What a treat to be able to report on a bingo hall opening instead of closing.
It has been officially announced that the good people of Canvey will be getting their old bingo hall back, after a local man, Paul Austin-Roberts, arranged a deal with the new owners of the building.
The place will have a different identity though, with the old Rio brand not revived. Instead, it will be called AJ’s Bingo – named after the business owner’s son.
Information is scarce online considering the impending opening, and there have been a few delays, but there is a ‘Coming Soon’ website seemingly ready to go, and the cub is pencilled to open in January.
It sounds like it will be a family run affair with community at its’ heart, which is most welcome in a world of big chains that all look the same.
What Happened to Rio Bingo in Canvey?
The old Rio Bingo hall on Furtherwick Road was sold earlier in the year, bought by a number of Jewish families who lived on the island.
They had plans to turn an unused part of the old bingo hall into a synagogue, and that area has now been converted, but had no plans for the hall itself where bingo used to take place.
Mr Austin-Roberts found out about this and approached the new owners to enquire about renting the space, and a deal was agreed, so now the old Rio is a dual purpose building.
So while the Rio is gone for good, there is still bingo to be found in the same place, and as long as the customers like the way the new club is run, it will hopefully stay open for many years to come.
Religion and bingo have always had a funny link, what with church bingo being a common occurrence, so perhaps this is a fitting partnership.
When Will AJ’s Bingo Open?
The new venture listed themselves as opening in January on their Google listing, which caused a bit of a stir among local bingo fans when they noticed.
The owners of AJ’s Bingo have clearly been speaking to past customers to get their opinions too, because after listening to feedback the club will be paper tickets only – at least to begin with.
This will give it a traditional authentic feel, but there will be a bar and the club will offer food too, so it looks to be a full service club.
Paul Austin-Roberts has expressed his own excitement about the new business:
“I am very excited in getting the doors open and starting to see people enjoy a much-loved game of bingo which has been in this club since 1976.
I have worked in bingo for some of the big chains and was in bingo for more than ten years. I have always wanted to open my own little hall.”
He also said that he doesn’t agree with the closure of bingo halls since covid, as it takes away vital community hubs for locals who may not have many other options for places to go to socialise.