I attended a family party at the Airport Bowl yesterday (yes, I know I am too old and am suffering today!!).

Blimey - how that venue has changed - and not for the better .

After parking in the dingy car park, you have to negotiate a dark pavement covered in broken glass before being confronted by two bouncers on the main door (Bouncers at a bowling alley???). After a search of handbags (for alcohol) and waiting 10 minutes to shell out £10 per person for two games, and another queue for the shoes - you are required to wade through a sea of rubbish (consisting of leftover food and food cartons strewn on the floor) to find the lane.

The lane broke down six times before we were 'timed out' despite not having a timed session. Grumpy and disinterested staff did fix the problem each time, but it was clear I was being a nuisance wanting anything from them. It was freezing cold in there - and the toilets were unfit for use by animals

I was so disappointed as it was a really nice night out many years ago. I am not sure whether the owners are incompetent, or whether they are running it down for closure as that ground must be very valuable that close to Heathrow. I wish I hadn't gone to be honest, as that will be my last visit there and it saddens me that it's gone downhill so badly.

Anyone else have any memories of the place??

Not questioning your judgement, but don't expect much from the donut ring of sh*te in Zones 4-6 that surrounds London.

That's such a very great shame. I've been there quite a few times over the years, most recently about 3 years ago. By standards in the UK it's always been pretty good, but when I was a teenager and we lived in Belgium, we used to go to a bowling place there that makes ours look a bit pathetic.

To give you some idea, if you wanted a drink, hot snacks or beautiful desserts and ice creams, you just pushed the service button, a waiter would come and take your order and bring all the goodies to you.

This is the one:

http://goo.gl/cI2F1Y

Belgie ! Now your're talking, proper pub opening hours, frites and the Flemish are nice, friendly people, certainly less narky and argumentative than the Dutch, as for the Walloons a lot of them aren't great linguists and places like Charleroi and Liege are a bit run down.

Only when it was Harlington greyhound track.

_________________
Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

I didnt know that Jim. Lost a shirt or two there did you??

When ever we went to Hounslow from Harlington on the 98 as kids we always went upstairs on the passenger side hoping to see the greyhounds run, sometimes we did, sometimes did not, also used go to William Byrd youth club next door.

It was you then

That'll be why the 98's changed to single deckers in the 70's (one of my routes I drove)

_________________
Lets be careful out there !

I remember the double decker 98s