Frances Waghorn

Frances Waghorn started skating at Streatham Ice Rink when she was seven-and-a-half years of age. She was also a good standard ballet dancer as a youngster and, despite passing all her RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) grades, was constantly told she was too tall to be a ballet dancer so she stuck with skating and went on to finish third in the women´s singles at the national championships in 1968. She was runner-up to Patricia Dodd in both 1969 and 1970. Waghorn competed in the 1966 Commonwealth Winter Games and then finished 24th at the Grenoble Olympics. She also competed in the 1970 World Figure Skating Championships and the 1968-70 European Championships with a best finish of 13th in the last of those years.

Waghorn turned professional in 1970, and after performing in ice shows became a highly respected teacher at the Streatham rink. She married Peter Robinson in 1972, and the couple became leading ballroom dancers. Sadly, Waghorn died in 1994 after succumbing to cancer. She was just 43 at the time.