As Mecca's bingo initiative flourished, other companies such as Rank, ABC, and Essoldo followed suit, expanding their offerings to include bingo as well as films.

   With cinema attendance declining, due to an increase in the choice of leisure activities, people became more selective about their film choices and how often they went to the cinema.  

  The Snape Group  introduced bingo at the Ambassador on Sundays in 1961 to boost profits. Despite these efforts, the cinema was sold to Mecca Leisure in January 1965 through a £32,000 share issue.

     It was quite fitting that Violet Carson, beloved for her role as Ena Sharples in Coronation Street, was invited to inaugurate the refurbished Ambassador Mecca Casino and Bingo Hall in April 1965. Not only was she a TV soap star, but she was also an accomplished pianist and singer, making her the perfect choice for this special occasion.

    This invitation held particular significance for Violet, as she had a deep-rooted connection to the Ambassador. In fact, she performed with the Ambassador Symphony Orchestra on the opening night of the New Ambassador Super Cinema on Christmas Eve in 1928.

    Violet's relationship with the Ambassador was both lengthy and meaningful, as she graced both the orchestra and the stage with her talent. During the 1930s, her live performances were advertised as the "Personal Appearance of Violet Carson, The North's Star." She built a successful career as a singer and entertainer on BBC Radio in Manchester, showcasing a diverse repertoire that included everything from comic musical hall-style songs to light operatic arias.

    Her journey began with a show called "Songs at the Piano," and she later became a regular member of "Children's Hour" on the BBC Home Service. Carson also led the popular program "Nursery Sing Song" from Manchester, frequently collaborating with the much younger producer, Trevor Hill.

    In 1960, Violet was cast as the sharp-tongued widow and caretaker of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall, Ena Sharples, in Granada TV's twice-weekly soap opera Coronation Street, which catapulted her to nationwide fame.

    Not long after opening, a lucky Mrs O'Neil won an impressive £900 and 4 shillings in prize money —equivalent to over £20,000 today, quite a significant amount, considering that the average weekly wage in 1965 was around £20 for men and about half that for women.

    In a publicity initiative, Mecca celebrated her win by arranging for Bernard Youens, known for playing Stan Ogden on Coronation Street—the workshy husband of Hilda Ogden — to present her with the cheque.

   This questionable advert for Bingo Hall staff in the Manchester Evening News - Wednesday 13 May 1970, wouldn't get printed today, a sign of different attitudes in those days-

    "MECCA LTD Salford Ambassador, req for evening work 4 or 5 nights per week 2 smart attractive young ladies aged 20 /25. Apply in person or tel Manager at 736 1602"

    Bingo blowers had been introduced in the 1960s to speed up gameplay and ensure fairness after instances of callers colluding with patrons to manipulate results were reported in some clubs, prompting the need for a more secure and reliable system.

    To address these concerns, the new machines required the caller to sit at a transparent container that used air pressure to shuffle the balls. A "lifter" then propelled the drawn ball through a tube, and its number was prominently displayed on a large board for all to see.

     By the late 1970s, Mecca had shifted to digital systems, replacing physical balls with monitors that generated and displayed numbers on TV screens placed around the hall ensuring customers and staff could keep track of the numbers that had been called.

    As the 1970s ended, the Ambassador began to show wear and tear. Mecca responded by giving the hall a facelift, redecorating, and making layout changes.

   While no major internal structural changes were made during this renovation, the external appearance of the building underwent several modifications. Notably, the silhouette lettering spelling out "AMBASSADOR" was removed from the roof, along with the "Mecca Casino" signage that had previously adorned the top of the canopy.

    To enhance the entrance, five curved French awnings were added to the front of the canopy, and two illuminated poster frames were installed on either side of the main entrance recess.

   In 1992 the new owners of the Mecca brand, the Rank Group Plc (who had taken ownership in 1990), took one last roll of the dice to keep the Ambassador as a profitable hall, and submitted plans to Salford City Council. 

    Their decision to revamp the hall  was in response to the threat of a new purpose-built Gala Bingo Hall proposed for Hankison Way across from Salford Shopping City.

  They spent £650,000 (equivalent of £1.4 million in 2024) on the modernisation of the Ambassador by installing mezzanine platforms and stairways in the auditorium joining the stage to the balcony and the Stalls area. In addition, they installed a cafe under the stage accessed via a staircase utilising the old Cinema Organ pit that had previously been boarded over.  They also added a secondary foyer in front of the recessed entrance giving the old foyer over to slot machines and a member's desk. Salford Advertiser and Mecca teamed up with a competition to win 5 Colour TV's to promote the reopening following the revamp.

Shortly after this renovation Granada TV location scouts approached the Ambassador management with a view to the building doubling as the location for a Blackpool Bingo hall in a storyline involving the popular Coronation Street character, Vera Duckworth.  You can see the results in the Sound & Vision Gallery

    When the new Gala Bingo Hall across from Salford Shopping City finally opened in 1993 it further hurt the Ambassador’s attendance figures and the writing was on the wall.

    Several factors contributed to Mecca's decision to close the Ambassador.  Firstly, bingo had developed an image problem, with the average club member's age in the 1990s being 62, further solidifying the perception of the game as an activity for pensioners. Moreover, the introduction of the National Lottery in 1994 had a significant impact. In contrast to bingo, the lottery offered the opportunity to play for substantial prizes at a relatively low cost.

     However, on the 9th of July 1993, a new, modern purpose-built bingo hall and social club, operated by rivals Gala Bingo, opened less than a mile away on Hankison Way. Situated right next to Salford Shopping City (commonly known as the Precinct among Salford residents) it guaranteed significant custom.

    This was the fatal blow to the Ambassador's fortunes and in 1995 the last house was called, marking the end of an era, with the end of the Ambassador’s 67 years of entertainment and service to the community of Pendleton and beyond.

THE END....

...well not quite, click below for the story of "The Ambassador  Project" a tale of passion, dedication and ultimate betrayal.