The unique selling point of bingo is how friendly everyone is. It wasn’t clear if this would translate well to the online bingo world, but by now it can be seen that making friends in the chat rooms is as vital as the bingo games themselves to a site’s success. However, it is difficult to replicate the personal touches that land based bingo sites bring to the game.
Rob Garrard, owner of the Beach Bingo Club in North Shields, knows that the personal touch is vital in the land based bingo world and he proved this by recognising the achievement of loyal player Isabella Bell of reaching her 100th birthday by allowing her to play for free at the club whenever she wanted.
Isabella is now 102 and visits the club three times a week like clockwork and the perk means the world to this very lively lady. She said: “When I got to 100 we had a big party in the bingo club. Everyone was dancing in the aisles and everyone had a piece of cake. Then Rob, the boss, said I could play free bingo for the rest of my life. It was a fabulous day and I love coming here.”
Isabella added that she was more excited by the free bingo offer rather than the card of congratulations from the Queen, and said: “The most I’ve won was £400 in 2003 and I shared it with a friend. But I’m still waiting to win the jackpot. There’s time yet.”
Isabelle started playing bingo when she was 40 and has loved every minute. “I first went to a bingo place in a room above the Assembly Rooms in Saville Street in North Shields. There were no tables and chairs and we had to sit with our tickets on our knees. I got the bug and haven’t stopped playing.”
Bingo Fan Isabella at 102
Isabella, lives independently in North Shields and travels to the bingo hall by taxi. Although her sight is failing the big hearted staff provide her with oversized bingo cards and boards so she can still enjoy her favourite game.
Beach Bingo Club owner, Rob, who is also a director of the Bingo Association said: “She is unbelievable for her age. She is still so spritely and very alert. You wouldn’t think she was over 100. She gets up and brings back cups of tea for others who are 20 years younger than her.
“When she turned 100 we wanted to do something special. Isabella is our lucky mascot.”
And if I may say so a great advert for the claim that playing bingo helps keep the brain alert and for the game in general. Keep up the good work Isabella and I hope you win big soon.
