Any one who went to Nottingham Bowl in the late 60's

[jigsaw937 0]

is there anyone out there who went to Nottingham bowl in the late 60's when Sid Vaughan was the manager. and remembers the great Saturday nights in the Club room,

[katyjay 5,090]

Me, me., me [waving arm in the air] I went down to the clubhouse socially, at least twice a week, and worked behind the bar several nights too. Was on the reception desk, checking memberships before that. Had some great nights in the club, lots of fancy dress parties. The lady in charge of the bar was an elderly [well to me] lady, blonde, called Connie and the other bar person was John, young, black haired. I met my husband at the bowling alley, he played on a team called The Skol Five.

[bazalways 26]

That was your Tuesday nights sorted then Katyjay.

[piggy and babs 544]

used to go odd times on a friday night after skating often saw my cousin andy down there know he and his friends were regulars he woould always come and have a chat with us remember some guy breaking his neck to tell us he was gay told him i already knewand he was my cousin soon shut him up.

[jigsaw937 0]

Hi Katyjay Yes Connie was in charge of the bar and it was John Revel he left to run a pub in a village called Muggington in Derbyshire we went out to see him a few times.

You might remember my mum her name was Dorothy (Dot)she worked on the control desk for a while do you remember big Fred worked on the club door

[LizzieM 9,507]

I used to go there most Sunday afternoons in the mid 60's, it was a good place to hang out with friends. For a few years from late 60's to mid 70's we had a bowling league at work (20 of us) and would dash down to the bowling alley from New Basford every Friday lunchtime, have a game, then a chip buttie and get back to clock on, all in one hour. I've got trophies still!! You wouldn't be able to do that nowadays with the traffic chaos and one way streets in town.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

There used to be a group of us from the electrical staff of Clifton Colliery who'd go there at Friday lunchtime, have a few games, then upstairs to the club to sink a few Watney's Red Barrel and eat some cheese and onion bread rolls while we had a few games of dominoes....How we stayed awake God only knows, we'd come off nightshifts.

Couple of us used to go down for a few games after we'd finished bar work on Saturday nights after closing time..

Should have stated this was mid to late 1960's.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

I used to go in the mid 60s to the Bowl . There were a few of us who were in some sort of team that played in some sort of league .

The only name I can remember from our team was my school pal , Gordon Lewindon who later worked (I think) for Will Hill and then had his own tailors business in Pelham Street .

We must have been rubbish as I can't remember anything else about it !

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Just like throwing money down the gutter, my chargehand would say when I bowled.......LOL

[Paulus 541]

I recall hanging out at the Bowling Alley, mid 60's, sitting in the coffee bar making a cup of coffee last all afternoon. Mate of mine called Gabby, had the brilliant idea of swapping a manky pair of desert boots, for bowling shoes (red I think?) then legging it out of the place, into the rain soaked night, he realised when he got into slab square that the Bowling shoe soles were porous!!! lol............

[bazalways 26]

That's brought back a few memories Jigsaw. I went to the bowl virtually from when AMF opened it. It must have been early 60's I believe. I remember Connie in the bar and the name Syd Vaughan, I believe he was the original Manager, Bill Bingham was his assistant, a fine bowler himself, he played with Billy Grimes, Billy Grinsall, Linsey Scorer, Ron Sheppard & I believe Billy Firth in a Five Man Team called The Panthers sponsored by Reg King the Bookmaker who also sponsored the Panthers Ice Hockey Team. Shortly after Fred came along on the door, he came from Ilkeston, quite a character. Another friend I remember well was someone who probably many on this site will remember from many venues of entertainment as a fine Host, John Kelly & his wife Jean. When John came to the bowl to work part time he was a Black & White Taxi Driver. About the time he became Assistant Manager, I remember him wanting to be rid of his Cab Licence. One evening he was sat outside the bowl with a mate in the back of the cab counting carrier bags full of notes given by an Asian Guy who was desperate to drive the cab away. Later on he became Manager of the Humber Bowl at Ilkeston, A venue that took many of Nottingham's best Bowlers to Ilkeston because of better & faster bowling lane conditions. John was well know to many of the country's finest jazz musicians who always went out of their way to perform in the bowl bar if invited. From there John moved on to running a large Bingo Hall on the way to Derby, Was it Chaddesdon or something similar, maybe Gala? He was very successful there but I think me missed being with normal people (I'm not calling Bingo Players, but every day every week, you know what I mean). Then it became Pub Management, Charlie Two Top Valley was first I think, another was on the Ring Road not far from Raleigh Island. Anyone that never knew John's hospitality missed a treat. I Remember the Skol Five team Katyjay, White Shirts I believe, I'm surprised I never met you, Jan. was always with me.

[katyjay 5,090]

Skol Five shirts were yellow [we think!] with lots of badges sewn on. I have a few pics from the bowling alley days. I am on Facebook [Kath James] if you friend me you can look at the pics in my 60's album.

[trevorthegasman 150]

Know this is an old post but i used to play for a team that played Skol Five(but time can play tricks) my team was called the "Question Marks" black and gold shirts in fact we won the league two years on the trot and the second year was handicapped wonder if it rings any bells?