Bingo News

We see it in the news every single day now, how is the rise in VAT going to affect us all? Yes, it may help the country get out of debt but at what expense?

Well, I bet bingo never crossed your mind when thinking about the increased shopping bills and rises in petrol prices, but yes the world of bingo is being forced to change too!

As the standard rate of VAT is changing from 17.5 per cent up to 20% as of yesterday, everything is going to be more expensive. Even having fun is going to cost you more. With the growing popularity of online bingo, traditional bingo halls are going to find it even harder to get people through their double doors.

Bingo has always been seen as a fairly cheap game for people to have a drink and socialise with friends but the increase in price will be sure to curtail how many trips people are making on a weekly basis.

Jackie Jakes is an avid bingo player but she told the news provider it is getting too expensive for her to continue to play as often as she wants.

“I use to play live bingo at least twice a week and sometimes more. I have had to cut down to one night per week for the last six months,” she noted.

Not only is 2011 going to see the breaking of many New Year’s resolutions and an increase in gym memberships but it will also see the inline bingo world get more technological advance!

Oh yes! You heard right, although online bingo is already fairly interactive with the use of forums and discussion boards, it is going to become even more so throughout the New Year. As online bingo has been one of the main reasons for the closure of many traditional halls, sites are trying to stress the social element of the game to prove that people will not be missing out by staying at home to enjoy the game.

As 2011 goes on sites are going to try an incorporate cutting-edge technology like social media tools, live video feeds and some are even trying to bring in 3D elements. Everyone is hoping that by making the online game much more interactive it will attract those who currently turn their nose up at it.

The already competitive industry is seeing new sites emerge everyday and so operators are trying the gain an advantage as and when they can.

So, make sure you keep an eye out on very popular sites such as Virgin Bingo and William Hill Bingo to see what new changes they will make to get ahead of the crowds!

Helen Clark organised a fund raising bingo night to raise money for her best friend Jane Spickett who died due to Melanoma cancer. Not letting herself give in to the grief she felt, Helen was strong and decided to do what she could to raise money for the two hospitals who helped Jane through her illness.

Jane Spickett was unfortunately diagnosed with Melanoma cancer seven years ago but was not letting it get the better of her and had not long been give the 5 year all-clear from her doctors. However, at the end of 2008 she was sadly given the awful news that the cancer has returned.

Helen said: “Throughout even the darkest of days, Jane always remained positive, but she passed away in October 2009, aged 41.”

Not long after the anniversary of Jane’s death, Helen organised a Bingo fundraising night at the Masonic Hall in Barry to celebrate everything Jane enjoyed – joining the bingo was karaoke and disco!

Each table honoured Jane with her picture and a vase of sunflowers – her favourite!

“There was no difficulty in quickly selling all the tickets to the event – with many people unfortunately left disappointed,” said Helen.

“During the evening a raffle was drawn and an auction was held for prizes donated by local businesses and friends – too many to mention but a special thanks to all.”

The evening raised £1,500, which will be donated to the Marie Curie Hospice Penarth (Holme Tower), and to Velindre Hospital where Dr S Kumar, the consultant who treated Jane, is hoping to start a fund for a specialist Melanoma nurse.

In the name of Christmas good will some very self-less volunteers dedicated their Christmas Day to serve hot meals to the homeless people of Gloucestershire! Now could you get anymore giving than that?

The Charity workers, who give their time helping at the Vaughan Centre in Southgate Street, Gloucester, served up a turkey dinner with all the Christmas trimmings to the more vulnerable members of the local community.

Also, in Cheltenham, staff at the Open Door Project in St Luke’s Hall cheered up their Christmas diners with fun filled bingo games, board games and crackers! Who doesn’t enjoy a good game of bingo when you’re feeling a bit down?

People who attend these kinds of shelters said that this kind of effort by caring and giving individuals really helps with what can be a very lonely time of year.

One of the homeless individuals in Gloucester, Dishon Nandi, said that “It has been brilliant! The food has been absolutely fantastic and there is a good atmosphere with everyone here together.

“Christmas can be a really tough time for a lot of people who either don’t have a home, or live on their own.
“To be able to share it with other people makes it far more enjoyable.”

One of the most iconic buildings in Sheffield, ‘Grand Old Lady’, has been put on the market by the owner in hopes that someone will bring it back to its former glory with a much needed refurbishment.

The real name for the building, The Adelphi, located on Vicarage Road in Attercliffe is going to be sold through the London firm Paramount Investment in the hope of attracting a serious buyer. It’s on the marketing for £220,000, however the owner will consider ‘unconditional offers’.

Stuart Oliver, agent for the company, said: “The Adelphi is for sale with full vacant possession.”

The Grand Old Lady is a Grade II listed building and was originally opened in 1920 as a picture house but has now been disused since 2006. However, there is heaps of opportunity for a number of different redevelopments including a leisure or shopping facility!

It is a stunning building and has had many purposes in the past including both a venue for Asian weddings!

This building is a dream for any property developer and the right person could really make this structure into a vital and prosperous asset for Attercliffe. But it is in need of a good clean up and someone with quite a lot of vision.

The building, which is made of red-brick and terracotta, was designed by the architect WC Fenton as an auditorium and help approximately 1,350 people. There were tiered stalls and circle levels, in addition to a projection room at the back of the building. There was also a kitchen, dining area and office space!

The Adelphi was a cinema until 1976, when after it became a thriving bingo hall from 1990 right through until 1996 when it was redeveloped into a night club until 2006. And it has been closed ever since!

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Christmas is always a time for people going out of their way to do something outstanding and that was the case for the staff at a bingo club in Spalding when they foiled an attempted burglary last Tuesday!

It was a normal evening in the bingo hall with everyone enjoying a nice game at the Regent Bingo Club when two well built men forced their way into the building. They immediately ran upstairs to where the offices are located and began searching the rooms for all the money they could find.

The brave assistant manager, Marcus Druce, went straight upstairs after them and confronted the two men. The police were then alerted straight away by fellow staff members by a 999 emergency call.

Police officers were able to arrest one man straight away but the other one legged it and was running around the club for a few minutes before also getting caught. What a way to start your Christmas week!

Although one of the staff members was physically hit during the attempted robbery, they denied medical assistant.

Marcus Druce was praised by the operations manager Dave Holt and his actions saved the club from losing a lot of money! Mr Holt said “Thankfully Marcus has sustained only minor injuries and the customers were busy playing bingo at the time.”

Brought to you by London Bingo News

All you ever read about now is all the traditional bingo halls closing due to the boom in online bingo sites but Boxing Day in Castleford showed that this is not always the case with the opening of a brand new Bingo Hall!

Because Christmas fell on a Saturday this year we have all been treated to a long bank holiday with Monday and Tuesday being treated this way! But this did not stop the Castleford Bingo lovers, and Ritz Bingo had an amazing opening on Boxing Day!

But, putting an added twist on the day, everyone who arrives to play Bingo will be given a free Easter egg! Well chocolate is chocolate isn’t it? But, Alan Gamban, manager of the venue, said they always try to give customers strange gifts.

“By the time this day comes around, people are getting a bit tired of the whole Christmas thing,” he added, while previous gifts have included a set of bathroom scales” A bit bizarre but there are no rules when it comes to free Christmas presents!