Christmas came early for lucky neighbors who win $11M jackpot

By Georgia Lambert and Matt Leclere via SWNS

Christmas came early for a street full of lucky neighbors after they shared an £8.4 million ($11 million) jackpot when their postcode was drawn as the winner of the People's Postcode Lottery.

The neighbors of Cliffe near Rochester each bagged a £342,000 ($453,693) share of the prize pot.

More than 500 people who live in ME3 7 are celebrating the win after the postcode was drawn for the largest single prize fund the competition has ever awarded.

As champagne bottles popped around the area, nine neighbors of the main postcode ME3 7QL scooped up £342,375 ($454,191) each while a tenth received a netting £684,750 ($908,382) thanks to playing with two tickets.

Paul Laker and his wife Alison were stunned into silence when they were told they had both won £342,375.

"We didn’t really believe it. We didn’t know how much or who was going to turn up today. We’ve both won and it feels amazing," said the 61-year-old taxi driver.

“We really didn’t know what to expect. It’s life-changing isn’t it? We want to help our girls. This secures us for the rest of our lives really.”

Alison, 57, added: "It’s amazing that everybody can have a lovely Christmas after the last two years being so tough.

"It would be nice to say we’ll spend it on a holiday. Our holiday to Florida has been cancelled a couple of times due to Covid, so now we can make it extra special."

The couple said that they plan to treat the family over the Christmas holidays for their three children and five grandchildren, and Alison wants to spoil herself with a Louis Vuitton handbag.

While Marion Milton couldn't believe her eyes when the check was revealed, and could only say: "Oh my God! Oh my goodness me."

After a while, she composed herself and said: "It means a lot for me because I can help my children and my grandchildren with that amount."

Because of her win, Marion will now be able to visit her son in Australia for the first time in about three years and is planning to go first class once the COVID-19 restrictions allow them to travel.

"It’s life-changing for us and it’s life-changing for my children. It means the absolute world for us. I can’t wait to tell the children," she said.

“We never thought in our wildest dreams though we’d be a winner. Never. I still can’t get over it. I think I need a stiff drink.”

Marion joked that the win meant that her husband could get her another gift for the festive season.

“He bought me a new ring for Christmas which was silver, but we might need to up the ante a bit and upgrade to white gold," she said.

It was already an emotional day for Marion who was attending a memorial service for her brother later that day.

"We’ll celebrate his life. We lost him in August and he was cremated and sent out to sea, as he loved the sea.

"His daughter picked the date as today is his birthday and then when I found out the lottery was coming, I thought: ‘Thank you Murray.’”

Down the road from Marion was retired teacher Simon Clarke, who was so surprised he had to stop himself from falling.

The 65-year-old exclaimed: "Oh my gosh! Have you got a medic handy? I’ve just gone weak at the knees. That is fantastic. We can help a few people with that. I’m speechless, lost for words."

His wife Carol said: "We wondered if it was real. We never win anything, the most has been a tenner! It’s a phenomenal amount of money, a life-changing amount.

"It's a great way to kick off the new year. It will be lovely to go on a holiday when things start to open up again. It’s far exceeded our expectations.

"The amount of money that’s been shared out today is phenomenal. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.”

Simon added: “It’s high on our list that our family get a better start and achieve the things they want to.

Betty Reilly and her daughter Sharon, who also won a prize. (People's Postcode Lottery via SWNS)

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"We’re thinking of taking our daughter on holidays, she’s worked all the way through the lockdowns in a nursery. It might go towards our daughter moving into a new house or our son adding an extension.”

Meanwhile, Stephen Payne and his partner Tracey were joined by their family who erupted with cheers for the pair as they opened the cheque to reveal their jackpot.

Tracey said the win has opened the doors to early retirement, and she hopes to celebrate the win on holiday in Mexico.

"My youngest son, his wife and the two babies live with us and are saving for a deposit and I think we’ll help them and boost their deposit. The middle one is renovating at the moment and my eldest is getting married," she said.

Another Cliffe resident, Betty Reilly, was left in tears when the lottery ambassador Danyl Johnson surprised on her doorstep.

The great grandmother said: "It hasn’t sunk in yet, I don’t think. How wonderful! What a wonderful thing to happen at Christmas."

While Betty was one of the lucky few to scoop the six-figure sum, her daughter Sharon, who lives in a postcode with fewer prizes, cashed in on the win by bagging over £7,000.

“It’s so overwhelming. You see it on television and think it’ll never happen and then the lottery turned up," Sharon said.

“My mum is still quite independent at 85 and she likes to zoom around everywhere, she’s a trendy great-grandma.”

Since 2005, the People’s Postcode Lottery, which supports charities and players, has raised more than £800m for 9,000 charities and good causes.

While lending a helping hand, the Lottery has provided a new lease of life for the Cliffe residents.

Mom of two Jodi Johnson who bagged a prize said: "We’re all going to have a lovely Christmas.

"You never really think it’s going to be you. I can’t believe it. It just means the world; everyone struggles and there’s always a weight on your shoulders and it’s just been lifted. This is going to change our lives.

“I’m so excited, I can’t even comprehend how much money that is. It’s more than we could have dreamed of really.

"I’ll buy a car for our daughter for when she passes. She’s learning at the moment we can pay for all her lessons get her a car and get her insured.