There was a time that Edinburgh was a veritable hub of bingo action in the UK. As the Scottish capital, it’s expected that entertainment brands of all kinds would pile into the city to appease its many residents. That certainly remains the case, and not long ago, bingo was among the most prevalent forms of entertainment venues.
On Gorgie Road, West Granton Road, Great Junction Street, Nicolson Street, Fountainbridge Road, Bath Street, and Westside Plaza, people would queue up on Fridays and Saturdays to play the game of numbered balls and cheeky calls. Now, while bingo can still be found if you know where to look, many of these halls are to be redeveloped.
Former Leith and Nicolson Street Halls Under the Hammer
Set in one of the most colourful parts of Edinburgh, the old industrial mill in Leith is set to undergo yet another change as a venue in the city. In the past, it went from being a house for industry to putting on blockbuster films as the area’s go-to cinema. Later, it joined the ranks as one of Edinburgh’s many bingo halls.
Now renamed ‘The Grainworks,’ there is planning consent to transform the former mill and entertainment venue into student accommodation. When it’s all done, the building that’s just off Leith Walk will be able to home 200 students while they undergo their studies in the city.
Down on the south side, another building with a similar journey as The Grainworks will be renovated into something new. At 50 Nicolson Street, the former cinema and bingo hall will be given a full makeover, transforming the property into a place for small community events and daytime dinners.
To bring this vision to life, what was once one of the city’s oldest cinemas – having opened in 1912 – will see its internal structures reused where viable, with minimal changes made to its external form. The main access points will also remain in place, meaning that the venue itself won’t be altered too much from when it housed bingo.
Still Very Much a Bingo City
While bingo halls might not be as prevalent across Edinburgh as they used to be, there’s still a love of the game both as a way to stage community events and to enjoy some light entertainment around the weekend. Down in Craigmillar and Niddrie, for example, a spring night of prize bingo was a big hit for the White House Community Café.
Then, of course, there are the bingo halls that continue to draw in the crowds and deliver some bubbly action throughout the week. As the bingo clubs locator shows, the hall on Moray Park is open every day of the week and until 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays, welcoming new and experienced players through its doors to play the game.
Of course, Edinburgh and the preferences of its people are very different now to even ten years ago. So, bingo halls that wish to compete with everything that’s come along and set up shop since need to run some special incentives. That’s why there are jackpot games, online bingo bonuses, and £10 eat, drink, and play deals at the hall.
Former bingo halls may be undergoing a makeover at a couple of points in the city, but those who continue to want to play can still do so in Edinburgh.
