Ice skating legends, Torvill & Dean, have been commemorated by two local institutions as they return to their hometown, Nottingham, to skate together for the very last time this weekend. They will perform four final shows at the Motorpoint Arena - the culmination of their 'Our Last Dance' global tour - 50 years on from when they first met.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean unveiled new commemorative gold signage on their dedicated Nottingham Express Transit (NET) tram. For more than a decade, tram 201 has been named after the Olympic Gold medalists, recognising their overwhelming accomplishments and commitment to ice skating. Now, the signage has been refreshed to celebrate their achievements at this landmark time in their career.
Once the name was unveiled, the duo travelled on their tram to the Lace Market, before making their way to National Ice Centre (NIC), also home to Nottingham Motorpoint Arena, where their final four shows will take place from Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th July. Here they unveiled an ice rink, named the ‘Torvill & Dean’ rink in their honour, recognising the NIC's history providing the training ground ahead of the pair’s winning Olympic efforts in 1984.
Speaking on the day, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean said: “This is a special moment for us. Whenever we are in Nottingham, we're always really excited to spot our tram and we love that our name has been on one for all of these years. Because our names were one of the first to be put onto the trams when they first launched, this is the first time we’ve actually attended an unveiling ceremony. It’s a brilliant way to celebrate being back in the city where we grew up, and where lots of wonderful memories have been made. And we are delighted to have one of the ice rinks at the NIC named after us, as we prepare for our final four shows at the Motorpoint Arena.”
Many trams in NET’s fleet are named after notable people from Nottingham, and the updated Torvill & Dean tram will join a host of other stars’ namesake trams including actress Vicky McClure, Cricketer Stuart Broad, football star Mary Earps and fashion designer, Sir Paul Smith.
Alison Sweeney, head of marketing at NET said: “Beyond getting people around the city safely, we recognise that in our role as a public transport operator, it’s so important to commemorate the brilliant people who are born and bred in Nottinghamshire. We do this through naming our trams, so the hundreds of people who use our network every day can be reminded of the fantastic achievements of people across Nottingham.
“Torvill & Dean are sporting icons, so have already had a tram named after them for years – but we wanted to mark their 50 year farewell tour with something special, so have updated the signage to reflect the numerous gold medals that they have won over the years, as a reminder of their commitment and achievement.”
Coinciding with Torvill & Dean’s 50th anniversary this year, the National Ice Centre also celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025, after first being officially opened by Jayne Torvill in 2000. The National Ice Centre is recognised for providing world class ice skating and sports activities, and is home to the GB Speed Skating Team who compete in the Winter Olympics, as well as CBBC’s Ice Stars.
Martin Ingham, CEO at the National Ice Centre said: “Renaming our rink the Torvill & Dean Rink is a proud and emotional moment for all of us at the National Ice Centre. Jayne and Chris’s legacy began right here in Nottingham, and it’s only fitting that their names now grace the very ice that continues to inspire the next generation. This is more than a name change, it’s a tribute to two local legends who changed the face of British skating forever.”
For more information on NET’s namesake trams, go to https://www.thetram.net/tram-names and Follow NET on social media at: @nettram (Instagram) @NETTram (X) @nottinghamtram (TikTok).
Tickets for ‘Torvill & Dean: Our Last Dance’ are available from TorvillandDean.com