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Photo courtesy "Liverpool Echo" Archives
Born December 14 and February 8, 1939, in Liverpool, England, Joyce Pamela Coates and Anthony 'Tony' Frederick Holles grew up about a ten-minute drive from each other - he on Glen Road in the Liverpool suburb of Broadgreen and her on Oxford Street, near the Liverpool Maternity Hospital.
Tony started skating at the age of eleven when his family's car broke down on a day trip to Wirral, in front of the Liverpool Palace Ice Rink. He went in, rented a pair of skates and was hooked instantly. Joyce followed in her older sister's footsteps, taking up the sport around the same time as Tony, under coach Joan Lister. Their partnership was formed in 1950 quite naturally - they were on the ice practicing steps near each other and decided to try skating together on a whim.
Inspired by the achievements of fellow Liverpudlian Jeannette Altwegg, Joyce and Tony practiced hard and won a succession of titles before they were fifteen - the Northern and Midland Counties pairs championship, Laughton Cup in Birmingham and the British junior pairs title. In his spare time, Tony doubled as the mascot for the Liverpool Leopards hockey team.
Joyce and Tony turned professional in 1960. After finishing third at the 1960 Open Professional Championships, they returned in May 1962 to win the British and World Professional titles in Nottingham. That same year, they appeared in a gala performance before the Queen Mother. The following year, they appeared in the "Hot Ice" show at Blackpool.
Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Bluesky, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering one of six fascinating books highlighting the history of figure skating: https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.
Photo courtesy "Liverpool Echo" Archives
Inspired by the achievements of fellow Liverpudlian Jeannette Altwegg, Joyce and Tony practiced hard and won a succession of titles before they were fifteen - the Northern and Midland Counties pairs championship, Laughton Cup in Birmingham and the British junior pairs title. In his spare time, Tony doubled as the mascot for the Liverpool Leopards hockey team.
In 1955, Joyce and Tony competed in the first British junior dance championship for trophies presented by World Champions Jean Westwood and Lawrence Demmy. Coached in dance by John Slater, they were defeated by their friends and training mates Barbara Thompson and Gerard Rigby when their record got lost and they had to come up with a new free dance on the spot.
As teenagers, both Joyce and Tony took jobs in shops to help pay for their skating. They practiced in the evenings and on their one day off, managing to fit in night school classes for a time. Joyce once told a "Liverpool Echo" reporter, "We both left school at 15 to be able to devote all our time to skating practice and work. But we are continuing our studies partly to please our parents, who were reluctant to let us leave school, and partly to ensure that we have the necessary qualifications to get other jobs if the need arises. You never know when something like a broken leg will jeopardize your career."
Joyce and Tony's efforts paid off in dividends. They reigned as British pairs champions from 1956 to 1959, twice won the bronze medal at the European Championships and twice finished in the top five at the World Championships.
In Joyce and Tony's only trip to the Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956, they finished tenth. They were among the first British skaters to perform to rock and roll music, although only in exhibitions.
Unlike their training mates, Barbara Thompson and Gerard Rigby, who were taught by garage mechanic Fred Borrodaile, Joyce and Tony both received lessons in singles from Joan Lister but were largely self-sufficient as a pair, with the exception of some work with Len Liggett at Nottingham in the summers. They created their own programs and flew to Davos for two weeks before the major ISU Championships to polish them with Arnold Gerschwiler.
In 1962 Joyce lamented, "We started skating together when we were at school. By the time we were 20 or so, we had won hundreds of cups and medals. It became a problem knowing where to store them and how to keep them clean."
Norma Core, Marjorie Winstanley, Sheila Dace and Joyce Coates. Photo courtesy "Liverpool Echo" Archives
As teenagers, both Joyce and Tony took jobs in shops to help pay for their skating. They practiced in the evenings and on their one day off, managing to fit in night school classes for a time. Joyce once told a "Liverpool Echo" reporter, "We both left school at 15 to be able to devote all our time to skating practice and work. But we are continuing our studies partly to please our parents, who were reluctant to let us leave school, and partly to ensure that we have the necessary qualifications to get other jobs if the need arises. You never know when something like a broken leg will jeopardize your career."
Joyce and Tony's efforts paid off in dividends. They reigned as British pairs champions from 1956 to 1959, twice won the bronze medal at the European Championships and twice finished in the top five at the World Championships.
Photo courtesy BIS Archive
In Joyce and Tony's only trip to the Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956, they finished tenth. They were among the first British skaters to perform to rock and roll music, although only in exhibitions.
In 1962 Joyce lamented, "We started skating together when we were at school. By the time we were 20 or so, we had won hundreds of cups and medals. It became a problem knowing where to store them and how to keep them clean."
Joyce Coates and Anthony Holles atop the podium at the 1962 World's and British Open Professional Championships. Photo courtesy "Skating World" magazine.
Joyce and Tony turned professional in 1960. After finishing third at the 1960 Open Professional Championships, they returned in May 1962 to win the British and World Professional titles in Nottingham. That same year, they appeared in a gala performance before the Queen Mother. The following year, they appeared in the "Hot Ice" show at Blackpool.
Photo courtesy "Ice Skate" magazine
Tony went on to marry Brenda Moss, have three children and coach a generation of Liverpool skaters including British Champions and Olympians Linda [Connolly] McCafferty and Colin Taylforth. Joyce taught for a time at the Silver Blades Ice Rink in Liverpool before marrying star football player and team manager Stan Harland and having two daughters. Sadly, Tony passed away at the age of sixty-nine on August 27, 2008.
Joyce and Tony are remembered as one of the most accomplished British pairs teams of the 1950s.
Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Bluesky, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering one of six fascinating books highlighting the history of figure skating: https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.