FOR most people a trip to the bingo hall usually means leaving with your purse a bit lighter - or heavier for the lucky few, but for one Taunton couple, the jackpot was full of love. 

Mike Hill and Tina Oddy met at Mecca Bingo in Taunton in 2014, where Mike worked as a bingo caller and Tina was a keen customer. 

On their wedding day, they couldn't pass up the chance to go to the place where they first fell in love. 

Somerset County Gazette:

Mike had his eye on the prize straight away, but Tina needed a bit more convincing than some flirty banter over the bingo tannoy. 

Eventually, Mike's hard work paid off. A bit of persistence and a romantic trip to Burnham-on-Sea and it wasn't long before the couple were head over heels. 

Tina said: “It’s been an absolute whirlwind romance, and it’s hilarious to think back now that when Mike first asked me out I wasn’t overly convinced as I thought he was a little arrogant!

“As it turns out he was an old romantic and it didn’t take long before he’d managed to woo me as we got to know each other more.

“Being proposed to on Valentine’s Day was such an amazingly romantic surprise. Having just celebrated our wedding day we couldn’t let the day pass by without popping into the club to go back to the place where it all began.

“We have so much to thank Mecca for, especially for finding each other.”

Somerset County Gazette:

Mike worked as a bingo caller for Mecca for three years, and still maintains it is the best job he has ever held.

“I absolutely loved my time at Mecca and wouldn’t trade those years for the world, especially as they led me to meet my now beautiful wife," he said. 

“Unfortunately, due to my health, I’ve had to stop working at the club as I could no longer drive, but on the up side, I can now enjoy playing bingo as a customer with Tina.

“The wedding was such a special day, not just for us but also for our friends at Mecca who’ve supported our relationship from the beginning and were instrumental in helping me to set up the surprise proposal in the club.”