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Author Topic: Sad night tonight  (Read 794 times)

The Ratpack

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Sad night tonight
« on: February 27, 2005, 04:40:30 AM »

I will shortly be going to my home bowl for the last time, at 8pm tonight it will be closing its doors for the last time,so along with other staff (we were league co-ordinators for 6yrs),we will be going in for a drink and to say goodbye to the people and the place,it is the only centre in town so we now have to go further afield to bowl.
It has been a big part of our lives for over 10yrs so we'll miss it,not looking forward to it at all.
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9andaWiggle

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Re: Sad night tonight
« Reply #1 on: February 27, 2005, 01:10:53 PM »
It is sad... years from now (if nobody reopens it, like happened in my hometown) you will still miss the place.  I find myself often thinking about how our bowling alley smelled when we first opened the doors before the bowlers showed up - seems every one has a slightly different aura about it. I miss the food, I've never found another burger that had quite the same flavor (like most greasy spoon diners, each grill becomes "seasoned" and produces its own distinct flavor).  I miss most of the people, the way certain lanes were different than others, and how some of the pinsetters were more tempermental in certain weather.  Wish I could go back once in a while to the way it was and experience it again, but it only happens in memories now...

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9~
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Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep...

I wonder where they went? ;)

Quantum300

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Re: Sad night tonight
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2005, 02:07:16 PM »
Well I started bowling 30 years ago and 29 years ago I got my first ball it was just black with a green dot and and 8 in the center of the dot showing the weight.  It was a 2 story center with 16 lanes on the top and bottom equally.  I learned my first lessons of bowling and respect towards other there and it was shut down only 3 years after I started.  To this day I have vivid memories of my father hung over from his Friday night league standing out on the lanes and pointing over the second arrow and saying hit my finger to me and my friends.  His closest buddies would come help us and then it was chocolate sundays for all who atleast tried there best and that was all of us.  I see the newer centers now and it seems that all they desire is the monie in the video games while mom and dad bowl.  When I was lucky enough to go watch my dad I sat there and watch for he and his buddies threw scores that I desired and wanted to learn from them. So I guess Rat that like me you just hold the memories and keep them alive in your mind.
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Watch out Lane has droped the BOMB!!!!!
Quantum300
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MSC2471

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Re: Sad night tonight
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2005, 02:19:45 PM »
The house that I bowl in on Tuesday nights is a small little 12 lane center that's been open since 1960. I would say there have been 5 owners in the 45 years, and I would be very surprised to see the place open another 5 years based on the number of league bowlers plus open play this house gets. We've gone from 1,000 league bowlers 8 years ago to about 150 league bowlers this year. It would be a sad day when this house goes, I learned to bowl there 30 years ago and I've bowled in a league every year since I was 6 there...

Matt
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The Ratpack

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Re: Sad night tonight
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2005, 04:47:08 PM »

Thanks for the replies,we have just got back from the bowl and I must say it was a strange feeling,I found out tonight that half the building is going to be used as an extra bar and room for the nightclub upstairs and the other half will be an industrial storage unit,I had a shock though when I found out that all the lanes/pinsetters etc are to be ripped out tomorrow and scrapped,it will all be put in the car park until it goes to the dump.What a waste.
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The Ratpack

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Re: Sad night tonight
« Reply #5 on: February 28, 2005, 02:29:11 PM »

Thanks for the replies,Bones,we did get a pin as a momento and of course we have our memories, the biggest being we actually met and got together as a couple through bowling at this centre.
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9andaWiggle

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Re: Sad night tonight
« Reply #6 on: February 28, 2005, 02:35:21 PM »
You could always hang a "sweep" up on the wall.  Ask about the drill machine and bits - spinners, anything you might pay a pro shop for and see if you can get it cheap!
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9~
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Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep...

I wonder where they went? ;)
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