The People of Swansea Queued 2 Hours For This 🇺🇸

While modern dads might be hoping for the latest gadgets or a good craft beer this Father's Day, back in 1989 a top treat in Swansea was taking him for a game of ten-pin bowling at the ultra-modern GX Superbowl Family Bowling Centre!

This week, read about how a Swansea bowling alley promised fathers the ultimate prize, and how the Parc Tawe venue has been reinventing itself for over 35 years.

Catch you on Sunday!

Andrew.

The Father's Day Superdad Experience

A 1989 Father's Day ad in the Evening Post urged the people of Swansea to "Make your Dad a Superdad" with a chance to win a family trip to an American Adventure Theme Park. The prize promised "spectacular rides, attractions and action packed shows" taking families "from the pioneers of the West to the pioneers of Space."

The American Adventure prize didn’t include a trip to the USA, as you might assume. No, it was actually tickets to a modest Wild West-themed park in Derbyshire - American Adventure - that has now long closed.

The real draw was a game of bowling at the newly-opened GX Superbowl in Parc Tawe, a taste of proper American culture, now in Swansea.

When GX Superbowl opened, ten-pin bowling was still genuinely novel - "an essentially new sporting pursuit," as the Evening Post described it. People would queue for up to two hours to play at what had become one of the hottest spots in town, and the only venue offering the sport west of Cardiff.

The venue boasted 26 computerised lanes with "the very latest electronic scanning and pin-replacement equipment" - cutting-edge stuff for the late 80s. But the real appeal was simpler - a game for all the family where "no particular strength or skill is required."

To celebrate its first birthday in 1990, the venue held a “Crazy Beach Party” with live disco and prizes for which visitors were encouraged to wear their brightest shorts and darkest shades. Its popularity continued, including a regular bowling league held twice a week.

From Super to Mega

By 1996, the GX Superbowl was ready for a makeover. The rebrand to Megabowl came with the gloriously 90s tagline, "It used to be super, now it's totally MEGA.

Alongside the bowling lanes, families could now enjoy "the latest video games," "the coolest pool room in town," and a drink at Meglaski's bar. A Wimpy restaurant moved in, too, with regular kids parties with mascot appearances from Mr. Wimpy himself.

Survival and Evolution

The Megabowl era lasted well into the 2000s, but was eventually replaced by the Tenpin brand, which still operates the bowling alley today. As part of its most recent refresh just this year, the venue has added an escape room and karaoke booths to its offering.

And unlike many of its contemporaries (including the newer, nearby rival Superbowl, which opened 2018 and has recently re-branded as Swansea Bowl), the Parc Tawe bowling alley has survived and thrived for over 35 years and counting.

What are your memories of Swansea’s first ten pin bowling alley? Let me know!