January 2024
The Visit
I had the opportunity to explore this place alongside @stranton while we were in the vicinity visiting Birmingham's City Hospital. It was all thanks to @MotionlessMike's captivating report that we decided to check it out. Let me tell you, photos simply don't do justice to the sheer magnificence of this location. The vast open space is a testament to the architectural brilliance of the 30s. However, it's disheartening to see that certain parts of the building have been compromised during its conversion into a Bingo Hall. The Foyer area, in particular, has been marred by cheap purple paint and mirrors. Thankfully, the auditorium still retains a plethora of original features, making up for the disappointment elsewhere.
If anyone happens to visit this place in the future and stumbles upon a Fuji lens cap, it's mine!
The History
Back in 1936, the remarkable Odeon Theatre in Loughborough was constructed by Oscar Deutsch, as part of his renowned Odeon cinema chain. The talented architect, Arthur J. Price, from the esteemed Harry Weedon Partnership, was responsible for its magnificent design. On the memorable evening of November 21st, the theater proudly unveiled its doors, welcoming the audience to witness the captivating performance of Gary Cooper in the timeless classic, "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town".
The ground floor of the Odeon Loughborough provided seating for 1,029 people, while the circle had space for 596. Inside the auditorium, the decoration was kept to a minimum, with hidden lighting and decorative bands adorning the walls. On the outside, the entire façade of the building was covered in locally manufactured Hathernware faience tiles from the Hathern Station Brick and Terra Cotta Company.
In December 1967, the Odeon Loughborough was sold to the Classic Cinemas chain and given a new name, Classic Cinema. From December 1967 to March 1969, the venue experimented with bingo before transforming into the Vogue Social Club. However, films eventually made a comeback, and the Tigon group of companies took over, operating it as the Classic Cinema until its final closure on 12th January 1974, with Suzy Kendall starring in the film "Assault."
In a fascinating turn of events, the town's Curzon Cinema took on the prestigious name of "Classic," while the Classic (formerly known as Odeon) transformed into a vibrant Mecca Bingo Club. However, the bingo legacy continued as it became the beloved Beacon Bingo Club until unfortunate circumstances forced its permanent closure in March 2021, owing to the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Adding to its allure, the former Odeon Loughborough was even recognised by English Heritage in early-2008, earning the esteemed Grade II Listed building status.
After shutting down their Loughborough location and the Redcar club, Beacon Bingo was left with only three clubs. However, the owners have recently rebranded these remaining clubs as Merkur Bingo, completely phasing out the Beacon Name. In an intriguing turn of events, a LinkedIn post in November 2023 revealed that the building had been sold to a private property group. The exact amount of the sale remains undisclosed, leaving us curious about the group's intentions for the building.
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[7] - Entrance Foyer
[8] - Bar
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[10] - Projection Room
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Cheers for looking 
Fujifilm X-T2, 10-24mm f4 R OIS WR (Velvia)
Fujifilm X-T2, 10-24mm f4 R OIS WR (Velvia)
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