Pat retires from bingo hall after 50 years – including an appearance on her wedding day in her dress!

There was a full house at Regent Bingo Club in Spalding on Sunday for Pat Wilkinson’s final day after 50 years’ loyal service.

She’s never worked anywhere else – and even popped in on her wedding day in 1982.
“A lot of the customers wanted to see me in my wedding gown. I didn’t mind – I quite liked it,” she recalls.

Pat and husband Maurice, who live in Bourne Road, married at St John The Baptist Church and she asked him to nip her to the bingo hall after the reception in Smedley’s canteen in West Marsh Road.
The couple had met through the bingo hall. Maurice is the brother of Brenda Gresswell, who started at The Savoy – as it was then – before Pat and is still working there now.

Pat’s five decades of work began as an 18-year-old in 1965. It was a cinema five nights a week and a bingo hall on Fridays and Sundays.
She used to go to bingo with her grandmother Florence Merchant and mum Dot McGrath (92), of Acacia Avenue, Spalding.

Venue owners Mr and Mrs Howden gave Pat a six-week trial as an usherette, showing cinema-goers to their seats and selling ice creams.
It was the start of a long and happy employment, which reached 50 years last Friday.

“I’ve done everything in my time apart from call the numbers!” she said. “I’ve enjoyed it. I like meeting people and a few of those I met early on are still customers now.”

Pat has seen many changes over the years – the cinema closing in 1970, wrestling bouts being a monthly feature and Spalding Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society used to take over the venue for a week each year for performances.

She enjoys the odd game of bingo herself. Never fortunate to win much herself, she’s always been pleased to see customers enjoy success.

Staff and friends sprung a surprise party on her final day as a cashier.