ON ITS OWN, No1
Eyes down... bingo halls are ready to reopen
THESE usually lively venues have been empty for six months.
But bingo halls around Scotland are now preparing to reopen – and fans are marking their cards for a return on Monday.
Players from three different households will be allowed to meet in groups of six, with social distancing between tables.
Some venues have installed plastic screens between tables and established one-way systems.
Among the halls reopening is Carlton Bingo in Partick, Glasgow, where staff spent yesterday cleaning floors and tables.
Manager Gary Duncanson even
gave the venue’s announcement system a thorough testing in anticipation of crowds returning.
But it will be far from a full house – the venue, which has been closed since October, now allows only 31 customers at a time.
The hall, built in the 1 60s, normally accommodates 1,205 people but numbers have been reduced to allow for physical distancing.
The entertainment industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with cinemas and theatres also being forced to close for most of the past year.