Two cousins in Cheshire managed to bag the entire £1 million prize of the People's Postcode Lottery thanks to a planning quirk on their road.
Margaret Livens and Joyce Ablitt, who are both 72 years old, decided to build homes next door to one another in the small Cheshire village of Little Neston after being gifted the land by their grandfather.
Their plans to build houses led the local council to inform them that they'd need to name their plot of land as a street, and since they were the only two houses on it, they also had their own postcode.
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"We built the houses ourselves. It was a real family affair," Margaret explained.
Fast forward 47 years, and Margaret and Joyce started playing the People's Postcode Lottery, which raises money for charities and gives players living in a particular postcode the chance to win £1 million every Saturday.
Winners have come from all over the country, but recently it went to one little street in Cheshire.
You guessed it - the one that's home to cousins Margaret and Joyce.
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The pair each won £333,333, with the final £333,333 claimed by Margaret's husband, Harry.
The group headed to a Postcode Lottery gala in Edinburgh on Monday to pick up their winnings, with Harry admitting: "I can't repeat what I thought when I first saw the cheque."
Joyce has admitted that the win was tinged with some sadness for her after losing her husband, Peter, 12 years ago, saying: "The main thing for me wasn't the money or anything. It was because my husband wasn't with me to share it. He was a very hard worker and a brilliant man."
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The group are planning to do good things with their money, though, with Joyce explaining that they're each planning to spend the £333 but to 'be careful' about the rest of their winnings.
Margaret has expressed hopes to go on a big family holiday with her and Harry's two daughters and four grandchildren, while Joyce is thinking about booking a cruise holiday to the Norwegian fjords.
Harry has noted that the money will have a long-lasting impact for their extended family, saying: "It's not just our children and grandchildren who will benefit from this, but it will be their children too. It will just go on."
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News of the win comes after the family members have faced health issues, with Harry undergoing open heart surgery in 2020, and Margaret recently being given the all-clear for a fourth year after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019.
Following the win, she said: "This is just incredible."
Please gamble responsibly. For help, support and advice about problem gambling, contact the National Gambling Helpline anytime on 0808 8020 133
Featured Image Credit: People’s Postcode Lottery