North East

The Durham Wasps were far and away the most successful sports team ever seen in the North East of England.

They were to ice hockey what Manchester United are to football.

Four thousand people once watched their games, making Durham one of the most intimidating places in any sport for visiting teams.

But the Wasps' dream ended with the sale of the ice rink in 1996.

Ice dreams

Now Danish businessman Jan Eskildsen is promising to build a new ice rink in Durham.

Some people call him a dreamer, a fantasist, a man wallowing in nostalgia.

Durham Wasps - return of the glory days.

But he told Inside Out, "I'm not really interested in nostalgia... But, I'm an entrepreneur and entrepreneurs are dreamers - that's what what we do, put our neck out and try and do something that makes a difference."

"I would like to say it's not ice hockey, it's ice.

"It's a leisure facility that attracts a sort of footfall. And that's where the key is."

Jan's wife Christine is a figure skating coach - she's chair of the County Durham Ice Foundation, a pressure group lobbying to get an ice rink built in the city.

Glory days

Durham Ice Rink has a long and colourful history.

John Frederick James Smith - former Mayor of Durham and Darlington - was a respected businessman who owned an ice factory on the River Wear.

During the 1930s there wasn't much call for ice due to the increasing use of refrigerators.

So Smith - who was nicknamed 'Icy' Smith - built an ice rink on the other side of the river.

Wasps - the Manchester United of ice hockey.

Canadian airmen stationed nearby during the Second World War brought hockey to Durham.

Interest in the sport snowballed - and the Wasps were born.

During the glory years, Icy's grandson Tom was the President of the Wasps, and his great grandson Paul became the player coach.

It was a dynasty and an institution - and the Wasps became one of Britain's most successful teams.

Sad decline

Several decades later, the rink hit a bad financial patch and the Smith family decided to sell up.

The Wasps were sold to Newcastle United FC and moved up the road to Newcastle.

The public's reaction was hostile and bitter.

Wasps' fan Dave Gardner says, "As Wearsiders, we felt we'd been sold out to the enemy, to Tyneside."

The Smiths have never spoken publicly about that period, until now. They say they were losing money and, without further backing, could not afford to carry on.

"Of course we were losing money. The family's money went into keeping it going as long as it did. Nobody else offered a cheque," says Paul Smith.

For 13 years there has been no rink or ice hockey team in Durham.

Delivering a new dream?

Then this January 2009, Jan Eskildsen took a major step towards resurrecting the dream.

Like Icy Smith who made the first ice stadium, Jan is trying to build Durham's second rink in a period of financial meltdown.

There is some suggestion that if the scheme gets the go-ahead, it'll be up and running by December 2009.

Now Jan is about to formally submit a planning application on one of three sites - and he's confident that he'll convince private investors to raise as much as £13m.

The Smith dynasty - Paul Smith.

But some commentators are sceptical and believe it's financial madness in today's economic climate.

The Smith family also think the whole scheme is a bit of a fantasy.

But Jan Eskildsen remains upbeat: "I haven't got time to judge their opinion, I'm building an ice rink before December, that's my focus."

So far he hasn't approached the Smith family for support or advice.

Buzzing again?

So could the Wasps make a comeback in Durham?

"I always think it's very very dangerous trying to recreate and dig up nostalgia," says Paul Smith.

"The romance and the fairytale that Durham Wasps was, should be kept as that."

But there's one final sting in the Wasps' tale.

The name Durham Wasps has been registered as a trademark by the County Durham Ice Foundation - so if another rink were to be developed, the name could be used again.

But the Smiths still believe they own the Wasps' name.

It seems that the Wasps' story is far from over...