East End residents have a new entertainment option after the Island's second bowling alley opened last weekend.

Southside Family Bowl located on the former US Base in St. David's has been refurbished by Mr. Quinton Hayward and family.

The 60-year-old Smith's resident signed a five-year contract with the Bermuda Land Development Company (BLDC) in April and has modernised the bowling alley which had lay unused since the US withdrawal in 1995.

Mr. Hayward said other interested parties also wanted to re-open the bowling alley, and other proposals included conversion to a storage facility or even a telecommunications centre.

Mr. Hayward managed the alley from 1980 to 1989 during the US occupation of the base lands and in 1994 spoke to then Minister of Finance Dr. Grant Gibbons about continuing the alley following their departure.

Before the alley could be opened, Mr. Hayward installed a new electronic scoring system, brought in new balls, racks, new pins, lockers and shoes. He also had to carry out maintenance work on half of the ten stacking machines which reset the pins.

Mr. Hayward has been bowling for over three decades, turning pro in 1977, and joining the Professional Bowling Association (PBA) more than 20 years ago.

He is still active in the PBA, although not in the way he used to be, playing in only a few tournaments a year to maintain his professional status.

When asked if he received a good reception and turn out he said: "That's an understatement!'' After successfully opening on Sunday, the entire place was booked by a group of 40 school children by 11.30 am on Monday.

And on Monday evening he said: "It was like the residents got a motorcade as so many people came to see what was going on.

"All the lanes were booked and all the sitting and standing room was taken up by interested onlookers.'' Mr. Hayward said reopening the alley was a family venture involving his wife Glorita and daughter Adorna, who is recently back from a tournament in Las Vegas and left for Ecuador recently on a student exchange programme.

And after such a good response from East End residents, he said: "It made us feel very happy.'' This Saturday is the first training session which will be held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by the Junior Programme held from 1 to 6 p.m.

Mr. Hayward is also planning family fun weekends as well as special nights such as "Moonlight bowl'' when only the lights over the pins are on, "Scotch doubles'' when couples play together, and "cosmic bowl'' with glow-in-the-dark pins and balls.

Southside Family Bowl will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays (training sessions from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and 3 to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

Shoes cost $1 to rent and prices per game range from $2.50 to $3.50. Call the alley at 293-5906 for more information.