by Max Colchester
AFTER nearly 50 years Islington's historic Mecca bingo hall on Essex Road is to call its last number, leaving its 49,000 members in the lurch.
Rank, Mecca Bingo's parent company, has blamed the impending smoking ban for its decision to close the hall on March 25.
The company estimates that between 50 and 70 per cent of its customers smoke, and that the financial impact of the July 1 ban will result in a significant fall in business.
Already the company says that revenue has dropped 15 per cent in Scotland where the ban has been in place since last year.
Lesly Hughes, a spokesperson for Rank, said: " We don't want to have to close our bingo halls but we have no choice.
"Currently the government taxes our industry twice. This costs the industry £85m a year. Coupled with the smoking ban, this is reducing profits. As a result, we have to have to look at which areas are no longer commercially viable. The Essex Road Mecca was one of those."
But Labour Councillor Joan Coupland, said: "It's wrong for them to look at the effect the smoking ban has had on bingo halls in Scotland and say that just because people cannot smoke they are not going to come. I think they are just using that as an excuse."
Despite announcing an operating profit of £72m for its bingo enterprise, the company is still going ahead with its plans to cut 200 jobs and save £10m.
Rank explained that the Essex Road branch was chosen because of the close locality of another bingo hall at Hackney. Another issue was the fact that, as the hall is a grade two listed building and former cinema, it costs more to maintain.
The Islington hall is hoping to transfer its 30 staff to other halls.
Hughes said: "We will do everything we can to relocate them to different premises." One of the
managers at the Essex Road Mecca admitted he was worried about his future. He said: "At the moment I am not sure where we are going to go. It is all a bit uncertain."
Thursday, 8 March 2007
Last call for historic bingo hall
Wednesday, 7 March 2007
SPORT - Borough's boxing punching back
By Max Colchester
AFTER 20 years on the ropes, boxing in Islington is on the rocky road to return.
The Times Boxing Club has announced a gala fight night at the Business Design Centre(BDC) between an Islington select side and a Northern Irish team from Derry.
Big name boxing promoter Frank Warren may be attending this showcase event, which will raise money for Islington’s cash-strapped premier boxing club.
The club, which trains local fighters of all ages, is hosting the boxing gala at the Copenhagen Street venue in Angel, on Friday May 11.
Around 300 guests are hoping to be entertained by an uppercut spectacle of ten junior and senior bouts.
The BDC normally charges £10,000 a night for the Gallery Hall but the club will not have to pay a penny for the privilege and will be pocketing the proceeds from the event.
Dave Ryan, the head trainer at Times Boxing, said: “We going to put on a large pucker show. It looks like everyone wants to be a part of it. We have got some major boxing promoters and quite a few companies involved.
He added: "We should raise a considerable amount of money.”
A sell-out night of glamour has been promised, and the majority of the 25 tables have already been sold with tickets going at £60 a head.
Ryan said the idea came about thanks to members of staff at the BDC who train at the club.
“They decided to help us," he said. "They want to do something for boxing. I think that shows a change in attitude towards the sport. Until the last Olympics people were anti-boxing. Now they realise it’s a saver. It keeps the kids off the streets.”
Ryan hopes that the fight night will pave the way for future live matches. He said: “If it all goes well we hope to make this a regular thing.”
The club was originally formed as part of The Times newspaper in 1927. It has been widely credited with supporting young people from all backgrounds.