The game of bingo has flourished in the United Kingdom ever since the 1960s when big cinema chains like the Odeon Hackney Road began to be turned into bingo clubs. This was the beginning of a change across the whole of Great Britain, with bingo clubs appearing with increasing regularity and becoming something of a fixture in British culture. The shift in cultural norms towards the golden age of bingo was driven by many factors, and was particularly popular in Wales.
Wales Holds a Special Place in Bingo History
So where does Wales fit into the story? The Welsh can boast a very important staging post in the creation of the game driving across new networks and communities. The first purpose-built bingo hall was opened in 1988 at the Castle Club at Canton, an inner city district in the west of Cardiff, and home of famous singer Charlotte Church. The bingo played on that opening night would be a very different experience from the multitude of interactive free bingo games found in the popular mainstream a quarter of a century later. Nevertheless, this was a breakthrough moment.
There are specific reasons why the game has crossed over particularly well in the ‘Land of the Castles.’ Given that the country has one of the largest ratios of small villages within the United Kingdom, it’s a place where people can come together to socialise and share stories. It is a country that is generally considered to be one of the friendliest to visit. Whereas some traditional bingo halls in parts of the United Kingdom are disappearing, the traditional land-based venues are still very much alive and well in many parts of Cymru.
For many parts of Wales, there is that sense of looking out for friends and colleagues, a bit like the Danish dedication to hygge, which is an appreciation of the simple parts and joys of life when the days get shorter. The Welsh equivalent of the Scandinavian word is actually ‘cwtch’ which is almost a badge of honour in being a native. It is very much in the fabric of society to create a sense of warmth and safety in both physical and emotional states and this word transcends a normal cuddle. It is a state of being and living that brings that closeness.
When everyone was pretty much grounded and apart because of the first stages of the lockdown, BBC Wales put out a programme called Full House which outlined a slice of life in a popular bingo hall in Tonypandy. The location is nicknamed ‘The Las Vegas of the Valleys’. It was even commissioned for a proper series given the good reception the original airing received. The series was an insight into the personal lives and play times of the different characters.
Full House gives the viewer a window into the heritage and societal quirks of bingo in Welsh culture. It certainly appears that there will always be a calling for eyes down in the valleys.
