'I won £2,439 on my wedding anniversary!’

A win for Lynne Eastman, 64, from North Wales gave her something extra to celebrate

I’ve been a member of Woman’s

Own Bingo for as long as I can remember, and playing a few games online is a fun part of the week for me. I’d never played bingo before I joined, but doing it online couldn’t be easier.

I have my favourite game, which is Tiki Bingo. It’s just a penny a ticket for a game in a 90-ball bingo room. I usually buy 12 tickets, costing me a total of 12p. Mostly I log on in the morning because, as I’m retired, I tend to play in the day.

I set up my computer in the kitchen, buy my tickets and usually potter about a bit, cooking or reading the paper in between games. The computer ticks my numbers off automatically, so I don’t have to worry about missing anything.

A jewel of a win

It was the Emerald Room where I had my first big win in January of this year. I don’t often play Emerald because Tiki really is my favourite game, but it was a link game, where a few of the bingo rooms join up, offering you the chance to win an even bigger Full House. So I bought myself two tickets.

Emerald is a 90-ball game and as I watched the numbers getting called, I had to pinch myself when I was announced as the winner of the £1,000 jackpot. I’d only spent 20p and won that huge amount! It was an amazing feeling and when I withdrew the money, I put it towards a new TV and some bits for the house. A few months later, the morning of my 47th wedding anniversary, I logged in. My granddaughter – who lives with us – was resting as she’d been working nights. That evening, me and my husband were planning to get a takeaway and toast our 47th year together. Each year, we have a little celebration and I was looking forward to our meal.

As usual, I bought myself 12 tickets and logged in to Tiki. It wasn’t long before I won a line and then I realised that I only had two numbers to go. A few numbers were called and then ‘One to go!’ my computer announced.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but as I waited for my last number – 12 – to be called, I saw it flash up on the screen. I had a full house!

Within seconds, my balance updated with the jackpot of £2,439 appearing in my account.

‘Well done, winner!’ and ‘Congratulations’ messages popped up on the side of the screen where members in the chat room said how delighted they were for me.

As for me, I was shocked! But with

my granddaughter asleep and my husband out, I had no one to tell! I rushed up the stairs to wake my granddaughter and tell her the good news, needless to say she wasn’t too happy to be woken up! When my husband got home, I told him what had happened.

Double celebrations

‘I hit the jackpot, over £2,400!’ I said, not quite believing it myself. I had to show him the balance on the screen before he finally believed it too. Now we had two things to celebrate that evening!

Back in the 70s when we got married we didn’t get to have a honeymoon. But 47 years later and with a jackpot win in the bank, we started planning our belated trip.

We searched the internet for caravans, so that we could buy one and go touring the UK to places we have never been before. Eventually we settled on the perfect caravan and planned to go away to Herefordshire in the spring.

With some money left over, I could spruce up the house a bit, painting the hallway and stairs, and I got some light fittings for the lounge, which I’d been wanting for a long time. Whenever I have a win, big or small, I like to spend it on doing up the house and giving the place a bit of a refresh.

I also gave my daughter and my granddaughter some money for them to treat themselves, so it was lovely that my jackpot could be shared and enjoyed with my family as well.

I still can’t believe I’ve won two jackpots within the year! Woman’s Own Bingo is great as you can play so many penny games and be in with a chance of winning huge jackpots, plus the members are so friendly.