TURKEYS and badgers will be spotted in The Oracle when a ten-pin bowling alley opens.
Hollywood Bowl is bringing the sport to the former House of Fraser which closed last October. It will occupy the ground floor area of the Riverside department store, with TK Maxx taking over the rest of the unit.
In preparation for opening, The Original Bowling Company that owns the Hollywood Bowl has applied for a licence to sell food and alcohol and provide entertainment at the unit it will occupy. Under the terms of the licence, it would be able to operate between 9am and 12.30am daily, with alcohol available between 10am and midnight daily.
On New Year’s Eve, it also wants permission to see in the new, staying open until 2.30am on New Year’s Day. Alcohol would be served until 2am.
In full, The Original Bowling Company has applied to open, sell food and provide entertainment such as bowling from 9am to 12.30am each day of the week.
The plan to convert the House of Fraser into a bowling alley with food hall and other amusements was first mooted in 2019. That plan was approved in March 2020, but progress has only recently been made after a follow-up plan to divide up House of Fraser and the former Debenhams store was given the go-ahead last September.
Hollywood Bowl and TK Maxx were announced as new occupants in December by mall operator Hammerson.
At the time, Harry Badham, the chief development and asset repositioning officer at Hammerson, said: “Across our portfolio, we have established proof of the impact of investment and repositioning projects such as these, especially when we partner with national and global best in class operators.
“Reading remains a top 20 retail destination in the UK and undergoing an ambitious investment programme across the town, supported by the strong infrastructure and young population.
“This diversification of The Oracle’s offer is a first step for us and will complement our future plans for new homes, flexible workspace and improved entrances and public realm.”
The upper mall unit of the old House Fraser store is ‘under offer’ according to property marketing website Completely Retail.
There are currently Hollywood Bowl centres nearby in Bracknell, Basingstoke and High Wycombe.
Comments on the application can be submitted to Reading Borough Council’s licensing department by emailing: licensing@reading.gov.uk. These are publicly accessible and the deadline for responses is Friday, February 9.
Editor notes: Turkey is the term for three strikes in a row – knocking all 10 pins down. A badger is the term for four consecutive strikes, but some people say it is hambone.
