Date of closure: 1969
Address (for reference only):
Independent (Lost Halls)
Mansford Street
Bethnal Green
London
E2 6LX
At the moment we do not have details of the events that led up to, or any of the circumstances surrounding the closure of the Star Bingo Bethnal Green, but we do know a bit about about the venue’s history.
The venue was originally a swimming pool, the Excelsior Hall & Swimming Baths, which were built in 1889. The premises was converted into a cinema, the Excelsior Kinema in 1921. The 850 seater had both films and variety show, and for such a small venue it surprisingly had five dressing rooms.
It the thirties it was refurbished in the then very popular Art Deco style, although the architect was not one of the famous cinema designers of the day, but by Maple and Company of London, interior designers. Bingo was played at the Excelsior on Sunday nights only, it was never a fully fledged bingo hall. The building was demolished in 1969.
Playing Bingo contributor Charles S. P. Jenkins supplied this image which is a flyer from the Sunday night bingo at the club. A £60 jackpot would have been a princely sum in the 1960s, and note the membership requirements.
