London – Gala Bingo Leyton – Lea Bridge Road

Gala Leyton closed down due to an unsolicited offer being made on the building at a time when the club had been suffering financially.

The club was situated in what used to be the Savoy Cinema. It opened in late 1928, and was equipped for stage and screen. The interior had marble embellishments, and was carpeted in blue throughout. In 1930 Gaumont took over management, and they had to close the cinema during the war due to bomb damage.

In 1950 it was renamed ‘Gaumont’, and again renamed ‘Odeon’ in 1964. Finally it was renamed Curzon in 1969, the last name change before it closed for cinema showings in 1971. It was reopened for bingo, and later films did come back, although this ceased in 1979 when the building was bought by Granada, who opened the Granada Bingo Club. At some point Gala took over, although we are not sure of the date. The future of the building is not sure, however in Febuary 2013 it is expected that plans to turn the venue into a church will be agreed by the local council. Despite objections from some regarding potential parking problems, the majority of repsonses to the proposal by the Church Growth Trust Ltd have been positive.

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By Gareth Whieldon (November 2012)