The maker of a BAFTA-nominated film about the Elephant bingo hall has given an emotional tribute to the iconic shopping centre.
Jo Prichard’s documentary ‘The Palace’ looks at the regulars who loved and relied on the hall, and the struggle of the owner to save it from demolition.
“The shopping centre was very unique and very London,” said Jo, who first got to know the area as a student living on Walworth Road. “Over time and because of the demographics, it had become very important to so many different groups and people.”
“Everyone was together under one roof,” she said.
During the filming of her documentary, Jo became incredibly fond of the bingo hall and the people who used to visit it.
“I enjoyed being there so much, it is such a warm place physically and interpersonally,” she said. “I could see how people could spend a whole day there. It was very easy to approach and talk to people, the place had its own ecosystem.”
Every day hundreds of regulars would visit the bingo club to relax, socialise, play bingo, dominoes, gossip and party together. There were also cheap dinners for £1 and free tea and coffee.
Jo attributed the vibrancy and warmth of the bingo club to the former owner Patrick, who created “such a warm atmosphere” and had the “goodwill” of guests.
“Patrick was an amazing leader and figurehead,” she says, “it was a lot about what he built and the tone he set.”
One key thing Jo wished to highlight in the documentary was the community that had grown around the bingo hall.
“At times, there were so many people, of all ages, sometimes three generations of the same family, it was absolutely rammed.
“The big events at the bingo hall were big events in people’s lives,” she added.
Such a social space played a hugely important role in the local community believed Jo. “I hadn’t realised quite how important it was for older generations and the way they socialise. Meeting face to face is everything for them … the hall was like a giant living room to hang out with people in.
“But to do this you need big social spaces and these are becoming rarer and rarer. Space in central London is too expensive now,” she added.
Joe described the bingo hall as a “lifeline” for people, especially those who are elderly or single.
“Because it is bingo, essentially gambling, it is easy to write this off or find reasons why the hall should go, but we should acknowledge that it was providing vital services. The bingo hall picked up flack, but it gave people cheap, hot meals and in some ways provided social services.
“I wanted to celebrate the positives of what it did with the film.”
Many of the regulars she was still in touch with had struggled during the pandemic said Jo. “Everyone misses what they had.”
The Palace was permanently closed in 2019, after a long battle to save the bingo hall.
While not wanting to use the documentary as a platform, Jo was critical of the new developments springing up in Elephant and Castle.
“Flats have been built to make money, and everything around the flats then has to cater to changes in demography. The new spaces that have come after are cafes, restaurants, gyms places for younger people with a bit of money.”
When asked if the community around the Bingo Hall could be restored, Jo said it was “hard not to be sceptical.”
“The area is changing beyond recognition, it seems like it has undergone the most drastic development in London in recent times.”
“The Bingo Hall was a moment in time of the Elephant and Castle.”
The documentary can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2n9rVlcQ0Q