The National Lottery has invested over £9 million in Birmingham Botanical Gardens, a project to preserve the near-200-year-old attraction for future generations. To mark the occasion, a group of wealthy Lottery winners from the city—which the National Lottery calls one of the luckiest in the UK—gathered at the gardens to explore the site and discuss the transformation. While the official agenda included plans for moving the historic Dicksonia x lathamii tree fern, dating back to the 1800s, and redesigning the glasshouse area, my focus was on something else: how to become fabulously rich.
A Brummie Mission to Uncover the Secret to Winning
Armed with a Powerball ticket, I set out to quiz these Lotto winners for any advice, tactics, or insights on striking it rich. Sipping elderflower cordial from a wine glass while wearing a £4 New Look sale dress, I discovered far more than expected from those who had already experienced life-changing wins. Here are the three big lessons I learned about luck.
Lesson One: Wins Can Come When You Least Expect Them
Conventional wisdom says good things happen when you least expect them, but these winners suggested there might be more to it. According to insiders, it's not uncommon for Lottery winners to win again once they adopt a 'winners mindset'. Many of them told me they had a feeling it was about to happen—a kind of 'manifesting'.
Take Sutton Coldfield couple Marie, 69, and Paul Kibler, 66. In February 2012, they won £2.2 million on the Lotto, a life-changing event that now allows them to enjoy litter picking in their neighbourhood, buy defibrillators for local schools, and attend events like this. The year before their win was traumatic: Paul, a self-employed gardener, had fallen 15 feet from a ladder, cracking three ribs and fracturing his skull in two places. "That year my brother died as well, he was only 54," Marie said. "So we'd had these two traumatic experiences in a year. Our heads were in a different place." They had even considered selling their house and downsizing while Paul was unable to work, making ends meet by delivering Yellow Pages directories.
Then everything changed. Paul was checking his numbers downstairs while Marie was in bed. "She shouted 'where are you?' and I told her, 'I'm checking my numbers!'", Paul recalled. Marie added, "When he said that, I just started praying. I wished in that moment that he'd win." And that's exactly what happened. Paul ran upstairs to tell her, but as it was too late to verify with the National Lottery, he faced a sleepless night of uncertainty. "I couldn't sleep but this one was snoring her head off!" he laughed, pointing to his wife.
After winning, the Kiblers barely spent a penny for three years, eventually splurging on Rolex watches for both of them. But their best purchase, they said, was a defibrillator for their grandson's school, which supports children with additional needs. I handed over my Powerball ticket for a rub and declared I couldn't wait to join their millionaire's club.
Lesson Two: Little Rituals Can Work Wonders
Andrew Hancock from Nottingham struck gold in 2019 while buying cat food at a petrol station after a day of hog roast catering. He picked up a Monopoly scratchcard and scratched it in his usual ritualistic way. "I scratch the tops off first so I don't know if I've won... I have these little methods. And I got a lucky duck, which I'd never had before," he explained. That little cardboard piece was worth £1 million.
He clutched it all the way home to tell his wife Paula. "He ran in saying he'd won a million, but I had to check it myself! And then he signed the back straight away! He didn't have his glasses on so I had to read out the numbers when we called!" Paula said. The win gave the couple, married for 24 years, financial security. They still work but have paid off their mortgage and enjoy a slower pace of life, plus "loads of holidays" as Paula noted. Their biggest purchase? "Memories," Andrew said, having travelled to the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, Chichen Itza, and the pyramids of Egypt. I asked for a rub of my ticket and started planning my first holiday as a rich woman.
Lesson Three: Your Lucky Numbers Might Be Staring You in the Face
As a Lucky Dip player, I fear missing out on 'my numbers' coming up. But Worcestershire winner Lesley Blackman, 52, found her fortune in her own numbers. In 2014, while taking a break from setting up her car boot sale pitch, she spotted her birthday, house number, and family birthdays on the National Lottery app. That moment revealed she had won £800,000—more than she'd likely earn in a lifetime of car boot sales.
"I gave up my two bedroom cottage and moved into a derelict water mill," Lesley said. "It changed my life. I was working full time in London before, so I could give up my job and take nine years off to renovate my house and open a bed and breakfast." She bought horses, sheep, and goats with her winnings but still plays the Lotto, just in case. "I feel very lucky," she said. "I feel very privileged." I handed over my ticket for a winners rub, hoping to see her again at the next soiree with my own sheep and goats.
With my lucky ticket tucked away in a secret place, I wandered back through the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Its fountains and special touches reminded me that with treasures like this on our doorstep, we're already quite rich.
