Bowling along for 200 years, but new rules carve up store

ONE of just a handful of specialist lawn bowling shops in the UK has closed its doors after 200 years of business in Edinburgh.

George Mackay Bowling Green Bowl Maker on Blackfriars Street traded for the last time yesterday.

Owner Ronnie Scott, who almost closed the business in 2000, said a change in bowling rules which meant the balls did not have to be checked and rebalanced every ten years, meant a massive drop in custom.

The 52-year-old who lives in Portobello said: "When the rules changed it just meant people didn't need to come in to have the balls biased and stamped.

"It's been very difficult since then, I've no idea why this change was made at all, it doesn't make any sense. It just means people will be able to tamper with them now without anyone checking.

"It's a really sad day for me. I came here straight from school when I was 15 and I've been here ever since."

The shop was only one of four in the whole of the country which offered the balancing service, the others being in Glasgow, Worcester and Liverpool.

It was also the only business which checked and altered bowling balls on the spot, and the only shop which altered pure wooden balls, with the majority of balls produced now being plastic.

Mr Scott added: "It means anyone wanting this service will have to go to Glasgow now, where they will have to wait up to a fortnight for the work to be done. We did it within an hour."

Although the shop is closing, Mr Scott is considering still staying in the trade, and may take special requests to repair old wooden balls and do so on a Saturday morning.

"I've got all the machinery here and you never know, maybe the rules will change back again and all of a sudden people will need the bowls balanced again," he said.

"That's why I won't throw it out, and I've got machinery here that biases the old wooden balls, and this is the only place you can get that done."

The closure is the second blow to the Edinburgh bowling scene this week, after it was announced that the city's oldest club – the Edinburgh Bowling Club – was to close after the lease for its green and clubhouse was terminated by the Royal Company of Archers.

Mr Scott's brother, Dennis, 62, who lives in Little France, has helped him run the store for years.

He added: "It is a sad day for me, but more so for Ronnie. Recently it's been more of a labour of love than anything else, but he's been here his whole working life."