden blocks. Giggirl it would now take a very large shed load of money to get me on a pair of skates ( do they still make them ) where I can assure you in my yoof I did it for the Fun, lot's of knee and elbow damage and the most hilarious site you could ever behold was when a wheel or two came off and they did, as every one I knew had second hand or (hand me downs) as we called them then, you would instantly loose all controle over direction or any form of stopping the unfortunate individule would start to vioently change direction two or three times a second and if you had a good head of speed up this seemed to carry on for many minuets or so it seemed, the inevitable out come was a forgone conclusion, yes inpact, the only veriable was with what, mostly the kerb the next thing was an unprecedented display of acrobatics, as your feet came to an immediate stop the forward momentem of your upper body sent you strait in to base over apex mode once if lucky or two or three times if unlucky but the latter two displays gained huge respect from all the rest of us watching we could then bet on how many broken bones would be sustained one guaranteed normally the upper arm but some time much worse. Health and safety never heard of it. Bob S !!!!!!Ouch