Bingo Win with us!
Julie Murray, 57, from Rotherham in Yorkshire, had her big win on a last-minute game at bedtime
our enormous akita dog, George, was snuggled up around my legs on the floor and I thought it must be bedtime soon, even though I was happily resting on the sofa.
In actual fact, George belonged to my daughter, Georgie, 23, who was away at university studying Zoology. And even though we fed him a raw meat diet and lavished him with doggy treats, the great big lump only really ever tolerated me and my husband Peter, 55. Georgie, a huge animal lover, was his one true love. Ever since he’d been a floppy-eared, gangly-legged puppy, he’d followed her around the house and slept on her bed.
Still, he was a loyal and loving pup and a great comfort to me. Especially now that he’d decided to curl up around my feet and keep me warm – it was December and freezing cold. ‘You spoilt boy,’ I cooed, stroking his soft fluffy ears. I’d been really poorly lately, having been diagnosed the year before with Asbestos-related cancer. Now, as I yawned, I could tell it was time I got ready for bed. ‘Go up to bed,’ Peter said gently. ‘I’ll play one quick game of bingo, then go up,’ I told him. I’d already played the daily free game earlier that day. You can play one for free every day for a week if you’d spent £2 in the previous seven days. There were free spins and cash prizes to be won. I tapped away on Georgie’s old laptop and bought a 10p ticket for the Sapphire game on Woman Bingo. Ever since I’d been a little girl I’d loved bingo, visiting the halls every Tuesday evening with my grandma, Doris.
Crossing off the numbers as they were read out was always so much fun, and there was the excitement about who would be first to win a line. Doris played bingo until pretty much the day she died in 1982, but I stopped for years, until I discovered online bingo in 2009.
Just like the bingo halls
I loved the way you could recreate the excitement of playing traditional bingo in the comfort of your own home. When ill health meant I was forced to retire from my busy job as a legal executive in February 2017, I still enjoyed playing. Just then, I noticed my numbers flashing up. Full house! ‘Oh crikey!’ I gasped. My sudden excitement disturbed George, who wandered off to the kitchen. ‘What’s happened?’ asked Peter. ‘I’ve won a thousand pounds!’ I gasped. ‘Wow!’ cried Peter, checking the screen. ‘I only bought one 10p ticket!’ I chuckled, in complete amazement. ‘Not bad at all!’ he laughed.
doggy’s treated too
We’ve always shared everything in our family, so I divided up my winnings between me, Peter and Georgie.
Georgie put the money towards a new camera for her university work and Peter treated himself to a new set of golf clubs.
I’d been using Georgie’s old laptop to play bingo, so I bought a new tablet so that I could play my favourite Woman Bingo easily. And of course, George got a big bag of luxury doggy biscuits too.
I’m still playing and love the buzz of it, but winning £1,000 was just amazing.
‘I only bought a 10p ticket!’