My husband won’t let me use our £200k lotto jackpot to buy my lifelong ‘dream’ – he wants something ‘more practical’
A MUM who scooped £200,000 on the People’s Postcode Lottery says her husband won’t let her use the winnings to buy her lifelong “dream”.
Mum-of-three Jo Deighton, of Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, wants to splash part of the cash on a VW camper van but partner Tony isn’t so keen.
Jo said: “We’ve always wanted a camper van. It is that going away on a whim, being able to have that spontaneity.
“I’d like a classic VW, but I know it’s not a practical choice.
Painter and decorator Tony said: “I’d like to get a Transit and convert it. I’d do it myself.”
Jo added: “We could even take the kids to India. We travelled there lots when we were younger.
“We’ll have a think, but we’ll definitely be doing a big trip. You’ve got to see something of the world to give you some perspective.
“We can do all the sensible stuff and do all the crazy stuff as well.”
She added: “This is beyond life-changing. It is just insane; I can’t believe it.”
Jo shared £1million with three other neighbours in Shoreham-by-Sea after BN43 6JD landed the Millionaire Street prize.
Every ticket was worth £200,000, but one player doubled their winnings with two tickets.
The win comes just six months after players just half a mile away in the same town also bagged the Millionaire Street prize.
Twelve neighbours shared £1million when BN43 6GD won in February.
Every ticket was worth £66,666, but three people doubled their prizes to £133,332 as they each played with two tickets.
Jo also revealed her clairvoyant aunt had predicted it – from a coffee cup.
Jo said her Greek-Cypriot Aunt Amalia had read the coffee grounds during breakfast, who then told her: “There’s money in my cup.”
Hours later, Jo got a call from the Postcode Lottery team telling her she’d won at least £1,000.
The overwhelmed mum-of-three said: “My aunt reads coffee cups. The morning I got the phone call from the lottery she read a cup at my mum’s and said, ‘There’s money in my cup’.
“She said that even before I got the call. She tapped the cup and said there was money in it.
“I later found out that I had won at least a grand, so I knew there was some money coming in.”
Jo said her elderly aunt, who is currently visiting the UK from Cyprus, will be happy her prediction has come true for her and Tony.
The freelance business consultant said: “My aunt is good. I wouldn’t let her near my cup when I was a teenager because I didn’t want her finding out what I had been up to.”
She added, “She’ll be so thrilled for us. It’s my mum and dad I can’t wait to speak to. They’ve seen how hard we’ve worked.”
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.
Jo, clearly gobsmacked by the win, leapt around the garden clutching her cheque while Tony wandered about with his hand over his mouth.
Jo said: “I’m super-excited and absolutely stunned. I was not expecting anything like this. I would have been grateful with £1,250, even a grand.
“I don’t know what to say, which is quite unusual for me. Our expectations were so low.
“We are so grateful. There is a bit of light shining now, which is the most phenomenal thing in the world.”
On seeing how much the couple had won Tony exclaimed: “You are joking. Oh my God.”
Now he is even considering a career switch.
He said, “I’ve been a decorator for 30 years. My knees are gone, and my back has gone.
“I’m not a sit-down office person. I can stop and think. Because I’m a carpenter as well, I can do furniture making.”
When asked how he was going to celebrate, he laughed: “Very well.”
Jo started playing People’s Postcode Lottery in February but hadn’t heard that a street just minutes away had won that month.
Jo said, “Why did I join? Why not? I realised it is money that goes to charities as well.”