Date of closure: circa 2002
Address (for reference only):
Independent Club
Collenna Road
Tonyrefail
CF39 8EL
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 Savoy Bingo Tonyrefail, but we do know a bit about about the venue’s history.
A small cinema in the South Wales Valleys, the Picture Theatre opened in 1914, with a proscenium of only 18 feet, and seating capacity of only 560. It later became the Savoy Cinema, although ownership hadn’t changed.
We are not sure when the cinema closed, or the bingo operation opened, but we do know it closed circa 2002. The building is listed and still exists, and it appears that at some point it will reopen as a theatre.
If you have any further details that may assist us, and you would like to share them with our readers, we would love to hear from you. If you let us know what you know, we will put the details online with your name credited (if you wish, or we can credit the article as anonymous). You will be doing a service to the bingo community and posterity by helping us record details of all Britain’s bingo clubs and halls. Thank you.
By Gareth Whieldon (February 2013)
Update
We have just received the following update from the new owners (below), and are pleased that although it will not be reopened as a bingo hall it will be a performing arts centre, so at least the community will benefit in some way from the conversion. Gareth Whieldon (April 2013).
My partner and I have bought the Savoy Cinema/Bingo Hall. When we moved in, it was still fitted out with the bingo equipment. The interior of the building is in superb condition, but the exterior requires some work. In 2010, planning permission was granted to convert it into eight, two bedroom flats. We have now submitted a planning application for its conversion into a community theatre/performing arts centre, to include a one bedroom flat for us to live in. The auditorium will accommodate approximately 220, with a proscenium stage of 14.2 metres by 8.5 metres. A 40 channel sound system of around 3kw and a 256 channel lighting system with intelligent lighting. In the meantime, we have been given permission to strip out the bingo equipment and certain walls in preparation for the conversion work to start. Work is now well under way, and we hope to open by the end of August. Our website is: http://www.savoytheatre.net.
Other Lost Halls In The Area
The photographs below have been kindly provided by Daniel Robertson, the new owner of the venue. They were taken when he moved in, and as you can see the building was in good condition. The hall had been closed for a refit, and never opened again. Daniel and Hayley are currently converting the premises for use as a theatre, and hope to open as the Savoy Theatre in July 2013. They intend to also raise funds for complete restoration of the facade. You can get updated information on the progress of the conversion at http://www.savoytheatre-ton.co.uk.
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.
I became manager in 1994. I left for a while and returned in 1997. Mr D. Lloyd was the owner until it recently sold. I have many happy memories especially when promoting the club. We had Maggie Kirkpatrick who played Fergie the Freak in ‘Prisoner Cell Block H’ as a guest appearance, just as the series ended. A few singers from the valleys appeared there as well. Many happy times were had there.