Bingo is a great night out - or in - for the girls

Bingo is a great pastime for a night in with the girls, or before a night out on the town

Eyes down, fingers gripped tightly around the marker, Laura Suter embarked on her first game of bingo with the girls and found it to be an entirely different experience to what she had expected.

The 23-year-old had played online before but being in the bingo hall was new to her.

"It was good. The groups of girls that were out were having lots of fun and created a bit of an atmosphere in the place," she reveals.

Bingo remains a favourite pastime for many women wanting to relax away from the stresses and strains of the workplace or home and, whether playing online or in the bingo hall, it is a great opportunity for girls to get together and enjoy themselves.

"There were quite a few groups of younger girls there in their 20s who looked like they might be out for the first time at bingo, along with the experienced ones," she recalls.

Laura says that having played internet bingo and enjoyed it, she wanted to check out the more traditional form of the game.

"I have played online bingo before. I played it with quite a few of my friends as an alternative to a girls' night in and so I did have experience of it from that but I wanted to go and see what it is like in person."

Now, having had a go at internet bingo and made a trip to the local hall, she is clear which one she prefers. Online bingo.

"There is more of a chance to chat. Obviously in these recessionary times it is cheaper to get a bottle of wine in and sit down together for a bingo game," Laura asserts.

"I think it would actually be a really fun birthday idea to do it before you went out for a night on the town. And if someone won it would start the night off perfectly!"