THE bowling balls are finally set to get rolling once again after Hollywood Bowl confirmed it will be reopening its centres in Somerset from August 1.

Bowling centres have been given approval to open and Hollywood Bowl - which has venues in Taunton and Yeovil - will open 53 centres across the country for the first time since lockdown restrictions began in March.

The firm says it has been working hard to put stringent safety and cleaning measures in place alongside “Have Fun – Play Safe” guidance to welcome back customers and team members.

Hollywood Bowl had originally planned to re-open centres in July.

Stephen Burns, chief executive at Hollywood Bowl Group said: “While it’s a little later than originally planned, we’re delighted to finally be able to open our centres again in England from 1st August.

“The health and safety of our customers and team remains our priority.

"Whether it’s to bowl, enjoy the amusement areas, have a bite to eat or something to drink, we want to assure our customers that we are doing everything we can to create a safe and fun experience for families to return to.

"We look forward to welcoming them back through our doors.”

The reopening of centres in England will see the introduction of enhanced cleaning and social distancing measures, with customer guidance throughout the centres also in place.

Each centre will reduce the number of lanes in use, by only using alternate lanes, to provide extra space between each game taking place.

Amusement machines, as well as bar and diner seating, will be appropriately spaced out and signage will be visible throughout the venue to remind customers to maintain a safe distance from others.

There will be reduced customer capacity at centres to ensure that social distancing measures can be adhered to, and groups will be restricted to a maximum of six people with bowlers asked to arrive slightly ahead of their booking time.

Customers may also be required to queue when entering the centre and checking in for their games and will be given the option of wearing disposable gloves while bowling and playing on the amusement areas and should wear their own shoes while bowling.

Upon entering the centre, visitors will be expected to use hand sanitiser, which will be readily available at cleaning stations and enhanced cleaning will take place throughout the day, including the cleaning of bowling balls, lane seating and touch screens after each game.

Customers are now able to make bookings for centres in England via the Hollywood Bowl website, with bowling slots being available from August 1.

Find out more about the measures and guidance to ensure customers can “Have Fun and Play Safe” here: www.hollywoodbowl.co.uk/have-fun-play-safe and visit www.hollywoodbowl.co.uk to find your nearest centre and book.