It’s been a busy couple of days in the land-based bingo sector with news emerging of a faulty lift trapping bingo players inside to a secret music gig which led to a session of bingo being postponed, so let us take a look at the stories and how they unfolded.
Lift Away:
Dramatic scenes unfolded on Sunday 22nd September when firefighters were called to a Mecca Bingo hall in Oldham. At approximately 10pm, fire crews arrived at the bingo hall in King Street to distressed bingo players who found themselves trapped inside a faulty lift. Two men and two women were unable to get out of the lift and it took a team of firefighters to prize the doors open manually to release the trapped people. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the process.
Top Secret:
A social club in North Shields which is famed for its bingo sessions has apologised to its customers after bingo was postponed. As regulars arrived at King Street Social Club ready for an evening of bingo daubing fun, they found themselves turned away at the door. Sam Fender, the singer songwriter who was named as one of BBC’s Sound of 2018 was performing a top-secret gig which clashed with the usual bingo schedule.
The emerging artist who’s single ‘Play God’ featured on the FIFA 19 video game bagged the Critics’ Choice for 2019 at the Brit Awards recently, and there was no-way the owners of the bingo hall new were going to pass on an opportunity to have him perform in their establishment.
Dave Farrell, club secretary said: "It upset a few of the regulars. But from the point of view of the club, well, it was a no-brainer.” He continued: “We at least trebled our takings for a Friday night. The club was absolutely chok-a-bloc and we did at least £6,000 - which is pretty good considering our prices. And Spotify had a tab which we still haven't (finalised) so it will be even more."
You’re Not Coming In:
Sam is a local lad and is currently top of the UK charts and thanks to him, the owners of the bingo venue had a full house of a different kind. The top-secret, sell-out homecoming gig is part of his huge Newcastle show and will see the Hypersonic Missiles star play at Utilita Arena next spring.
Hopeful bingo players arrived at the bingo venue on Friday 20th to a note on the door, which read: "On Friday September 20 the bingo will be cancelled due to a private booking being held in the concert room. To try and accommodate everyone the bingo session for that week will be held on Thursday 19 September. We apologise in advance for the disruption of the bingo session, but it is a high profile booking the club could not turn down."
The note didn’t exactly go down well with those who turned up a day after the re-scheduled bingo night took place! Were you affected by any of these incidents? Let us know below!
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