Seven Bingo Hall
A bingo hall in Folkestone, Kent, has closed down, following lower visitor numbers and increasingly high property rates.
Seven Bingo is owned by business partners Mike Barnard and Peter Hargreaves.
The two have decided not to renew their licence, which is due to expire on Thursday July 31. Instead, they are relocating to the northeast of the country.
The pair ran the Dover Road hall, formerly Deluxe Club, since 2007, but they closed up shop for the last time on Friday.
Regular player Kath Middleton, 65, from Dymchurch, said: “We were a close-knit group, I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself now.
“I went at least once a week and they were a great bunch of people. It was always a nice social evening. For some people this was their only social evening when they got to see their friends.
“Friday was quite sad as it was the last session but a lot of people came out of the woodwork for it. There were more than usual. If they’d come more regularly, it might be staying open. I wish the two gentlemen all the best.”
Mr Barnard, 48, who has been in the industry for nearly 30 years, said that when the club opened, around 500 people were attending every week but that this had dropped to about 200.
He said: “There are a few reasons behind the decision.
“One is the rates; the next is the number of people who have stopped coming. Finally, our lease is coming to an end and we decided a couple of weeks ago to not renew.
“There has been a bingo hall here since 1974. It had problems before we took it over because of the smoking ban but we had a couple of good years.”
This post currently has no comments, be the first.
Leave a Comment