Annette Booth
Hostel worker Annette Booth is hoping to buy a piece of the sunny Caribbean after winning more than £50,000 playing a game on her mobile phone.
The 55-year-old could not believe it when she scooped the whopping prize playing tombola – and there is no contest where she is going to invest her winnings.
She is hoping to buy a plot of land on the island of St Kitts, where her parents come from, for a family home.
Annette, who works at a hostel for homeless people in Leicester city centre, had the dramatic turn in her fortunes after going to bed early one night.
Instead of opting for a book, she decided to relax by playing tombola on her mobile phone.
The mum of two grown-up children said: “I didn’t get much sleep because I won – and all from just a £6 stake.
“I was so excited I dropped the phone when it flashed up congratulations. I was just so excited.”
She added: “My husband, who works in security, came in late after finishing his shift and he thought something was wrong with me being awake and staring at my phone.”
Annette said her mum and dad came to the UK from St Kitts in the 1950s, and still spent much of the year on the exotic tropical island in the West Indies.
She said: “I went once to the island for break as a child.
“I have always hoped one day that the family could have its own place there, as a holiday home at first.
“Like my parents I have always worked all my life, and it is just brilliant that I have had a big slice of luck.”
Annette said her plan would be a good way to invest her winnings.
“One thing is absolutely certain – I will not be wasting that kind of money,” she said.
“What you can do in St Kitts is buy a good plot and then gradually build on it until you have a nice place.
“It’s funny – I had a dream that I would win a lot of money.
“Now with some land in St Kitts, my family will have our own special place. We all think it is fantastic.”
Below is one of the new Affordable Luxury Home Projects on St.Kitts that might interest Annette and her family. It is a recently launched development known as CANE GROVE.
The price of land varies widely from millions for sea front luxury villas, to tens of thousands for smaller plots.
Annette, who lives in Leicester, said: “We’ve been on holiday in Spain and my husband would want somewhere of our own there.
“But the value in land and property is in the Caribbean.
“I will be persuading him, and I won the jackpot, so it’s my money.”
Annette was playing Betfred Big Top tombola when she won.
“I dropped my phone and was struggling to get it working again to confirm I was the jackpot winner, and I had to ring Betfred customer services at 2am,” she said.
“So after going to bed early because I was tired, I ended up getting no sleep at all.”
Betfred boss Fred Done said: “I’m absolutely delighted Annette has realised her dream and hope she and her family enjoy their time on St Kitts.”