Days Of Bingo Halls Coming To End?

Another major bingo hall is being considered for closure.

A Bournemouth bingo hall is being considered for closure, and as a result, a public outcry for historic status has been listed. The Gala club, which can be found on Wimborne Road, Winton, is one of only five currently being reviewed in the entire country. The decision will be reached by month end, but the council of Bournemouth has already been contacted to try and protect the building from being leveled and replaced with flats.

The building was originally a cinema that opened in 1936, known as the Moderne Cinema. The building hosted local acts and talent shows, but with the advent of the television it could not maintain enough business, and so became a bingo hall in 1963.

When first built, the then-cutting-edge cinema used innovative designs such as furniture made of stainless steel tubes covered by fake leopard skin. A Gala Coral spokesman confirmed that although the building is only being considered for closure, they could not comment any further until a decision is reached at the end of this month.