A Birmingham couple who relocated to Lincolnshire have scooped a six-figure lottery prize, transforming their fortunes after a period marked by personal loss. Teresa Lay and Wayne Jackson, both 54 and coach drivers, won £333,333 in the Postcode Lottery just days after Teresa claimed £180 in a pub quiz. The windfall came after they moved into what they now call the “luckiest bungalow ever.”
Double Win for the Couple
Teresa and Wayne, who have been together for almost a decade, met while driving coaches for National Express. They moved from Birmingham to the village of Glentham in Lincolnshire earlier this year. Within days of settling in, Teresa won £180 playing Higher or Lower at their local pub, The Crown Inn. She recalled: “We couldn't believe it. It came down to the last cards, and I went with lower on a six, which was against the odds... the card was turned and it was a five. I was jumping up and down celebrating. After that we thought we'd had our bit of luck.”
However, their good fortune continued. On Saturday, July 18, the postcode LN8 2EX was announced as the winner of the Postcode Lottery’s weekly Millionaire Street prize, sharing £1 million among three winning tickets. Each ticket was worth £333,333. Teresa and Wayne were among the winners, along with the previous owner of their bungalow, June Kettlewell, who also won the same amount despite having moved eight miles away to Market Rasen.
Emotional Background
The couple’s joy was tinged with sadness, as they had endured a series of bereavements in the past year. Teresa said: “We've had so much sadness and I kept saying to Wayne, ‘how much bad news can come?’” Wayne added: “We lost my dad, my brother-in-law, and last Friday we lost a friend. It’s been really tough.” The win, therefore, brought a much-needed uplift. Teresa, a grandmother of seven, said: “This has given us something wonderful to smile about again. We're going to look after our family.”
Wayne’s mother, who is living with dementia, will also benefit. He said: “This money means we can spend much more time with Mum. You can't put a price on that.”
How the Win Came About
Teresa only signed up for the Postcode Lottery when they were setting up direct debits for their new home in February. She said: “I wasn’t sure at first but then said to him, ‘It’s worth having a go.’” The couple, who between them have five children and nine grandchildren, had been spending every spare penny on renovating their bungalow. Teresa said: “The refurb is full gas now. We've been doing one room at a time. Now we can finish it properly. We can do the garden and get everything the way we dreamed and finally enjoy it.”
The win also allows them to consider reducing their working hours. Teresa noted: “The biggest thing is having a better work-life balance. We've worked hard all our lives. Now we'll be able to spend more time with family, enjoy ourselves and make memories.” Travel is high on their list, particularly a return to Montenegro, a place they fell in love with.
Previous Owner Also Wins
The bungalow’s previous owner, June Kettlewell, 77, also banked £333,333 after keeping her old postcode. She and her husband Mike credited a customer service agent at Postcode Lottery for advising them they could continue playing with their old postcode after moving. Mike said: “We’ve been very fortunate because we kept the postcode of our old address. We called Postcode Lottery after we moved and one of their team said we could keep playing with our old postcode, if we wanted, so we did. I can’t thank the young lady at the other end of the phone enough because we were not aware you could keep using your postcode even if you moved away.”
Mike, a retired abattoir worker, expressed delight for the new owners: “I’m really pleased for them. It’s obviously a very lucky house.” The couple plan to use their winnings for practical purchases, including a new power chair for June, who has health issues, and a heating/cooling system for their home.
The third winner, Rebecca Andrews, 46, also celebrated with her husband David Docherty, 70.
