It’s been a long time coming but bowling is finally returning to Dundee.
It’s just weeks since I wrote about how much I wanted to see a bowling alley in the city again.
And now it looks like we are finally getting one, 11 years after the Megabowl closed its doors.
Plans for a 29-lane bowling alley on the site of the former Toys R Us store at Dundee Kingsway have been approved by councillors.
The company behind the scheme, Tenpin, say the attraction could also include karaoke rooms, laser tag and an escape room.
It’s potentially a great new use for the store, which has lain empty since 2018.
But it’s the return of bowling that’s getting everyone excited.
When I posted the suggestion on Dundee Culture the number of people who wanted to see it happen was unbelievable.
Thousands of people reacted and shared the news on social media and it was so amazing to see all that joy around the prospect.
I had messages from people who said they were travelling miles to go bowling elsewhere.
Others were thrilled that there would be something great for young people to do.
Dundee bowling fans still pine for the Megabowl
For those who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s, like myself, the Megabowl was an important part of our childhood.
So it feels like a bit of that time is coming back in a way.
I suspect there are many people my age who share my nostalgia for the Megabowl.
🎳 Loved my Saturday afternoons at the #Dundee #Megabowl along with Wimpy's as well! Always an easy choice to have your birthday parties! Who misses this place, I certainly do!
📍 Megabowl at Stack Leisure Park
📸 1: Dundee City Archives pic.twitter.com/QEtpqyeveJ— Dundee Culture (@DundeeCulture) May 31, 2021
But it wasn’t the first bowling venue in the city.
Older Dundonians will remember visiting the Golden Pheasant Bar in the 1960s, a good three decades before the Megabowl opened.
Eleven years is a long time to wait.
There have been rumours of new bowling alleys before.
The most recent one was for an activity centre on the site of the Hilltown indoor market in 2019.
But like all the other rumours it turned out to be a dead end, so it’s refreshing to think we might finally be in for a comeback.
Bowling gives visitors another reason to come to Dundee
The planned new gaming complex will be a place for the next generation of bowling lovers in Dundee to practise their skills.
And with an arcade, escape room and karaoke rooms included in the proposals, it will appeal to a much wider audience, making it an exciting new addition to the city’s entertainment scene.
It’s always fantastic to see new attractions being added to the growing list of things to do in Dundee.
And a development on this scale will attract not just locals, but visitors too, which is great news for the whole city.
So the only other thing we’re waiting for now is a name.
Can I be the first to suggest Megabowl 2. Just for the laughs.
Conversation