Wallsend Buzz Bingo – Middle Engine Lane

The Middle Engine Lane club, in the Willington area a couple of miles northeast of Wallsend town centre, was a modern, purpose-built bingo hall with parking for around 80 cars, rather than a converted cinema. It opened as Riva Bingo around 1995, before becoming Gala Bingo and then switching to Buzz in 2018 as part of Gala’s wider rebrand. Through its Buzz years it offered a fairly conventional mix of traditional and electronic bingo, slots, a bar and diner, and disabled facilities, and it continued trading steadily through the years when many other Buzz sites closed, surviving the major 2023 closure round entirely.

The club’s story finally ended in January 2026, after roughly three decades on the site. Customer reviews from December 2025 describe a farewell Christmas party “before it closes forever” after “30 years of fantastic memories,” with Buzz itself responding to confirm the closure. Planning and licensing records from later in 2026 show the building being rebranded as the “Former Buzz Bingo Club” ahead of a new life as a Home Bargains store, marking a clean break from its long run as a bingo venue.

Other Lost Halls In The Area

• North Shields Beach Bingo Club – Russell Street
• South Shields Mecca Bingo – Dean Road
• Sunderland Mecca Bingo – Holmeside
• Newcastle upon Tyne Gala Bingo – Westgate Road
• Newcastle Upon Tyne Welbeck Bingo – Scrogg Road
• Newcastle Upon Tyne Hay Bingo – Stamfordham Road

Here are some photos of the Wallsend Buzz Bingo on Middle Engine 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.

Also, if you have photos to add here, please contact us here to share them.