In a striking and inventive protest, 20-year-old Ben Thornbury has turned a deep pothole in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, into a makeshift bowling alley to highlight the deteriorating state of Britain’s roads. On January 14th, Ben placed six bowling pins inside a large pothole and invited passersby to play a game he calls ‘The Great British Bowl-Off Edition (Road Edition)’.
This creative stunt coincides with National Pothole Day and aims to draw attention to the neglected and worsening conditions of the country’s roadways. Earlier reports named a pothole near Edgbaston Stadium as one of the worst in the West Midlands, underscoring the nationwide scale of the issue.
Ben, a local web developer, explained his inspiration: “I wanted to find something that would really bring attention to these potholes—and who doesn’t love bowling? The potholes on Michael’s Pyms Road have been here for months without repair, despite promises to patch them four months ago. The recent bad weather has only made the problem worse.”
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His imaginative protests are not new; Ben has previously transformed potholes into a golf course, used them as fishing spots, and once even filled one with baked beans. Video footage shows local residents stepping into the road to try their hand at the bowling challenge, aiming to “beat the road” by rolling a ball into the hole to knock down the pins.
Highlighting the frustrations many face, Ben has also launched a petition calling for a national strategy and dedicated funding to repair potholes. The petition emphasizes the financial burden of vehicle damages caused by poor roads and raises safety concerns for drivers.
Reflecting on current fixes, Ben notes that while some roads in Malmesbury have been resurfaced—which he sees as more effective than patch repairs—heavy rain continues to damage the roads, causing new potholes to appear.
Ben’s protest and petition underscore a pressing demand for better maintenance and investment in the UK’s road infrastructure.