We won £333k on People’s Postcode Lottery after I IGNORED my wife-to-be’s plea… she’d had enough but I knew better
A HUSBAND has revealed that ignoring his then wife-to-be’s advice led to them winning more than £300,000 on the Postcode Lottery.
Paul and Deborah, from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, were tempted not to play the lotto anymore after a previous win in 2016.
Just two months after signing up in 2016 at a previous address, Deborah told partner Paul to cancel their tickets.
This came after they had each bagged more than £3,000 in the People’s Postcode Lottery Postcode Millions event.
But Paul ignored his partner’s advice, instead opting to stick with the tickets, and eventually they even went on to play with two tickets each.
This led to two more wins, including their Millionaire Street prize of £333,332.
Deborah said: “When we won the first time within a month or two of joining, I thought that would be it and we should just cancel but Paul refused and here we are.
“We could have said enough’s enough after that first win eight years ago. Then we won £2,000 each in June. Even with those wins it’s been worthwhile. But we never, ever dreamed we’d end up with as much as this.”
Paul added: “You can’t win if you don’t play, and our life has just changed.”
Their prize came as a share of £1million split between playing residents in Gateshead, NE9 6PZ.
While they would have normally each won just £83,333, Paul’s smart thinking to have twice as many tickets ended up doubling their satisfaction as they walked away with the almost third of a million pound sum.
Their win comes just two months after all the same players bagged £1,000 for each ticket they played with when the same postcode was drawn in the lotto’s Daily Prize.
The happy couple, who both work for the NHS, had been on their honeymoon in Gran Canaria when they found out about their Daily Prize victory.
Deborah and Paul – who share four children and five grandchildren – aim to now ramp up plans to look for a bigger home to accommodate their growing family.
The pair were shocked when the lotto workers surprised them with a second cheque moments after the first.
Paul said: “You’re having a laugh. I thought the first cheque was the two amounts together. I need a chair. Thank you very, very, very, very much. It is absolutely fantastic.”
Deborah said: “I was very happy with the first two cheques and just assumed that was our two tickets combined. Then a little visitor surprised us and gave us another two cheques. That’s when I started to get speechless.
“We had been hoping to move house anyway. We’ve got a two-bedroom home and five grandchildren. We need another room, and this will go to that.
How does the People's Postcode Lottery work?
People's postcode lottery players sign up with their postcode and pay £12 per month to play, according to the official website.
They are automatically entered into every draw and prizes are announced every day of the month.
Tickets play for prizes every day of the week – from Monday to Sunday, and a ticket could win £1,000 each day in the Daily Prize.
Tickets could also win a jackpot of £30,000 in Saturday and Sunday’s Street Prize draws.
People’s Postcode Lottery also offers a £3million Postcode Millions draw each month – and each ticket plays for a share of £3million cash prize fund.
Winners are notified via email, SMS message, mail or phone call depending on the prize they win.
Jackpot winners are visited by the lottery team in person.
“I’m not often lost for words. It means so much for us, we can help the four children and five grandchildren. That’s what gives us happiness, if we can do things for the family.
Paul said: “There are five grandchildren at the moment, but they’re still working on it, so it’s only going to get worse.”
But Deborah said they might now have to boil their home hunt down to a street where there’s a number 12 for sale.
She explained: “We married on June 12, had an evening wedding party on July 12 and found out we’d won the lottery on August 12.
“When we go for a new house, we’ll have to try for a number 12.”
Now the couple are dreaming of more holidays with the cash – and might also treat themselves to a new motor.
They are due to jet back to Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, next week – the third time they’ve visited their favourite holiday spot this year. Then they’re off to Disneyland Paris with the whole family in November.
Paul said: “We’re happy going on holidays to Gran Canaria. Puerto Rico is our favourite place. We’re quite easy-going and like what we like.”
Deborah added: “Puerto Rico is our home-from-home. We can just relax there.”