Let my £800,000 Lottery win be a word of warning – I would have lost the whole lot if I hadn’t trusted my gut
A POSTCODE Lottery winner who bagged a sizeable £800,000 prize has told people to trust their gut – as she would have lost the lot if she hadn’t.
School cook Sally had a vivid dream about winning the People’s Postcode Lottery two years ago and has now banked a huge £821,990.
She was so convinced about her premonition that she went out and bought a second ticket even though she was teased by her husband Murray.
However, he was lost for words after Sally’s dream came true and she was handed two cheques for £410,995 each.
Sally, from Shiplake, Oxfordshire, said: “I had a dream about People’s Postcode Lottery a couple of years ago.
“It was a white van with the Postcode Lottery logo on it sitting at the bottom of the drive at the gate. I saw £30,000 written on a card.
“It’s been near enough in the back of my mind every day since.
“I’ve thought about it most weeks. I told Murray about it before.
“Even a week ago today, he asked if I’d won £10 that week. I said, ‘No, but it is coming’. Sometimes I just get these feelings.
“I put on another ticket after the dream. I nearly cancelled it altogether at one point, but people just need to go with their feelings.
“I kept saying to everyone, ‘My win is coming’. Now here you are, but I never dreamed of anything like this.”
Sally, supported by her daughter Laura, was the sole winner after her postcode RG9 4BX landed the weekly Millionaire Street prize.
Every ticket was worth £410,995, but Sally banked £821,990 with two.
The rest of the prize pot was shared among players in the wider RG9 4 postcode area.
Now excited Sally has new dreams – of buying a home, going on a world cruise, and helping out family.
She currently lives in a tied cottage on the farm where hubby Murray is head tractor driver.
But the couple, who celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in September, have been thinking of buying a house when he retires from the job he loves.
Now they may remain in Shiplake, which was where 1984 and Animal Farm author George Orwell once lived – and is just a couple of miles from celeb favourite Henley-on-Thames, which is often named as the best and happiest place to live in Britain.
The mum-of-two, who has been a Postcode Lottery player for six years, said: “The plan was to try and buy a little something in the Bournemouth area where my parents lived. But they have both passed away now.”
Pointing to a sweet miniature cottage on her grandson’s train set, she said, “That’s my dream: a little cottage somewhere. It might be that we can buy a house in Shiplake now and stay in the village, which we never thought we could do.”
She added: “My husband has worked so hard for us and never asked for anything back. He’s my rock. Now I can give him something back.”
Sally fell in love with cruising after spending idyllic holidays with her late mum.
That’s my dream: a little cottage somewhere
Postcode Lottery winner Sally
She said: “I would love a world cruise, but there are a lot of bridges to cross before we can do that.
“Our dog won’t leave Murray’s side. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do because I don’t like to fly.
“I’d love to go on a really nice ship and have a cabin with a balcony, think back on this day and how it has changed our lives.
“I’ve also always wanted to go to the pink castle hotel in Disneyland.”
And she joked: “I’ll go on holiday and send my doubting husband a postcard because he said I was never going to win anything. He can stay and look after the dog.”
Sally, who has been battling ill health with spinal and shoulder conditions, said they will take time to consider how to deal with their new fortune.
But they will help boat skipper son James, fabric shop sales assistant daughter Laura, and grandson Joe.
And the poorly gran is already thinking of accelerating her retirement plans because her primary school role involves heavy lifting.
She said: “The main priority is using this money wisely and sensibly and securing our future and helping the family, no doubt.
“We’ll look seriously at what we can do to help us for the rest of our lives.
“Because of my health, being able to retire would be everything to me.”
When the first cheque came out, I thought that was the total of what I’d won. I couldn’t believe it when I got another cheque
Sally
After being alerted to her win, Sally thought she might be in line for £30,000 after looking at the website.
And when presenter Danyl Johnson pulled out the first cheque, she thought that was the combined winnings from her two tickets.
But she was left speechless when he then grabbed another gold envelope and revealed her second cheque.
She said: “When I looked on the website, I thought I might get £30,000. But that was just hypothetical. I didn’t want to go overboard.
“When the first cheque came out, I thought that was the total of what I’d won. I couldn’t believe it when I got another cheque. I thought he had made a mistake.”
Kind-hearted Sally said she first signed up for Postcode Lottery to help charities.
She said: “You get a chance to give as much as possible to charity, but also get a chance to win something.
“You’re giving and may be able to receive a little too. I play to give to charity, with the thought that you might win big.
“But even if you don’t win, you’re still giving money to charity.
Whatever charity you give to and however small the amount, all joined together it makes such a big difference. It would make the world a better place.”
She added: “I’m stunned, happy and grateful. Wherever there’s a postcode there’s a winner.”
Tearful daughter Laura said: “My parents are the most hard-working mum and dad ever. This couldn’t have gone to better people.
“They’ve done so much for me and my son. They deserve it, it is just incredible.”