One such closure has been that of the Bingorama club in historic Belper, Derbyshire. The town name itself suggests an idyllic spot (being a corruption of the Norman French Beaurepaire, or ‘beautiful retreat’), a fair description of the only East Midlands town to hold World Heritage listing. ‘Locals’ include such notables as former Deputy Prime Minister George Brown, actor Timothy Dalton and swimming Gold Medallist Ross Davenport.

While the tourist trade may be brisk in this Derwent Valley mill town, local bingo patrons are mourning the loss of yet one more venue, the old King Street club forced to close down after 37 years in business. The Bingorama club’s operator, Stylus Sports, puts the closure down to a number of current industry-wide pressures. Included along with the smoking ban is high taxation, according to Managing Director Peter Hargreaves.

Mr Hargreaves, who has worked for nearly 30 years in the bingo industry, says he can’t recall a climate as difficult to function in as the current one. He believes that unless the Government is prepared to address to invidious trading position currently facing small bingo clubs, more and more local communities are going to be saying a permanent farewell to one of their most familiar social amenities.

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the closure of Bingorama,” said Mr Hargreaves. “I deeply regret the loss of jobs and social facilities for local community members,” he added. Mr Hargreaves went on to express the company’s appreciation to all its staff and customers for their support over many years.

The club’s closure, while largely but clearly not totally due to the smoking ban, has sparked a lot of comment. Here are some examples:

Valerie from Spondon led the charge for the ban’s supporters. “I’m sorry to hear of the closure,” she said. “But it beggars belief how smokers think. Rather than stop smoking for a few hours, they’d prefer to give up their social life.” As a parting shot, Valerie added: “There is an upside, of course — now non-smokers get to live!"

RTS from Worcester, incensed by such remarks, delivered this broadside in response:

“No doubt in a few years time someone will be saying ‘amazing about those drinkers — rather than not drinking for a few hours, they’d rather give up their social life.’ It isn’t rocket science: when you take the fun out of going out, people won’t go out as much. Valerie and others like her are trying to put the blame for these closures on smokers. How come the non-smokers didn’t flock to bingo halls and make up the leeway?"

RTS also took issue with the claim that passive smoking leads to disease, and said that there was no empirical evidence for such a link. His final rocket was: “Congratulations to the anti-smoking fraternity. Their intolerance has closed this bingo hall, and dozens of pubs and clubs around the country, and we’re only four months in."

M. Harris of Leicester raised a similar point about the failure of non-smokers to support most venues when the smoking ban came in. He added “if only a quarter of the population smoke, they must have been doing more than their fair share of supporting bingo clubs, pubs and clubs.” In a further riposte, Mr Harris said: “Take the £8.5 billion they raise, versus the mere £1.5 billion that they cost, and we’re all going to miss the smokers."

Mr Bronson of Belper was more philosophical. He felt that change was inevitable, and it was up to operators to move with the times. “They can’t expect to keep serving up the same style of entertainment that they have been for the last 30 to 50 years.” Mr Bronson blamed social trends and the growth of online bingo more than the smoking ban for the decline of Bingorama. He also pointed to successful community use of closed down public houses.

A non-smoker, writing under the pseudonym of People Power, actually sided with the smokers in objecting to government interference when it lead to the loss of community venues.  PP pointed out the sad loss of social contact for the elderly, many of whom don’t have the option of playing their bingo online. An option, PP suggested, was to have particular nights on which smoking was permitted, with staff being able to choose if they wanted to work those nights.

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