First Ten Pin Bowling Alley

[DaveD]

I remember going to the Alley in Birley ( at the bottom of the hill just after the lights .) in 1963 I'd just passed my test ..and petrol was 2/6 a gallon..trying to get a lane at midnight..it was the thing to do then...

[lazarus]

It was definitely built well after 1960.the fittings were still there when Waldot changed to Gilders and until the offices were pulled down just a few years ago.

 

---------- Post added 25-07-2013 at 21:33 ----------

 

Te owners were Cliff Jones,Len Hawnt and Alan Mason.

 

It was built in either 1960 or 1961 as I used to frequent the place.

[old tup]

The C B C bowl was the first to open in Sheffield,a mate and I were there on the opening night,it was absolutely packed solid!.We booked a lane and had to wait hours to use it well into the early hours,it was very popular for quite a while until the fad died away and it had to close.Firth Park alley survived much longer,I wonder is it still open today?.

[escort1]

Firth Park is still open.

[francypants]

Yes Firth Park is still open. I used to go there mid 60s and can remember buying flavoured crushed ice in paper cups ( a new thing in those days ) It's amazing that it's still open, they must be doing something right.

[wagginfinger]

Birley was open the same time if not before the beatles played Azena--remember the 2 red headed girls who took your money--spent many a night drinking coffee at 9d a cup--I think it was one of the first places you could legally be entertained thro the night ---with all night bowling leagues ===great days and nights

[rabitter]

dont know which was first but remember bowling at firth park 1962.

birley is now steelers sports bar,will be there friday to watch blades on sky

[beezerboy]

1st Alley (from BBC web)l

 

The 50th anniversary of tenpin bowling's arrival in the UK has been celebrated.

Sir Henry Cooper marked the occasion by rolling a "golden ball" at a bowling alley in Acton, west London.

The former heavyweight boxing champion was one of the celebrities to introduce the pastime to the UK.

Bowling first made its mark in north London's Stamford Hill, on the site of an old cinema in January 1960.

Sir Henry was on hand 50 years ago to declare the country's only bowling alley, 'Tenpin Lanes', open for business.

He was joined in Stamford Hill on that occasion by Mount Everest explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and other celebrities and film stars of the day.

[ibbo]

We used to go courting in FP bowling alley in the mid 60's. Thought we were the bees knees with our coffee with rum essence in it!! Those were the days.

[Jessoo]

In the early sixties lots of old cinemas owned by Rank became bowling alleys.

Bringing this latest craze from the USA they were keen to get us all bowling and as a nation we got hooked.

 

TV coverage of league championships fuelled the interest and soon tenpin bowling became a compulsion. The scores of Chris Buck and his team amazed us.

Heathrow and Manchester Bowl opened 24hrs. Others such as Firth Park Fairlanes gave us midnight league bowling. How trendy was that?!

 

Great to know Firth Park is still going when so many have closed. Not a bad use of the old Paragon site.