A LANDMARK occasion was celebrated by Ayr indoor Bowling Club as they marked their 80th anniversary by getting together for a short celebration before lining up in some recent league matches.

Belgian Edouard Ecrepont.was the brains behind Scotland's first indoor bowling stadium back on October 30, 1985 and this week we look at his legacy and the club's development in eight decades.

Edouard was a fanatic about bowls and wanted to play all-year-round.

He had the foresight to realise the business potential of an indoor facility and in the midst of creating a building business, he set about constructing a three rink indoor stadium.

During the Second World War, the stadium was taken over by the Ministry of Food & Agriculture as a grain store. It had only been open as a bowling green for four years.

But in early 1946 it was restored for bowling as the popularity of the game returned once again to Ayr.

The British Home Countries Championships were held at Ayr in 1951 and in 1954 players from Ayr were in the Scottish team.

Since the opening in 1935, Ayr has provided more than 50 internationalists, male and female.

Due to the popularity of the stadium, an extension was built on 1965 when two additional rinks were added to the original three rinks, and a lounge bar was added in 1970.

The stadium and business was subsequently handed down two generations to Edward, who ran the stadium and club as a business for a long number of years until 2001 when it was sold to yet another local builder Gordon Neil of RH Neil & Sons who himself was no stranger to the Scottish bowling scene having won several local titles and a number of caps at international level at junior, gent and senior levels, and latterly an SBA district representative and Team Manager.

Today the club have a membership of around 500, but which is steadily increasing over the last few years with an ongoing programme of refurbishment, repair and improvements to the club.

His efforts have been very worthwhile though, as the club continues to improve and become a lively and comfortable facility.

Ayr Indoor Bowling Club was created thanks to the determination of one very keen bowler, a vision continued by another, its current owner, and it has maintained its prosperity thanks to the love of the game by hundreds of others.