SINCE it was unveiled a few weeks back, it’s pretty much all everyone has been talking about this coming Christmas.

That’s Colchester Castle Park’s Ice Slide, the adrenalin packed frozen ride which is set to be one of the highlights of the town’s festive calendar.

The 35 metre-long slide opens today and runs until January 3 with users given 25 minutes to make as many rides as they want, whizzing down the four lanes for sledges and the one lane devoted to rubber rings.

It is the brainchild of husband and wife team Jason and Anne Khan, who run Demon Xtreme and hope to bring a little bit of magic to their home town. 

Jason says: “We’ve been working with the French company that produces the slide for a number of years now as their UK agents and what they don’t know about working with ice, isn’t worth knowing.

“This will be the first slide of its kind in the UK and it will definitely not melt.

"The freezing plant is guaranteed to stay frozen even if we had summer temperatures or wind so whatever happens it will go ahead.

“It is also thick and strong enough to carry riders safely of almost any weight.

“Since we announced it everyone has been very enthusiastic about it and although we have plenty of ideas of how we might develop it in the future, for now we’re just going to concentrate on making this year’s Ice Slide the best it can possibly be.”

Run in association with Colchester Council’s Colchester Events Company, as well as the ice slide, there will be music, stalls, and an opportunity to pay a visit to Father Christmas in Colchester Castle.

The ride will be open from noon until 8pm, Monday to Friday, and from 10am until 8pm at the weekends.

Peak tickets are £10 online or £12.50 at the gate, and off-peak tickets are £8 online and £10.50 at the gate.

For more information or to buy tickets for the slide, click here.