Exterior of the now closed Berwick-Upon-Tweed Forth Bingo - Hide Hill
Date of closure: 18th December 2011
Address (for reference only):
Independent Club Hide Hill Berwick-Upon-Tweed TD15 1EQ
Another victim of falling attendance, Forth Bingo closed in 2011. We don’t have exact details of the circumstances surrounding the closure, but would hazard a guess that online bingo, taxation, and the smoking ban were probably the chief culprits in the club’s sad demise. The only bingo hall in the area, it was previously a cinema, although at the moment, despite researching its past we have yet to find out the cinema’s name and provenance. The bingo club was owned by Forth Bingo, their other club in Rosyth also having closed.
It opened in 1913 as the Queens Room Cinema, and in 1923 became the Berwick Theatre. It went over to bingo in 1966. (Robert Clark).
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By Gareth Whieldon (July 2012)
Update
A local businessman has bought the premises, and is intending to create a new shopping outlet if planning permission is granted.
The photographs below have been all been kindly provided by Robert Clark who recently returned to the bingo hall while on holiday, and managed to get in to take a great set of photographs. Now closed, there are obviously plans in store for the building.
Exterior of the now closed Berwick-Upon-Tweed Forth Bingo – Hide Hill
The foyer area, with the doors leading into the circulating area ahead. On the left, is the book sales/membership enquiries desk.
What may well be a food counter. I’m not 100% sure if it was or not. You may have noticed on 84 another counter which I think could’ve been the bar, as it had two hatches, and seemed to be narrow, so not much space for cooking equipment.
Looking from the other end, near the stage, back towards the entrance to the playing area itself.
Some of the décor on the walls. The chariots on the walls are raised off the surface, and are original. The other artwork you see here was recently done, and I have to say suits it well. Some of the glass or mirrors in the hall also had chariots on them.
The counter for food again, with me in it looking at the scene. Looking at it more, I think this was a food counter, with the one running parallel to the seats being the bar.
View backstage as it were, and notice some of the bingo seating was stored here as well!
Another image of the chariots, and the new artwork, which suits the chariots well.
The foyer, looking back from the auditorium. To the right are the toilets. I didn’t go in, but I imagine they’re working!
The caller desk. There is a bingo artefact on it as you can see! There wasn’t any way to get behind the desk from the main part of the hall. However, backstage, there was a small white door, which was quite low, and you had to bend down to get through. But, I wasn’t able to open the door, though I’m guessing that, due to its position, this gave access to the callers desk.
Toilets
The board, where the chains around the fire exits would be kept when the bingo was open. Notice also the fact that it’s wooden décor still.
The desk at the entrance, which would’ve dealt with membership requests as well as book sales. Notice that the purple light above the desk has no lettering on it. I was not able to establish if there had been lettering on it, subsequently removed. I would think that the purple or pink lighting is a previous feature when it was bingo though.
Holder where a sign, giving information, such as prizes or offers, would’ve been placed.
The old café area. On the photo that I took in 2012, looking at the building from the front, on the left is the doorway to the flats and offices above. The middle is the main entrance. The right is this area. What I can tell you is the work going on in this bit, shown clearly in this photo, was associated with the conversion of this part of the building into a restaurant. So, in effect, the role of this part of the hall isn’t changing at all.
Behind the desk area.
New plans for the building.
The view to the front of the old café area, looking out onto Hide Hill. As already stated, looking outside from the front of the building, the doors you see here are on the far right of the building.
Two of the workers doing the building work in the hall that day. Alas, I didn’t get either name, but the man on the left was the one responsible for the superb artwork you see in the auditorium. The man on the right was the man who got in touch with frank that day to let him know I was here.
A sign on a door from Forth Bingo days. The doors lead from the café area back into the foyer. I’m guessing that as part of the works to create the restaurant, these doors will eventually be blocked off.
The hall, from having entered through the second set of doors. The bingo tables have been kept round the sides, but the tables in the middle have been removed. The seats that you see in the photo are for the audience for a show; a group from the nearby Maltings arts centre were using the hall for a show that weekend, and were setting it up the day I visited!
If you have any photos from this lost hall, be it of its interior, the staff, special events, parties, customers and more; and you’d like to share them here, please contact us to arrange adding them to the site.
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