A Clifton brother and sister are celebrating a combined £375,000 Postcode Lottery windfall after seven neighbours shared a £1 million prize on their street.
Gary Hook, 67, and sister Beverley Bell, 60, were among the residents whose postcode, was selected for the Millionaire Street prize on Saturday 15 August.
Gary, a postman, won £125,000 with his ticket, while Beverley scooped an incredible £250,000 after playing with two tickets.
The siblings, who live just a few doors apart, had no idea the other was playing.
Gary said: “Never in a million years did I think anything like this would ever happen to us. I didn’t expect such a huge amount. I didn’t want to let myself dream as big as that.
“And I didn’t even know my sister played Postcode Lottery, too – and she has two tickets! It’s absolutely brilliant.”
Beverley said: “This is the shock of my life – and it’s one of the best shocks ever.”
Gary had previously delivered Postcode Lottery prizes to other people during his work as a postman, but never expected to receive one himself.
He even teamed up with a Royal Mail colleague to try to work out how many of his neighbours might have won.
“I’ve delivered loads of Postcode Lottery prizes over the years, gifts in boxes and gold envelopes, so we tried to work out how many neighbours might be winners,” he said. “We still didn’t have a clue!”
Gary is planning to retire from Royal Mail in November and says the money will make his retirement even more enjoyable. He and wife Barbara, 71, are planning a return to Tenerife, where they regularly holiday, as well as a dream trip to Canada.
Beverley, who worked for 40 years at Boots before retiring due to ill health, is also looking forward to making the most of her winnings with husband Mick. She plans to spend some of the money improving their home and treating their two Cockapoos, Ronnie and Reggie.
Alongside Gary and Beverley, lorry driver Darren Gilmore, 60, also collected £125,000, while Gavin Storer won the same amount. Three other winners chose to remain anonymous.
The good news also extends beyond the winning residents, with £250,000 being awarded to local charities through funding raised by Postcode Lottery players.
Among the recipients is Nottingham-based Footprints Conductive Education Centre, which has received £65,000 to help provide services and support for children and families living with mobility and communication difficulties across the East Midlands.
Other local organisations receiving funding include Imara CIO (£65,000), Open Homes Nottingham (£50,000) and Zephyr’s (£50,000).