The owner of Eclipse Bowling in Workington has spoken out about the importance of adapting to the situation and overcoming obstacles to survive during the coronavirus pandemic.

The business did just that when first reopening in August after lockdown restrictions were scaled back.

Owner Steve Adair said: “You’ve got to learn and adapt, you’ve got to rise to the challenge that’s in front of you.

“It was a lot of work because I was doing it all on my own; all the staff were still on furlough. You adjust, you learn; now we’re aware of everything even if we get short notice we’re on it.”

The team previously received the go-ahead to reopen twice before plans to ease lockdown were abandoned both times.

Eclipse Bowling were notified that they could reopen one day before lockdown restrictions were lifted on Saturday, August 14.

“We’re positioning ourselves as an alternative night out and adapting to the changes," he said.

“It’s actually made the experience better."

The bar is closed to avoid groups walking around and lanes are operating on half capacity.

Mr Adair added: “Because we serve directly to the lanes, people are in their own bubble. People are loving it because they feel safe.”

The procedure of serving directly to the lanes has created two new jobs at the bowling alley.

Mr Adair added that the key to success has been making customers feel safe without being too restrictive.

However, he admitted that reopening under social distancing regulations has been a challenge for the team.

He said: “The biggest hurdle is the changes in staff training; they have to learn as they go.”

He feels that the bowling alley and mini golf course should have been allowed to stay open as customer’s data was already being collected as part of the business.

“We should never have been put in that position," he added. "We’ve already got those things in place.

“We’ve always done track and trace; we just have to keep it now.”

It has been a challenging period for the business which trades as a micro-business despite paying medium-sized rates.

However, Mr Adair was pleased to see the new 10pm curfew in place.

He said: “I agree with it. I’d rather we shut at 10pm than shut down altogether.”

New measures are in place following an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday.

From today, pubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses must close before 10pm.

Table service is a requirement for the businesses, with an exemption for takeaways.

New restrictions are excepted to be in place for six months, with possible closure for businesses who do not comply. The aim is to bring the R-rate below one without a lockdown.

We want to hear about more businesses going above and beyond for their customers.

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