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Devastated Spalding bingo hall saw reopening scuppered by fire - but now plans bus trip for customers




The owners of Spalding’s Regent Bingo said their team was left devastated by a fire that has scuppered their reopening plans.

An electrical fault sparked a big blaze at the Westlode Street bingo hall in the early hours of Friday morning.

The fire caused extensive damage to the building, which had been gearing up to finally re-open its doors to customers this week as part of the easing of Covid restrictions.

Spalding's Regent Bingo in Westlode Street.
Spalding's Regent Bingo in Westlode Street.

Eric Howell, operations director of Majestic Bingo - owner of the Regent - vowed the building will re-open as soon as contractors have been able to carry out repairs.

He said: “It’s absolutely devastating for the club. The team worked really hard last week and were there every day cleaning.

“We had had lots of good luck messages from people who had seen the team in the club getting it ready.

“It’s devastating for a lot of people - it’s where they go, it’s part of the community.”

He said it was still too early to say how long the repairs may take to the building.

Five fire crews were called to the bingo hall at about 3.20am on Friday to tackle the blaze, with officers coming from Spalding, Bourne and Donington.

Local residents had been urged to keep their windows and doors shut as they woke up on Friday - and there was a strong smell of smoke coming from the building for hours after.

No-one was injured in the incident - which caused Albion Street and Westlode Street to shut for several hours while investigations were carried out by fire officers.

They discovered that the incident had started as the result of an electrical fault.

Mr Howell said that owners are now looking into putting on a coach one night a week so that Spalding customers can still get their bingo fix at the Regent’s sister site in Skegness.

The building was said to have opened as a Savoy cinema in June 1937 and was converted to a bingo club in 1970.

It had a £200,000 facelift in 2018.



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