On Friday 20th March at around 5pm, it was announced by the government that all pubs, clubs, bars and entertainment venues in the UK would have to close their doors imminently. This came after the inevitable news that Coronavirus cases were rising rapidly, and therefore, Boris Johnson announced that stronger measures regarding social gatherings had to be enforced.
As of Saturday, nearly all UK bingo halls had officially closed down up and down the country, but bingo lovers didn’t fail to keep their spirits strong in other ways. As similar measures were also put in place all over the world, stories flooded in of people reaching out using bingo.
Over the weekend, planned events suddenly went ahead but online, plus games were suddenly being played in really fun and inventive ways shall we say. Online bingo sites were reported to have seen an increase in players too, so it seems that during even the darkest of times, bingo really can bring people together.
Club 3000 Bingo In Walton Promised To Take Care Of It’s Most Vulnerable Members
According to an article in the Liverpool Echo this weekend, a Club 3000 bingo club in Walton, Merseyside, promised that its most vulnerable customers will not be forgotten during these uncertain times.
With fears mounting for people aged over 70, and for those with existing health problems too, this bingo club manager said he’d go above and beyond for any members who couldn’t now leave their homes due to self isolation restrictions.
Manager Dan Sullivan told the Echo:
We know that our customers are vulnerable and a lot of them don’t have family or relatives to help.
He said that the club sees lots of retired people coming to play bingo in the afternoons and more importantly to socialise with friends. According to Dan, the club will now prioritise these customers and will call up to 200 people every two days to check on them.
He’s directed all calls to the club to go to his mobile from now on, plus he’s also set up a WhatsApp group for all the members to keep in touch with each other too.
He said that staff will call in to see if people need anything or if they just fancy a chat, and for those without, he said that staff will deliver food or care packages to their door. Now that’s supporting the community.
Bongo’s Bingo Streams cancelled events online
The hugely successful Bongo’s Bingo chain pulled the plug on all of their planned live events this weekend.
The immersive bingo brand closed their doors to the public, but they decided to take to the social media platform Twitch, to still get the party started.
The live bingo events have taken the nation by storm this past year or so, and they didn’t want to disappoint the fans during such difficult times so took the rave online instead.
Players could jump onto Twitch for a live streamed version of the nostalgic party night from the comfort of their own homes, and the nights seemed to go down a treat. Maybe this is something we may see more of now from this brand over the coming months…
Irish family Go Viral With ‘Balcony Bingo’ Vid
Last week across the pond in Dublin’s Ringsend, Michael Larkin made the most of a bad situation and came up with the idea of ‘balcony bingo.’
He told The Irish Times that he had never organised, or even played a game of bingo in his life, but he donned a boiler suit, mask and gloves, and made his way onto the pram shed roof at the Canon Mooney Gardens estate.
With his daughter’s PA and microphone system, he played some music whilst bingo cards were passed around to the residents, then the bingo game went on for over 2 and a half hours to much joy.
Larkin said he returned to his flat shivering with cold, only to find his phone lit up with messages from across the world as someone had posted a video of the event.
He said:
They were all saying that the Italians were singing on the balcony and the Irish were playing bingo. It’s all just a bit of craic at the end of the day.
He continued:
It is a bit more than a bit of craic, as it happens. This is all about helping to connect people and keep them safe.
Over 60 residents took part in the ‘balcony bingo’ game, and given the success of the event, plans are being put in place to extend it to other flat complexes in the area.
What Lies Ahead For Bingo Now?
As we head into a slightly unknown territory over the next few months, there is no doubt whatsoever that the social aspect of bingo still continues to make people smile even in tough times. With such positive stories emerging throughout the world, it seems that people will continue to fly the bingo flag as and when they can.
We may have seen the closure of all the bingo halls across the country for now, but fingers crossed they will open their doors once again really soon. Online bingo is still as popular as ever if not more so with more people at home now, and with brands like Bongo’s Bingo introducing streamed bingo events too, I think the spirt of bingo will hopefully continue to shine online.