Bowling Alley

In March of 1953 my Dad and Mom Walter and Hilda Brown moved from Paris and bought the property at the back of the arena There was an old livery stable onthe property which was demolished by my dad and a carpenter from Paris in April. By September of that year they had built a bowling alley there with living
quarters upstairs where we lived.
It was a busy place, Mondays it was Mens leagues, Wednesday Afternoons Mrs. Joe Kerr and Mrs. R.E. McKinney,Mrs. Don Nasmith organized Womens leagues.My mom organized a Wednesday night league, then at 9.00 on Wednesday and Thursday nights there was a mixed league from Lucknow and Dungannon. Thursday at 7.00 Bill Johnston and Ted English looked after Lloyd Doors. On Friday nights there was open bowling and on Saturday afternoon an Intertown league was organized. Teams from Walkerton,Listowel,Clinton, Fergus,Palmerston and Wingham competed.
I remember two of the first "pin boys", they  were not really boys, they were "Slim"Aitcheson and Jack Cook.  Many boys in town set up pins at one time or other John Wild, Bob Brooks, Bob McIntyre, Robert Campbell, Lloyd Scott, the Merkley boys, Ian Hetherington, Wray Brooks also Emmerson Hickey and "Wifty" Baker were two of the best to name a few. They were paid 10 cents a game. Wayne and I usually spent at least four nights a week working down there. I remember trying to do my homework at the same time & trying to memorize "The Walrus and the Carpenter" in Grade 8. I think there were 108 lines in that poem and I just wanted to get the required 200 lines done as quickly as I could.
The highest score ever recorded when we operated the alleys was Clarence Greer  of the Lucknow Dungannon League with 418
In 1967 my older sister Gwen and husband purchased the lanes from my parent and operated it until September 1969 when it was bought by Earl and Doreen Young.
From 1971 to 1973 Automatic pin setters were gradually introduced. The last pin boys were Jay and Jeff McLaurin, grandsons of the my mom and dad. In the years that Young's operated the alleys the highest score was achievedby Mrs. Harold (Jean) King who bowled a 408 game.Another outstanding achiever was Mrs. Mary Campbell who joined the Ladies League in 1954 and had never missed a game, that's 23 years of perfect attendance.
When the bowling alley was sold and made into a private nursing home our Family was invited to the Grand opening,Wayne, Mom and I attended, it was very emotional as they had kept some of the the benches and even made the countertop from the the old lanes. Wayne said it was hard maple.

Submitted by Sharon (Brown) Jones with excerpts from the book One Hundred Years of Memories Wingham

Thinking Back- Grade 8

I will never forget the day in Nov. that I entered the classroom. A new kid in the class. The rad was cracking as I was placed right next to it by the window, I believe I was seated right behind Sharon Brown.Some memories: The mass exodus and entrance to the cloak room, for some reason sticks in my mind. Trying to find your outdooor ware to miximize your recess time and the rubbing of shoulders as you and several sweaty bodies threw their boots and coats back into the closet at the end of recess. I remember having a soccer ball thrown on the field, and especially on snowy days, a mighty boot might move the ball two or three feet. I remember Mr. Beattie twisting unattentive student ears. I remember the spelling, the geography and the math (mulitiplication) contests. These activities are so unacceptable in todays classroom, but guess what: as a Social Studies teacher I used Geography contests, just as I had experienced them, and the students loved them. It was a time when ink wells still prevailed. How often were we tempted to move the lever--a little squirt from our fountain pen. It was a time when ball point pens were just arriving. Do you remember the smell of the ink and the blobs which they so often left. Your hand were proof of the mess they made. Finally, as I think back and visualize the classroom, I can still remember where Bob M. sat and have a general recollection of were many others sat. Wouldn't it be great if a seating plan of that class were available. These are some of the thoughts which flooded through my mind upon Bob telling me what he was undertaking. Hopefully others will offer up memories that you recall. Probably won't be able to make it home for the summer activities. But will look forward to reading offering from all of you.

adios,

 Lyman Jardin,   Port Alberni, B.C 

 CommentI bet there were a few stolen kisses in that cloakroom too.

Bob McIntyre