by Dave Williams
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous fictional character, Sherlock Holmes, is known for his many catchphrases. There is none that is more iconic than “the game’s afoot.” The phrase was reported to be a declaration of Sherlock’s excitement and anticipation for the prospect of a new investigation.
And so it goes with the investigation of the bowling lane in Scotland’s Fyvie Castle. I cannot help but think of myself as a “consulting detective,” another of Holmes favorite catchphrases. We’ve come a long way in just a few weeks as we continue to narrow down the original installation and possible replacement of the lane in archetypal form.
A number of individuals have now become involved following an email directive from Kevin Hong of the International Bowling Media Association (IBMA). Project manager at the castle, Annie Robertson, has turned away one wooden bowling lane vendor already because of her interest in having the lane identical to the one constructed in the early 1900’s.
Here are some interesting excerpts from an email that was received from Ms. Robertson:
“What we have found is that the lane floor itself is constructed from 3 panels. They are about six meters long and each panel is formed from maple (sections laid on edge in the manner described in the article) and then bolted together using iron rods. Our thinking is that they were purchased as a kit and shipped to the site. Some of the other gutters and pit end are different wood with different profiles, etc., so were likely made in Scotland by the estate joiner.”
I think that the project manager may have answered her own question… it was made in the USA. The fact that she mentions six meters, or about 20 feet, means that the 3 panels would roughly equal the length of a lane, or 60 feet. I remember this being done at another time in history, when so many lanes and machines were purchased from Japan following the overbuilding of bowling centers in that country during the 1960’s and 70’s.
Those of you old enough to remember will recall lanes that were sawed into sections and then transported across the ocean from Japan, along with squeaking machines in dire need of oil. Jim Decker (father to former BPAA president Jim Decker III), who I worked for at the time, took advantage of the sale and replaced the older AMF 82-30 machines in most of his locations with the more modern AMF 82-70 version. The small amount of lanes that he purchased came in three sections, and I can remember a noise, or even a slight hopping of the bowling ball at times, when rolling over the splices.
Annie Robertson continues, “Lord Leith, for whom the building was constructed, made his money in America and he married an American woman. The racquets court in the main building is set to American dimensions and the whole concept of a playhouse is somewhat American. Hence, our ambition to track down the manufacture of the bowling alley to see if it too is American.”
Another of our “super sleuths,” retired union worker and lifetime Exxon employee Bruce Bakos, asks if a portion of the maple wood could be analyzed to determine its origin? That’s an interesting thought. And perhaps the iron rods as well? To all of you that have contributed to our adventure thus far, we say good “sherlocking” of this puzzle… as the plot thickens!
UPDATE — The Fyvie Racquets Court and Alley, originally known as The Playhouse, sustained considerable damage earlier this year during Storm Otto, when a noble fir fell directly onto the building, compromising sections of the glazed roof and facade housing the bowling lane (see photo provided by Kari Smith of the Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame).
WE GET EMAILS — Another interesting subject that we wrote about a few weeks ago, that of Cocked Hat Bowling, has brought a couple of interesting photos and a video our way. It seems that Cocked Hat Bowling was quite popular in Dallas and Houston from 1907 to 1927.
Kari Smith, curator at the Bowling Museum in Arlington, Tx., provided the following information: “As far as Cocked Hat is concerned, I am a little familiar with this niche game. It was played in Dallas and Houston for a time and we have some items related to those that played in the two Texas cities.” (see photos)
Another new friend, Kevin Hong from the IBMA has furnished a youtube video of a two-lane Cocked Hat bowling facility in St. Charles, Mo., near the home of legendary professional bowler Pete Weber. Kevin writes, “Cocked Hat Bowling is a variation of bowling that originated in English pubs. According to legend, the game derived its name from the way men would tip their hats to the side while they bowled. As recently as two decades ago, several cocked hat lanes existed in the U.S. — most of them in taverns.”
The lanes in St. Charles have reportedly been there since 1875! Check out Kevin’s video at:
CALIFORNIA USBC NEWS! 
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