Gala Bingo / Buzz Bingo Hall - Chatham - medway

 Buzz Bingo/ Gala Bingo Hall

Date  January 2025 

Location: Chatham 

Delmoished  - No 

I have known about the bingo hall ever since it closed down in 2020, and I have always wanted to get inside. One random Thursday evening, I finally had the chance. I was excited! Living in the Medway area, I used to go to that bingo hall before it closed, so it holds some special memories for me.

Once I arrived at the bingo hall, I walked in and met up with my friends who had come with me. We spent about an hour to an hour and a half inside, and it was fun exploring the place.

It was fun to see the hall and behind-the-scenes areas of some places that you wouldn't normally access. This hall is quite large; I remember it being smaller.

 

Unfortunately, Buzz Bingo in Chatham closed down in 2020, becoming one of the many venues affected by COVID-19, along with 26 other sites across the UK. The building was acquired by a housing company with plans to convert the former bingo hall.

 

This site had been operating for around 80 years as a venue, originally serving as a cinema before being transformed into a bingo hall. It started as Gala Bingo but suffered a fire in 1998 and almost faced demolition. However, due to public demand, it was rebuilt and reopened as a bingo hall in the early 2000s, continuing operations until its closure in 2020.

 

A budget of £9.5 million is now allocated to convert the site into 174 flats and a few other developments.