Former bingo hall transformed as gleaming new boxing gym opens in Fleetwood

The Old Victoria Building, on Poulton Road, was for decades the home of Barney’s Bingo and, before that, the Victoria Cinema but in 2010 it fell into disuse and its condition began to deteriorate.

Around a decade ago the imposing art deco building was bought by Fleetwood-based dredging company Wyre Marine.

Renovation work has been taking place to restore the building and now an ambitious scheme to create a modern new gym, along with storage units and a community hub, is complete.

Last week, Fleetwood Gym Amateur Boxing Club officially took over the lease and is running its extensive hub of competing fighters and various other boxing coaching sessions from the premises.

The club is a hive of activity throughout the week, with boxing sessions involving all age groups.

Head coach Sean McGann said: “The facilities are fanstastic and our classes and competitive bouts are really taking off.

“We’ve got three lads competing in a major championships this weekend.

“We’ve also secured £15,000 from Sport England and with new equipment, we’ll be able to open up our brilliant faciities to people outside boxing as well.

“People would be amazed at the kind of facilities we already have here. They can contact us any time and take a look around.”

People can contact Sean about the amenities via Fleetwood GymBoxing on Facebook.

The plans were approved by Wyre planners before work, amounting to a “considerable investment” got underway.

Aside from undertaking a massive restoration project to protect the building, many of its original features have been retained, preserving one of Fleetwood’s historic buildings.

Many old cinema/bingo halls, such as the Orion Bingo in Cleveleys (formerly the Odeon Cinema), and the Empire Bingo Hall in Marton, have sadly been demolished and lost forever.

What they say

Darren Greenwood, of Wyre Marine, said just before the gym opened: “We’re thrilled to see The Old Victoria nearing completion, and it's all thanks to the incredible work of our local tradespeople.

“Their dedication and skill have brought us one step closer to restoring this iconic building to its former glory.

“Wyre Marine Services purchased The Old Victoria cinema and the former Barneys Bingo several years ago. Since then, it's been a journey filled with challenges — from navigating planning applications and historical requirements to the unexpected hurdles of COVID-19.

“But with the support of talented local tradesmen, we’ve made steady progress on the restoration.Now, we’re excited to see The Old Victoria transformed into a thriving space for Fleetwood GymBoxing — an organization that will no doubt make a positive impact in the community.

“We can’t wait to see the great things they'll achieve here!Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this project. Stay tuned for more updates from them as we get closer to opening the doors!

Grand cinema with chandelier

The building was originally the 1,124 seat Victoria Cinema, opened in 1929, which had a 15ft deep stage and dressing rooms.

It was one of several cinemas in Fleetwood at the time and was a grand venue, with uniformed usherettes and a crystal chandelier in the spacious foyer.

But as old picture houses across the country began to struggle with the increasing availability and popularity of television in the 1950s and early 60s, like many old-style cinemas, it was taken over by a new trend - bingo.

Barney’s Bingo opened in 1967 and the family-run enterprise, launched by Bernard Killoran, was a huge success, becoming one of the town’s biggest draws for decades to come.

In 2000 it was taken over by national chain Top Ten Bingo.

Smoking ban hit hard

However, further change was on its way - the new smoking ban in 2007 had a huge impact on many of the old bingo halls in the UK, with customers who enjoyed a cigarette having to keep going outside whenever they wanted to light-up.

The healthy new EU-driven initiative had an unexpected side effect - it killed off many of the old-style bingo halls and the familiar cries of “house” came to a sad end at Barneys around 2010.

Sign up for our free newsletters now A new ‘Barney’s Bingo’, unconnected to the original but named in its homage and run by Newcastle Bingo Ltd, opened on Station Road in 2017 but closed earlier this year.

Despite that, bingo has since made a comeback, with Fleetwood man Sean Connolly the manager of the recently-opened Club 3000 Bingo in Blackpool.

As for the spacious old original Barney’s building on Poulton Road, almost 100 years old, it faced an uncertain future but has now been given a new lease of life for the community of Fleetwood.