Nickel

The National Ice Centre (NIC) in Nottingham was the first twin Olympic-sized ice pad facility in the UK. The first ice rink was opened in 2000 by Olympic Gold Medallist, Jayne Torvill. The second Olympic rink was opened the following year in 2001.

It was built on the site of the former Nottingham Ice Stadium which opened in 1939 and was showing its age. The NIC is adjoined to the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, and together is a combined live entertainment and leisure venue.

During excavation for the new building in 1998, a rare 1,100-year-old Saxon jug was found, which is on display at Nottingham Castle Museum. And a 19^th century graveyard was also found under the car park, from which the bodies were then exhumed.

Nickel is one of the primary elements of the Earth’s core which is thought to be made mostly of nickel and iron. It is 100 times more concentrated below the Earth’s crust than in it.

It was not until the 1750s that nickel was discovered to be an element by Axel Cronstedt. In the1600s, a dark red ore, often with a green coating, had been a source of irritation for copper miners in Saxony, Germany. They believed the dark red ore was an ore of copper.