On this bowling alley in Orne, it's Friday afternoon fever for seniors

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The players of the team Gacé, from Irai and of Saint-Martin d’Ecublei get carried away on the bowling alley of L'Aigle (Orne).

It may be gray outside, the sky may spit its sadness, in the room, people play, they laugh, they speak in an almost suffocating heat. They are all there, grouped together for an afternoon where they don't get their heads or feet stuck in the carpet.

At the bottom of the lane, a set of bowling pins to be knocked out in two times maximum.

The ideal is to do un strikethat is to say, knocking down the pins with the first ball, in one go.

Almost delirium

On the first floor of the complex Cap’Orneit's almost delirium.

The members of Generation movement rural elders from the canton of L'Aigle are sitting or standing, they play or they talk, some have a small beer, others a coffee. Everyone is having fun, between laughter and little jokes.

Whether a player throws a strike or a flop, he always gets the same result, applause and screams of joy.

“We come to share”

Under the kindness and attention of Ayhan, the self-proclaimed server “the best server in L'Aigle” and former competitor, the forty-one players are having a great time.

Besides, they are there to play, not to win. Although it depends on temperaments.

Claude, a former librarian professor, calm and pedagogical explains.

We compete a little, just for fun. We come above all to meet and share a good atmosphere

Annick, who is in charge of the walking activity, agrees, “the Friday afternoon bowling allows people to come together, some of whom live very isolated. We have a lot of widowers so it's nice to find yourselfto break the solitude and make connections.”

It appeals to both men and women

The best of them will participate in the annual senior departmental final at Ferté-Bernard or Flers.

But the objective remains above all to have a good time and enjoy a moment of friendly relaxation.

Besides, the room has many novices. Some only started last year, others have been practicing for 3 years.

Alain Vallée, president of the association does not regret having set up the Friday afternoon meeting.

We enjoy a good understanding. And then, it allows us to find people we had lost sight of for decades. At 14, I played football! And I reconnected with acquaintances from the time. It's really great. At first, we came to bowl a bit like that, to try. But we saw that it appealed to both women and men.

The only problem is the dilapidation of the premises, the dirt of the balls, the lack of maintenance of the lanes, “say that we would like a new bowling alley, don't forget, thank you! »

To the left of the room, the members of the Saint-Martin club continue their game happily. Gender parity is respected.

S’amuser

But the women complain about the quality of their game, “I love it but I don't score many points” says Carole, “we're here to have fun” retorts her friend Brigitte and another supports “we don't is not there to win, that would be known! »

One last confides, “Friday is a big laughof course we share affinities, and it’s true we’re not very strong but we have a good laugh.”

Especially when they see their president, a good player, failing miserably, “ah crap! “. And start laughing again.

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