GLENN, Alan and McCARTHY, Colleen

COLLEEN McCARTHY featured in local ice shows such as The Fairy Princess at the Sydney Glaci in May 1948, with Gwen Lippiat, Colin Martin, Mary Ellen Holland, and Maureen Jocelyn. She and Alan skated in many of the annual Ice Revues from that time until 1954, the year before the Glaci closed. These included Rhythm on Ice in 1950, and Puss In Boots in 1953.

Bill Hewison can recall a time when Alan Glenn, skating at Hurlstone Park with flaming torches, set the hessian backdrop alight. Glenn won the 1952 and '53 Ice Dance nationals with Margaret Sim and Gloria Gray, respectively. Billed as "Australia's leading adagio pair", Colleen and Alan were contemporaries of Mervyn Bower and Jaqueline Mason, who had been national pair champions four years straight.

By the late 1950s, the couple were considered the best adagio skaters in the profession. They were spotted by an Englishman who brought them to London where they starred in three major ice revues. From England, they moved to Germany for a nine-month stay, then on to the United States. They contracted with many companies in England and Europe, then America, commencing with the 23rd edition of Ice Follies in New York in 1959.

In 1960, during the six-week Ice Follies vacation between Seattle and San Francisco, Colleen married Bob Blackmore, a professional singer, in Reno, Nevada. She taught in San Jose USA, and lived in Maryland USA. She coached Laura Galindo and convinced Laura's father to let her brother Rudy take lessons as well.

Rudy went on to become the 1996 US national champion, 1987 World Junior Champion, and 1996 World Bronze medalist. As a pairs skater, he competed with Kristi Yamaguchi, and was the 1988 World Junior Champion, and the 1989 and 1990 US National Champion.

After Colleen married, Alan kept skating. He worked in Garmisch at the Casa Carioca with Christine Jarvis (Caldwell), Carie Richardson and others. He continued brilliant adagio work touring for many years, both on the ice and with a floor act, with Christine, Annette Gardiner of Melbourne whom he married, and others.

On his return from Europe, Alan taught in New South Wales until his retirement to the Blue Mountains. He died in Katoomba NSW Australia on Monday 14th October 2013 from Prostrate Cancer, survived by his wife Annette who lives in the Blue Mountains. In 2020, Colleen, now Colleen Hawk, still lived in Maryland USA.