Sometimes you have to take an idea and run with it, and sitting in the pub for a quiet pint and catch up with friends on Thursday we ended up talking about the Big Lebowski and going bowling, I’m not sure which came first but I did find it pretty funny as it was the second time this week I’d been talking about the film. The upshot was we booked a lane at Warrington’s LA Bowl for Friday night and set out to take full advantage of the facilities on offer.

To look at it from the outside Warrington’s LA Bowl isn’t overly impressive, in fact it looks like a unit on an industrial estate. This is perhaps due to the fact it is a unit on an industrial estate. Once you walk in the rather unassuming doors to main foyer it looks pretty much as it always has for as long as I can remember, a little run down, a bit cheap and tacky, but not enough to be off putting, adding character to the place.

Personally, I like LA Bowl more then the more up market bowling places
- It’s an excuse to let your hair down and have some real fun, everyone there was buzzing and it was really busy. We even bumped into a couple of friends out on a works night out, so clearly it’s the place to be this week. Adding to the atmosphere is the DJ who while totally unable to mix tracks was entertaining from a cheese point of view and played all the classic school disco type tracks.

By the time we got to our second game or there abouts it all gets even more exciting when with a countdown from the DJ signaling it’s time for Star Light Bowling! Okay, they just turn some lights off and add some UV lights, but it just adds to the craziness so when you’re there, it’s Ace.

Three games of bowling down – Of which I came second to last in each I think (I did get a couple of strikes towards the end, but each time only managed to hit one pin in the following throw) – we moved out to take full advantage of the other attractions on offer – Arcade games and dodgems! Shooting things on Time Crisis (I think) was fun, but the dodgems was perhaps the highlight of the night there was only four of us buzzing around so you got some real movement going on and could get some quality crashes happening.

Over all, for the start of a night out it was great fun, only cost £10 for three games, drinks were fairly reasonably priced though not anything to get excited about there and the dodgems was the best £2 I’ve spent this month.