Full house for bingo halls

And despite suffering some knocks along the way – the smoking ban and rise of on-line gaming–bingo is still pulling in a full house.

So in an era of online distractions, what do bingo halls still hold for punters?

Paul Kay, operations manager at Mecca on Talbot Road, Blackpool, said: “It’s the social side of the game that really attracts people.

“People make friends and we’ve got a new menu so they eat here and make a night of it.

“It’s also a generational thing – mothers bring their daughters.

“It’s a safe environment.”

It may seem like eyes down as normal as you walk into Mecca on an autumnal Wednesday night, but there are some subtle changes which have proved key to its success: electronic bingo using tablets, apps to play online, and fruit machines.

Celia Kentish, from South Shore, has been playing bingo for 50 years.

The 73-year-old, whose husband joins her at bingo, said: “I couldn’t go in a pub as a young woman so we used to go to bingo. It’s somewhere safe. The last fortnight I’ve been every night!”

Bill, 77, added: “It’s the social side that we like.

“We’ve made friends here.

“As long as we break even, we’re happy!”

It’s a tradition that has passed through the generations for Alison Kay and her daughter Danielle.

Alison, 57, from North Shore, said: “My mother introduced me to bingo when I was 18 and now my daughter and I come together.

“I have been coming to Mecca since it opened.”

Danielle, 26, added: “It’s like a night out.

“I like using the tablet because you can play up to 90 tickets at one time, so you get a better chance of winning.”

And Jean Pugh, 78, from central Blackpool, said: “I first started playing bingo in 1967. It’s something fun to do and over the years I have been lucky.

“The staff are friendly and it’s nice to meet people here.”