May 19, 2021 4.45 pm This story is over 34 months old

Owner to bring fire-damaged Spalding bingo hall “back from the ashes” in 2022

The owner wants to bring the club back even better
Photos showing the significant damaged caused by a fire at a bingo club in Spalding. | Photo: Mark Jepp/Regent Bingo Hall

The owner of a bingo hall in Spalding that was badly damaged by a fire wants to “rise the club back from the ashes” next year.

A fire investigation was carried out after five crews tackled a blaze at Regent Bingo Hall on Westlode Street in Spalding at 3.21am on May 14.

Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue said the cause of the fire is thought to be an electrical fault inside the building, while investigations are still ongoing internally with the insurance company.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to the inside of the building, so much so that Regent Bingo Hall was not able to reopen as planned on Monday, May 17.

Fortunately, nobody was injured in the fire, which happened while the club was closed.

The fire happened three days before the business was due to reopen again. | Photo: Mark Jepp/Regent Bingo Hall

Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue said the cause of the fire is thought to be an electrical fault inside the building. | Photo: Mark Jepp/Regent Bingo Hall

The staff team of 13 are all being retained, with some redeployed to Skegness and others helping with work relating to the Spalding site.

Mark Jepp, is the Managing Director of Majestic Bingo, which he has owned since January 2014. Majestic runs 15 clubs, including Regent Bingo Hall in Spalding and another in Skegness.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused by the fire. | Photo: Mark Jepp/Regent Bingo Hall

The inside of the building was so badly damaged that the business was unable to reopen as planned on May 17. | Photo: Mark Jepp/Regent Bingo Hall

Mark told The Lincolnite that the extent of the damage and scale of exactly what needs to be done is still being assessed, but that it could take up to six months to complete.

He is hoping that the bingo club in Spalding can reopen again in the first part of 2022.

Mark said: “Emotionally, to get that call at 5am on the Friday (May 14) was pretty painful and our initial reaction was ‘Why now? Why me?’

“What hasn’t been damaged by the fire, which was contained to the back end of the club, was still damaged by smoke through the whole building.

“In terms of the timing, it couldn’t have been worse. The only silver lining is that we can come back from this and we will build the club back to its former glory if not better. I want to rise the club back from the ashes, literally.

“We are genuinely devastated for ourselves and the staff, and equally for the customers, as we very much believe what we offer is about the community, not just a game of Bingo, it is more than that.”

A fire investigation was launched after a blaze at Regent Bingo Hall in Spalding. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Majestic Bingo is improving all of its clubs across the estate and Mark added that this will be a chance to refurb and enhance the Spalding club to “bring it back even better”.