A NEW museum placing the spotlight on the history of a County Durham town has been unveiled in a working bingo hall.

The People’s Museum at Hippodrome Bingo, in Bishop Auckland, was officially opened by the town’s MP Dehenna Davison yesterday.

Managers at Majestic Bingo, which owns the club, said when they first got a call from history enthusiast Michael O’Neill asking if he could meet to discuss the idea of a museum, they were a little sceptical and wondered if someone had designs on buying their 111-year-old building.

Having no appetite to sell their premises and a wish to carry on playing bingo for many years to come, they soon forged a working relationship with Mr O’Neill and the dream of The Peoples Museum started to come to life.

Mr O’Neill, chairman of community group behind The Peoples Museum said: “The project has been a real pleasure and to be fair it’s the very best location in the town.

“The Hippodrome Bingo Club has a fantastic heritage and is the last original theatre/cinema left standing in Bishop Auckland.

“It will be a great addition to the Hippodrome for visitors and members alike.

“I think we need to remind people that we had a really successful town that was even nicknamed mini-London at one point, and it is important to remember the people who built the town – the old miners, railway workers and steel workers.”

He added: “We are very lucky that Majestic are allowing us to use unused space in their building and they are committed to running the building as a bingo hall for many years to come.

“I want to thank Majestic Bingo and its operational director Eric Howell for being our partner in this venture.”

Majestic Bingo managing director Mark Jepp added: “We are delighted to support this project as it links well with our company ethos of serving the local community in Bishop Auckland.

“I think it is a great initiative and will remain in place as a local attraction that compliments the Hippodrome for many years to come.”

The building originally opened as a theatre in 1909, and shortly after that became the Essoldo cinema, which was open until 1962 when the building became the bingo hall.

The museum is open throughout the week when the club is open.

Visitors must be over 18 and it's £1 entry.