Liverpool Pavilion Bingo – Lodge Lane

The Pivvy grew out of a much-loved Edwardian variety theatre. The Pavilion Theatre opened on 24 February 1908, designed by Joseph John Alley for theatre entrepreneur William Henry Broadhead at a reported cost of £25,000. It was a big twice-nightly house, seating more than 2,000 across stalls, dress circle, upper circle and boxes, with a 36-foot proscenium and a deep stage for touring variety acts. Mecca Bingo acquired it in October 1961 and turned it into a bingo club, though entertainment didn’t stop there: wrestling and boxing were staged too, with bingo sometimes played between bouts. Local lore also has the Beatles playing the Pavilion early in their career for a modest fee.

Easter 1986 brought a major fire that destroyed the auditorium and backstage areas, leaving only parts of the front and lower walls. Rather than walk away, a new bingo hall was built where the auditorium had stood, so the later Pivvy was part Edwardian remnant, part modern replacement. In 1992 Mecca handed it to independent operator Gary Armstrong, who also had other Merseyside interests, and it became the Pavilion or Pivvy Bingo Club, a privately owned alternative to the chains. A University of Liverpool study of Lodge Lane describes it as an important part of local social life across generations. The L8 HerStory guide records it closing permanently in March 2020, just as Covid shutdowns began, though no source confirms that as the cause.

Other Lost Halls In The Area

• Birkenhead Mecca Bingo – Europa Centre
• Birkenhead Plaza Bingo – Borough Road
• Birkenhead Top Rank Bingo – Park Road East
• Bromborough Buzz Bingo – Wirral Leisureland
• Wallasey Capitol Bingo – Seaview Road
• Liverpool Las Vegas Bingo – Mill Lane
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – Longmoor Lane
• Liverpool Pavilion Bingo – Lodge Lane
• Liverpool – Dingle Top Rank Bingo – Park Road
• Liverpool Alpha Bingo
• Liverpool Astoria Bingo – Walton Road
• Liverpool Avenue Bingo – Tunnel Road
• Liverpool Buckingham Bingo – Speke Road
• Liverpool Carlton Bingo – Moss Lane
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – Stanley Road
• Liverpool Empire Bingo – James Street
• Liverpool Gala Bingo – Telegraph Way
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – Aigburth Road
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – Derby Road
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – Dunnings Bridge Road
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – Liverpool Road
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – East Prescot Road
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – Park Road
• Liverpool Mecca Bingo – The Broadway
• Liverpool – Toxteth Mecca Bingo – Park Road
• Liverpool Princess Bingo – Selwyn Street
• Liverpool Seldon’s Bingo – Kensington
• Liverpool Seldons Bingo – London Road
• Liverpool Top Flight Bingo – Mere Lane
• Liverpool Top Rank Casino Bingo
• Liverpool Top Rank Regal Bingo – Cherry Lane

Here are some photos of the The Pavilion Bingo on Lodge Lane 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.

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