Historic Cinema Used as a Bingo Hall to be Given Massive Re-vamp

Scotland's first custom-built cinema is to be given a £1.7 million face lift to restore it to its former glory. The historic pre-art deco cinema, the Hippodrome in Bo'ness that operated as a bingo hall during the `Golden Years of Bingo' is to be given a massive overhaul and the curtain is expected to rise again somewhere in the middle of 2008.

It is a sad situation that the bingo hall had to close down in the 1980's but many historic bingo halls have experienced closures. The fact that the building is not going to be torn down bodes well for many former bingo halls that were once cinemas, dance halls and theatres. All this is to happen thanks to BP, Scottish Enterprise the Heritage Lottery Fund and Falkirk Council.

After which Classic films, silent movies and art-house films will be screened in the evenings. When the cinema was first opened, it was way ahead of its time and seated more than a thousand people on both levels.

With the increase in popularity of television the cinema fell prey to loss of custom and as were many other cinema's at that time, was converted to a bingo hall.