Date of closure: 26th February 2023
Address (for reference only):
Mecca Bingo (Lost Halls)
Brookdale Place
Chester
CH1 3DY
Chester’s Mecca had one of the more unusual life stories of any British bingo hall, taking in cinema, bowling and bingo before finally facing the wrecking ball. The building opened on 2 March 1931 as the Gaumont Palace, Chester’s first true super-cinema, designed by William T. Benslyn with 1,910 seats including a 723-seat balcony reportedly the largest in Northern England. It had a Compton three-manual organ, a restaurant open to non-cinemagoers and a proper stage, hosting live acts including Cliff Richard and Billy Fury through the 1950s and early 60s. The cinema closed on 9 December 1961, but rather than converting straight to bingo, Rank spent around £100,000 turning it into a 24-lane ten-pin bowling alley, opening as Top Rank Bowling in 1962. That experiment didn’t stick, and in 1970 the building was converted again, this time into Top Rank Bingo, later becoming Mecca, with the bingo operation transferred over from the smaller Majestic Cinema on Brook Street due to demand.
That gave the building over half a century as a bingo hall, far longer than its 30 years as a cinema, though the balcony removed during the bowling phase meant the Mecca years never used the full original auditorium, with only the ground floor in play by the end. Changing trade, including the loss of a nearby car park to a bus terminal and the rise of online bingo, gradually eroded attendance, and Mecca closed the club on 26 February 2023, almost exactly 92 years to the day after it first opened as the Gaumont. The building’s story hasn’t ended cleanly either. During 2026 the main auditorium has been undergoing demolition as part of a hotel redevelopment, though the distinctive mock-Tudor frontage on Brookdale Place is being retained and worked into the new building, meaning the space that held cinema, bowling and bingo alike is now largely gone, save for the entrance that first welcomed audiences in 1931.
Other Lost Halls In The Area
Here are some photos of the Chester Mecca Bingo on Brookdale Place from Twitter and Facebook, to give you a flavour of the club, its customers and decoration. The photographers are unknown, but if one of these is yours let us know and we’ll add a credit.
Also, if you have photos to add here, please contact us here to share them.
I have just spent the worst afternoon at bingo ever. Everybody was shouting about 3 people playing travellers, they won 15 times with a total of £245 as the lady next to me shouted. I moved table but they were shouting there, I went to the toilet they were there shouting. I can understand not everyone can afford travellers, but when people that have been going for years say they are not coming back something must be done. I love a game of bingo but it will be a long time before I go back there. I think you should change the rules and give people the traveller or the books at the same price if not there will be no bingo left. I go for a nice time not a slanging match. please do something soon. Thank you.
I went to Mecca bingo in Chester last night for the first time in ages, thinking things may of changed. How wrong was I. I wasn’t shocked at the low count of players. This is due to the travellers/electronic game. Unfortunately I can see this being the end of the Mecca.You need to do something and quick. I for one will not be returning.
I have been going to this venue for a couple of months with my husband and 2 sons with their partners. We have a wonderful time. The staff are helpful and the caller is friendly. I have even spoken to the manager, who is seen a lot, which is nice to see. I have not won anything yet but enjoy going and is a fun night.
Devastated that this bingo hall will be closing for good on the 26th February 2023. It’s one of several closures for Mecca, and it came out of left field. They’re putting on a coach to Mecca Wrexham, but that’s probably because they’ve realized how much money they might lose. Feel sorry for all the staff they’ve laid off, hope it’s worth how many customers they’re probably going to lose from closing Chester, as well as Sale, Hull Cecil, Dewsbury and more.
mecca bingo has only its self to blame i was playing mecca bingo in 1984 at the regent bingo crosby we paid £1 for your books and you were playing for £100 then. then they shut southport which was a busy bingo and a lifeline for some people. its no wonder club 3000 has taken over by playing the best bingo money around. plus when electronics were introduced it just killed bingo. people get greedy spending hundreds on electronics making people on books slim chance. just my experience and opinon.