By Tenpin Bowling Proprietors Association President John Ashbridge
DEB Bowling, Regal Bowl St Andrews Road Exmouth Devon
The Regal Bowl was developed from a conversion of the Regal Cinema that had opened in the late-1920’s. It was, for a small-town cinema, very well appointed with a 28 feet wide proscenium and a 20 feet deep stage. There were eight dressing rooms and it was equipped with a British Thomson Houston (BTH) sound system. The Regal Cinema closed in the early-1950’s and was, at first converted into a ballroom, but later became the Regal tenpin bowling centre. The 6-lane bowl, equipped with AMF lanes and machines, opened on 11th October 1963.
Little more is known about the Regal Bowl although, it is believed, to have been in the ownership of Wyvern Bowling Ltd by about May 1965. Later in the 1960’s, at about 1969 it was reported as being owned by a company called Tenpin Bowling (Exmouth) Ltd. It is unclear when the centre closed but in the mid 1970’s the building was converted into a nightclub known as Samantha’s.
