GREAT-GRAN was delighted to scoop up a whopping £200,000 in the lottery after her husband told her to quit playing.
Steve Boxall, 74, and Maureen Mathews, 78, were the lucky residents to win big on the People’s Postcode Lottery.
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However, Maureen nearly didn’t play after her husband Reg told her that they’d never win.
Maureen was over the moon when the Postcode Lottery knocked on her door because it proved her husband wrong.
She said: “Reg said it was always up north that won the Postcode Lottery but look at me now.”
Reg added: “I told her to quit the lottery…well I’m very happy to be wrong. I need to play it now.”
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Having lived next to each other for 53 years the two families have grown extremely close and were delighted to hear that they had both won £200,000.
Maureen was celebrating her 78th birthday when she found out she won £200,000.
She said: “I didn’t expect this in a million years. We’ve got lots to celebrate and Christmas is looking pretty good too.
“It’s marvellous that Steve has won as well. I’m so pleased.”
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Steve, who worked as a firefighter for over 40 years before retiring in 2015, said: “What a beautiful Christmas present! It’s a dream come true.
“You hear of places that win but you never think it’ll ever be you.”
Maureen and Steve were among five residents to win the whopping £200,00 prize each after RG28 7DB was announced as the winner of the Postcode Loterry’s Millionaire Street prize on December 23rd.
Great-grandad Steve says the win couldn’t come at a better time as his car is on its last legs.
He said: “The clutch is just about coming out on it, and it’s done way over its miles.”
Steve added: “I’ve been looking at an electric car for a change, so I can buy one now.”
Steve and his wife Brenda, have five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren – and were thrilled to hear their neighbours of over half a century had also won.
Steve said: “We’ve been here since day one – 53 years – with Maureen next door and we get on well together.
It’s so nice that we’ve all won.
He added: They’ve been through all the ups and the downs with us, and we all know each other’s families.”
Steve and his wife intend to use the winnings to go on multiple holidays.
The couple already have a trip to the Isle of Wight booked for next year and now hope to jet off to the Mediterranean.
Steve said: “We might even go back to Malta. We holidayed for years there.
“We love it.”
The retired firefighter also wants to make improvements to his garden,
“I love my garden and my allotment, but I guess I could get a bigger allotment,” he said.
Reg who is a part-time gardener will be looking to use the winnings to buy a new TV and car.
“Both our TV and our car are long overdue an upgrade,” he said.
Both Maureen and Reg plan on celebrating well into the New Year.
Maureen said: “We’ve got several celebrations next year.
“It’s our diamond wedding anniversary, my daughter’s pearl wedding anniversary, my great-granddaughter is turning 16 and my daughter-in-law is turning 60.”
The couple plans on celebrating their 60 years of marriage together cruising in style.
Reg said: “It’s been at least 10 years ago since we went on holiday to the Caribbean so it would great to go back.”
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