Eyes down for Newcastle bingo halls you might remember: I would love you to share our own memories
I’m hoping for a full house of memories with these views of Newcastle bingo halls in times gone by.
The game is a huge draw in clubs and halls across the North East and we have all these scenes to share thanks to the Newcastle Photo Archive.
Bingo at Beech Grove
Let’s start in Beech Grove, Elswick in 1984 where the old congregational church later became a cinema followed by a bingo hall. Tell us if you played a game or two there.
Next, we stay at the same venue but this time the scene is from 1997 and demolition work in progress.
Putting the Plaza back in the picture
We travel back once more but this time to 1976 and to the junction of West Road and Gowland Avenue. That is where you will find the former Plaza Cinema which by then had become a bingo hall.
Retro at the Rialto
The same scene is pictured in 2022 when the building was still intact but was unused.
We end our trip back in time with a look at the former Rialto Cinema in Benwell. The view takes us to 1963 to a scene of people at the cinema which was later used as a bingo hall before it became the site of a health centre.
The fantastic Newcastle Photo Archive is 40 years old and has a database of more than 50,000 photos.
We would love to hear from anyone who has memories of the city’s bingo halls of the past.
Get in touch to share your own recollections by emailing [email protected]