It’s a family affair
Jacky Bowden, 54, from Hemel Hempstead, treated her whole family with her jackpot win
I’d always been a fan of bingo. as a family, we’ll never forget when my mum Jean, now 84, won £4,000 in the bingo hall in our hometown of Hemel Hempstead in the 1990s.
The atmosphere was always amazing at the bingo hall and my sister, Christine, now 64, loved it, too. It was our Saturday afternoon treat. We were all gutted when it closed down, so when Christine started playing Woman Bingo online in March last year, I was quick to follow and was soon playing away on my laptop in the living room with my husband David, 58, playing on his games console beside me. Even my daughters, Charlene, 30, and Kandy, 35, would have the odd game.
Then, in July 2017, I got the shock of my life. David was on the sofa next to me, glued to one of his games, while I played my six bingo tickets. I watched in surprise as one matching line of numbers after another came up. Before I knew it, I’d won a grand! ‘David!’ I cried, jumping up.
‘I don’t believe it!’ he shouted, as I grabbed my phone... I wanted to treat everyone. After all, it was thanks to Mum and Christine that I was playing in the first place. I gave my daughters £100 each, bought Christine a top she’d liked for a while, and got Mum a necklace.
‘Well, what’s the point in winning if I can’t share it with my family?’ I told them. I’m still playing
Woman Bingo, I can’t imagine ever not playing bingo.
It’s a family tradition, after all!